Pillar 2
Mass incarceration and carceral punishment do not make us safer or prevent interpersonal violence. Instead, they promote interpersonal violence
Why
They do not make us safer or prevent interpersonal violence.
US has the most incarceration and carceral punishment in the world and remains one of the least safe
Carceral punishment has criminalized indigenous practices and destroyed the ways communities know how to care for and keep each other safe
Any safety these systems provide for some comes at the cost of violence to others, who are disproportionately Black, Indigenous, poor, queer and trans
Interpersonal violence is also caused by exposure to violence, shame, isolation and inability to meet one’s economic needs, all of which are furthered by mass incarceration and carceral punishment
Mass incarceration and carceral punishment perpetuate sexual and gender violence both inside and out by allowing and encouraging sexual violence on the inside
State investments in these inherently violent institutions are prioritized over what actually creates safety, like education, housing, and healthcare
They Promote interpersonal violence.
Interpersonal violence is caused by maintaining external factors like poverty and inequality, and, at the same time, by establishing and enforcing power hierarchies which allow and encourage those on top to perpetrate violence without consequence
Carceral systems are in reality enacting violence upon people and increasing violence between people
The vast majority of people who commit interpersonal violence were first exposed to violence either as victims or witnesses