Reimagining Justice Systems in a Post-Abolitionist World


How do we think about creating a world free of policing and prisons, a world where the constant fear of state violence is a thing of the past?

For Gina Dent, Ph.D., adopting an abolition mindset shouldn’t just be relegated to the criminal justice system. Abolition means reimagining society as a whole, especially in how we think about our responsibilities to one another while balancing our individual rights. 

Dent co-directs the Visualizing Abolition project at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she is a feminist studies professor. She also co-authored the book Abolition. Feminism. Now. (Haymarket Books, 2022) with Angela Y. Davis, Erica R. Meiners, and Beth E. Richie. Dent spoke with YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about how society can reimagine justice systems to meet abolitionist ideals.

The conversation is part of a series of interviews for Kolhatkar’s new book, Talking About Abolition: A Police-Free World Is Possible.