Abolition. Feminism. Now. was published by Haymarket Books in 2022. Written collectively by Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica R. Meiners, and Beth E. Richie, the book represents the convergence of two intellectual movements that Davis has spent decades connecting: feminism and prison abolition.
The central argument is that “carceral feminism” — the dominant strand of mainstream feminism that responds to gender-based violence by calling for more policing, longer sentences, and expanded surveillance — is not merely inadequate but actively harmful. Carceral feminism, the authors argue, assumes that the police and the prison system will protect women, when in fact these institutions are themselves major sources of gender-based violence: women in prison are subjected to sexual assault, coerced reproduction, denial of healthcare, and separation from their children. Women of color, trans women, and poor women are disproportionately targeted by the criminal justice system, and their experiences expose the contradiction at the heart of carceral feminism.
The book’s alternative is “abolition feminism” — a feminism that addresses gender violence not through policing and punishment but through the creation of community-based systems of accountability, support, and prevention. This requires, the authors argue, not just reforming existing institutions but building new ones: transformative justice processes, community health resources, housing, and economic support that address the conditions that produce violence rather than punishing its symptoms.
Collecting Abolition. Feminism. Now.
First edition (Haymarket Books, Chicago, 2022): Trade paperback original.
Market values:
- First edition, fine: $10–$20