Benutzer:Woozle/Against Penitentiaries: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

There is a consensus that inhuman institutions need to be changed. Usually, however, this is couched in terms of finding alternatives. But we need to be wary about this notion. The major exponent of such an approach with respect to prisons is Thomas Mathiesen. He believes that to look for ready-made alternatives before changing an existing institution is the wrong way. He argues that "the alternative lies in the unfinished, in the sketch, in what is not yet fully existing" (Mathiesen 2015, 47). For him, the most important thing is to nurture an abolitionist stance, a stance of saying "no!" (Mathiesen 2009; 2015, 31-36). It is necessary to work for concrete abolitions. But an abolitionist stance will help us to avoid the pitfalls of a sterile reformism. In the long run, this may contribute to fundamental changes: "The turning points of the past, the abolition of slavery, the abolition of the death penalty at least in some places, the abolition of youth prisons in Massachussetts, the abolition of forced labour or what what have you - should be scrutinized as examples for the future. What fostered them, what caused some of them to return under a different mantle? Turning points probably surface for structural, economic and political reasons. They become 'ripe fruit' to use a Norwegian expression. But people act and channel them as they surface. An abolitionist stance of saying 'no!' was certainly part of past abolitions. It may be so again" (Mathiesen 2009, 62; Mathiesen 2015, 35).