Truthout
The Road to Abolition
Exploring abolition — both in imagination and in practice — and the movement toward a more liberated future.


Drug Decriminalization Is Working in Oregon. Other States Should Follow.
Decriminalization, in combination with expanded access to health services, can help stem the overdose crisis.

COVID Cases in Youth Prisons Are Cutting Vulnerable Kids Off From Their Parents
Advocates say this is one more reason why youth prisons should close for good.

My Son Was Incarcerated at 13. Six Years Later, It’s Clear the State Failed Him.
Amid a pandemic, the conditions at youth prisons have become all the more inhumane.

Organizers Are Building Solidarity Through Holiday Mutual Aid Work
Holiday-themed mutual aid efforts are popping up in cities and towns all across the United States.

Abolitionists Are Fighting Against the Surveillance State in Their Neighborhoods
The ShotSpotter system manufactures urgency for aggressive police deployments.

Diversifying the Police Force Won’t End Police Violence
Hiring a diverse police force may change what cops look like, but it doesn't change what policing means and does.

Voters Reject Policing Overhaul in Minneapolis — But Activists Aren’t Deterred
Alternatives to policing are already being built in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Set to Vote on Dissolving Police Department
A ballot question that would fold police into a public safety department has defined the race for mayor.

Looking to Get Cops Off Your Campus? Start Here.
Last year’s uprisings have created fresh starting places for campus-based abolitionist organizing.

Bipartisan Reforms Often Expand Prisons and Police. We Need Abolition Instead.
If the system is functioning as it is designed to, then “reform” will almost always find ways to reinforce the norm.