Part of the Series
The Road to Abolition
Truthout is a vital news source and a living history of political struggle. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size.
The United States has the highest imprisonment rate in the world. But is the problem simply that too many people are incarcerated – or is incarceration a problem, in and of itself? The US prison system, which is grounded in racism and economic injustice, is inherently destructive and must be abolished. Recorded at TEDxBaltimore January 2016.
Maya is Truthout’s editor-in-chief and the author of Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn’t Work and How We Can Do Better. Maya serves on the Board of Advisors at Waging Nonviolence.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Urgent Appeal for Your Support
Truthout relies on individual donations to publish independent journalism, free from political and corporate influence. In fact, we’re almost entirely funded by readers like you.
Unfortunately, donations are down. At a moment when independent journalism is urgently needed, we are struggling to meet our operational costs due to increasing political censorship.
Truthout may end this month in the red without additional help. We still need to raise $7,000. Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation if you can.