Abolition Teach-In Series: Understanding the Pr*son Industrial Complex

In partnership with Critical Resistance, brings back its Abolition Teach-In Series, creating space for collective learning around the Pr*son industrial complex and the movements working to dismantle it.

These gatherings invite artists, neighbors, organizers, and curious learners to deepen their understanding of the systems shaping incarceration in the United States while exploring abolitionist frameworks for imagining safety, care, and justice beyond policing and prisons.

Through conversation, shared learning, and reflection, participants will unpack key histories, terms, and strategies central to abolitionist organizing.

April 2 | 3:30–5:30 PM

The series begins with a teach-in and deep dive into the Pr*son Industrial Complex (PIC) by Critical Resistance. Together we will explore how the carceral system developed, the policies and economic structures that sustain it, and the ways it continues to shape communities today.

This session will introduce key concepts and offer space for questions, discussion, and reflection.

April 16 | 3:30–5:30 PM

The second gathering builds on the foundations of Part 1 by looking at abolition in practice. Participants will explore organizing strategies, community-based alternatives to incarceration, and the ways artists, activists, and organizers are imagining new systems of care and collective safety.

These gatherings are open to anyone interested in learning together.
You are welcome to attend one or both sessions.

About Recess

Recess partners with artists, youth, writers, and their chosen publics to create transformative cultural experiences.

Our programs welcome radical thinkers to imagine and shape networks of resilience and safety. By challenging dominant narratives and activating new forms of creative production, Recess defines and advances the possibilities of contemporary art.

Recess is free and open to the public to serve as a meeting place to generate art, ideas and actions.

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