Philosophies of Punishment & The Prison Abolition Movement

The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world, and people across the political spectrum are calling for a change. In this episode of Crash Course Political Theory, we unpack the arguments of the prison abolition movement and the history of how we got here.

Crash Course Political Theory #10

Introduction: The Prison Abolition Movement 00:00
Incarceration in the U.S. 0:38
Deterrence & Surveillance 1:20
Criminal Justice 4:07
Prison Abolition vs. Reform 7:14
Review & Credits 9:52

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[Alverant]

It's always been about punishment. The lack of effort into reform and the exploitation of prisoners demonstrates that.

[rukbat]

As I see it, one of the main problems with the panopticon concept (or the surveillance state) as a deterrent to crime, is that first you have to make it possible for people to live comfortably WITHOUT committing crimes. Otherwise, you will always have people making the risk/reward calculation and deciding that the risk that someone is watching is worth the reward of committing the crime. If it's a choice between stealing a loaf of bread to feed your family or letting them starve, people are going to choose theft more often than not.

[Caterfree]

Good stuff here and an excellent 101 level explainer for what prison abolition means tbh. Doesn’t help that a lot of how modern US prisons are run are done so in part to use the one way we have legal slavery still (surprised that didn’t come up in regards to the prison industrial complex section).

But I think for me overall, I would just really want basic ways to prevent crime that aren’t mere deterrents. Think of how many homeless people then become squatters on abandoned property because they can’t afford places to stay, or end up breaking (frankly cruel) anti camping in public laws bc of the lack of ability to have somewhere to sleep (or a homeless shelter isn’t actually protecting the people who should be able to stay). If we could focus on housing first initiatives, then that’s one avenue of crime greatly reduced. Not to mention, it’s difficult to treat a mental illness or drug abuse problem without the stability of a roof over your head. Another example is UBI leading to less people needing to steal things like food or even niceties. Even just these would lead to better outcomes that reduce crime overall.

[guybunchofnumbers]

RE: prison industrial complex

Disappointed that you didn't mention at all how slavery in the US is still (2025) legal for incarcerated people, and that because labor by prisoners is a profitable industry, there are so many private prisons that exist and parole is repeatadly denied for non-violent offences too

[LoudWaffle]

I just know I hate how many people will claim to be for rehabilitative justice, and then when someone commits a crime they don't like they suddenly want the death penalty.
I learned that most of the time when laymen talk about rehabilitation, they actually only mean that they think nonviolent and minor offenses like drug dealing should not warrant a jail sentence.

[ericjome]

It is immoral to profit from imprisonment.

[ArktheLark]

The panopticon is what we all currently live under with the surveillance state. Police are militarized and partnered with big tech companies to have full view of everyone and everything.

This is the same country that enslaved human beings and created the 3/5ths law. The 13th amendment allows slavery for those in prison, so the private for-profit prison system exists to fill that position. Crimes of the wealthy are rarely if ever punished, but crimes of poverty are over policed and disproportionally affect Black Americans.

The US committed numerous genocides and has toppled countless democratically elected governments and established dictatorships around the world. How do we rationalize that we are justified in these systems without recognizing the loss of our humanity.

[murpledeer]

An incredibly Interesting idea revolving around this is the contrast of Scandinavian prisons to US ones

[mutabazimichael]

Very nice ( in the pedagogic sense) introduction to prison theory

[jenniferburns]

The US could learn a lot from countries that focus more on rehabilitation, and cultures that utilize restorative justice. If we invested in prevention and intervention (providing services & support) for first-time, non-violent offenders on a large scale, we could reduce incarceration significantly. Once there are fewer people in prisons, make them places that focus on mental health, education, and preparation for returning to society. Of course, there will always be a small number of people who can never be released because they continue to be dangerous, but one prison per state would be sufficient. There are small scale projects doing outstanding work, including treatment courts and the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center in Wisconsin using intensive treatment programs with significant success rates.

[FractureFracking]

Thank you for engaging with these ideas. I think it's important to showcase new ways of thinking about how we address social issues, and advocating for human rights.

[vagoerrante]

that ending section was perfect. "WHO WE WANT TO BE?"

[jacksonandrews]

The institution of incarceration is the bluntest tool of the state to maintain its monopoly over violence, and by extension, its monopoly over human lives.

[aguynamedscott]

It’s important to remember that prisons were created as an alternative to executions.

[bigpurplepops]

It's like asking "Should Crime Happen?"

The answer is no; the reality is complicated; and the truth is most crimes are committed by repeat offenders.

[ExoticTerrain]

I like restorative justice but some people just need to be kept away from the general public.

[ivevisionstars]

"Abolish prisons!" is a motte-and-bailey fallacy: When under scrutiny quietly modify the claim to something that's reasonable to virtually everyone (to reduce the need for prisons as much as possible). But the original slogan is never modified to better represent this moderate position that is supposedly claimed. Similarly: "Abolish the police!" (But meaning: introduce alternatives but also retaining some police in their current role), and "Defund the police!" (But meaning: fully fund mental heath, prison reform, etc). When you hear "Abolish prisons", think of seeing "Abolish psychiatric hospitals!" but being told it's only about reducing involuntary commitment.

[yebkamin]

4:48 It has become my morning ritual to watch these as i'm drinking my coffee...

[ConnerFields-pw]

You should do one on political paradigms. The word liberal means "to the left" to many Americans. To British people the word liberal means "conservative", more like "neo-liberalism". Conservative parties in Canada (The Conservative Party) is considered more moderate than the Republican Party in the U.S. The Conservative Party in the UK is said to be "where the Democrats are". Spanish and French and even Irish Republicanism are different than the American Republican Party. People in Islamic countries and even China and the old USSR talk/ed of "the liberal west". How do we make sense of all of this.

[evad]

Putting people into cages with sadists seems cruel and is scarcely 'corrective'.