Commentary: Social Death and the Relationship Between Abolition and Reform

Part of a special issue on war, dissent, and justice from the perspective of scholars, activists, and former U.S. political prisoners. The theme of death as it appears in each of the articles in the section of the special issue dealing with prison reform and abolition is discussed. It is contended t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Heiner, Brady (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2003
In: Social justice
Year: 2003, Volume: 30, Issue: 2, Pages: 98-101
Online Access: Volltext (Publisher)
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Keywords:
Black people
White people
Social Justice
Equality
Exploitation
Imprisonment
Death
Social Isolation
Prison reform
Criminal justice system > United States
Criminal Justice System
Description
Summary:Part of a special issue on war, dissent, and justice from the perspective of scholars, activists, and former U.S. political prisoners. The theme of death as it appears in each of the articles in the section of the special issue dealing with prison reform and abolition is discussed. It is contended that whether it is social death by imprisonment, political death by disenfranchisement and neutralization, or physical death by execution, capital and its state-form establish the life of the rich, the white, and the privileged on the death of the poor, the colored, and the impoverished. It is argued that the more seriously the view that death is the ultimate social truth of imprisonment is taken, the more powerful political organization against the prison-industrial structure will become. It is concluded that radical imprisoned intellectuals urge the creation of a freedom that is underpinned by the production of life rather than by the infliction of death.
ISSN:2327-641X