Maya Schenwar – författare

Schenwar looks at how incarceration breaks the bonds that hold people together and deprives incarcerated people of exactly the kind of support and life skills necessary to reintegrate into society - which is why more than two-thirds of prisoners are re-arrested within three years of release. She draws heavily on her personal experience (her sister has spent the better part of ten years entangled in the system), as well as the struggles of other prisoners and their families.

Far from advocating the complete abolition of prisons, Schenwar simply argues that they shouldn’t be the only approach. She describes how highly effective alternative justice programs in the US and other countries do a better job of both preventing recidivism and providing meaningful restitution to victims. Above all, however, Schenwar seeks to convince her readers that prisoners, for all their hurtful deeds, shouldn’t be treated as "non-persons." Her book is a passionate argument that "throwing away the key" ultimately hurts individuals and society.

A vital anthology exploring the intersections between caregiving and abolitionAbolition has never been a proposal to simply tear things down. As Alexis Pauline Gumbs asks, “What if abolition is something that grows?” As we struggle to build a liberatory, caring, loving, abundant future, we have much to learn from the work of birthing, raising, caring for, and loving future generations.In We Grow the World Together, abolitionists and organizers Maya Schenwar and Kim Wilson bring together a remarkable collection of voices revealing the complex tapestry of ways people are living abolition in their daily lives through parenting and caregiving. Ranging from personal narratives to policy-focused analysis to activist chronicles, these writers highlight how abolition is essential to any kind of parenting justice.Contributors include:Beth RichieHarsha WaliaEJ, 6 years oldDorothy RobertsRuth Wilson GilmoreDylan RodríguezBill Ayers and Bernardine DohrnShira HassanVictoria LawMariame KabaThe PDX Childcare Collectiveadrienne maree brown and Autumn Brownand more