Between reformism and abolitionism

You can read the strategy here.

“In Britain today,” the strategy notes, “some face an abundance of law. Others face an absence of order”. The injustices of this situation breed a “fatalism about the possibilities for justice and fairness”, the strategy continues, with a “complacent and cynical policy consensus” feeding this fatalism, as well as being an expression of it.

In our view, a creative, energetic and optimistic challenge to this negative cycle is desperately needed. We believe that, working in solidarity and collaboration with others, we can, together, make a difference.

Between reformism and abolitionism

For some years, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has navigated the difficult path between conventional criminal justice reformism and utopian abolitionism. We have drawn on the strengths of both traditions, without feeling the need to be signed-up members of either.

Those with longer memories may recall the Crime and Society Foundation project, which I established in 2003 when I first joined the Centre. Informed by abolitionist perspectives, the Crime and Society Foundation project challenged the notion that ever more criminalisation and punishment was a desirable or effective policy agenda.

The Centre’s subsequent work on social harm, our Justice Matters programme, our co-organising of the Abolitionist Futures conference in 2018, the After Prison programme, are some examples of work we have undertaken, inspired by abolitionist perspectives.

Criminal justice institutions are deeply embedded in contemporary societies and highly durable, regardless of the controversies surrounding them. In keeping with a more conventional criminal justice reformism, we have also scrutinised these institutions, their policies and practices.

This has included detailed work on particular areas, such as policing and prosecution practices, sentencing, prisons and resettlement strategies. It has also included detailed overviews of the system as a whole, including through our criminal justice audits, the UK Justice Policy Review programme, and, most recently, our Criminal justice systems in the UK report.

Our vision and purpose

We see the creative tension that comes from navigating the path between reformism and abolitionism as a source of strength. It is a creative tension reflected in our refreshed vision.

In our vision, we acknowledge the importance of a “fair, effective and accountable justice system”, while recognising that the current system is neither fair, nor effective, nor accountable. We also aspire to “a society less dominated by criminalisation and punishment”, while not being naïve about the social transformations required for its realisation.

As for our practice, we see dialogue, collaboration and shared learning as being at the heart of our work. To quote our refreshed organisational purpose from the strategy:

We create lively spaces for collaboration and learning, where conventional criminal justice policy agendas are scrutinised and challenged, fresh knowledge and ideas are discussed, and transformational solutions are developed.

Next steps

With the strategy now completed, we are working on the practical plan to deliver it. This will include our proposed activities, how we hope to work with others, and what we think we can realistically achieve.

We will be keeping everyone in the loop on our developing plans through our regular mailings. If don't currently receive our mailings, you can sign-up below.