The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.

are “invisible punishments” such as felony disenfranchisement, restrictions on holding
public office, occupational bans on professions such as law enforcement, teaching and
child care, bans on welfare and federal assistance, and federal financial aid for
education. Because mass incarceration and “invisible punishments” that also impact
communities of color are thought of and referred to as the New Jim Crow, or another
form of racialized social control, prison abolitionists draw parallels between prison
abolition and the abolition of slaves.
The prison abolition movement, typically believed to be on the far left, view prisons as a
form of Neo-slavery that is unjust and racist. The movement dates back to Emma
Goldman's 1911 abolitionist essay, The Priest and the Devil to open Prisons: A Social
Crime and Failure. There exists the belief that prisons are obsolete, financially
motivated, and better replaced by more humane institutions that directly focus on the
rehabilitation of individuals.
The abolition movement believes that prisons should not be reformed by replaced as
they are not productive social institutions and instead only serve to incapacitate
individuals.
Opposition to Reform
Opposition to criminal justice reform typically is expressed by conservatives who do not
perceive errors in the criminal justice system. Those that believe this also typically reject
the claim from reform activists that the criminal justice system acts in a way that is
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