Jeffries Field Study

Reform or Revolution?

Examining Whether a Prison Hospice Program Can Create Radical Change

Humane Prison Hospice Project

Their Mission: To transform the that way prisoners die, through education, advocacy, and training to support fellow prisoners as caregivers and grief companions.

Research Questions:

How does a non-profit whose projects are centered around prison reform support or not support eventual prison abolition? Is an organization able to do both social works and create social change, or does the emphasis on social work undermine ultimate social change? In a non-profit, that has no choice but to work in conjunction with a government able to maintain its sovereignty and agendas?

Thesis:

Reform is necessary given the present violence and downfalls of the prison system. That being said, reforms fall short of radical change when they are not supported by an abolitionist framework, that is, the belief that the system is inherently wrong rather than something that can be fixed. Humane Prison Hospice Project falls into a category of reform called “reformist reform” through participation solely in projects that do not support eventual prison abolition, prioritizing social works over lasting social change, and failing to challenge traditional power dynamics.

Contact sajeffri@ucsc.edu to get more information on the project

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