An abolitionist campaign that was originally formed in response to the reformist #8CantWait campaign. The website has resources regarding "abolitionist vision and transformation," including practical changes we can make towards abolition now.
Truthout article that shares lessons learned by three organizers working to collectively create safety using community-based strategies.
Rolling Stone article that describes “practicable, real-world alternatives to the modern police system.”
Truthout article that describes police reforms to oppose and support, while continuing to fight for abolition
"Recent calls to defund police and abolish prisons have raised the question: But what about rapists? In part one of two episodes exploring that question, prison abolitionist Maya Schenwar presents the case for looking outside the criminal justice system for safety and connects the dots between abolition and feminism.” This is a transcript of the podcast episode.
“Is it possible to combat sexual violence and support survivors without sending perpetrators to prison? Dr. Alissa Ackerman, a sex crimes policy expert and rape survivor, thinks so. In part two of two episodes reconsidering mainstream feminism's reliance on the criminal justice system, Dr. Ackerman outlines a powerful alternative to prison punishment called restorative justice and why she's living proof that it works.” This is a transcript of the podcast episode.
A practical guide to stop interpersonal violence using community-based practices.
A resource hub about ending violence with community-based practices.
A toolkit by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mariame Kaba. “This toolkit includes step by step instructions for how you can build your own mutual aid network while staying safe from the spread of COVID-19.”
Descriptions and resources for mutual aid by Big Door Brigade.
How to develop your pod, a group of “people in our lives that we would call on to support us with things such as our immediate and on-going safety, accountability and transformation of behaviors, or individual and collective healing and resiliency.”
A toolkit that links to various resources.
A zine by Abolition Action that shares “information, skills, and a collective vision of true public safety.”
A toolkit that shares information about the “strategy... to advance a long term vision of abolition of police through divestment from policing as a practice, dismantling policing institutions, and building community-based responses to harm, need, and conflict that do not rely on surveillance, policing and punishment.”
“The Harm Free Zone (HFZ) supports a community-centered vision that helps us repair the damage of racism, and the oppression of poor people of color by providing tools and trainings to both strengthen and develop our capacity to prevent, confront and transform harm. The Harm Free Zone emphasizes independent and self directing community autonomy as a necessary step towards creating shared collective accountability strategies and practice.” (Durham, NC)
“The Safe OUTside the System (SOS) Collective is an anti-violence program led by and for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans, and Gender Non Conforming people of color. We are devoted to challenging hate and police violence by using community based strategies rather than relying on the police.” (Brooklyn, NY)
“We build peer-led communities of support, education & advocacy for folks with lived experience of mental illness, trauma, Disability, and/or neurodivergence. We believe that principles of Disability Justice are key components to supporting collective healing and our human rights.” (Multiple U.S. chapters)
“CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) provides mobile crisis intervention 24/7 in the Eugene-Springfield Metro area. CAHOOTS is dispatched through the Eugene police-fire-ambulance communications center, and within the Springfield urban growth boundary, dispatched through the Springfield non-emergency number. Each team consists of a medic (either a nurse or an EMT) & a crisis worker (who has at least several years experience in the mental health field).” (Eugene, OR)
**Please note that CAHOOTS does note the potential to involve the police in some situations - “Any person who reports a crime in progress, violence, or a life-threatening emergency may receive a response from the police or emergency medical services instead of or in addition to CAHOOTS.”
“MH First Sacramento, a project of Anti Police-Terror Project, is a cutting-edge new model for non-police response to mental health crisis. The goal of MH First is to respond to mental health crises including, but not limited to, psychiatric emergencies, substance use support, and domestic violence situations that require victim extraction.” (Sacramento, CA)
“The Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective (BATJC) is a community group based out of Oakland, CA working to build and support transformative justice responses to child sexual abuse... Our work consists of securing safety and intervening in current violence, while also building long term spaces of accountability and strategies for healing and resilience for all survivors, bystanders, and those who have caused harm.” (Oakland, CA)
“Fireweed Collective offers mental health education and mutual aid through a Healing Justice lens. We help support the emotional wellness of all people, and center the needs of those most marginalized by our society.”
An organization that provides resources on alternatives to policing rooted in disability justice. “We are abolitionist psychiatric survivors, people with disabilities, and their accomplices. We believe in and work toward the liberation of all.”
A guide for social workers on mandated reporting, specifically the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. The authors list existing alternatives to calling DCFS.