When considering the prospect of “prison abolition,” we must first address our material conditions. Is it possible to abolish prisons under our current socio-economic system? As history has elucidated, systemic change of this magnitude cannot occur without a revolutionary transformation of society. To be frank, such a transformation would require the working class to overthrow the capitalist class and seize state power. This would be the theoretical starting point in terms of a realistic discussion of this prospect.

Regarding a relevant utility of prisons, we must acknowledge that during and after such a revolution, the bourgeoisie and their collaborators must be held accountable, brought to justice, and prevented from engaging in counterrevolution. For many, this will mean serving prison sentences and possibly even reeducation. If counterrevolution is allowed to occur, the revolution will have been in vain. If counterrevolution is allowed to occur, what is the point of any of this?

To summarize, the discussion of prison abolition would hypothetically take place as a prospect occurring after all of this — that is to say, after the bourgeoisie is defeated, after counterrevolution is prevented, after the worst capitalist offenders have been brought to justice, and after the working class, through a communist political party, seizes and holds state and economic power and begins building socialism.

In the aftermath of this proletarian revolution and with the budding leaves of socialism, a primary intention of the new society that is relevant to this discussion is the prevention of “crime” (in a traditionalist sense) through economic development and through meeting all basic needs of the population, thereby eradicating poverty and ending the desperation that inspires many of these social problems. The goal related to those who have been incarcerated would be to rehabilitate offenders whenever possible, as opposed to the purely punitive apparatus of mass incarceration we have under American capitalism (which is also an extension of colonialism and white supremacy — problems that will be vehemently combatted under socialism as well).

Prisons, to the extent that they are necessary under socialism, would be completely different institutions than they are now. As with all institutions that exist under socialism, the function is ultimately to serve the interests of society as a whole rather than the interests of a tiny minority of “owners.” But the reality of building socialism is that the society in question is “still stamped with the birthmarks of the old society from whose womb it emerges,” as Marx said. This means that attributes of the old society will still remain for a significant period of time.

It is therefore inconceivable that prisons could be done away with immediately. Grave crimes, though surely less frequent under a well-established socialism, would still occur, and it is the duty of the state to protect citizens from these dangers by isolating offenders from the general population. This seemingly redundant rationalization is far removed from the current purpose of prisons in the U.S. — to protect private property, to enforce white supremacy and colonialism, to provide slave labor for capitalist enterprises, and to punish political dissent.

Under socialism, inmates would be afforded dignity and human rights; rehabilitation (and, when applicable, reeducation) would always be the goal, rather than what we see today in the capitalist United States, for instance. What occurs here in the belly of the beast is an endless cycle of racialized, colonial violence, of ex-felons being marginalized and denied employment, of consistently high rates of recidivism, of most cases never going to court and thus most incarcerated individuals never even being convicted of a crime, of immense profits being generated through modern slave labor, of inmates experiencing unimaginable physical and mental trauma while incarcerated. In short, the capitalist prison system (and “criminal justice” system more broadly) is itself an institution of systemic injustice— the opposite of its stated purpose.

Prison abolition, and other similar ideas, like the abolition of policing, are certainly worthy pursuits. But these prospects appear rather distant, based on our current conditions. If there is a stage of socialism in which prisons can be abolished, it will likely be the highest stage (communism). In this scenario, prisons and other similar institutions could theoretically “wither away” along with the state itself. Until then, we certainly have our work cut out for us.

A Marxist Perspective on Prison Abolition