Absolutely foundational reading for anyone who finds themselves questioning the ideas of police and state violence, the prison industrial complex, and how capitalism continues to punish, subjugate, and kill the most vulnerable among us - as it always intended. Cannot recommend this enough; it’s is a necessary read. ( )

Best for:
Those interested in one person’s journey to an abolitionist perspective. Those who are already or thinking of becoming abolitionists but looking for some answers to the tougher questions.

In a nutshell:
Organizer and lawyer Purnell shares her journey towards an abolitionist viewpoint.

Worth quoting:
“If we truly want to save lives in the US and beyond, we have to join in the traditions of activists who fight to end policing, wars and military operations across the globe.”

“It makes me wish that people were more curious than critical because it’s so much easier to learn that way.”

“Make policing obsolete by reducing the police, reducing the reasons why people need police, reducing the reasons why people think they need police, and building a society where we have just relationships to each other, to our labor, to our communities, and to our planet.”

“Policing was, and is, deeply connected to the control of land, labor, and people who threatened white supremacy.”

Why I chose it:
I follow Purnell on twitter, and this book seemed like one I would really enjoy.

Review:
Have you ever seen a movie, known it was good, heard people and critics raving about, but after watching it, just felt kind of meh about it? That’s how I feel about this book. I think it’s important, I think it’s well-written, I think the information is very helpful for any abolitionists. Yet it took me quite a long time to get through. But I think this is a case of ‘It’s not you, it’s me,’ because I do think this is likely a very good book.

Also, it was literally hard to read because the font choice was inexplicably bad. ‘Bulmer MT’ is the font, apparently. And it is SO TINY. I read a ton but this felt at times like I was attempting to read the ingredients on the side of a small jar of pasta sauce - I had to reread paragraphs because I literally couldn’t parse the words, which definitely slowed me down.

Alright, with all of those caveats, what about the actual content of this book? It’s good. Really good. There’s a lot of information, coupled with Purnell’s direct experiences, to make a strong case of police and prison abolition. I know that many people were exposed to the idea of defunding the police in summer 2020, but there are many activists and thinkers who have been promoting the idea of complete police and prison abolition for decades before, so there is a lot to learn. If you have questions, someone has thought about what the answers might be, and Purnell shares some of them here, along with her own thinking on matters.

If you’re at all interested in abolition and the history of policing and prisons, or if you’re interested in ways we can improve society, I think this is a good book to check out.

Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it - there is a lot of good information here. ( )

Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell is an essential read for anyone with an interest in the police and making society better for everyone. In other words, this book needs to be read by everybody.

When Purnell states near the beginning that she really thought the abolitionist movement was utopian at best and foolish at worst, she is starting from the same point most of us start. So whether you already support the cause, whether you like the idea but can't imagine what that society might look like, or even if you are opposed to the idea right now, this book makes a clear case for abolition and offers ideas for moving forward.

I have read maybe a dozen books on or contributing to the idea and while I don't think this one replaces all of those I think it does an excellent job of bringing the activism, the theory, and the pragmatics into conversation. For those trying to better understand, Purnell walks you through her own transformation as a way to help you look at your own life and beliefs and come to a better understanding. If you're already behind the idea but want to know how to make it happen, there are ideas here that can be adapted to your situation. The key is to remember that this is not a movement about destruction but one about remaking society so that there are fewer harms affecting people and thus a society where the police and our carceral society become obsolete. In other words, we are not creating a void but rebuilding with stronger and better material.

Like I said, I would recommend this to everyone no matter where they currently stand on the issue. Whether you're for, against, or undecided, your position is only as good as your knowledge. This book offers a solid knowledge base as well as ideas that, I think, stop just short of being overly prescriptive. Ideally this won't be a reader's only exposure to abolitionist thought, but if it is it is a good choice.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )