International Conference on Penal Abolition (ICOPA) 2018
In 2018 campaign groups and grassroots networks came together to organise the Abolitionist Futures conference as part of the longstanding International Conference on Penal Abolition (ICOPA).
The Abolitionist Futures conference in June 2018 was held at Birkbeck, University of London. It was co-hosted by the Department of Criminology, Birkbeck; the Harm & Evidence Research Collaborative (The Open University); and the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. The conference organising group included representatives from participating organisations (see below).
Participating organisations:
Action for Trans Health
Bent Bars Project
Black Lives Matter UK
Empty Cages Collective
INQUEST
IWW London
JENGbA
London Campaign Against Police & State Violence
Netpol
North London Sisters Uncut
Race & Class collective
Reclaim Holloway
Reclaim Justice Network
Smash IPP!
StopWatch
Women in Prison
You can download the Conference Pack here.
You can watch the opening panel here: ‘Building the World We Want: Prison Abolition and Gender, Racial & Economic Justice’ Opening Conference Roundtable with Beth Richie, Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Deborah Coles. Chaired by S. Lamble. Friday 15 June 2018 [Video Recording).
As part of efforts to involve prisoners in the conference, the Empty Cages Collective and the Incarcerated Workers Organising Committtee (IWOC) also produced a zine of Prisoner Writings on Prison Abolition.
