Campaigns remain central to Critical Resistance (CR)'s praxis and are essential to the success of PIC abolition, and 2023 saw many campaign achievements and advances. This year CR propelled prison industrial complex (PIC) abolition as part of two statewide campaigns against imprisonment and cages: the Close California Prisons campaign with CR Los Angeles (CR LA) and CR Oakland (CR Oak) in Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), and the Dignity Not Detention campaign with CR New York City in the Abolish ICE New York-New Jersey coalition.
In efforts to get the state of California to close at least 10 prisons by 2025, CR continued to support this ambitious vision by doing in-person and virtual outreach to build broad bases of local support, meeting with state decision makers and developing legislative strategies and tools, strengthening media tools and outreach, and connecting imprisoned comrades with the campaign through CR’s prisoner correspondence programs.
Your consistent support makes this prison closure work possible and powerful.
On the east coast through the Abolish ICE New York-New Jersey coalition, CR New York City (CR NYC) has worked diligently to advance the New York Dignity Not Detention (DND) campaign to pass legislation that would end New York state collaboration and contracts with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
CRNYC chapter members have continued outreach and media efforts to bolster support for the campaign, as well as inside-outside organizing to advocate for releases not transfers.
Your steady contributions keep campaigns against caging and imprisonment strong. Continue to sustain concerted efforts to dismantle cages, change the way our cities and states allocate resources, and build toward abolitionist horizons by donating today to the national organization's general fund or to a specific chapter and help us reach our year-end fundraising goal. An irreplaceable way to support CR is by becoming a monthly sustainer, which you can also do for a specific chapter.
Action Alert for Wednesday December 20:Join CR's Power Hour &Tell DA Jenkins to DROP THE CHARGES against the Bay Bridge 78 NOW!
Last month, while President Biden was hosting cocktail parties in San Francisco, hundreds of people shut down the Bay Bridge to demand an immediate ceasefire, an end to US military aid to Israel, and a Free Palestine.
Now, 78 protestors are facing charges for their civil disobedience. Arraignments are taking place from Monday, December 18 to Friday, December 22. For the week of arraignments, we need as many Bay Area residents as possible telling San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins: Drop the charges against the Bay Bridge 78 NOW!
Calling all Californians: Take Digital Action to #CloseCAPrisons TODAY! Call and email Governor Newsom urging him to commit to naming at least five more state prisons for closure between now and the January proposed 2024-25 California state budget.As our state faces a staggering $68 billion budget deficit, the closure of additional prisons not only makes fiscal sense but also aligns with a transformative approach to California's problems.
Announcing five forthcoming closures will demonstrate Governor Newsom's dedication to a responsible budget and substantive shift away from an over-reliance on incarceration. Let's close out the year strong! Prison closure is a key step towards building a healthier, safer, and greener California for us all! Use this toolkit here.
Thank you for supporting Critical Resistance in 2023!
Your generosity is crucial to our campaigns and projects, correspondence across prison walls, the organizing tools we create and distribute, and our power building alongside allied organizations. You can read more about all of CR’s 2023 work in our year-end recap letter here - and make a donation today to sustain our work in 2024!
Phone Line Volunteers needed: Support CR’s daily prisoner correspondence!
CR is recruiting new volunteers to join our Prisoner Solidarity Phone Line program! CR strives to foster strong political relationships with people across the PIC’s cages as a way to break cycles of isolation, stay informed on conditions inside, connect people inside with CR's work and campaigns, and to ensure that our work is grounded in the vision and needs of those most impacted by the prison industrial complex.
Email [email protected] if you are interested and/or have questions.
Critical Resistance is majority grassroots-funded. Donate today!
