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Abolitionist Intimacies
In Abolitionist Intimacies, El Jones examines the movement to abolish prisons through the Black feminist principles of care and collectivity. Understanding the history of prisons in Canada in their relationship to settler colonialism and anti-Black racism, Jones observes how practices of intimacy become imbued with state violence at carceral sites including prisons, policing and borders, as well as through purported care institutions such as hospitals and social work. The state also polices intimacy through mechanisms such as prison visits, strip searches and managing community contact with incarcerated people. Despite this, Jones argues, intimacy is integral to the ongoing struggles of prisoners for justice and liberation through the care work of building relationships and organizing with the people inside. Through characteristically fierce and personal prose and poetry, and motivated by a decade of prison justice work, Jones observes that abolition is not only a political movement to end prisons; it is also an intimate one deeply motivated by commitment and love.
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 18, 2024
This audiobook was made available to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This audiobook narrator was perfect for this nonfiction text. Her voice was full of compassion and richly lyrical. This is a heavy read, with heavy themes. I personally find nonfiction books with serious themes like this best consumed via audiobook over other formats. I love the feel of a heavy tome in my hands, but I never lose myself in nonfiction text the same. A narrative in which I'm given the opportunity to experience firsthand accounts of prisoners' experiences, in their own words, is greatly enhanced in audiobook format. I felt like the narrator was a perfect guide for this journey.
My political view is abolition, so this fits nicely into my views. What I love about this, though, is that the text doesn't assume the reader is a well-versed abolitionist. The book cleverly utilized multiple formats to enhance the reader's understanding of these crucial issues. There's direct quotes from incarcerated individuals, research done by the author, and essays on the topic all mixed in with the author's stunning original poetry. A full media experience, especially on audiobook.
Another highlight of this book is the focus on Canadian prison reform. Often, when prison reform is brought up, even in Canada, the focus is on US style prisons. I was not very familiar with Canadian prisons before this book. I'm a Statie, as I was called in Ontario, married to a Canadian. I lived in Ontario for almost 14 years. A member of my husband's family trained to be a prison counselor and assured me that Canadian prison was focused on reform and nothing like the US system. 🙃
I'm planning to send that cousin an Audible copy of this book. To my horror, I discovered that Canadian prisons aren't focused on reform and don't offer prisoners dignity. In fact, the only thing about Canadian prisons that is an improvement over US prisons is that Canada incarcerates significantly less of their population than the US does. That's about where their superiority ends.
Canadian prisons, of course, extend the oppression of marginalized groups in Canadian society, and race deeply impacts this experience, as does poverty.
The author makes the case that prison functions in a way that is harmful for prisoners, prison guards, and society at large. This is an intersectional look at oppression in Canadian society at large and its root causes: colonization, racism, policing amongst others. It's enlightening if somewhat harrowing and extremely sad. Honestly, I cried hearing some of what's included in this book. I was deeply touched by this narrative and want to thank the author for their research, their choice to have the prisoners tell their own stories using first person narratives, and the poetry that elucidated my understanding of the issues addressed in this narrative. I will be thinking about this for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this book. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
This audiobook narrator was perfect for this nonfiction text. Her voice was full of compassion and richly lyrical. This is a heavy read, with heavy themes. I personally find nonfiction books with serious themes like this best consumed via audiobook over other formats. I love the feel of a heavy tome in my hands, but I never lose myself in nonfiction text the same. A narrative in which I'm given the opportunity to experience firsthand accounts of prisoners' experiences, in their own words, is greatly enhanced in audiobook format. I felt like the narrator was a perfect guide for this journey.
My political view is abolition, so this fits nicely into my views. What I love about this, though, is that the text doesn't assume the reader is a well-versed abolitionist. The book cleverly utilized multiple formats to enhance the reader's understanding of these crucial issues. There's direct quotes from incarcerated individuals, research done by the author, and essays on the topic all mixed in with the author's stunning original poetry. A full media experience, especially on audiobook.
Another highlight of this book is the focus on Canadian prison reform. Often, when prison reform is brought up, even in Canada, the focus is on US style prisons. I was not very familiar with Canadian prisons before this book. I'm a Statie, as I was called in Ontario, married to a Canadian. I lived in Ontario for almost 14 years. A member of my husband's family trained to be a prison counselor and assured me that Canadian prison was focused on reform and nothing like the US system. 🙃
I'm planning to send that cousin an Audible copy of this book. To my horror, I discovered that Canadian prisons aren't focused on reform and don't offer prisoners dignity. In fact, the only thing about Canadian prisons that is an improvement over US prisons is that Canada incarcerates significantly less of their population than the US does. That's about where their superiority ends.
Canadian prisons, of course, extend the oppression of marginalized groups in Canadian society, and race deeply impacts this experience, as does poverty.
The author makes the case that prison functions in a way that is harmful for prisoners, prison guards, and society at large. This is an intersectional look at oppression in Canadian society at large and its root causes: colonization, racism, policing amongst others. It's enlightening if somewhat harrowing and extremely sad. Honestly, I cried hearing some of what's included in this book. I was deeply touched by this narrative and want to thank the author for their research, their choice to have the prisoners tell their own stories using first person narratives, and the poetry that elucidated my understanding of the issues addressed in this narrative. I will be thinking about this for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this book. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
January 15, 2024
It's not often that I come across a book I wish I didn't have to articulate my feelings about and in this particular instance I really wish I didn't have to be the first to review it here because I feel that my review cannot possibly do any justice to this book. I've read 160 books this year and there hasn't been one I felt the urge to go out and get a physical copy of until this one, this is how strongly I feel about it. Alas, I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and Fernwood Publishing so review it I will!
On a technical level this book isn't a 101 on abolitionist thought nor a plea for people to adopt abolitionist mindset and practices, so I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is just discovering the idea of abolitionism. I would, however, highly recommend this book to people who struggle to put words on concepts they intuit regarding forced proximity/contact (intimacy) and the inherent violence of it (if you're the same brand of neurodivergent I am you might find it especially cathartic to have someone validate what you feel on the topic in words that just make sense) and people who have given some thought to concepts of forced intimacy and are looking to for another angle on them.
El makes a bounty of valuable points regarding the carcerality of Canadian society, we like to see ourselves as the good ones but she really doesn't let us get away with it, there's no room for the Canadian brand of exceptionalism here (don't get me wrong though the lense proposed is NOT limited to Canada in its applicability or even specific to Canada). While the approach is thorough the language and rhythm with chapters flowing into one another in a very organic way make the book uniquely approachable and easy to read.
On a technical level this book isn't a 101 on abolitionist thought nor a plea for people to adopt abolitionist mindset and practices, so I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is just discovering the idea of abolitionism. I would, however, highly recommend this book to people who struggle to put words on concepts they intuit regarding forced proximity/contact (intimacy) and the inherent violence of it (if you're the same brand of neurodivergent I am you might find it especially cathartic to have someone validate what you feel on the topic in words that just make sense) and people who have given some thought to concepts of forced intimacy and are looking to for another angle on them.
El makes a bounty of valuable points regarding the carcerality of Canadian society, we like to see ourselves as the good ones but she really doesn't let us get away with it, there's no room for the Canadian brand of exceptionalism here (don't get me wrong though the lense proposed is NOT limited to Canada in its applicability or even specific to Canada). While the approach is thorough the language and rhythm with chapters flowing into one another in a very organic way make the book uniquely approachable and easy to read.
January 26, 2024
(3.5 rounded up) It feels diminutive of El Jones' tremendous work, both in her ashtonishing organizing abilities and incredibly poignant writing, to start by saying she is not a very good poet but, truth be told, it is unfortunately one of the first things I will think about for the foreseeable future when asked what I thought of this book.
Abolitionist Intimacies is chockful with anecdotes, moments, blurbs, passing thoughts, questions, statistics, ideas, reports and more words rather strangely strung together in a way that feels messy and, at times, totally confusing. When the aforementioned poetry started being spliced with the non-fiction narrative of this book, I honestly started to question the endeavour of having written this book altogether. The poems are corny, and come off as bland and misplaced, and so I kept asking myself, well isn’t this supposed to be an educational piece of work? And so the title begins to make sense. This is not an abolitionist textbook. This is nothing more than Jones’ diary, really, a collection of her thoughts on and experiences of the matter assembled in one place. Despite my many criticisms of the format, in the end, I do believe it achieves what it seemingly set out to do.
The absolute strength of Abolitionist Intimacies, and the reason I am still rating it pretty high after an initially unconvincing reading experience lies in the fact that it nevertheless contains what I consider some fundamental teachings of the movement. Jones talks about abolition as a shifting of knowledge hierarchies and presents community relations as alternatives to the unjust carceral structures in place, directly targeting the number one question abolitionists are met with: Well, what would we do without the police, who would we call? Later, she goes on to touch on what I assume is the hardest pill to swallow for people on the fence about abolition: we fight for everyone, even the violent offenders and abusers, and we "can’t say, justice only for the people who are sympathetic. Rights only for the people we like" (130). Most importantly, all of this is laid out in plain terms. More than anything I believe it necessary that all those who cross paths with this book walk away from their reading with these exact conclusions, and I think it invaluable that Jones does not overcomplixify nor codify her language. Despite her academic background, she does not stand in the way of revolt and action by confusing the message, and this is something I so deeply respect.
Abolitionist Intimacies is chockful with anecdotes, moments, blurbs, passing thoughts, questions, statistics, ideas, reports and more words rather strangely strung together in a way that feels messy and, at times, totally confusing. When the aforementioned poetry started being spliced with the non-fiction narrative of this book, I honestly started to question the endeavour of having written this book altogether. The poems are corny, and come off as bland and misplaced, and so I kept asking myself, well isn’t this supposed to be an educational piece of work? And so the title begins to make sense. This is not an abolitionist textbook. This is nothing more than Jones’ diary, really, a collection of her thoughts on and experiences of the matter assembled in one place. Despite my many criticisms of the format, in the end, I do believe it achieves what it seemingly set out to do.
The absolute strength of Abolitionist Intimacies, and the reason I am still rating it pretty high after an initially unconvincing reading experience lies in the fact that it nevertheless contains what I consider some fundamental teachings of the movement. Jones talks about abolition as a shifting of knowledge hierarchies and presents community relations as alternatives to the unjust carceral structures in place, directly targeting the number one question abolitionists are met with: Well, what would we do without the police, who would we call? Later, she goes on to touch on what I assume is the hardest pill to swallow for people on the fence about abolition: we fight for everyone, even the violent offenders and abusers, and we "can’t say, justice only for the people who are sympathetic. Rights only for the people we like" (130). Most importantly, all of this is laid out in plain terms. More than anything I believe it necessary that all those who cross paths with this book walk away from their reading with these exact conclusions, and I think it invaluable that Jones does not overcomplixify nor codify her language. Despite her academic background, she does not stand in the way of revolt and action by confusing the message, and this is something I so deeply respect.
April 5, 2023
This was my first read on the topic of prison abolition and I think I could have used a bit more background before diving into this. I very quickly found myself jotting down questions about prison economics, organization, history, etc. Unfortunately I let my library loan lapse and I lost my electronic notes but there was a flurry of highlighting going on for the first few chapters.
El Jones hits her stride in only a few pages and I was left trying to find my bearings. Right when I thought I was getting into a groove, the format shifted and we jumped between direct quotes from incarcerated people, to academic references, to the author's poetry. I found it challenging to settle into the book. The middle chapters seemed to hit a lull for me and then it came back around at the end.
I enjoyed the topic and discussion around abolitionist movements but I found the overall tone to be rather hopeless until the last chapter. It's unclear what the expected action should be to get us from where we are at present to the abolition of prisons. I realize that it's not the author's job to fix these problems but I can't say I even know where to go from here other than talking about what I've read. Perhaps that's enough of a starting point.
Read if you have some previous background in this topic or you might end up floundering for a while like I did.
El Jones hits her stride in only a few pages and I was left trying to find my bearings. Right when I thought I was getting into a groove, the format shifted and we jumped between direct quotes from incarcerated people, to academic references, to the author's poetry. I found it challenging to settle into the book. The middle chapters seemed to hit a lull for me and then it came back around at the end.
I enjoyed the topic and discussion around abolitionist movements but I found the overall tone to be rather hopeless until the last chapter. It's unclear what the expected action should be to get us from where we are at present to the abolition of prisons. I realize that it's not the author's job to fix these problems but I can't say I even know where to go from here other than talking about what I've read. Perhaps that's enough of a starting point.
Read if you have some previous background in this topic or you might end up floundering for a while like I did.
February 27, 2023
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
Abolitionist Intimacies by El Jones is not an easy book to read. But it is excellent and I can't recommend it enough.
This book is a combination of first hand stories of incarcerated people's experiences, essays, research, as well as the powerful poetry that I have come to love and appreciate from Jones.
What makes El Jones such a great writer is her intersectionality. This book is about the prison industrial complex, but it's not just about that. It's a critical look at race and social constructs, at the police and colonization, at politics and the criminal justice system, among so many others. Because it's not possible to look at one of these issues by itself; everything is interconnected and there can be no change in one of these spheres without change in all of them.
So, yes, this is a heavy read, but it is important to understand why there is a call for an end to prisons and why showing solidarity with people who are incarcerated is important. As someone who thought they knew quite a bit about this issue, I learned A LOT, and realized that I really didn't know that much at all.
Abolitionist Intimacies by El Jones is not an easy book to read. But it is excellent and I can't recommend it enough.
This book is a combination of first hand stories of incarcerated people's experiences, essays, research, as well as the powerful poetry that I have come to love and appreciate from Jones.
What makes El Jones such a great writer is her intersectionality. This book is about the prison industrial complex, but it's not just about that. It's a critical look at race and social constructs, at the police and colonization, at politics and the criminal justice system, among so many others. Because it's not possible to look at one of these issues by itself; everything is interconnected and there can be no change in one of these spheres without change in all of them.
So, yes, this is a heavy read, but it is important to understand why there is a call for an end to prisons and why showing solidarity with people who are incarcerated is important. As someone who thought they knew quite a bit about this issue, I learned A LOT, and realized that I really didn't know that much at all.
December 11, 2024
“The system has not changed at all. But we have changed.”
~ El Jones, Abolitionist Intimacies
El Jones makes so very clear as a vital thread in Abolitionist Intimacies the truth that systems of oppression, including the carceral system, which serve to uphold colonization / white supremacist cis heteropatriarchy, are designed to prevent intimacy and connection. Intimacy and connection with ourselves, each other, our collective power, the land, Indigenous sovereignty, our ancestors, joy, grief, sacred rage, community. This book is a dedication to cultivating and bringing forth intimacy and connection, through stories, poetry, history, the experiences and lives of prisoners, and wow what revolutionary devotional practices these are. This clear way of describing and understanding the aim of systems of oppression unlocked some big understanding within me. I learned and am learning so much about the interconnectedness of it all.
I will forever be impacted by Abolitionist Intimacies by Black poet, educator, journalist, and abolitionist El Jones. I have had so much stirred up, clarified, and stoked inside of me having listened to this. I will continue to return to the lessons, heart, and fiery spirit devoted to abolition and liberation that El Jones offers here ~ I feel more motivated and more clear in my embodied devotion to decolonization and abolition and what that means and can look and feel like. I’m grateful for the many examples Jones offers of practical and revolutionary acts of connection, small and big and everything in between and beyond. This work is a collaboration ~ and what Jones offers in addition to her words, wisdom, and dedication are the voices, wisdom, and heart of other abolitionists, researchers, folks who are imprisoned that she connects with. She and these collaborators show us by example that this work at its core needs to be a collaboration, it needs to include so many voices and perspectives. It was also informative and powerful for me to read about Abolition from the perspective of someone who works and is intimately connected with the Canadian prison system, rather than the US.
I listened to Abolitionist Intimacies on audiobook and it was so powerful, and also brought up important sacred rage about all the ways these systems are so f*cked up, and I'm grateful for the way El Jones invites us in to be with the pain of the details. I will say the Introduction chapter was a bit challenging for me to follow, as it’s a series of snippets of topics she covers in the book. I was able to follow, feel, and flow with her words in all the following chapters (especially once I got used to references and dates being woven throughout the sentences). The way she weaves intersectionality and the interconnectedness of so much is powerful. This book is a mixed-genre work, including conversations with people who are imprisoned / facing punishment by carceral systems, research, other abolitionist voices, narrative, and spoken word/poetry. And I loved it.
This is not an Abolition 101-type book ~ I think that it would be helpful for readers to have some baseline learning and understanding of colonization, abolition, decolonization, and the interconnectedness of systems of oppression prior to reading this to more fully be impacted by what is offered here.
Thank you El Jones 🙏🏼 100/10 recommend
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some quotes:
“I suggest the notion of abolitionist intimacies, characterized by love, care, forgiveness, healing, faith, and uplift relationships within and outside the prison.”
“Removing visiting from the proper gendered frame, and placing it in a feminist insurgent one allows us to understand how our acts of care are also acts of organization, acts of rebellion, acts of strengthening, and acts that prepare our loved ones for liberation. They are also often accompanied by subversive acts ~ the three way call, the surreptitious picture […] “
“But they are not abolitionist in that they are desires brought forth or in by capitalism - with its hierarchies and classes and respectabilities telling me that to be without these things, degrees, titles, social position etc is to lack worth. And so I struggle with my wanting, with the gap between the things I know I believe and the parts of me that want all the things that make those beliefs impossible. Not that it is impossible to be an abolitionist and have a nice house or a pleasurable job or a vacation. But those things, or rather the structures that surround them in our current social organization inescapably come into conflict in the getting of them with the commitments required to bring a different world into being.”
“Abolition is a reorientation to the world. As Ruthie Wilson Gilmore (2022) writes, “abolition requires that we change one thing: everything.” We understand this applies to all our institutions not just prisons, but the culture that brings prison into being. To end the prison, we must end punishment and our vindictive desire for punishment. To end punishment, we must think about who we punish and why. To do that, we must think about housing and who doesn’t have it. And who is hassled by the police when they do not have it. We must think about land and our relation to it, and why settler colonialism sees land as something to extract from. We must think about power and control, and we must also think about ourselves. How we benefit from these systems, and how we want those benefits for ourselves. To think about this is to get perilously close to purity discourse, to the endless flogging of ourselves, to reification of guilt and anxiety. And that is not what I’m trying to build here at all - a world where we brutally examine ourselves for any sign of promiscuous undisciplined desire. It is too close to punishment itself. It is not the desire I am troubled by, but the causing of it. […] I think what I’m really asking is what does it mean to live in the world as an abolitionist when we know we will not see the world we labor to build in our own lifetimes. Abolition in our current time is inherently believing in something we will always fall short from. […] we must learn to make a home in this falling short. We must learn to make a home, in our homes, the foundations of the world we envision.”
~ El Jones, Abolitionist Intimacies
El Jones makes so very clear as a vital thread in Abolitionist Intimacies the truth that systems of oppression, including the carceral system, which serve to uphold colonization / white supremacist cis heteropatriarchy, are designed to prevent intimacy and connection. Intimacy and connection with ourselves, each other, our collective power, the land, Indigenous sovereignty, our ancestors, joy, grief, sacred rage, community. This book is a dedication to cultivating and bringing forth intimacy and connection, through stories, poetry, history, the experiences and lives of prisoners, and wow what revolutionary devotional practices these are. This clear way of describing and understanding the aim of systems of oppression unlocked some big understanding within me. I learned and am learning so much about the interconnectedness of it all.
I will forever be impacted by Abolitionist Intimacies by Black poet, educator, journalist, and abolitionist El Jones. I have had so much stirred up, clarified, and stoked inside of me having listened to this. I will continue to return to the lessons, heart, and fiery spirit devoted to abolition and liberation that El Jones offers here ~ I feel more motivated and more clear in my embodied devotion to decolonization and abolition and what that means and can look and feel like. I’m grateful for the many examples Jones offers of practical and revolutionary acts of connection, small and big and everything in between and beyond. This work is a collaboration ~ and what Jones offers in addition to her words, wisdom, and dedication are the voices, wisdom, and heart of other abolitionists, researchers, folks who are imprisoned that she connects with. She and these collaborators show us by example that this work at its core needs to be a collaboration, it needs to include so many voices and perspectives. It was also informative and powerful for me to read about Abolition from the perspective of someone who works and is intimately connected with the Canadian prison system, rather than the US.
I listened to Abolitionist Intimacies on audiobook and it was so powerful, and also brought up important sacred rage about all the ways these systems are so f*cked up, and I'm grateful for the way El Jones invites us in to be with the pain of the details. I will say the Introduction chapter was a bit challenging for me to follow, as it’s a series of snippets of topics she covers in the book. I was able to follow, feel, and flow with her words in all the following chapters (especially once I got used to references and dates being woven throughout the sentences). The way she weaves intersectionality and the interconnectedness of so much is powerful. This book is a mixed-genre work, including conversations with people who are imprisoned / facing punishment by carceral systems, research, other abolitionist voices, narrative, and spoken word/poetry. And I loved it.
This is not an Abolition 101-type book ~ I think that it would be helpful for readers to have some baseline learning and understanding of colonization, abolition, decolonization, and the interconnectedness of systems of oppression prior to reading this to more fully be impacted by what is offered here.
Thank you El Jones 🙏🏼 100/10 recommend
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some quotes:
“I suggest the notion of abolitionist intimacies, characterized by love, care, forgiveness, healing, faith, and uplift relationships within and outside the prison.”
“Removing visiting from the proper gendered frame, and placing it in a feminist insurgent one allows us to understand how our acts of care are also acts of organization, acts of rebellion, acts of strengthening, and acts that prepare our loved ones for liberation. They are also often accompanied by subversive acts ~ the three way call, the surreptitious picture […] “
“But they are not abolitionist in that they are desires brought forth or in by capitalism - with its hierarchies and classes and respectabilities telling me that to be without these things, degrees, titles, social position etc is to lack worth. And so I struggle with my wanting, with the gap between the things I know I believe and the parts of me that want all the things that make those beliefs impossible. Not that it is impossible to be an abolitionist and have a nice house or a pleasurable job or a vacation. But those things, or rather the structures that surround them in our current social organization inescapably come into conflict in the getting of them with the commitments required to bring a different world into being.”
“Abolition is a reorientation to the world. As Ruthie Wilson Gilmore (2022) writes, “abolition requires that we change one thing: everything.” We understand this applies to all our institutions not just prisons, but the culture that brings prison into being. To end the prison, we must end punishment and our vindictive desire for punishment. To end punishment, we must think about who we punish and why. To do that, we must think about housing and who doesn’t have it. And who is hassled by the police when they do not have it. We must think about land and our relation to it, and why settler colonialism sees land as something to extract from. We must think about power and control, and we must also think about ourselves. How we benefit from these systems, and how we want those benefits for ourselves. To think about this is to get perilously close to purity discourse, to the endless flogging of ourselves, to reification of guilt and anxiety. And that is not what I’m trying to build here at all - a world where we brutally examine ourselves for any sign of promiscuous undisciplined desire. It is too close to punishment itself. It is not the desire I am troubled by, but the causing of it. […] I think what I’m really asking is what does it mean to live in the world as an abolitionist when we know we will not see the world we labor to build in our own lifetimes. Abolition in our current time is inherently believing in something we will always fall short from. […] we must learn to make a home in this falling short. We must learn to make a home, in our homes, the foundations of the world we envision.”
April 12, 2024
Never been more grateful for the libro.fm ALC program than when it provides a title I wouldn't have looked for and it ends up being transformational.
Abolition on a deeply personal and yet introductory level? Yes.
Transformative poetry? Yes.
Really worth the read. Or the listen. The audio book narrator was thoughtful.
Abolition on a deeply personal and yet introductory level? Yes.
Transformative poetry? Yes.
Really worth the read. Or the listen. The audio book narrator was thoughtful.
April 11, 2024
One of the best books I’ve ever read. A must read for all. A book that forces you to think about those in carceral systems that have long been forgotten. Prison is not a solution but a system borne of years of systemic racism and control. Thinking about those incarcerated, don’t forget about them.
Read
October 10, 2024At first I had trouble getting into this because of its mixed media nature (poetry, short vignettes, longer essays, testimonies…) but when I got used to it I loved it even more for that. I think the poetry was particularly good and powerful on audio; the narration was extremely well done. I 100% recommend, especially for Canadians, as so much of abolitionist work comes from the US (something the author herself denounces and wants to change in the book).
July 30, 2025
This one made me reflect on all the connections I made on the inside while running library hours, and how painful it was to be barred entry for months at a time for the offense of "being too nice." I will never forget their faces, their voices, or the books grasped tightly in their arms. Nor our shared human desire to be seen and known.
As El Jones' thesis reminds us, abolition is an ongoing practice of compassion, forgiveness, and unabashed intimacy.
"Abolition is a reorientation to the world... to end the prison, we must end punishment, we must think about who we punish and why."
As El Jones' thesis reminds us, abolition is an ongoing practice of compassion, forgiveness, and unabashed intimacy.
"Abolition is a reorientation to the world... to end the prison, we must end punishment, we must think about who we punish and why."
November 7, 2024
A gorgeous hybrid of theory, activism, the stories from incarcerated people with whom El Jones is in community, and poetry. Using Black feminist principles of care and collectivity to discuss prison and abolition. I appreciate this addition to prison abolition literature that focuses on the Canadian context (while drawing connections to the way incarceration entangles the US and the rest of the world). I learned a lot, not just in terms of facts and references, but also in ways of thinking, imagining, world-building and caring. A very vibrant and essential book!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL HUMANS!!!
November 29, 2022
I've never read a book like this before, and didn't really take too much notice of the title until I got further into it. Plainly, it makes incarceration and all that goes along with it intimate, especially for people with no first hand knowledge of it. I hope it finds its way into the hands of people who are opening their minds to abolition.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2024
Abolitionist intimacies confronts the carceral institutions through understanding the history of prisons specifically in Canada, with relation to early settler colonialism. El Jones shines a stark light on the racial bias found within the prison institution, founded on capitalism and the means to expunge. Through sharing real life accounts, we bare witness to the true horror of incarceration and how it continues to claim lives.
This was an incredibly thought provoking listen. El Jones presents how the justice system fails inmates and how there’s almost no chance of rehabilitation. When society is founded on capitalist, racist means, El Jones makes me question how do we triumph over a system that is rigged against certain people?
This was an incredibly thought provoking listen. El Jones presents how the justice system fails inmates and how there’s almost no chance of rehabilitation. When society is founded on capitalist, racist means, El Jones makes me question how do we triumph over a system that is rigged against certain people?
March 6, 2024
I didn't want this book to end. I didnt have much knowledge of the prison abolition movement before reading this one but did have some knowledge of the systemic racism and abuse within the prison system in America but less so in Canada, which seems to hide its issues behind its reputation as a kind, friendly country.
This book is so well written, raw and devastating, full of human feeling and anger without being repetitive or throwing too much information at you.
The poetry included through-out the chapters is full of emotion and frustration and the voices of many people wronged by a system designed to destroy communities and keep certain people in chains.
This book is so well written, raw and devastating, full of human feeling and anger without being repetitive or throwing too much information at you.
The poetry included through-out the chapters is full of emotion and frustration and the voices of many people wronged by a system designed to destroy communities and keep certain people in chains.
May 21, 2024
This was a fantastic personalized look at the abolitionist movement through poetry and essays. El Jones is doing the real work, and much of this book feels almost like a memoir, which I really enjoyed. I also liked that this offered a new setting. Many abolitionist works I've read focus on the United States, so I didn't know much about Canadian prisons. If you are at all interested in learning about abolition, I highly recommend this amazing read.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
August 25, 2023
TW: incarceration, violence, racism, colonialism, suffering
One of the most difficult books I have ever read. Hopeful, despairing and triggering. El Jones’ activism makes the world a better place for everyone. We need to listen to black women. Her stories of working toward abolition with inmates are inspiring and painful. Abolitionist intimacies are about seeing the human in the incarcerated. It is about fighting for justice and shining a spotlight on the conditions inside and outside prisons that ruin lives.
One of the most difficult books I have ever read. Hopeful, despairing and triggering. El Jones’ activism makes the world a better place for everyone. We need to listen to black women. Her stories of working toward abolition with inmates are inspiring and painful. Abolitionist intimacies are about seeing the human in the incarcerated. It is about fighting for justice and shining a spotlight on the conditions inside and outside prisons that ruin lives.
January 26, 2024
I found this interesting and learned a lot, but the tone was inconsistent, sometimes a highly formal academic sentence butted up against a super chatty and casual one, and I found that challenging to parse.
October 11, 2024
Excellent
Makes me want to keep writing
Makes me want to keep writing
May 18, 2025
another one for my independent study - informative, interesting, and put together in a beautiful way
October 16, 2023
I really loved this one. The idea of abolitionist intimacies in part being the intimate connections we can make with humans being affected by carceral systems really hit me hard. Whether it is a prisoner, their families, a victim, or someone else that is trying to support a person inside.
The poetry was incredible (coming from someone who is not really a poetry coniseuur) and I love how it worked with the essays and first hand stories. The fragments of conversations were some of my favorite parts, because really they felt the most intimate.
The essays were written accessibly enough that I don't think you need to be an academic to understand them which I really appreciate.
Huge respect to the author for the clear work she has put in to so many people and communities that could be otherwise forgotten about. I am glad these stories are being told, even if it is just little memories with someone. Intimacies big or small.
I really didn't know very much about contemporary east coast canada prison systems so this was an eye opening read in that sense.
I will definitely be coming back to this one and can't recommend it enough. Would love to read more by El Jones.
The poetry was incredible (coming from someone who is not really a poetry coniseuur) and I love how it worked with the essays and first hand stories. The fragments of conversations were some of my favorite parts, because really they felt the most intimate.
The essays were written accessibly enough that I don't think you need to be an academic to understand them which I really appreciate.
Huge respect to the author for the clear work she has put in to so many people and communities that could be otherwise forgotten about. I am glad these stories are being told, even if it is just little memories with someone. Intimacies big or small.
I really didn't know very much about contemporary east coast canada prison systems so this was an eye opening read in that sense.
I will definitely be coming back to this one and can't recommend it enough. Would love to read more by El Jones.
January 4, 2024
A really beautiful collection of essays on intimacy as an abolitionist practice. Each chapter is in at least three parts: an essay, fragments of conversation with people inside and their intimates (these were beautiful and usually my favorite section), and poetry. I really struggle with poetry, which is perhaps the most intimate writing that Jones offers. In this case, it seemed like it was meant to be spoken word and I don’t know Jones performance voice so I really struggled with it—this is definitely a shortcoming of mine not Jones.
April 22, 2023
This took me a while to get through, I didn't want it to end but I also kept crying on the bus while reading it. Powerfully written, Jones captures the nuance, hope, and devastation of these stories. I loved all of it but my favourite pieces were "For the Women" and "What is Desire to the Abolitionist?"
April 23, 2023
Throughly enjoyed this book! The poetry left me speechless & wanting to explore this topic some more
January 16, 2023
raw, heartbreaking, hopeful
i greatly enjoyed the structure: a mix of poetry and prose
i greatly enjoyed the structure: a mix of poetry and prose
March 27, 2024
This is sad and angering but at times deeply touching about the practical application of abolitionist values which combines accounts of the Jones’s experiences working with prisoners, contextualisation of statistics and academic theory, and poetry about racism, carcerality and care.
I think my favourite thing about this book is that it’s both accessible and grounded in the daily practice of abolition — it assumes no great familiarity with the politics of abolitionism, and also confines the academic aspect to supporting the personal stories of the author and the prisoners she works with. It is an incredibly ~personal~ work, in the sense that it is the ~people~ who are front and centre, always. Another great aspect is that it’s focused on Canada (most of the popular/accessible abolition texts centre on the US) and even though I’m in the UK, I found many of the insights to be impactful and applicable to carceral systems here.
One subject I really appreciated was the idea of becoming comfortable with falling short, because the people living in the current situation shouldn't be deprived of small comforts for the sake of the theoretical ideal we labour to build. It reflects the thesis of Abolitionist Intimacies by returning, always, to the people whose humanity most suffers at the hands of carceral systems—they cannot be sacrificed while those carceral systems still stand. And that abolition is a practical application of non-punitive, anti-carceral belief on an interpersonal scale just as much as it's a call for structural change.
I received a free audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. The narrator Aiza Ntibarikure did an absolutely fantastic job, bringing energy and rhythm to the frequently difficult subject matter.
I think my favourite thing about this book is that it’s both accessible and grounded in the daily practice of abolition — it assumes no great familiarity with the politics of abolitionism, and also confines the academic aspect to supporting the personal stories of the author and the prisoners she works with. It is an incredibly ~personal~ work, in the sense that it is the ~people~ who are front and centre, always. Another great aspect is that it’s focused on Canada (most of the popular/accessible abolition texts centre on the US) and even though I’m in the UK, I found many of the insights to be impactful and applicable to carceral systems here.
One subject I really appreciated was the idea of becoming comfortable with falling short, because the people living in the current situation shouldn't be deprived of small comforts for the sake of the theoretical ideal we labour to build. It reflects the thesis of Abolitionist Intimacies by returning, always, to the people whose humanity most suffers at the hands of carceral systems—they cannot be sacrificed while those carceral systems still stand. And that abolition is a practical application of non-punitive, anti-carceral belief on an interpersonal scale just as much as it's a call for structural change.
I received a free audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. The narrator Aiza Ntibarikure did an absolutely fantastic job, bringing energy and rhythm to the frequently difficult subject matter.
April 12, 2024
I received a free audiobook from Netgalley for giving fair and honest feedback on this book. I really know so little about Canada's black history. I have only read one other book on Canada's black history. I don't know a lot about the prison culture. A lot of what I listened to, I hadn't thought about before.
This audiobook really made me think. I have always been interested in black history. I am a white female but I know some about what has happened in the US. I didn't think a lot about the prisoners or refugees. The book educated me on so much injustices in Canada ( and the US). I am wiser because of the author.
The book tells the stories of so many people in jails, in the streets, and the poor youth. It is the stories of the poor, refugees, and people of color. It tells you about what life is like in the prisons. It talks about the lives of people, we sometimes don't see
The author's voice is powerful. Sometimes, the book was too much for me. I needed a break. There isn't too much good in the book. The book is stories of pain. It's stories are people who are struggling in the margins. Maybe some day, there won't be so much pain in the world. We will treat everyone with more justice.
It took me longer to listen to this book than usual. It's just a tough subject. The book has a lot of information in it.
The author does a good job on educating the listener.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this important book. I feel like this book has opened my eyes to things I didn't realize before.
December 9, 2022
Canadian poet, professor, journalist, and activist El Jones has written a terrific book, Abolitionist Intimacies, that examines the Canadian prison system and exposes the systemic racism that informs incarceration and other related aspects of the so-called justice system, including racial profiling, surveillance of BIPOC Canadians, and Canadaʻs seamy historical underbelly marked by internment camps. Canadaʻs tolerant, multicultural, and diverse veneer, argues Jones, also masks racism in other aspects of Canadian life, including de facto segregation; education, including the now-infamous residential schools for indigenous people; exclusionary and discriminatory legislation and practices; the child welfare system; immigration and deportation policies, and continuing race-based oppression and white resentment of BIPOC people. Jonesʻ work distinguishes itself from the plethora of recent non-fiction works examining racism via the notable genre-mixing in this book, ranging from first-person vignettes gathered from interviews, to poetry, to academic social commentary. I appreciated the first-hand conversational, personal connection and emotional investment that she brings to her topics, from the perspective of a black woman who has conducted interviews with the incarcerated and defendants involved in immigration court battles, but who has also experienced racism herself. Recommended reading!
May 10, 2024
Thank you to Fernwood & NetGalley for the copy! This was so beautiful. El Jones proves to be a powerful voice with the capacity to expound without compromising the emotion that goes hand-in-hand with hard-hitting subjects such as the prison industrial complex. While reading this, I couldn't help but think of Abolitionist Intimacies as the more lyrical sister of Angela Davis's Are Prisons Obsolete? It has similar elements in its teaching of the abolitionist movement, but Jones's work feels more tender, more tearful — as it should be. Between retellings of Canada's settler-colonialist history and anecdotes from Jones's support / advocacy for incarcerated folks, she laments with a sense of grief so raw that it's hopeful.
Jones reflects on the abysmal nature of Canada's prison system (and prison as a whole), as well as the inevitable rot that oozes from a land's violent colonialist foundation. After all, nothing good ever grows upon mass graves.
What I really enjoyed was the illustration of how "unbelievable" it must be that Canada of all places — what, with its maple syrup and manners — could be so vile at its core and comparable to the cruelty that the US churns on. This concept of smoke and mirrors on Canada's part sort of reminded me of Japan's "kawaii" rebrand initiative following the atrocities they committed during WWII.
Overall, I really loved that this was a book told through the lens of collectivity — in both aid and liberation. The most important thing has and will always be the community we build around us, which is why prison abolition and rehabilitation is so necessary to our society's wellbeing and longevity. After all, no one is free until we all are, and freedom is impossible in isolation.
Jones reflects on the abysmal nature of Canada's prison system (and prison as a whole), as well as the inevitable rot that oozes from a land's violent colonialist foundation. After all, nothing good ever grows upon mass graves.
What I really enjoyed was the illustration of how "unbelievable" it must be that Canada of all places — what, with its maple syrup and manners — could be so vile at its core and comparable to the cruelty that the US churns on. This concept of smoke and mirrors on Canada's part sort of reminded me of Japan's "kawaii" rebrand initiative following the atrocities they committed during WWII.
Overall, I really loved that this was a book told through the lens of collectivity — in both aid and liberation. The most important thing has and will always be the community we build around us, which is why prison abolition and rehabilitation is so necessary to our society's wellbeing and longevity. After all, no one is free until we all are, and freedom is impossible in isolation.
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September 21, 2025Thank you Libro.FM's ALC program and the publishers for the copy of this title.
This is a couple years old and the author is based in Canada, but this is timely. Abolition and the criminal injustice system is still relevant, especially so with immigration. Canada has really great PR because they have basically copied and pasted American injustice for their prison systems but no one realizes it. le sigh
This is part memoir, part poetry about criminal injustice and part nonfiction about the state of the prison system and everything feeding into it (refugee programs, foster children in care, poverty, the courts, systemic racism, etc.). A must read/listen even if there should have been a little more editing for my taste to have the flow of this make more sense.
The only dings for the audiobook is the way in which the citations were narrated and the fact that the notes/bibliography were part of the audiobook. I think that it is highly unusual for doing that.. I've listened to nonfiction audiobooks before and not experienced that. I know citation is important but usually it is omitted in an audiobook.
This is a couple years old and the author is based in Canada, but this is timely. Abolition and the criminal injustice system is still relevant, especially so with immigration. Canada has really great PR because they have basically copied and pasted American injustice for their prison systems but no one realizes it. le sigh
This is part memoir, part poetry about criminal injustice and part nonfiction about the state of the prison system and everything feeding into it (refugee programs, foster children in care, poverty, the courts, systemic racism, etc.). A must read/listen even if there should have been a little more editing for my taste to have the flow of this make more sense.
The only dings for the audiobook is the way in which the citations were narrated and the fact that the notes/bibliography were part of the audiobook. I think that it is highly unusual for doing that.. I've listened to nonfiction audiobooks before and not experienced that. I know citation is important but usually it is omitted in an audiobook.
June 10, 2023
El Jones describes prisons and imprisonment with a powerfully compassionate critique through her own and others' reported experiences.
Abolition Intimacies reads like a textbook and is a necessary addition to corrections/criminology programs and courses. For me it's fascinating to think about corrections as something other than an acceptable default.
I loved this text, especially Jones' poetry (my favourites were Canada is so Polite pg46, and There Will Never Be Justice pg 136).
A few other stand-out pieces were:
It is the most natural of human instincts to want to go home on pg 187 and Abolition requires that we change one thing: everything on pg 195 especially "To end punishment, we must think about who we punish and why."
Four stars because this was a visually difficult read for me with full text and few spaces/headings throughout. This would be great for instructor-directed reading of chunks of text, though.
Abolition Intimacies reads like a textbook and is a necessary addition to corrections/criminology programs and courses. For me it's fascinating to think about corrections as something other than an acceptable default.
I loved this text, especially Jones' poetry (my favourites were Canada is so Polite pg46, and There Will Never Be Justice pg 136).
A few other stand-out pieces were:
It is the most natural of human instincts to want to go home on pg 187 and Abolition requires that we change one thing: everything on pg 195 especially "To end punishment, we must think about who we punish and why."
Four stars because this was a visually difficult read for me with full text and few spaces/headings throughout. This would be great for instructor-directed reading of chunks of text, though.
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