Prison and Police Abolition - Socialist Night School comes to MoCo!

Join Montgomery County DSA and MDC DSA's Socialist Night School for a discussion on the politics of police and prison abolition situated in the context of our community and the larger region.

The first session will be led by Metro DC DSA Socialist Night School co-organizer David Kaib:

"Policing and prisons are ubiquitous features of our world, yet these institutions, widely seen as both necessary and oppressive, have not always existed, nor played as great a role as they do today. For many, uprooting these institutions seems unthinkable (even among those can envision a world beyond capitalism, or who see them as inherently racist.) In this session, we will discuss:what abolition means, what abolitionists do, how abolitionist approaches differ from more mainstream critiques (like mass incarceration), and the relationships between capitalism and the carceral state, and abolition and socialism."

That presentation will be followed by a brief recap of DSA's recent engagement with the politics of prison and policing, concluding with an open discussion about how our branch, our chapter, and our larger community should analyze issues of the carceral state. The goal of this session is not persuade all attendees to a specific point of view, rather to promote understanding of the abolitionist position as a lens of analysis.

Here are a podcast and several articles we highly recommend in advance of the session!

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/msnbc/why-is-this-happening/e/59927721

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/magazine/prison-abolition-ruth-wilson-gilmore.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/policing-is-a-dirty-job-but-nobodys-gotta-do-it-6-ideas-for-a-cop-free-world-199465/

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center is located on the plaza level, above the street.

From the Bethesda Metro, take the escalator from the bus bay to the Plaza level, turn left, walk past the clock tower and across to the plaza using the pedestrian bridge.

From the street, walk up the steps next to the Chipotle on Old Georgetown Rd. and turn left. Follow signs to the Regional Services Center. Parking is available in the County garage on Edgemoor Lane ($1.25/hour).