A Curriculum and Pedagogy of Prison Abolition: Transforming the Civics Classroom Through an Abolitionist Framework

Abstract

Recent research on the school-to-prison pipeline has exposed the disciplining and punishment of Black and Brown youth in today’s school system. Given the convergence of racism and capitalism in the prison system, various marginalized community groups have called for its abolishment. Using teacher practitioner inquiry, this article asserts prison abolition as both curriculum and pedagogy in the civics classroom. Reflecting on the author’s experience teaching a twelfth-grade civics class through prison abolition, this article highlights the transformative potential of an abolitionist framework for both curriculum and pedagogy, illustrating the possibilities and challenges of applying this work in practice.