Abolition Journalism Cohort
Many journalists whose work exposes the criminal legal system and explores non-carceral responses to harm are working in isolation, or are themselves incarcerated. The Abolition Journalism Cohort creates spaces for journalists in and outside of prison to build community, establish collaborations, develop skills, and share strategies for reporting and editing with an abolitionist lens. In collaboration with aligned news outlets and Empowerment Avenue, Interrupting Criminalization has brought together dozens of journalists, prioritizing incarcerated writers and supporting projects that amplify their voices.
Our cohort members in 2023 included incarcerated journalists Lyle May, Kwaneta Harris, Christopher Blackwell, Askari Lumumba, Derek Trumbo, Bryan Thames, Elizabeth Hawes, Rayne Vylette, Edee Allynnah Davis, and Uhuru Rowe, non-incarcerated writers and editors from Mainline Zine, Empowerment Avenue, the Justice Arts Coalition, Free Press, Knock LA, and Prism, and guest speakers from Scalawag, The Appeal, Truthout, and Interrupting Criminalization. The cohort supported inaugural publishing experiences for several incarcerated participants including Kermit Williams for Mainline and Tashiena Combs, who created an independent podcast with her wife.
The 2023 Abolition Journalism Cohort taught basic journalism, writing and pitching skills, and supported dozens of stories and several new and ongoing projects, including the 2024 “Censored by Prisons, Censored by TedX” event in collaboration with Haymarket Books, Empowerment Avenue, and the Muslim Counterpublics Lab. We have also formed a network of support via a listserv that responds to calls from members in need of clemency and probation support as well as advocacy against the ongoing censorship they face as incarcerated writers.
We are currently seeking funding support to launch a 2025 Abolition Journalism Cohort that will engage the support and mentorship of earlier cohort members and more deeply explore inside/outside podcast and radio projects.