A screening of Beyond Walls is more than just an opportunity to watch films. It’s also a chance for audiences to take action and get involved in the work of organizations working on Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) abolition. Below are several ideas for including actions at your screenings, as well as resources for your audiences to access if they’d like to go deeper after the event.
Start Here! The best place to start is to find out if there are local organizations working on PIC abolition in your community. It’s also important to form relationships with people who are incarcerated. The links below can help you with both of these efforts.
- Find an abolition organization to support.
- Learn about writing letters to people who are incarcerated.
If you are working on a local campaign around policing, or prisons, or anything related to the PIC, check out the resources below to make sure you are employing an abolition strategy:
- So Is this Actually an Abolitionist Proposal or Strategy?
- Reformist Reforms Vs Abolitionist Steps in Policing
- Reformist Reforms Vs Abolitionist Steps to End IMPRISONMENT
Resources that can be used if you are developing a campaign to abolish policing in your community.
- Our Communities, Our Solutions: An Organizer’s Toolkit For Developing Campaigns to Abolish Policing.
- #DefundPolice Toolkit
Resources for creating community based violence solutions and investing in community care.
- Interrupting Intimate Partner Violence
- Defund the Police – Invest in Community Care. A Guide to Alternative Mental Health Crisis Responses
If you or someone you know is facing charges, these resources will help you learn about Participatory Defense – a community organizing model for people facing charges, their families, and their communities to impact the outcome of cases and transform the landscape of power in the court system.
- National Participatory Defense Network.
- #SurvivedandPunished: Survivor Defense as Abolition Praxis
- Clemency & Parole
- UnCommon Law Resources and Materials
If you can not find a local group in your area, or are just interested in learning more about PIC abolition, we invite you to join together with friends, neighbors, or anyone in your community to form a study group to learn more. The following links will provide some opportunities.