A disbelief in colonial penality: Settler colonialism and abolitionism

Cunneen, C

A disbelief in colonial penality: Settler colonialism and abolitionism

Cunneen, C

Permalink

Publication Type:: Chapter
Citation:: The Routledge International Handbook of Penal Abolition, 2021, pp. 269-279
Issue Date:: 2021-03-31

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	19211618_8197912550005671.pdf	Published version	121.6 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Cunneen, C https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3348-9282
dc.date.accessioned	2022-06-23T01:06:09Z
dc.date.available	2022-06-23T01:06:09Z
dc.date.issued	2021-03-31
dc.identifier.citation	The Routledge International Handbook of Penal Abolition, 2021, pp. 269-279
dc.identifier.isbn	9781138354098
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/158329
dc.description.abstract	This chapter argues that abolitionism demands an understanding of the penal/colonial complex - the embedded relationships among penality, the prison and colonised peoples that characterise settler colonialism. It is argued that there are important intersections between abolitionism and settler colonialism. While abolitionist theory offers an understanding of the nature of carceral state, settler colonialism provides insights into the establishment and continuance of the colonial state. Their intersection allows us to better understand how state formations are both carceral and colonial. Both abolitionism and settler colonialism challenge the state’s focus on prison, punishment and carcerality, and the legitimacy of the state’s sovereign power to punish. For abolitionists and Indigenous peoples there is something that can be learnt by both groups from their respective struggles against the colonial state. Both abolitionist and Indigenous critiques of the prison and punishment emerge from a radical disbelief in the ability of colonial state penality to achieve positive long-term changes for either individuals or communities.
dc.language	en
dc.relation.ispartof	The Routledge International Handbook of Penal Abolition
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.title	A disbelief in colonial penality: Settler colonialism and abolitionism
dc.type	Chapter
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Provost
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Provost/Jumbunna
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - SIC - Strengthening Indigenous Communities
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-06-23T01:06:08Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

This chapter argues that abolitionism demands an understanding of the penal/colonial complex - the embedded relationships among penality, the prison and colonised peoples that characterise settler colonialism. It is argued that there are important intersections between abolitionism and settler colonialism. While abolitionist theory offers an understanding of the nature of carceral state, settler colonialism provides insights into the establishment and continuance of the colonial state. Their intersection allows us to better understand how state formations are both carceral and colonial. Both abolitionism and settler colonialism challenge the state’s focus on prison, punishment and carcerality, and the legitimacy of the state’s sovereign power to punish. For abolitionists and Indigenous peoples there is something that can be learnt by both groups from their respective struggles against the colonial state. Both abolitionist and Indigenous critiques of the prison and punishment emerge from a radical disbelief in the ability of colonial state penality to achieve positive long-term changes for either individuals or communities.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/158329