Glossary

abolition

In the 1800s, Abolitionists believed that slavery could not be fixed or reformed, and this work continues today. Abolitionists work to shrink carceral, punitive systems like policing, prisons, family policing, immigrant detention centers and more) until they no longer exist. As Angela Davis said, “Abolition strives to create a new conceptual terrain for an array of alternatives that will require radical transformations of many aspects of our society.” Read More

abolitionist steps

Abolitionist steps are policies and practices aimed at reducing the reach and power of the family policing system and giving power to families and communities to make autonomous decisions. Read More

carceral logic

At its simplest, carceral logic is the system of thinking that makes punitive systems possible. Instead of thinking critically about what it means to co-create safety, carceral logic tells us that the only way we can be safe is by entrusting the state to punish those who have caused (or who are presumed to have the pathology to cause) harm. Read More

family policing system

We use the term family policing system to refer to what has more commonly been known as the child welfare system. We believe this term more accurately captures the roles this system plays in the lives of families, which include surveillance, regulation, and punishment, all roles associated with policing rather than children’s welfare. These roles are used to maintain the control and oppression of Black, Indigenous, and Latine families, which is also consistent with the practice of policing.

mandated reporting 

Mandatory reporting laws require that educators, doctors, nurses, therapists, childcare providers, intimate partner violence support workers, and others report families to child abuse and neglect hotlines with any suspicion of concerns. Reporting families to family policing systems opens the door for increased policing and surveillance, and ultimately begins the process through which families experience harm, trauma, and punishment. Read More

risk assessment tools

Also known as algorithms and predictive analytics, risk assessment tools are presented as solutions to racism and bias, with the underlying assumption that computer-generated assessment tools can protect against them. However, in the family policing system, these tools are usually developed based on the population already involved with the system, thus building on the racist inequities already present. Read More