Contradictions of Socialist Prison Abolitionism

This opinion article from Reason.com argues that there is a fundamental contradiction between democratic socialism and prison abolitionism. The author contends that socialism, defined as government control of most or all of the economy, requires criminalizing numerous economic activities (e.g., for-profit provision of food, energy, medicine). These laws must be enforced through punishment, leading to increased incarceration, as seen in historical socialist states like the Soviet Union. The article cites the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which has an Abolition Working Group advocating for freeing all incarcerated people, while simultaneously pushing for policies that would outlaw vast swaths of private economic activity. The author argues that attempts to escape this contradiction fail, and that the tension applies not only to full prison abolition but also to any significant reduction in incarceration without eliminating punishment entirely.