Introduction to Prison Abolitionism

<p>This conversation was exceptionally recorded online so to be featured in the fourth issue of <em>The Funambulist Magazine</em>, <em>Carceral Environments</em> (Mar-Apr 2016), but was somehow reenacted at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal on March 6, 2016. Through it, Nasrin Himada gives us an introduction to prison abolitionism, not as a ready-made system that can replace the current carceral industrial complex but, rather, as a daily practice that starts with notions of the notions of individual, community, and accountability.</p> <p>Nasrin Himada is a writer, editor, and curator residing in Montréal. Her interdisciplinary research interests focus on the history of Palestinian cinema, art and activism, and the militarization of urban space through prison infrastructure and police surveillance. She has lectured extensively on these topics, including presentations at California Institute of the Arts, Georgetown University, University of Toronto, and University of Washington. Her curatorial work has been exhibited at DHC/ART: Foundation for Contemporary Art, Echo Park Film Center, 16 Beaver, and Image + Nation. From 2011 to 2016, Nasrin co-edited the journal <em>Scapegoat: Architecture/Landscape/<wbr />Political Economy</em>. Currently, she is co-editing an issue of <em>Moving Image Culture Etc</em> on the theme of invisible labour.</p>