TFW When ‘Abolitionists’ Build Skyscraper Jails w/ Jarrod and Zhana

Mar 26, 2025

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What happens when politically underdeveloped abolitionists team up with ladder-climbing non-profit directors and big money philanthropy? Nothing good, that’s what! Jamie and Sam are joined by Zhandarka Kurti and Jarrod Shanahan to discuss their new book “Skyscraper Jails: The Abolitionist Fight Against Jail Expansion in New York City” and the heartbreaking, cautionary tale about how a fight to shut down Rikers Island prison was taken over, watered-down, and channeled into a movement to built four of the tallest prisons in the world.

Why does the prison industry develop in response to the failures of capitalism? How was the movement to shut down one prison turned into a movement to open a network of skyscraper jail facilities? Will Rikers Island ever close? Was “Defund the Police” actually just a betrayal of the George Floyd Rebellion? How can our movements win?

All this and more on this week's special episode.

Buy the book here: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2454-skyscraper-jails

00:00:00 Introductions and banter

00:03:13 Jarrod & Zhara’s experience in college Criminology Depts

00:09:10 J & Z’s collaborative writing process and staying accountable to the movement

00:16:59 “Skyscraper Jails” overview - nonprofitication

00:26:11 How did the U.S. “prison industrial complex” develop in response to failures of capitalism?

00:34:26 How did “Close Rikers” morph into advocating for four new NYC jails?

00:48:00 No such thing as a “better” jail

00:53:21 Spicy takes on Defund the Police movement

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