UUA 2025 Congregational Study Action Issue (“CSAI”)

•

UUA 2025 Congregational Study Action Issue (“CSAI”)

Abolition, Transformation, and Faith Formation

What is a CSAI? It is a multi-year Unitarian Universalist (UU) process that invites congregations to study a major social justice issue, engage in discussion and reflection, and consider actions that reflect UU values.

What is the purpose of this specific CSAI? This CSAI invites the congregation to explore alternatives to punitive systems such as prisons and policing, and to consider how communities can promote individual accountability, healing, safety, and justice.

What is our congregation being asked to do? We have been invited to learn about the ideas, questions, and concerns raised by the abolition movement. Through reading, discussion, and reflection, we can explore how these issues connect with our UU values and our vision of a more just society.

What does “abolition” actually mean? The abolition movement asks whether prisons, jails, and punitive systems are the best way to create safety for society and to address the harm caused by those who commit crimes. Abolitionists explore alternatives that focus on prevention, healing, community support, restorative justice, and addressing the root causes of the harm that has been done.

Do abolitionists want to close all prisons? Like many social movements, abolitionism includes a range of views. Some focus on immediate reforms that reduce incarceration and improve conditions, while others emphasize a long-term vision with alternative systems of accountability and care that would eventually create a world without prisons.

Why is the UUA studying this issue? The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, with nearly two million people currently held in prisons and jails. The effects of this incarceration extend well beyond those individuals who are imprisoned, affecting families, communities, and future opportunities for employment, housing, and civic participation. Many ask whether communities might instead be made safer through greater investment in prevention, mental health services, addiction treatment, restorative justice, education, and economic opportunity. Others point to concerns about racial disparities, the high financial cost of incarceration, and evidence that imprisonment alone does not always reduce future harm.

A few facts for consideration:

  • The U.S. has about 4% of the world’s population but roughly 20% of the world’s incarcerated people.
  • Nearly 2 million people are held in U.S. prisons and jails on any given day.
  • Millions more are under probation or parole supervision.
  • The financial cost of incarceration in the U.S. is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars annually.
  • Racial disparities exist throughout the criminal legal system and are a major focus of public debate.
  • More than 100,000 mothers are incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails on any given day, affecting hundreds of thousands of children and families.

What’s next? This is the beginning stage of a congregational conversation. During the coming months, members and friends are invited to learn, reflect, and discuss the issues. Further details about study opportunities and congregational involvement will be announced this fall.

~ one-pager prepared by Steve August on behalf of UCM’s Racial Justice Group