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Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Restricted Thesis: Campus only access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Leadership Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Lauren N. Henley
Abstract
This project explores the theoretical foundation, history, and contemporary consequences of crime and punishment in the United States with particular attention to gender-based violence. In this project I consider the failures of the prison industrial complex to realize its theoretical aims and its role in perpetuating cultures of racism, classism, and gender-based violence. I argue that prison abolition is the necessary first step to dismantle cultures of gender-based violence and create a just future.
Recommended Citation
Punishill, Andrea, "Yes, Even the Murderers and Rapists: A Case for Prison Abolition and Visions for the Future" (2026). Honors Theses. 1957.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1957