Prison abolition movement

In forensic sociological sense is meant by abolitionism a theoretical approach, which calls for the renunciation of the total institution of the prison or in an even broader sense, the abolition of criminal law.

The forensic sociological abolitionists are generally of the opinion that the state can not be the proper organ to assess the way of punishment. In their view, the immediate environment of a perpetrator or a victim should have the option to set an appropriate response.

Significant representatives of criminological abolitionism are Nils Christie, Thomas Mathiesen, Herman Bianchi and Louk Hulsman. An abolitionist organizations such as the Anarchist Black Cross.