Thank you to Fernwood & NetGalley for the copy! This was so beautiful. El Jones proves to be a powerful voice with the capacity to expound without compromising the emotion that goes hand-in-hand with hard-hitting subjects such as the prison industrial complex. While reading this, I couldn't help but think of Abolitionist Intimacies as the more lyrical sister of Angela Davis's Are Prisons Obsolete? It has similar elements in its teaching of the abolitionist movement, but Jones's work feels more tender, more tearful — as it should be. Between retellings of Canada's settler-colonialist history and anecdotes from Jones's support / advocacy for incarcerated folks, she laments with a sense of grief so raw that it's hopeful.

Jones reflects on the abysmal nature of Canada's prison system (and prison as a whole), as well as the inevitable rot that oozes from a land's violent colonialist foundation. After all, nothing good ever grows upon mass graves.

What I really enjoyed was the illustration of how "unbelievable" it must be that Canada of all places — what, with its maple syrup and manners — could be so vile at its core and comparable to the cruelty that the US churns on. This concept of smoke and mirrors on Canada's part sort of reminded me of Japan's "kawaii" rebrand initiative following the atrocities they committed during WWII.

Overall, I really loved that this was a book told through the lens of collectivity — in both aid and liberation. The most important thing has and will always be the community we build around us, which is why prison abolition and rehabilitation is so necessary to our society's wellbeing and longevity. After all, no one is free until we all are, and freedom is impossible in isolation.

This audiobook was exactly what someone who works tangentially to prison abolition needs to reignite their passion.
At first, I was really thrown off by the accents that the author puts on when speaking as incarcerated people.... but that became less and less of an issue as the book went on.
I would say that a large portion of this work is closer to memoir, which I wasn't expecting. I think it was a really interesting look at one woman's commitment to abolitionism and folks in prisons. I do wish there was a bit more content on abolition itself but I also am very happy to have had this more intimate view of the way prisons touch the lives of so many and the harm that comes of it.

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for the audiobook ARC.

I received a free audiobook from Netgalley for giving fair and honest feedback on this book. I really know so little about Canada's black history. I have only read one other book on Canada's black history. I don't know a lot about the prison culture. A lot of what I listened to, I hadn't thought about before.

This audiobook really made me think. I have always been interested in black history. I am a white female but I know some about what has happened in the US. I didn't think a lot about the prisoners or refugees. The book educated me on so much injustices in Canada ( and the US). I am wiser because of the author.

The book tells the stories of so many people in jails, in the streets, and the poor youth. It is the stories of the poor, refugees, and people of color. It tells you about what life is like in the prisons. It talks about the lives of people, we sometimes don't see

The author's voice is powerful. Sometimes, the book was too much for me. I needed a break. There isn't too much good in the book. The book is stories of pain. It's stories are people who are struggling in the margins. Maybe some day, there won't be so much pain in the world. We will treat everyone with more justice.

It took me longer to listen to this book than usual. It's just a tough subject. The book has a lot of information in it.
The author does a good job on educating the listener.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this important book. I feel like this book has opened my eyes to things I didn't realize before.

Wonderfully written and narrated, Abolitionist Intimacies gives the reader a thorough and complete understanding of the political concept of abolition through a Black and queer lens. Truly insightful and gripping, this is a must-read.

I usually find non-fiction quite dense and difficult to get through, but with Abolitionist Intimacies, El Jones has created something so unlike anything else I've ever read. It's written accessibly, allowing both dedicated abolitionists and those new to the idea of abolition to understand and engage. The poetry included in the collection, aside from being well-written and heart-wrenching, breaks things up in a way that makes the book flow perfectly.

I especially loved that this book, unlike any other books I've read on prison justice or prison abolition, focuses primarily on Canadian prisons, prisoners, and prison statistics. Due to much of Jones's work being based in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia, much of the book references Nova Scotian prisons and prison activism that is local to Nova Scotia, and to me personally. Unfortunately, prison justice isn't something I frequently see in the local news, and I learned a lot about what members of my own community are facing in local prisons from this book.

I could go on about much more that I enjoyed, such as Jones's exploration of her own struggles with the morality of supporting people who have committed violent crimes, to the way that Jones also managed to centre the voices and opinions of the incarcerated as much as possible among her own writings, however I'd go on forever and waste time better spent delving into more of Jones's work. Pick up this book immediately, you're wasting time better spent reading it.

Abolitionist Intimacies is a beautiful book that humanizes people stuck in a system that consistently dehumanizes them. A truly heart wrenching read, but the author does a fantastic job. The narration is so well done. Highly recommend.

Thank you to ECW Press and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for a review.

This book is so aptly titled—it felt intimate to hear all these stories that clearly came out of deep relationships and care-based research practices. I cried at least twice. This is the first book I’ve read about the Canadian carceral system (US-based) and it was so good at situating Canada within the global context of carceral structures, and added so much to the conversation. Highly recommend! Also the audiobook narrator did such a great job!

This is sad and angering but at times deeply touching about the practical application of abolitionist values which combines accounts of the Jones’s experiences working with prisoners, contextualisation of statistics and academic theory, and poetry about racism, carcerality and care.

I think my favourite thing about this book is that it’s both accessible and grounded in the daily practice of abolition — it assumes no great familiarity with the politics of abolitionism, and also confines the academic aspect to supporting the personal stories of the author and the prisoners she works with. It is an incredibly ~personal~ work, in the sense that it is the ~people~ who are front and centre, always. Another great aspect is that it’s focused on Canada (most of the popular/accessible abolition texts centre on the US) and even though I’m in the UK, I found many of the insights to be impactful and applicable to carceral systems here.

One subject I really appreciated was the idea of becoming comfortable with falling short, because the people living in the current situation shouldn't be deprived of small comforts for the sake of the theoretical ideal we labour to build. It reflects the thesis of Abolitionist Intimacies by returning, always, to the people whose humanity most suffers at the hands of carceral systems—they cannot be sacrificed while those carceral systems still stand. And that abolition is a practical application of non-punitive, anti-carceral belief on an interpersonal scale just as much as it's a call for structural change.

The narrator Aiza Ntibarikure did an absolutely fantastic job, bringing energy and rhythm to the frequently difficult subject matter.

I absolutely, utterly devoured this.

Parts memoir, parts spoken word, parts stories and histories of the prison industrial complex and those it confines across Canada and the US; this collection is timeless and extraordinarily important.

El Jones writes in a striking and clear way, presenting evidence and examples of the ways this system continually fails those most vulnerable in our society.

Framing this as a collection of abolitionist intimacies is perfection. I felt hope, rage, and power seeping through the pages. I’m thankful for this collection.

This audiobook was made available to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This audiobook narrator was perfect for this nonfiction text. Her voice was full of compassion and richly lyrical. This is a heavy read, with heavy themes. I personally find nonfiction books with serious themes like this best consumed via audiobook over other formats. I love the feel of a heavy tome in my hands, but I never lose myself in nonfiction text the same. A narrative in which I'm given the opportunity to experience firsthand accounts of prisoners' experiences, in their own words, is greatly enhanced in audiobook format. I felt like the narrator was a perfect guide for this journey.

My political view is abolition, so this fits nicely into my views. What I love about this, though, is that the text doesn't assume the reader is a well-versed abolitionist. The book cleverly utilized multiple formats to enhance the reader's understanding of these crucial issues. There's direct quotes from incarcerated individuals, research done by the author, and essays on the topic all mixed in with the author's stunning original poetry. A full media experience, especially on audiobook.

Another highlight of this book is the focus on Canadian prison reform. Often, when prison reform is brought up, even in Canada, the focus is on US style prisons. I was not very familiar with Canadian prisons before this book. I'm a Statie, as I was called in Ontario, married to a Canadian. I lived in Ontario for almost 14 years. A member of my husband's family trained to be a prison counselor and assured me that Canadian prison was focused on reform and nothing like the US system. 🙃

I'm planning to send that cousin an Audible copy of this book. To my horror, I discovered that Canadian prisons aren't focused on reform and don't offer prisoners dignity. In fact, the only thing about Canadian prisons that is an improvement over US prisons is that Canada incarcerates significantly less of their population than the US does. That's about where their superiority ends.

Canadian prisons, of course, extend the oppression of marginalized groups in Canadian society, and race deeply impacts this experience, as does poverty. The author makes the case that prison functions in a way that is harmful for prisoners, prison guards, and society at large. This is an intersectional look at oppression in Canadian society at large and its root causes: colonization, racism, policing amongst others. It's enlightening if somewhat harrowing and extremely sad. Honestly, I cried hearing some of what's included in this book. I was deeply touched by this narrative and want to thank the author for their research, their choice to have the prisoners tell their own stories using first person narratives, and the poetry that elucidated my understanding of the issues addressed in this narrative. I will be thinking about this for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this novel. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Abolitionist intimacies confronts the carceral institutions through understanding the history of prisons specifically in Canada, with relation to early settler colonialism. El Jones shines a stark light on the racial bias found within the prison institution, founded on capitalism and the means to expunge. Through sharing real life accounts, we bare witness to the true horror of incarceration and how it continues to claim lives.

This was an incredibly thought provoking listen. El Jones presents how the justice system fails inmates and how there’s almost no chance of rehabilitation. When society is founded on capitalist, racist means, El Jones makes me question how do we triumph, and specifically people of colour, over a system that is rigged against certain people?

The audiobook was fantastic. It was clear and effective, but imbued with the necessary passion required, especially for the profound poetry. An incredible listening experience.

I didn't want this book to end. I didn't have much knowledge of the prison abolition movement before reading this one but did have some knowledge of the systemic racism and abuse within the prison system in America but less so in Canada, which seems to hide its issues behind its reputation as a kind, friendly country.
This book is so well written, raw and devastating, full of human feeling and anger without being repetitive or throwing too much information at you.

The poetry included through-out the chapters is full of emotion and frustration and the voices of many people wronged by a system designed to destroy communities and keep certain people in chains.