Communist anarchism as an alternative to the rule of criminal law

Peacemaking criminology: etiology of crime or philosophy of life?

“…These radical thinkers called for a humane approach to dealing with crime -an approach that centered upon treatment, rehabilitation, alternatives to prisons, mediation, and a vision of social justice in which all persons should be given equal opportunities to succeed and live their lives (Quinney & Wildman, 1991, p. 107). It should be noted that this approach was not a new phenomenon for dealing with crime and justice in the United States; in fact, it had its formal roots in the early reform movements of the 1920s and 1930s (Pepinsky, 1978). However, the turbulent times of the 1960s and 1970s inspired groups of radical, conflict, and critical criminologists to establish a formal movement of peacemaking criminology which officially became recognized in the early 1990s.…”

“…These new critical perspectives included ideas rooted in leftist realism (Mathews, 1987;Taylor, Walton, & Young, 1973), various forms of feminist theory (Adler, 1975;Klein, 1973;Messerschmidt, 1986Messerschmidt, , 1993Simon, 1975;Simpson, 1989;Smart, 1976), post-modernism (DiChristina, 1995;Henry & Milovanovic, 1991, 1996Milovanovic, 1997;Smart, 1989), anarchism (Ferrell, 1994;Pepinsky, 1978;Tifft & Sullivan, 1980), abolitionism (Bianchi & Van Swaaningen, 1986;Christie, 1977;Mathiesen, 1974Mathiesen, , 1986, peacemaking (Braswell et al, 2001;Quinney & Pepinsky, 1991;Quinney & Wildman, 1991), and critical integrationist theory (Barak, 1998;Elliot, Ageton, & Canter 1979;Johnson, 1979). Overall, there have been well over twenty new critical theories introduced since the late 1970s, and consequently it is beyond the scope and purpose of this paper to elucidate each critical offering (Lanier & Henry, 1998, p. 266).…”

“…According to anarchists, structures of power, regardless of form, are based on systems of inequality, hierarchy, and oppression (Pepinsky, 1978). In order to deal with issues of crime, state justice systems should be replaced by a decentralized communal system of justice in which all members of society participate and share their decisions (Tifft, 1979;Wieck, 1978).…”

Vandalizing Meaning, Stealing Memory: Artistic, Cultural, and Theoretical Implications of Crime in Galleries and Museums

“…Here, I wish to acknowledge Kropotkin's (1975:30) criticism of the law's ''tendency to crystallize what should be modified and developed day to day,'' and to lend support to Tifft's (1979:397) contention that ''a response to interpersonal conflict cannot be reasonably articulated before the conflict has arisen-only afterwards and after it has not been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the persons involved.'' Taking inspiration from Tifft (1979), Tifft andSullivan (1980, 2005), as well as from Ferrell (1994Ferrell ( , 1996Ferrell ( , 1997 and Pepinsky (1978), I propose ''retrospective arts-based justice''-a form of ''negotiated community justice'' or ''retrospective, needs-based justice''-in which the response to theft and vandalism is determined by the original artist, museum-goers, and members of the community, rather than a court of law, and might include art education, rather than fines and prison.…”