Panel on Alternative Justice and Sexual Violence

What could an end to cycles of sexual violence look like? This, and other similar questions, will be addressed in a panel discussion with Joy James, Rachel Zellars, and Melanie Leonidas. 

Many responses to recent events concerning sexual violence have emphasized punitive measures against perpetrators while ignoring the survivors and the background conditions that make such violence possible. This is challenging for those of us who care about responding to sexual violence in a meaningful way as well as transforming our criminal justice system. This event aims to make space to discuss ways in which sexual violence can be addressed from an abolitionist perspective - one which does not aim to punish and incarcerate but heal and transform. The panel will include activists, practitioners, and scholars coming together to engage with questions of alternative justice and sexual assault. 

Organized by Students Taking A New Direction (STAND) For Prison Justice, the event will consist of a panel discussion on ways to respond to sexual violence outside of the carceral system/prison industrial complex. Research assistant Benji Nothwehr has played a coordinating role for this event, helping to line up speakers and shape the themes of the discussion.

More information is available on Facebook. The panel will take place in Chancellor Day Hall Room 100 (Moot Court Room), 3644 Peel St.