Incarcerated people and supporters are kicking off a series of demonstrations this week to call for the abolition of prisons and legalized slavery.

The Shut 'Em Down demos, taking place from December 6-13, will see protests outside jails and prisons around the country, with incarcerated people encouraged to halt their labor. The campaign will also feature virtual solidarity music and poetry events and panel discussions.

At least 16 locations have confirmed their participation in the shutdowns, Jailhouse Lawyers Speak (JLS) announced in a press release.

The activists and organizers are demanding an end to funding for new prisons as well as the repeal of the US Constitution's Thirteenth Amendment, which permits slavery as a form of criminal punishment.

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Predatory policing, mass incarceration, and involuntary prison labor have been described as direct legacies of US chattel enslavement.

Almost two million people are locked up in prisons and jails around the country. The Prison Policy Initiative has found that 35% of incarcerated people in the US are Black – although Black people make up just 14% of the national population.

JLS has launched a mutual aid drive to support incarcerated people during the Shut 'Em Down protests and to fund the organization's national activities.

"We move forward with these words 'Free all Palestinians held captive by Israel. Free All Political Prisoners. End all genocides. End prison slavery!'" JLS said in its press release.