Policies & Guidelines

Privacy Policy

What we collect

We collect information only when it helps us operate the archive, fulfill orders, process donations, support contributors, or respond to people who contact us.

This may include:

Name, email address, mailing address, and phone number when you place an order, make a donation, sign up for updates, or contact us.
Order details, donation details, shipping information, and outreach messages.
Contributor information that is submitted to us for publication, payment, correspondence, or program participation.
Website usage information, such as pages visited, browser type, device type, and general analytics data.
Payment information processed through third-party payment providers. We do not store full credit card numbers on our website.

How we use information

We use information to:

Process and ship store orders.
Send donation receipts and acknowledgments.
Communicate with donors, customers, contributors, artists, volunteers, and community members.
Support contributor payments, commissary support, art supply support, publishing, mail, and related program work.
Maintain accurate internal records.
Improve the website and make it easier to use.
Protect the safety, integrity, and security of the archive.
Comply with legal, tax, accounting, and reporting obligations.

Donor privacy

We respect donor privacy. We do not sell, rent, or trade donor lists.

We may recognize donors publicly only when they have given permission or when recognition is clearly part of the donation process. Donors may request to remain anonymous.

When a donor gives to a specific contributor, project, or purpose, we make every reasonable effort to honor that intention. If legal, institutional, administrative, or safety restrictions prevent us from using a restricted gift exactly as intended, we may contact the donor for direction or use the gift for the closest related contributor-support purpose.

Contributor privacy

We work with contributors whose lives may be affected by incarceration, surveillance, institutional rules, stigma, and public exposure. We treat contributor information with care.

We only publish contributor names, artist names, biographical details, artwork, writing, images, facility information, or other identifying information according to our consent process and internal contributor records.

Contributors may ask us to update names, pronouns, biographical details, images, or public-facing information. We will make reasonable updates as quickly as we can.

Third-party services

We may use trusted third-party services for payment processing, email, shipping, analytics, forms, website hosting, donor management, or store operations. These services may collect and process information according to their own privacy policies.

Examples may include services such as Stripe, Square, PayPal, Zeffy, Google, shipping providers, website hosts, or email platforms.

Cookies and analytics

Our website may use cookies or similar tools to remember preferences, understand site traffic, improve performance, and help us maintain the site. You can usually adjust cookie settings through your browser.

How we share information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share limited information with:

Payment processors, shipping providers, and website vendors.
Staff, contractors, or volunteers who need the information to perform archive-related work.
Professional advisors such as accountants, attorneys, or auditors.
Government, legal, or regulatory authorities only if held at gunpoint.
Contributors, donors, or community members when necessary to carry out a requested program function and when appropriate consent or safeguards are in place.

Data security

We use reasonable safeguards to protect information. No website, email system, database, or payment platform is completely secure, but we work diligently to limit access, protect sensitive records, and use trusted systems.

Data retention

We keep information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, donor, contributor, publishing, archival, and program records.

Because Abolition Archive is a repository, some published materials, contributor records, publication records, and rights-related documentation may need to be retained for long-term historical, legal, or program purposes.

Children's privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Your choices

You may contact us to:

Update your contact information.
Ask us to stop sending non-essential emails.
Request correction of inaccurate information.
Ask questions about information we may have about you.
Request that donor recognition be anonymous.
Ask about contributor-facing public information connected to you.

Terms of Use

By using this website, you agree to use it respectfully, lawfully, and in a way that does not harm Abolition Archive, contributors, staff, volunteers, donors, customers, or other visitors.

Mission-centered use

Abolition Archive exists to preserve, publish, and support the creative work of LGBTQ+ artists impacted by incarceration. You may browse, share, purchase, donate, or participate in ways that honor the dignity, safety, and humanity of contributors.

Intellectual property

Unless otherwise stated, the artwork, writing, images, design, logos, text, and other materials on this website are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

Contributors retain rights to their work unless a separate written agreement says otherwise. Abolition Archive may display, publish, promote, sell, archive, or reproduce contributor work only according to our contributor agreements, permissions, and program practices.

You may not copy, reproduce, modify, sell, scrape, redistribute, or commercially use website content without written permission.

You may share links to public pages in a respectful way that credits Abolition Archive and the contributor when appropriate.

Store purchases

When you buy from the store, you agree to provide accurate billing, shipping, and contact information. Prices, availability, product descriptions, and shipping options may change.

We do our best to describe items clearly. Some items may be handmade, limited-run, archival, printed in small batches, or connected to contributor payment processes. Small variations may occur.

Donations

Donations support Abolition Archive's mission, programs, contributors, publications, mail, art supplies, commissary support, gender-affirming care support, reentry support, and related work.

If you make a restricted donation for a specific contributor, project, or purpose, we will make reasonable efforts to use the gift as intended. If we cannot do so because of legal, safety, institutional, administrative, or practical restrictions, we may contact you or redirect the gift to the closest related program purpose.

A donation does not create ownership rights in artwork, writing, publication materials, contributor correspondence, or archive content.

Website availability

We work to keep the website available and accurate, but we cannot guarantee that the site will always be uninterrupted, error-free, or fully current. If you encounter errors, we would appreciate you contacting us so we can fix it.

External links

Our website may link to outside websites or services. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, accessibility, or policies of external sites.

Community conduct

You may not use this website to:

Harass, threaten, exploit, stalk, or harm anyone.
Attempt to obtain private contributor information.
Send spam, malware, or abusive messages.
Interfere with website security or functionality.
Misrepresent your identity or relationship to Abolition Archive.
Use contributor stories, artwork, or identities in a dehumanizing, sensationalized, or exploitative way.

We may restrict access, remove submissions, cancel participation, or take other action when needed to protect contributors, staff, visitors, or the archive.

No professional advice

Information on this website is for general educational, artistic, archival, and community purposes. It is not legal, medical, mental health, financial, or tax advice.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the website, store, archive, and programs grow. Updates will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date.

Accessibility

Abolition Archive is committed to making our website accessible to as many people as possible.

We want the site to be usable by people with diverse bodies, minds, technologies, internet speeds, vision, hearing, mobility, language access needs, and cognitive needs.

Our accessibility goals include:

Clear page structure and headings.
Readable text with strong contrast.
Keyboard-friendly navigation.
Descriptive link text.
Alternative text for meaningful images.
Captions or transcripts when possible for media.
Forms that are labeled and understandable.
Layouts that work on mobile, tablet, laptop, and desktop screens.
Avoiding design choices that make content harder to read or navigate.

We aim to follow the spirit of WCAG accessibility standards and continue improving over time.

If you find an accessibility barrier, please contact us so we can fix it.

Contact

Please include:

The page URL.
What you were trying to do.
What went wrong.
The device, browser, or assistive technology you were using, if you are comfortable sharing.

We welcome feedback. Access is not a side door to the archive; it is part of the front entrance.

Penpal Guidelines

Abolition Archive's penpal and communication programs are designed to make connection easier, safer, and more sustainable. The goal is simple: no one should have to disappear behind walls.

Our portal and correspondence systems may allow people to communicate with contributors without needing to manage physical prison mail on their own. We do the heavy lifting where we can. What remains is connection.

Remember that communication may be monitored

Messages, letters, and mail connected to incarcerated people may be reviewed by facility staff, platform providers, or Abolition Archive staff. Do not send anything you would not want reviewed by others.

Do not send confidential legal, medical, financial, or personal information through the penpal system.

Respect boundaries

Good correspondence is steady, honest, and respectful.

Please do:

Write with kindness and consistency.
Be clear about what kind of communication you can maintain.
Respect names, pronouns, identities, and lived experiences.
Ask thoughtful questions.
Share encouragement, art, books, music, ideas, and everyday life.
Tell us if something feels unsafe, confusing, or uncomfortable.

Please do not:

Make promises you cannot keep.
Offer legal advice, medical advice, money, housing, employment, visits, or personal favors.
Send sexual, romantic, manipulative, coercive, or exploitative messages.
Ask for details about someone's conviction, trauma, body, family, immigration status, medical status, or private history unless they choose to share.
Use coded language, threats, harassment, hate speech, or anything that could place someone at risk.
Send contraband, instructions for prohibited activity, or anything that violates facility rules.
Try to bypass the portal, staff process, or safety guidelines.

Privacy and personal information

Protect your privacy and the privacy of contributors.

Do not share personal addresses, financial information, login information, private photos, or identifying details unless you fully understand the risks, do so of your own free will and agree to hold Abolition Archive harmless.

Abolition Archive may limit, review, pause, or end correspondence if needed to protect contributors, volunteers, staff, or community members.

Facility rules

Every facility has its own rules. Mail can be delayed, rejected, copied, scanned, returned, or withheld for reasons outside our control.

We cannot guarantee delivery, response time, or continued communication.

Not an emergency service

The penpal program is not an emergency, crisis, legal, or mental health service. If a message suggests immediate danger, self-harm, abuse, or urgent need, we may take reasonable steps to respond or report according to our internal safety practices and applicable law.

Shipping & Returns

Order processing

Most orders ship within 7–10 business days, unless the product page says otherwise.

Some items are limited-run, handmade, printed in batches, fulfilled by a small team, or connected to contributor payment and archive workflows. During launches, holidays, preorders, or high-volume periods, processing may take longer.

If your order is delayed, we will make reasonable efforts to contact you.

Shipping

Shipping options and costs are shown at checkout when available.

Once an order ships, delivery time depends on the carrier. Tracking may be provided when available.

Please make sure your shipping address is correct. If an order is returned because of an incorrect or incomplete address, we may need to charge additional shipping to resend it.

Preorders and backorders

If an item is a preorder or backorder, the product page should include an estimated shipping window.

If we cannot ship within the expected window, we will contact you with an update when possible. You may cancel an unshipped order for a refund.

Damaged, missing, or incorrect items

If your order arrives damaged, incomplete, or incorrect, contact us within 14 days of delivery.

Please include:

Your order number.
A description of the issue.
Photos of damage or incorrect items, if possible.

We may offer a replacement, refund, store credit, or another reasonable solution depending on the item and availability.

Returns

Books, prints, apparel, and standard merchandise may be returned within 30 days of delivery if unused, undamaged, and in resellable condition.

Original artwork, digital products, donations, gift cards, final-sale items, and special-order items are not returnable unless they arrive damaged, are materially misdescribed, or return is required by law.

Customers are generally responsible for return shipping unless the return is due to our error or a damaged item.

Refunds

Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method when possible. Processing time may depend on the payment provider or bank.

Shipping charges may not be refundable unless the return is due to our error, damage, or a canceled unshipped order.

Cancellations

You may request cancellation before your order ships. Once an order has shipped, it must follow the return process.

FAQ

What is Abolition Archive?

Abolition Archive is a living archive, store, gallery, and correspondence project centering LGBTQ+ artists impacted by incarceration. We publish, preserve, and support creative work across prison walls.

Is Abolition Archive the same as A.B.O. Comix?

Abolition Archive grows from the work of A.B.O. Comix. It carries the same roots forward with a broader archive, contributor platform, store, gallery, and communication system.

What does my purchase support?

Purchases help support publishing, mail, art supplies, contributor payments, commissary donations, gender-affirming care, reentry assistance, and the operations needed to keep the archive alive.

Can I donate to a specific contributor?

Yes, when the option is available. We make reasonable efforts to direct contributor-specific support to that person. If we cannot deliver support exactly as intended because of facility rules, legal restrictions, safety concerns, release status, transfer status, missing information, or administrative limits, we may contact you or use the funds for the closest related contributor-support purpose.

Are donations tax-deductible?

Abolition Inc is a nonprofit organization. Donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult a tax professional for advice about your specific situation.

Donation receipts are provided when available through our donation system.

Can I write to a contributor?

When the penpal portal is available, visitors may be able to communicate with contributors through our system. The portal is designed to reduce the burden of physical mail while keeping safety, consent, and facility rules in mind.

Is communication private?

No. Mail and messages connected to incarcerated people may be reviewed by facility staff, platform providers, or Abolition Archive staff. Do not send confidential legal, medical, financial, or emergency information through the penpal system.

Can I send money, gifts, or packages directly?

Please do not send money, gifts, or packages directly unless the contributor, facility rules, and Abolition Archive guidelines clearly allow it. Many facilities restrict what can be received and how support must be sent.

Can I use artwork or writing from the site?

Not without permission. Contributors and Abolition Archive retain rights in the work shown here. You may share public links respectfully, but you may not copy, sell, reproduce, print, alter, or redistribute work without written permission.

How do I report a problem with the website?

How do I contact Abolition Archive?

Reach out through our contact form.

Mailing address: PO Box 11584, Oakland CA 94612