Advocacy group No Pride in Prisons is laying down a challenge to abolish prisons and start again.

It’s hosting a public talk in Mangere tonight by lawyer and constitutional thinker Moana Jackson titled Prisons, Race and Abolition.

Spokesperson Emilie Rakete says race as a topic is kept out of the debate on prisons, with people trying to talk instead about class or crime . . . even though the numbers show more Maori are locked up and for longer for the same crimes committed by Pakeha.

She says it’s important to talk abolition rather than reform.

" Reforms can improve the condidtions for people who are presently in prison and that's vitally important but if we don't get rid of prisons, if we're not working toward the abolition of prisons, then really we are just fiddling with the edges and trying to make moderate changes that might make things better for people but certainly aren't going to fix the violence that's occurring," says Emilie Rakete.

Moana Jackson’s talk on Prisons, Race and Abolition will be held at the Mangere Central Community Hall at 7pm.