The Carceral State

Catalog description

This course examines the period of mass incarceration that began in the US in the 1970s, its impact on communities and its connection to economic development. We'll look specifically at policies that fostered mass incarceration, the financialization of the criminal justice system, and abolitionist movements that challenge the carceral state. We will examine the ways in which policies and practices have had disparate impacts on people of color and women, and we will also pay attention to space and place, endeavoring to understand differences at the local, county and state levels. This is an Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) course, and we will be partnering with the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund on a project. Students will also conduct courtroom observations, tour the Eastern State Penitentiary, learn from formerly incarcerated Philadelphians, and interact with relevant experts. Students will read books and articles from a range of disciplines including sociology, law, political science, and planning. We will also read poetry and memoir, and study places that have instituted cutting edge policies and practices. This course relies on student engagement and discussion.