Mass Incarceration in America

Catalog description

Mass incarceration is deeply embedded in American society—inextricably intertwined with the labor market, housing, immigration, mental healthcare, and other seemingly distinct policy areas. Understanding any of them requires understanding the carceral state: its roots at the very founding of America; its role in hollowing the promise of slavery’s abolition and as a tool to maintain racial castes in the Jim Crow South; and its expansion through the present day as both the cause of and ostensible response to other social policy failures. This course foregrounds that history, and dives into modern practices, including but not limited to bail and pretrial detention; the role of plea bargaining; criminal sentencing; prisons, jails, and immigration detention; probation, parole, and the rise of surveillance; and the treatment of juveniles. With that base, we will explore the connections between the carceral state and other policy areas. We will also consider alternatives to policing and incarceration, including ongoing experiments across the country.