From Criminal Justice to(wards) Prison Abolition

Catalog description

This course offers opportunities to meet with formerly incarcerated speakers and advocates, as well as engage directly with community organizations and nonprofits. Guest partners may include representatives from the ACLU of Virginia, Reform Alliance, and the Santa Clara Public Defender's Office, among others. The course examines a range of opportunities to criminal justice, from prison reform to prison abolition. Through readings, discussion, and engagement with diverse source materials, students analyze how the criminal "justice" system functions and consider community-based alternatives and transformative solutions proposed by directly impacted communities. Guest speakers - including experts, activists, and formerly incarcerated individuals - share professional and lived perspectives every other week, which are then discussed in alternating class sessions. Students at all levels of familiarity with the criminal legal system are welcome; the course is designed to introduce multiple perspectives and support students in developing their own informed viewpoints.