Course Description
Summary
This course is a primer that serves to lay the backdrop for more specialized studies in American Justice systems. It is not a criminology course. It is a cultural exploration of the growth of incarceration in the United States and its peculiar connection to racial identity. With 2 million incarcerated people, the United States has had the highest rate of incarceration for more than 25 years. How did this happen? Why did it happen? What has it changed? Who has been harmed by this phenomenon? Marc Mauer’s seminal volume, Race to Incarcerate has recently been reimagined as a graphic true story. The easy to follow, but extraordinarily thorough, text will be the guide for this introductory course.
Course dates: September 12 - October 17
