GOV 242 RACE & CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

One of the most remarkable features of the current American political landscape is the rise of mass incarceration – leading many scholars to refer to the United States as the “world’s largest jailer.”  People of color and the urban poor are disproportionately sent to prison, causing some to argue that the problem of mass incarceration is one of the greatest social injustices of our time.  Through a focus on institutions, policymaking, political culture, social movements, and the history of American political development, this course analyzes the role of race in explaining the rise of the carceral state, the political consequences of mass incarceration, and the potential strategies for reversing the tide of imprisonment.