I’ve spent the last 15 years researching and writing about the impact of punishment on various aspects of American politics.
I’ve written about the concept of civil death and how the collateral consequences of a conviction limit opportunities for the formerly incarcerated to engage as full citizens.
I’ve written about the impact of hyperincarceration and punishment on children and families confronted with the generational effects of living on the periphery of inclusion.
I’ve worked with organizations and programs designed to elevate the voices of the formerly incarcerated within policymaking spaces.
I’ve even studied the relationship between punishment and gerrymandering.
Over time, we’ve witnessed a concerted effort to denounce the undeniable racial disparities resulting from America’s addiction to punishment.
As the junior senator from Illinois seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama called for a new criminal justice system based on transparency, fairness, justice and equity. Central to that push was denouncing a failed war on drugs that led the U.S. to lock up more people, per incident, than any other country in the world.
