Prerequisite: None

Exam Type: No Exam

This course focuses on the law and policy of incarceration. It will examine the exponential increase in the United States prison population, the legal and constitutional frameworks governing prisoners’ rights and conditions of confinement, and recent reform efforts and responses. It will highlight the roles and interests of key stakeholders in the criminal legal system—including judges, prosecutors, police, sheriffs, and correctional officers, as well as advocates for criminal defendants and incarcerated persons—to assess prospects for and resistance to reform. We will also consider a broader, comparative frame, situating the U.S. criminal legal system in a global context. Readings will include case law, social science literature, and comparative law texts.