Dear Colleagues, 
Please join us this Friday, April 29th at 3 pm. in the Hatfield Room for our eleventh and final Faculty Colloquium of this semester. Treats will be provided.
Melissa Buis Michaux, Associate Professor of Politics
Abstract: The United States currently incarcerates about 2.4 million men, women and children. The number of incarcerated does not take into account how many people’s lives are touched by our extensive system of punishment, including those on parole or probation; children of incarcerated parents; and communities that support prison systems. Furthermore, racial disparities in arrests, sentencing, and prison time call into question our guarantees of equal justice and fundamental fairness. Inside the prison walls, many prisoners are subject to a system of control that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation. All of this I knew before I stepped inside a prison. Come hear what I learned—about prison, the people behind the walls, and myself—once I went inside. I will also be joined by some students from my “Reforming Criminal Justice” class that has been going inside the Oregon State Penitentiary this semester and working alongside prisoners.
Please feel free to invite students to attend this talk.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Doreen Simonsen and Bobby Brewer-Wallin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators