Seminar in Criminal Law: Punishment in Theory & Practice

This seminar will examine cutting-edge issues in criminal administration through a historical and philosophical lens. Subtopics considered over the course of the semester include the various theories of punishment; the expansion of carceral technologies; the privatization of various services in criminal administration; and the rise of mass incarceration. This course offers students the opportunity to consider how the administration of criminal law intersects with issues of racial justice, social justice, politics, and efficiency in the United States. Students prepare a final research paper on a topic related to issues of punishment in the United States.