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OS295 PRISONS + SOCIAL CONTROL
The United States incarcerates more people than any country in the world, yet
our perceptions of prisons are largely shaped by sensationalized accounts in
the media. This course, taught by OS Lecturer, Dr. Lisa Fein, provided students
with an in-depth understanding of prisons as complex organizations shaped
by social, historical, political, economic, and cultural forces. In addition to what
was studied inside the classroom, students also had the unique opportunity
to learn about life in prison and contribute to a large-scale research project by
interviewing individuals who had previously been incarcerated.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
EMILY FURTADO - Class of 2020
“Throughout my years at the University, I have spent time trying to educate myself
on mass incarceration, given that the US has the most incarcerated individuals in the
world. I took OS295 to further understand the processes of the system. The course
allowed me to fill in some gaps in my knowledge about the mass incarceration system,
such as how mass incarceration is, in some ways, the modern Jim Crow and slavery.
As part of the class, we got to interview an ex-incarcerate. This task, which seemed
to present itself as a novelty for most students, left me feeling a little helpless
because there was not much I could do for the ex-incarcerate, yet I felt like I was taking
advantage of him. I believe this course is ideal for those students who may not know
anything about mass incarceration systems but realize it is a critical and current topic
that needs more attention and conversation.”