Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description
This is an undergraduate class about the current state of incarceration in the US. There are no official prerequisites, but a basic understanding of American political institutions (as would be gained from 17.20 Introduction to American Politics) will be helpful, as will a willingness to engage with complex reading material. The focus will be on social science theories and research about incarceration, with the readings drawing heavily on work from political science, economics, sociology, and other disciplines.
After taking this class, students will be able to describe some features of the carceral state in the US, including comparisons to other places and other periods in US history. They will be familiar with theories that seek to explain how we ended up here, and the types of evidence that have been marshalled to support those theories. Finally, they will be aware of major reform proposals that are being considered, and will be prepared to critique those proposals based on empirical evidence about what has and has not worked in the past.
Expectations
My general expectation is that you will come to class prepared to fully participate. This means doing the readings for class in advance of participatory sessions. It also means treating your classmates with respect, and listening to and engaging meaningfully with them when they speak (or post online).
Students are encouraged to talk to one another outside of class about issues discussed in class and to brainstorm about essays. You often learn best from your peers. However, each student is expected to write his or her own essays individually. Any work completed for another class must be disclosed (don’t turn in the same paper or assignment for two different courses without prior approval). For more on academic integrity, please see Academic Integrity at MIT: A Handbook for Students.
Grading Policy
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Class participation/readings | 30% |
| Homework assignments | 45% |
| Final presentation | 25% |
For detail on the activities above, see the Assignments section.
