RES.ES-001 | January IAP 2021 | Undergraduate

MIT Prison Education Initiative Discussion About Incarceration

Discussion Resources

Session 1: Mass Incarceration

Additions from Discussion

Session 2: Policing

Additions from Discussion

-Portugal decriminalized drug use in the 20th century in response to a spike in deaths by overdose in their population. The government responded decriminalized all drug use, explicitly so they could redirect funds to rehabilitation centers *instead* of policing systems.

-Other European countries have adopted this model, specifically to prevent deaths from overdose. The US has never really considered this option (because drug usage is selectively criminalized, i.e. wealthy individuals can use drugs whenever), but with the opioid epidemic, this is starting to be more seriously considered.

  • Articles

-“Mandatory Minimums and Sentencing Reform”

-Bill Quigley, “18 Examples of Racism in the Criminal Legal System.” Oct. 3, 2016. Huffpost.

  • Short Videos

-Power of Prosecutors

  • Podcasts

-Death Row/Penalty: Ear Hustle Episode 17 The Row and Episode 35 Chicken on the Bone

-Sex Trafficking: Ear Hustle Episode 13 Dirty Water

-Police Immunity:“An Immune System”

  • Movies/Series

-Documentary: The Redemption Project

-Trial 4 on Netflix

-Central Park 5/When They See Us: Netflix

Additions from Discussion

Session 4: Restorative Justice

-Maria D’Addieco is a federal probation officer who started a restorative justice program for system involved people prior to (or in place of) incarceration.

-Lee Perlman earned his B.A. from St. John’s College (Annapolis), and then pursued graduate work in philosophy at the Catholic University of America. He completed an M.A. in political philosophy at Georgetown University. Before earning his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Perlman spent eight years working in the political arena as a public interest lobbyist and political organizer. In 1978, Baltimore Magazine named him ‘the most feared lobbyist in Maryland’. He has taught at Harvard University, Brown University, Swarthmore College, Phillips Academy (Andover), and, for the past 20 years, at MIT. Dr. Perlman considers himself to be primarily an educator, and prides himself on designing and teaching a number of courses at MIT which offer students an integrated view of the humanities and sciences in the western tradition. Among these are his current courses Ancient Greek Mathematics and Philosophy and a course jointly listed in the Philosophy Department, A Philosophical History of Energy. His other signature course is Philosophy of Love. He has twice been awarded the Irwin Sizer Award for Most Significant Improvement to MIT Education (1997, 2015). Lee is also a composer and musician, and the Music Director of the Deborah Abel Dance Company, which has toured in the US and India.

Course Info

As Taught In
January IAP 2021