Topics in Social and Political Philosophy (361-0-21)
Topic
The Philosophy of Punishment & Incarceration
Instructors
Jennifer Amy Lackey
847/491-2557
Kresge 3-423
Meeting Info
Meets in Non-General PurposeRm: Mon 10:30AM - 1:15PM
Overview of class
The United States is currently home to 5% of the world's population but 25% of its incarcerated population. With close to 2 million people under the control of the American criminal legal system, the United States has more total people who are incarcerated than any other country in the world. Moreover, the United States has one of the most punitive approaches to criminal justice, imposing lengthy prison sentences, forcing people who are incarcerated to spend years—sometimes even decades—in solitary confinement, and providing very few educational, vocational, and recreational programs in prisons.
Punishment and incarceration also disproportionately impact people of color. Black Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites. While Black Americans and Hispanics make up about 32% of the US population, they constitute 56% of the incarcerated population.
This course will use a philosophical lens to examine the causes and consequences of this crisis of mass incarceration in the United States, along with possible solutions to it, with a particular emphasis on the theories of punishment grounding our criminal legal system and, thus, our prisons. The course will include students from the Evanston campus and incarcerated students in the Northwestern Prison Education Program.
*Note: This course will take place inside Sheridan Correctional Center in Sheridan, IL. On class days, students will leave Evanston at 8 AM and will return by 3:30 PM. Enrollment is limited to 10 students from Evanston, is by permission only, and requires an application.
In no more than 500 words each, please respond to the following two questions:
What do you think you would contribute to a class of this kind?
What do you think you would gain from a class of this kind?
Please submit responses to Professor Jennifer Lackey at j-lackey@northwestern.edu by May 31, 2024. Admissions decisions will be made by June 10th.
Learning Objectives
To understand competing theories of punishment and to assess whether any support the criminal legal system in the United States.
To evaluate the causes and consequences of the crisis of mass incarceration in the United States.
To be able to identify the connections between incarceration, race, and poverty.
To collaborate with other students in the course and to combine scholarship on punishment and incarceration with the firsthand experience that NPEP students have with these phenomena.
To develop solutions to the crisis of mass incarceration, both theoretical and practical.
Evaluation Method
Course Work:
Students are required to write reading reports of each class period's reading assignments, which should have two distinct components and should be no more than 1½ pages total per class: (1) a summary of the current class's readings (which will typically include two or three readings), and (2) a critique of, or reflection on, the arguments/ideas. These reports should be submitted the day the reading is due and will be graded on a 4-point scale, with 4 as excellent, 3 as good, 2 as adequate, 1 as deficient (or late), and N/C as not deserving of credit. Students may drop their lowest reading report grade.
In addition to the reading reports, students are required to complete two paper outlines, two papers, and one group project during the quarter. Details will be provided closer to the deadlines for these assignments.
Class Leaders:
Each week, students will be asked to be class leaders with respect to the required readings. Since there are two or three required readings each meeting, there will be two or three class leaders. This will involve providing a brief summary of the article and having at least three prepared questions to generate and/or facilitate discussion.
Grade Distribution:
The final grade for the course will be determined in the following way:
Two paper outlines, worth 10% of the final grade
Group project, worth 10% of the final grade
One 5-6 page, double-spaced paper, worth 25% of the final grade
One 6-7 page, double-spaced paper, worth 30% of the final grade
Reading reports and class participation, worth 25% of the final grade
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Students must receive departmental consent to enroll in this class. Please contact the department for a permission number.
Add Consent: Instructor Consent Required