Justice, Mercy, and Mass Incarceration

3 credits · Divinity School

Mass incarceration is a central legal and moral challenge of our era, which draws upon the historically powerful synergies between law and religion. Mass incarceration is a legal creation, and law defines the experience of incarceration and re-entry. But theories of crime and punishment have long depended upon religious legitimation, and the impact of mass incarceration on our society ultimately presents deeply moral and theological questions. The issue cannot be effectively addressed from the perspective of a single discipline. By addressing mass incarceration through law and religion together, this course will equip students with a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of our current system, and it will address the racial dimensions of incarceration as both legal and religious constructions. It will explore the legal structures and justifications that create mass incarceration as well as the moral and theological arguments mass incarceration provokes. This interdisciplinary study will enable students to become better advocates for change through policy, law, outreach, and activism. [3] Mr. Reside