Prof. Monica Bell's work examines how predominantly African-American samples of parents and youth in three American cities—Washington, DC; Cleveland, Ohio; and Baltimore, Maryland—understand police presence in their everyday lives. In reexamining this issue, the project as a whole reveals the deep and often overlooked complexity in the relationships between marginalized communities, the police, urban neighborhoods, and the state that are rarely considered in popular conversations about police reform and transformation.
The Disparate Treatment of Black Americans in the Criminal Justice System
The evidence for racial disparities in the criminal justice system is well-documented. The disproportionate racial impact of certain laws and policies, as well as biased decision-making by justice system actors, leads to higher rates of arrest and incarceration in low-income communities of color. However, there is no evidence that these widely disp ...
An innovative alternative-to-jail program focuses on young adult development
The Trump administration is inflicting unprecedented violence and cruelty on immigrants. Legal service providers are trying their best to protect them, even as the system crumbles.
Maria Chavez has seen firsthand the horror her clients are living with. After fleeing violence in Sudan, Yousif* applied for asylum in the United States. Chavez, the legal director for the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, represented him through the process. During a break in proceedings as the judge considered his application, t ...