The Criminal Legal System as a Social Problem

In this lecture and follow-up conversation, distinguished teaching awardee Alexes Harris shares her research into how people’s interactions with institutions — like the criminal justice system — shape the outcomes of people’s lives. She delves into how those outcomes are different based on a person’s race and ethnicity, gender, income bracket and other identities people hold. Harris also talks about being born and raised in Seattle and how she got to be able to share her research with policy makers, legislators, judges and community members so her scholarship can contribute to a more equitable criminal justice system.

Presented to students on November 12, 2020.

Featuring Alexes Harris

Alexes Harris is the UW Presidential Term Professor and also received the Distinguished Teaching Award, the UW’s highest honor for teaching. She teaches sociology with a specialization in juvenile justice and is the author of “A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as Punishment for the Poor.”