This research cluster seeks to examine punishment and the U.S. carceral state through an interdisciplinary lens. The cluster operates from the frame that race and anti-Black racism are cornerstones to understanding the vast leviathan of punishment in America.

Mass Incarceration and Punishment in America Research Cluster Faculty Fellow Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve writes that wrongful convictions stem from something more pernicious than shoddy law enforcement in her new book "Crime Fictions." She discussed her findings on false confessions' impact on wrongful convictions in a recent interview with WBEZ.

The Mass Incarceration Punishment in America Research Cluster explored the roots and impact of mass incarceration, emphasizing race and anti-Black racism. In 2023–2024, it hosted author talks, live oral histories with formerly incarcerated individuals, and built an archive centering incarcerated voices through its Mass Incarceration Lab.

Prof. Brittany Friedman’s book explores the nature of carceral violence and its impact on marginalized communities. The event was moderated by Simmons Center Research Cluster Faculty Fellow Prof. Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve.

The event was part of a series hosted by the Mass Incarceration and Punishment in America Research Cluster and sponsored by the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice.

The Cluster hosted Dr. Michael Walker for a talk on his book, "Indefinite: Doing Time in Jail", exploring incarceration’s toll. Students archived letters, testified for reform, and amplified voices of those impacted by prison.