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The late 20th century has seen a dramatic shift in the criminal legal system of the United States. While incarceration rates remained stable through the 1960s, they quintupled by the 2000s to 707 per 100,000, far exceeding that of all other nations in the world. In 2020, nearly 2.3 million individuals are locked up in U.S. prisons, jails, and detention centers. Of these, 60% are Black or Latinx. Why the mass incarceration, and why such disparities by race? Are they responses to recent political and economic shifts or part of a deeper social and cultural history? And what can be done to address what is now widely recognized by policymakers as a crisis of the criminal legal system? Attendees should be ready to participate in an HBS case-method discussion where together we explore the development process and powerful role of institutionalized racism in the carceral system of the US.
We will create the experience of an HBS classroom and you will have a choice to be an active participant or an observer.
Active Participant
Active participants are expected to prepare in advance to engage in the conversation led by Professor Reshma Hussam. Everything you need to successfully participate in this event is contained in the case, link above. You will be visible during the live session and may be cold called. There is a maximum capacity of 50 active participants. Please note that choosing Active Participant does not guarantee selection for the discussion.
Observer
Observers will not be visible during the event or able to submit questions.
Event Information
?Date: Thursday, Oct. 22nd
??Time: ?6:00pm - 7:30pm EDT
?Location: ?Zoom
Webinar Pricing
This event is complimentary for all attendees.
Professor Reshma Hussam
Professor Reshma Hussam is a development economist in the Business, Government, and International Economy unit at HBS and teaches the MBA class of the same name. Her current research focuses on the processes and consequences of dehumanization and policies to counter its effects. She works in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh exploring the consequences of genocide and the challenges that refugees and migrants face in integration, employment, and psychosocial impacts from the loss of home. Her explorations of race in the United States emerge from this global and historical lens around dehumanization. Professor Hussam completed her PhD in Economics from MIT and post-doctoral work at Yale prior to joining Harvard Business School.
Holly Fetter
?Case Co-Author
Holly is an Assistant Vice President on the Asset Stewardship Team at State Street Global Advisors, where she and her colleagues lead the firm’s engagement and voting efforts on ESG issues. She joined State Street after graduating with an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2020. Before HBS, she worked at the Ford Foundation, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and on the MTV Social Impact Team. Holly serves on the Board of Directors for North Star Fund, Class Action, and Resource Generation, three social justice nonprofits.
Alexis Jackson
?Case Co-Author
I am a current 2nd year student at HBS. At HBS, I serve as one of the AASU co-presidents, I was a participant on the Dean's anti-racism task force and serve as the community values rep for my section. Prior to HBS, I worked as an engineer with an oil and gas company for five (5) years in Baton Rouge, LA. Post HBS, I will join the Bain NY office as a consultant.