Some time back my colleague Courtnie Wolfgang shared with me an incredible drive of materials on incarceration and detention of juveniles. This unexpected generosity left me thinking about the value of shared libraries and advancement of knowledge. I’ve heard a number of particularly heated arguments lately among scholars employed at a public institution and yet competing tightly to retain ownership, legal or symbolic, over their work. It is disheartening, and made me even more thankful for colleagues like Courtnie, whose work is so often puts public good first.
In that spirit, I want to share two things in the hopes that they’ll be of benefit to someone:
My full research archive on American Incarceration. It’s uneven and organized as best meets my own needs, but I encourage you to read through and find what you need. These materials are the products of many non-profits and governmental agencies, so I had no hand in creating them. I’ve just done many hours of leg work collecting them, and there’s no reason for others to spend equal hours when the work is already done.
A reading list to help us organize our minds and our selves. A large number of local loved ones have through around the idea of a reading list or a book club to help us share wisdom. I’m sharing this document with them today and I’m making it publicly editable. Have at it.