The College of Applied Sciences and Arts’ Justice Studies Department at San José State University will host a debate with Hadar Aviram on her recently published book, “Cheap on Crime: Recession-Era Politics and the Transformation of American Punishment,” as part of the Spring 2015 Ann Lucas Lecture in Law and Justice, on March 11, from 5-7 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. The event is free and open to the public.
Hadar Aviram
The debate will feature Aviram, of the University of California, Hastings College of Law; Alessandro De Giorgi, a Justice Studies professor at SJSU; Jay Borchert, from the University of Michigan and Selena Teji, of the California Budget Project.
According to a press release, Aviram’s book uses archival and news reports as well as social history and economics literature to show the powerful impact of recession-era discourse on the death penalty, the war on drugs, incarceration practices, prison health care and other aspects of the American correctional landscape. In her book, Aviram posits that the 2008 financial crisis demonstrated the unsustainable nature of incarceration and empowered policy makers to reform punishment through fiscal prudence and austerity.
Aviram is a professor of law at UC Hastings College of Law. She has a masters of art in criminology from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ph.D in U.C. Berkley’s Jurisprudence and Social Policy program. Her research focuses on the criminal justice system and examines policing, courtroom practices and broad policy decisions through social science perspectives. She codirects the Hastings Institute for Criminal Justice and publishes the California Correctional Crisis blog.