Race, Politics, and Public Opinion about Justice Reinvestment

Dr. Kevin Wozniak, UMass Boston Sociology Department

Across the country, numerous states (including Massachusetts) are pursuing “justice reinvestment” reforms designed to save money by sentencing nonviolent offenders to less expensive, community-based sanctions instead of prison and instead invest funds into more evidence-based approaches to preventing crime.  While JRI has been popular among policymakers, we know very little about public support for the justice reinvestment paradigm.  In this study, I collected and analyzed focus group and survey data to answer two research questions.  First, what do members of the public think about JRI-style reform, and how would they choose to reinvest saved funds into future crime prevention?  Second, how does the language used to describe JRI reform affect people’s crime prevention budget preferences?  I pay particular attention to differences in opinion between white and black participants, and I test whether or not exposure to racialized cue words polarizes opinion across race.

Kevin H. Wozniak is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.  He studies the politics of punishment and criminal justice. He received his PhD from American University in Washington, D.C.  He is a recipient of the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship for Research in Race, Gender, Culture, and Crime from the National Institute of Justice.  He is also a past Congressional Fellow of the American Political Science Association, during which he worked on criminal justice and education policy for Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA).

Chat with representatives from joint planning processes in the City of Boston, including:

• Go Boston 2030
• Climate Ready Boston
• Build BPS, and
• Boston Creates.

Members from the City departments working on these projects will be at the event. Find out how all of these plans are coming together!

Please join Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the City of Boston’s Public Facilities Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services for an information session about the upcoming renovations to the BCYF Vine Street Community Center on Wednesday, March 22, at 6 p.m.

The BCYF Vine Street Community Center in Roxbury will close for renovations in the fall.  The Walsh Administration's multimillion dollar investment will allow the center to receive the repairs and upgrades necessary to offer many additional resources to the Roxbury neighborhood. Upgrades will include:

• renovating and reconfiguring all interior spaces
• adding a fitness center
• expanding the teen center
• improving access to the center
• adding air conditioning to the gym.

The project is expected to take 12 months. During the renovation, current BCYF Vine Street Community Center members are welcome at nearby BCYF community centers.

Bring your camera on a search for unique features in Boston's Parks, led by a photography instructor. Select photos will be highlighted in a Boston City Hall photo gallery.  

This workshop will take place at Jamaica Pond Park in Jamaica Plain. To RSVP for this workshop, please email Mavick Afonso at mavrick.afonso@boston.gov.

Bring your camera on a search for unique features in Boston's Parks, led by a photography instructor. Select photos will be highlighted in a Boston City Hall photo gallery.  

To RSVP for this workshop, please email Mavick Afonso at mavrick.afonso@boston.gov.