Matthew Clair

is an assistant professor of sociology at Stanford University. He is the author of Privilege and Punishment: How Race and Class Matter in Criminal Court.

Where Did the Juries Go?

Where Did the Juries Go? Where Did the Juries Go?

While jury trials might have afforded citizens the chance to witness—and even contest—the criminalization of the working class, plea bargains have allowed this criminalization to ...

Sep 20, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Matthew Clair

The Practical Politics of Police Abolition

The Practical Politics of Police Abolition The Practical Politics of Police Abolition

In Becoming an Abolitionist, Derecka Purnell examines how one cannot separate putting an end to policing from broader struggles for freedom.

Mar 9, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Matthew Clair

How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System?

How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System? How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System?

Sara Mayeux’s new history highlights how without a more fundamental transformation of criminal law, public defenders often provide only a limited form of equality and fairness befo...

Dec 14, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Matthew Clair

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