Civil Rights Behind Bars

Civil Rights Behind Bars with Andrea Armstrong, J.D.

On November 7-8, the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research welcomed Andrea Armstrong, J.D. as the lecturer for the 18th Annual Anne Braden Memorial Lecture to the University of Louisville. The impactful events on the issue of incarceration transparency and deaths behind bars included an inspiring Student and Faculty Luncheon with Andrea Armstrong to the warm Pre-Lecture Reception and impactful Civil Rights Behind Bars Lecture. Participants engaged in meaningful conversations around incarceration conditions and finding their stake within this social justice issue.

Also to be recognized are the panelists at our Research Meets Activism Breakfast: Celine Mutuyemariya (B.L.A.C.K), Shameka Parrish-Wright (VOCAL-KY), Monica Graham (Mother of Richard Graham), Dr. Deonte Hollowell (Spalding University), and the moderator Amber Duke (ACLU of Kentucky). The panelists and attendees offered a thoughtful and powerful conversation setting the stage for on-the-ground change within Louisville and Kentucky regarding community-building and action!

About Andrea Armstrong

Andrea Armstrong is an interdisciplinary scholar and law professor at Loyola University New Orleans. She is a leading national expert on prison and jail conditions and founder of IncarcerationTransparency.org, which collects and analyzes data on deaths behind bars and in custody. Her profound work in incarceration transparency made her one of the 2023 recipients of the MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant".

Armstrong's scholarship focuses on state and federal law governing incarceration and detention policies; she often integrates law, history, public health, and the arts in her efforts to elucidate the human costs of incarceration for broad audiences. Her research, legal writings, and advocacy are rooted in incarcerated people's experiences in Louisiana, but the influence of her work is much broader.

Updated December 4, 2024