Hosted by The New School for Social Research
& cosponsored by Inquest
Klein Conference Room, A510, 66 W 12th St., The New School, NYC
March 27–28, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Inquest is happy to join in cosponsoring this year’s Carceral Political Economy Conference at The New School for Social Research, New York City. This year, conference presenters and participants will engage with the contradictions of the present: How should we understand this moment in penal history, in which, even as some states have achieved real decarceration, right-wing movements advance aggressive policing, detention, and deportation projects, from the United States to Scandinavia? How should anti-carceral movements proceed in light of the vexing durability and flexibility of carceral technologies?
Building upon last year’s event, this single-track conference will convene academics across disciplines alongside policy advocates, lawyers, and organizers for a series of research presentations and discussions. Topics will include comparative political economy of penal development, borders and punishment, decarceration and prison closure, anti-carceral movements, police unions, Scandinavian prison expansion, penal labor, penal budgets, carceral labor market institutions, and more.
This event is open to anyone invested in understanding or achieving a decarceral transition. Attendance is free but preregistration is necessary.
Confirmed speakers
- Vanessa Barker (Stockholm Sociology)
- Adam Reich (Columbia Sociology)
- Lisa L. Miller (Rutgers Political Science)
- Ángel Mendiola Ross (Stanford Sociology)
- Aaron Bekemeyer (NYU History)
- Imani Radney (NYU History)
- Jacob Kang-Brown (Prison Policy Initiative)
- Heather Schoenfeld (BU Sociology)
- Michael Campbell (University of Denver Sociology and Criminology)
- and more to come
View the full program here (program will continue to be updated at that link).
Call for Abstracts
The conference will also include exciting work from graduate students and organizers addressing any dimension of the content outlined above. The work can be complete or in progress. Send a short abstract (under 750 words) to [email protected] and [email protected] by February 6th, 2026.
Reach out to organizers Eric Seligman and Dion Nania with any questions.