Soros Justice Fellowships

© Open Society Institute

Yale University

The communities most harshly impacted by the expanded reach of the criminal justice system tend to suffer from limited political visibility, weak citizen engagement, and low civic participation.  Increasing the rates of voter registration and turnout may be one means of building the political strength of these communities and, in turn, of realizing locally beneficial policies, especially those that improve options and opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. 

Khalilah Brown-Dean will test voter registration and mobilization strategies in five high-incarceration communities in Connecticut. Although Connecticut reformed its felony disenfranchisement laws in 2001, confusion about voter eligibility has resulted in weakened civic engagement.

Brown-Dean is an assistant professor of political science and African American studies at Yale University. She received her doctorate in political science from Ohio State University and a BA in government from the University of Virginia. She has published extensively on voting rights, perceptions of bias in the criminal justice system, civic engagement, and the race-education nexus.  Brown-Dean has served as a political analyst, advisor, and commentator for CNN, PBS, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Crisis Magazine, DemocracyWorks, Connecticut Public Television, and several governmental agencies, community organizations, and international media outlets.

New Haven, CT |