Prison Industrial Complex as a Commercial Determinant (Virtual)
Social Justice Series: Session 4
This session will explore the intersection of incarceration, corporate profit, and public health, discussing how the prison industrial complex perpetuates health disparities and social injustice.
Speakers:
Stephen J. Hartnett
Stephen J. Hartnett is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver, where he is the Director of the College-in-Prison Program and the Editor of Captured Words/Free Thoughts. He has been teaching in, writing about, and protesting at America’s prisons and jails for 35 years.
Carol Peeples
Carol Peeples is the executive director and founder of Remerg, a nonprofit based in Denver, Colorado. Remerg was established to provide Remerg.com, a free public service re-entry website for the state of Colorado. Remerg also provides a housing program for people leaving incarceration with the greatest barriers and several other programs related to incarceration and re-entry, including the collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on COVID-19 and incarceration. Carol serves on the advisory board of the CU College in Prison Program.
Michael Clifton
After receiving a ninety-eight-year sentence at the age of 19, Michael Clifton endured almost twenty-five years of incarceration before eventually having his sentence commuted by Gov. Jared Polis in 2023. During the latter years of his incarceration, Michael began to utilize his experience and the lessons he learned to develop programs geared toward mentoring and supporting justice-impacted populations. As a Remerg Program Manager, Michael is excited to use his expertise to deliver Remerg programs to support individuals returning to society.
Continuing Medical Education and Certified in Public Health continuing education credit is available.
Our annual lecture series is given by experts in the field of public policy, public health and social justice to help our students and community understand the upstream root causes, implications, opportunities and solutions of social determinants of health. Learn more about our upcoming Social Justice Series Sessions.