Criminal Justice – American Alliance of Museums

A New Site of Conscience: Sing Sing Prison Museum

By Brent D. Glass

Five years ago, CFM’s TrendsWatch report examined how museums are helping society confront the need for criminal justice reform. Historic sites play an important role in this work, with institutions like the Eastern State Penitentiary in …
Beyond the Block: Empowering Incarcerated Artists

By Michael Berlucchi

As I noted in TrendsWatch 2017, museums’ communities are being buffeted by the economic, cultural, and political fallout from current inequities in the justice system. Increasingly, museums are being called on to play a role in addressing …
Engaging the System: Museums Working in the Incarceration System

By Elizabeth Merritt

Today’s preview of a session that will take place at #AAM2018 is contributed by Tramia Jackson, Program Associate, Methodology and Practice, International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. You can scan all the sessions featured in CFM’s …
Leading Forward: engaging with complex and controversial topics

By Elizabeth Merritt

I’m using the 10th anniversary of CFM, and the ninth year of this blog, as an occasion to revisit some of our most widely read posts. Today I’m re-posting an essay by Sean Kelley, Senior Vice President, Director of …
From Brown vs. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education, Incarceration, and Civil Rights

By Elizabeth Merritt

In researching the chapter on criminal justice reform for TrendsWatch 2017, I was impressed and heartened by the number of museums working with incarcerated populations. Today’s post is by Patricia Sigala, Educator/Community Outreach …
Let Justice Roll Down: The Next Horizon of Civil Rights

By Elizabeth Merritt

“It’s easy to imagine that a system like mass incarceration can’t be dismantled. The same was said about slavery, the same was said about Jim Crow. —Attorney and author Michelle Alexander President Barack Obama gave considerable attention …
Serving Incarcerated Youth

By Elizabeth Merritt

Next up in our #AAM2017 guest posts, Megan Bednarz previews the case study she will present on Sunday, May 7, from 1:45 – 2:15 pm. If you haven’t registered for the conference yet—this series of sneak peeks might just convince you to join …
Breaking the Cycle of Youth Incarceration: museums and alternative sentencing

By Elizabeth Merritt

Back in August, I shared a blog post describing how the Eastern State Penitentiary is moving “beyond neutrality” to tackle the injustice of mass incarceration. The massive interest in that post (it is, to date, the most highly read post …
Painting in Blue

By Elizabeth Merritt

I became interested in Amy Herman’s work for several reasons. She harnesses the power of art to teach empathy, helping people in positions of power—be it medicine or law enforcement—relate more compassionately to the people they serve. Her …
Beyond Neutrality

By Elizabeth Merritt

In Season 2 Episode 2 of the Museum People podcast, New England Museums Association director Dan Yaeger argues that all museums should be social activists, describing the oft-voiced museum ambition of being “places to convene …