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Carol Jacobsen Published in UCLA Journal of Gender & Law

This image depicts an art installation featuring two framed prints that mimic official Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) documents, by artist Carol Jacobsen. The artwork critiques the carceral system by using the format of prison intake paperwork. The print on the left shows a woman's photo and the red text "JUDICIAL TERROR". The print on the right shows another woman's photo and the red text "JUSTIFIABLE SELF-DEFENSE". Both documents feature official-looking seals and text, with handwritten and typed details. The use of this format by artists highlights personal perspectives on race and the justice system, and the artwork is part of a larger conversation in the art world about mass incarceration and the carceral state.
Carol Jacobsen: Letter of the Law: Quiana, and Letter of the Law: Sharleen, 2019.

CARCERAL BACKLASH: The Case for Changing the Course of Women’s Homicide Convictions,” a study co-authored by Stamps Professor Emeritus Carol Jacobsen, was recently published in the UCLA Journal of Gender & Law. The article, co-written with David Winter and Abigail Stewart, argues that women convicted of homicide often face unjustly harsh sentences due to carceral policies that overlook gendered factors and advocates for trauma-informed, restorative justice reforms in the criminal legal system.

In June, Jacobsen was featured in a two-part interview on the Feminist Law podcast. Jacobsen spoke with Feminist Law co-founder and host Courtney Jones about women who are convicted of homicide after killing their abusers and how self-defense laws often fail them.

Download CARCERAL BACKLASH: The Case for Changing the Course of Women’s Homicide Convictions” here.