An Insider’s Look at Prison’s Imprint

Criminologist, Once Convicted Himself, Studies Ripple Effects of Legal System Involvement, Including Disenfranchisement

On the last day of Assistant Professor Robert Stewart’s “Courts and Sentencing” class each spring, he reveals a familiarity with the topic that’s more than academic: He has a felony record and served two years in prison.

“It’s easy to sensationalize because of TV shows, so it’s important to put a real human face on the experiences,” he says.

Today, the criminologist, at the University of Maryland since 2020, studies the social, political and economic effects of criminal legal involvement. He’s particularly interested in criminal records and how they are generated and distributed. This ranges from examining the pitfalls of background checks, which can hinder people from getting jobs or finding stable housing, to potential parenting consequences, such as being banned from volunteering at school, as well as the loss of voting rights, short- or long-term.

Stewart reveals what landed him in prison, why he shares his own criminal record and why policymakers should rethink taking away voting rights.

Photo by John T. Consoli

Published on Wed, Oct 30, 2024 - 9:46AM