Professor Drinan with students from her seminar class and members of the Frederick Douglass Project
Professor Cara Drinan's seminar, Criminal Justice Reform: Policy and Politics in the 21st Century, recently took students from Catholic Law on an impactful visit to the DC Jail as part of the Frederick Douglass Project. The Frederick Douglass Project seeks to change the public’s perception of the criminal justice system by experiencing the humanity of incarcerated people. Specifically, participants visit a correctional facility and engage in small and large-group discussions between visitors from the outside and those on the inside. Conversation topics seek to generate common ground: who has been the most influential person in your life? What is on your bucket list? Who are your favorite musical artists? Through these guided discussions, participants are able to recognize their common humanity -- whether they are incarcerated or free. Drinan has participated in the Project’s work before, and this is her second time taking a group of students to the DC Jail as part of her seminar. Students report it is one of the most impactful experiences of the course and law school.
Rebecca Regis (2L), a student who participated in the trip, reflected on her experience: “Visiting the D.C. Jail through the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, alongside my Criminal Justice Reform Seminar classmates, was a truly transformative experience. As someone aspiring to work within the criminal justice system, I believe these visits are invaluable for law students—whether future prosecutors or public defenders. They foster empathy and help challenge misconceptions about incarcerated individuals.”
Professor Drinan’s seminar delves into the urgent need for criminal justice reform, dissecting America's deeply flawed system while exploring pathways for hope and change. With nearly two million individuals incarcerated, the United States leads the world in its rate of incarceration. Mass incarceration costs billions of dollars every year and exacts an enormous human toll, particularly on poor, minority and otherwise vulnerable communities.
Drinan’s seminar explores the defining features of mass incarceration: racial and socioeconomic disparities, lack of access to effective legal counsel, and the grim realities of modern incarceration, including overcrowding and solitary confinement. Each student is required to write a paper proposing a specifical criminal system reform, and students present their work to each other in the style of legal academics.
By participating in this seminar, students engage in a thought-provoking conversation about one of society’s most pressing issues. Together, they work to uncover actionable solutions, striving toward a future rooted in fairness, equity, and meaningful reform.