11/11/2026
By Angelica Duran-Martinez
Benjamin Lessing, associate professor of political science at the University of Chicago, studies "criminal conflict" — organized violence involving armed groups that do not seek formal state power, such as drug cartels, prison gangs and paramilitaries. In this talk, he will present his forthcoming book, which explores the counterproductive effects of mass-incarceration policies, fostering the growth of powerful armed criminal groups at the core of the state's coercive apparatus.
- Date and time: Nov. 30, 1 p.m.
- Location: Coburn 255
- Sponsors: Brad Morse Speaker Series, Department of Political Science and Global Studies Ph.D. Program
- Contact for more information:angelica_duranmartinez@uml.edu