Houston Scholars Participate in National Conversation About Crime & Punishment

From January to April of this year Posse Scholars were joined by their non-Posse peers, faculty and campus administrators at PossePlus Retreats to explore the topic of crime and punishment in America. Retreats were hosted by 48 of The Posse Foundation’s partner colleges and universities, including the first retreat for Houston partner University of Virginia.

The topic, identified by Scholars as one of significant importance, was especially timely this year as conversations about race and the criminal justice system have exploded across the country and in the national media. The weekend-long retreats provided opportunities for attendees to consider how crime and punishment manifest in this country and shape individual and community experiences.

Carleton College Scholar and retreat attendee Jessie Lartique was motivated to help organize a public dialogue on campus entitled “Black Lives Matter: Conversations for Change.” The event included a panel discussion with faculty and guest speakers followed by a question and answer period that was open to the surrounding community. Like Jessie, all retreat attendees were encouraged to bring the conversations begun at the retreat to their respective campuses for continued discussion.