EP185 What Literature Teaches Us About Justice with Dr. Jessi Brewer

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🎙 Episode 158: What Literature Teaches Us About Justice with Dr. Jessi Brewer

Part 1 of 2 with Dr. Jessi Brewer

What does Victorian literature have to do with modern prisons?

This week, we’re joined by Dr. Jessi Brewer, a literary scholar and Arkansas native, for a conversation that just might blow your mind. From GED to PhD, Jessi’s journey is packed with grit, purpose, and a radical rethinking of what justice could look like.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we explore:

• The literary roots of the modern prison system
• How 19th-century British novels helped normalize incarceration
• The difference between prison reform and prison abolition
• Why literature gives us the language to imagine something better
• Jessi’s take on how carceral logic impacts everyday people

This episode is equal parts thought-provoking and hopeful, and it’s just the beginning.

👉 Be sure to come back next week for Part 2, where we’ll dive into Jessi’s powerful personal story and talk about how books, libraries, and second chances really can change lives.

📲 Connect with Dr. Jessi Brewer on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessibrewer

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