Joe Soss

It's hard to believe, but today is the day -- the release date for Legal Plunder: The Predatory Dimensions of Criminal Justice, a book that @joshpage.bsky.social and I have been working on for most of the past decade. If you’d like to check it out, you can get 30% off by entering the code UCPNEW.

A recent EPI report shows that 95% of union workers have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans compared to 72% of non-union workers. That’s the difference unions make: advocating for their workers and ensuring they are financially secure after years of service. www.epi.org/publication/...

For anyone who's interested, The Debt Collective has asked @joshpage.bsky.social and me to lead an online session of its Jubilee School on Legal Plunder and tactics for fighting the injustices of criminal legal debt, Nov 17, 8-9 pm Eastern Time. Registration: debtcollective.org/event/jubile...

With respect, and this is NOT a defense of Trump (who I loathe), I know people who did decades of prison time for felonies and who now SAVE LIVES in their communities Trump is unrepentant, a bad person, and should not be President, but it has NOTHING to do with having felony convictions

Every single refugee we've let in since December is supposedly fleeing white genocide.

here it is! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPVR...

“Trump has used sports to his political advantage more than any president in recent history.” Political scientist and ex–soccer pro @julesboykoff.bsky.social on how Trump—like Putin before him—is the World Cup’s biggest winner.

You already know about Mamdani, but do you know about the incredible work of the Union of Pinnacle Tenants? And why aren’t we telling that story? Who benefits when we onscure the power of ordinary people organized for change? www.pinnacletenants.org/about-us

Thank you! We are both so thrilled.

There is a statue of author Alex Haley in East Knoxville, TN. Knox County just removed Roots from all school libraries.

The revolving door between the private prison industry and DHS continues apace. CoreCivic, GEO Group, and the others are now more than just "partners" of the government. They are the government. #LegalPlunder

Thrilled to see this interview about #LegalPlunder that my co-author @joshpage.bsky.social and I did with Amna Akbar posted at @lpeblog.bsky.social

In our latest Member Spotlight, @joesoss.bsky.social shares how he used his book promotion tour to also build relationships with people in communities who could use his expertise in their push for criminal justice reform. scholars.org/features/mem...

In 1979, Mattel sold toy Battlestar Galactica fighter ships that fired a tiny spring-loaded "torpedo." One 4-year old choked on it, and the entire line of torpedo toys was recalled and never sold again.

New in Criminology! Punishment as a racialized package of confinement, cash, and surveillance. By @ryanplarson.bsky.social , @robertstewart.io , @veronicalhorowitz.bsky.social, and some old guy. This detailed thread by Ryan show ‘n tells the story.

Young artists aged 16-24 who have been directly impacted by criminalization/policing/punishment can apply for this residency & get $2500 to work on a creative project! Visit bit.ly/diyresidency26 to learn more. Please help us spread the word!

HHS results even more horrific Share of HHS who say their political leaders "maintain high levels of integrity: 4.2% Share who have trust in their political leadership: 2.8% Share who are confident they can report a suspected violation of law/rule/reg without retaliation: 8.7%

Great new article by @genevavalerie.bsky.social Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the brilliant @kbdphd.bsky.social for having @joshpage.bsky.social and me on her podcast, Disrupted. One of the best experiences I've ever had doing a podcast. www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupt...

‘Why Is This Happening to Us?’ Daily Number of Kids in ICE Detention Jumps 6x Under Trump. Advocates: ‘It’s only a matter of time before we see a child die.’ Immigration Attorney: “It’s an unmitigated horror show, and there’s no other way to put it.” www.themarshallproject.org/.../ice-kids....

'Legal Plunder' @joshpage.bsky.social @joesoss.bsky.social @uchicagopress.bsky.social is recommended in our Year in Books by Managing Editor @adammcgee.bsky.social as "innovative and refreshingly frank."

North Carolina raising the cost of products sold in state prisons by five cents is a significant increase to incarcerated workers who typically earn between forty cents and $1.25 per day.

#ICYMI: Our Co-Executive Director Joanna Weiss sat down with the authors of Legal Plunder to explore how fines & fees: 🔹 Turn courts into self-funding revenue schemes 🔹 Act as a hidden tax on over-policed communities 🔹 Push families into impossible choices 🎬 Watch now: tinyurl.com/5fje5tcy

The incomparable health & human rights leader Dr Mary Bassett has been terminated - a shocking move by Harvard bowing to pressure 🇺🇸 Read more & sign petition

Thanks @bailproject.org for the interview! Cash bail does not just fuel injustice and compromise public safety. It also enables widespread financial extraction that harms families and communities and intensifies inequality. #LegalPlunder cc/ @joesoss.bsky.social

Join us for a talk with Legal Plunder authors, @joesoss.bsky.social & @joshpage.bsky.social, exploring how our fines & fees system came to be & what it will take to dismantle it. In-person registration is closed — but there’s still time to join virtually! 🗓️ 12/3, 12 PM ET 🎟️ tinyurl.com/3bnpprvb

If you're interested in hearing about my new book with @joesoss.bsky.social, Legal Plunder: The Predatory Dimensions of Criminal Justice, join us virtually this Wednesday for a spirited discussion with @finesandfeesjc.bsky.social.

Join FFJC Co-ED Joanna Weiss for a conversation with the authors of Legal Plunder, @joesoss.bsky.social & @joshpage.bsky.social, exploring how our fines & fees system took shape and what it will take to dismantle it. 🗓️ 12/3, 12 PM ET 📍 Online or at New York Law School 🎟️ tinyurl.com/3bnpprvb

"Penal operations that isolate, deprive, and control do more than just warehouse; they make incarcerated populations productive by ushering them into projects that generate substantial public and private revenues." @joshpage.bsky.social & @joesoss.bsky.social on prisons & $$$

Very much looking forward to this event in NYC with @finesandfeesjc.bsky.social. Please join us in person or online for a spirited discussion about Legal Plunder. cc/ @joesoss.bsky.social

The moral arc of The New York Groove is long, but it bends toward "a wicked lady sittin' by my side, sayin', where are we?" RIP Ace Frehley.

AOC has just officially become the top House fundraiser, beating out Hakeem Jeffries. Now lemme take a big sip of coffee as I look at the age distribution of donors to AOC vs Jeffries

Important: @fwd.us just posted a nice short piece on how ICE agents are using bench warrants -- often for unpaid criminal legal debts -- as pretexts for raiding private properties and indiscriminately detaining residents. #LegalPlunder myemail.constantcontact.com/Unwarranted-...

The Supreme Court’s majority right wing indicated in oral arguments that they think racism is over on the same day that the vice president defended the “I love Hitler” guy, and that the NYT reported that the current administration plans to accept only white, English-speaking refugees.

“The Defense Department has confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America,” the Pentagon Press Association said

Trump is upfront in saying he will use the shutdown to punish Democrats, and here are the receipts. About $27.2 billion cut from Dem districts compared to about $0.7 billion in GOP districts. We all complain about the media, but need this type of in-depth journalism. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Great post from @worthrises.bsky.social on how the "big beautiful bill" is showering public funds on the prison industry, supercharging profits and transforming detention and incarceration in America. #LegalPlunder worthrises.org/blogpost/202... @biancatylek.bsky.social @joshpage.bsky.social

This week, our colleague Dr. Mark Bray came under attack by Turning Point USA’s Rutgers chapter for his public scholarship. Rutgers AAUP-AFT and the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union condemn this campaign and stand in solidarity with our colleagues. Read our full statement here: https://loom.ly/BDXasRY

Excellent report on asset seizures in Minnesota and Minneapolis #LegalPlunder minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/09/m...

Once again, it is *faculty*—not administrators—who brought this case and won. Including UC Faculty Association chapters of the AAUP.

Excited to read this! Thanks @joesoss.bsky.social & @joshuapage.bsky.social

"Common decency stigmatizes people that do not participate in it—removes them from voluntary association. We indeed have to live with one another, but terms and conditions apply." me on why Ezra Klein should be ashamed / why shame is Good Actually www.bostonreview.net/articles/how...