RESEARCH & PROJECTS
Inquiry begins where easy answers end.
Foundation-supported work spans history, social science, law, criminal justice, sexuality, archival research, cultural studies, and public policy.
Current and recent work
Bias in Sentencing
Dr. Shawn Rolfe presented forthcoming Foundation research on possible sentencing bias in sexual-offense cases at the National Institute of Justice’s 2024 Research Conference.
Prisoner Studies
Foundation research has used questionnaires distributed through its prisoner book program to examine sentencing, religion, incarceration, and the experiences of people inside the criminal justice system.
Historical & Cultural Research
Projects also draw on archives, historical scholarship, cultural criticism, and the history of sexuality to place contemporary debates in a deeper context.
What the Foundation supports
Eligible work can include research, conferences, lectures, books and articles, translation, documentary and electronic media, interviews, quantitative surveys, archival travel, and other forms of serious public scholarship. The emphasis is not on producing predetermined conclusions, but on making room for evidence, context, and questions that deserve sustained examination.