Elizabeth K. Hinton

Elizabeth K. Hinton is a Professor of History and African American Studies at Yale University, with a secondary appointment as Professor of Law at Yale Law School. She previously held positions at Harvard University and the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on poverty, racial inequality, urban violence, and the origins of mass incarceration in the U.S.

• Education: Ph.D. (Columbia University, 2013), M.Phil. (2008), M.A. (2007), B.A. (New York University, 2005).
• Notable Works: From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime (2016), America on Fire (2021).

Her research explores the systemic roots of racial injustice, police violence, and criminal justice policies. Key contributions include analyses of federal law enforcement programs post-1960s and their impact on marginalized communities.

Awards & Recognition: Guggenheim Fellowship (2024), Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, Election to American Philosophical Society (2022).

She co-directs the Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Public Safety at Harvard’s Hutchins Center and actively participates in policy initiatives, including the National Academies of Sciences Committee on Reducing Racial Inequalities in Criminal Justice.