Michelle Renee Jacobs

Michelle Renee Jacobs is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She directs the Prison Education Program at Macomb Correctional Facility and researches racial inequalities, mass incarceration, and Indigenous urban experiences using qualitative methodologies.

Her scholarship examines:

• Carceral system impacts on marginalized communities
• Wrongful conviction case analysis in Detroit
• Decolonizing frameworks for Indigenous gender identity

Publications frequently employ photovoice and ethnography to critique settler-colonial narratives. She has secured grants including the Social Justice Research Fund ($10,000) for wrongful conviction research. Recognized with multiple Scholarly Achievement Awards, she mentors graduate students in race/ethnicity and qualitative methods.