Sarah K.S. Shannon

Sarah K.S. Shannon is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Georgia, specializing in systems of criminal punishment and their effects on social life. She holds a PhD and MSW from the University of Minnesota and serves as Director of the Criminal Justice Studies Program.

Her interdisciplinary research spans sociology, criminology, public health, social work, and geography, with publications in top journals. She is a co-founder of First Publics, an online community for public sociology teaching, and facilitates UGA’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program in partnership with Clarke County Jail.

Shannon’s work has been cited in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Washington Post. Prior to academia, she worked in the non-profit sector, emphasizing research relevant to academics, policymakers, and citizens.