Jennifer Musto

Jennifer Musto is an Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Wellesley College. She also serves as Director of the Knapp Social Science Center and Co-Founder/Co-Director of the Anti-Carceral Co+Laboratory, focusing on carceral systems and gender-responsive justice.

• Education:
  • B.A., DePaul University
  • M.A., University of California-Los Angeles
  • Ph.D., University of California-Los Angeles

Research Interests center on sociolegal dimensions of policing and punishment in the U.S., particularly anti-trafficking laws that paradoxically expose marginalized groups to carceral control. Her work explores alternatives to punishment and critiques policies criminalizing informal labor. Her first book, Control and Protect (University of California Press), examines carceral protectionism, while her current project Trauma (Mis) Informed Justice analyzes trauma-informed carceral reforms.

Scientific Contributions include leading the Anti-Carceral Co+Laboratory with Laura Grattan, fostering collaboration between academia and impacted communities. She has held prestigious fellowships at the University of Rochester, Rice University, and the University of Southern California, supported by the Mellon Foundation and Fulbright Program.

Teaching includes courses like Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies and Love and Intimacy: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, interrogating intersections of gender, economics, and technology in intimate relationships.

Key Awards

• Mellon Foundation Grant
• Fulbright Fellowship (Netherlands)
• External Fellow, University of Rochester
• External Faculty Fellow, Rice University