John Clegg

John Clegg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at UMass Amherst. His research examines the historical intersections of slavery, capitalism, and incarceration systems using quantitative and archival methods.

Research focuses on:

• Economic origins of mass incarceration
• Racial capitalism in antebellum America
• Labor markets and punishment systems

Publications analyze how historical systems of racial oppression continue to shape modern economic inequalities and carceral institutions.