Kaya N. Williams

Dr. Kaya N. Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Anthropology Department at Barnard College. Her research focuses on carceral systems and criminal justice reform, particularly in New Orleans. She examines how policymakers, legal professionals, and community organizers shape urban carceral practices through ethnographic methods.

• Current Research: Political/legal battles over proposed mental health jail projects in New Orleans
• Book Project: 'Our Bridge to Nowhere' analyzing post-Katrina jail infrastructure and reform narratives
• Future Work: Multi-sited study of progressive prosecution movements in the U.S.

Her work bridges anthropology, law, and urban studies, emphasizing how structural inequities are maintained through carceral systems. No specific academic awards or grants are listed in the provided information.