Michael Hames-García

Michael Hames-García is Professor in the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, College of Liberal Arts. He is also Interim Director of the Latino Research Institute and a member of the Initiative for Law, Societies, and Justice. Previously, he held faculty and leadership positions at the University of Oregon and SUNY Binghamton.

His research focuses on inequalities in the criminal legal system, particularly policing, incarceration, and community oversight. He explores how liberal reforms often fail to achieve racial justice and may deepen systems of social control. His work is grounded in critical race theory, queer ethnic studies, and abolitionist frameworks.

His recent and ongoing research, conducted through the Community Oversight Lab (COL), investigates the motivations and experiences of individuals involved in civilian oversight of law enforcement across Oregon, California, and Texas. This work will culminate in a book titled Why We Do the Work: Community Oversight of Law Enforcement by Extraordinary Everyday People.

His publications include two major monographs—Fugitive Thought and Identity Complex—and the award-winning edited volume Gay Latino Studies: A Critical Reader, which received the Lambda Literary Award in 2011.

• Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Anthology (2011)

Dr. Hames-García has been actively involved in public scholarship and community engagement. He has served on the Eugene Civilian Review Board and Police Commission, advised the Civil Liberties Defense Center, and acted as an expert witness in litigation concerning solitary confinement. He has taught in both university and prison settings, including at Oregon State Penitentiary and Elmira Correctional Facility.

He directs the Community Oversight Lab (COL), which conducts qualitative research on community-based police oversight through in-depth interviews with officials, volunteers, activists, and journalists. The lab’s work informs advocacy, policy, and academic discourse on policing reform and accountability.