Michelle Phelps

Michelle Phelps is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Minnesota, specializing in the sociology of punishment, policing, and mass incarceration. Her research examines the punitive turn in the U.S., focusing on probation, prisons, and the intersection of race and inequality. She holds a PhD in Sociology and Social Policy from Princeton University (2013), alongside a BA from UC Berkeley (2005).

• Education: PhD in Sociology, Princeton University (2013); M.A. Sociology, Princeton (2010); B.A. Psychology, UC Berkeley (2005)
• Key Publications: The Minneapolis Reckoning (2024) and Breaking the Pendulum (2017)

Her work analyzes police reform dynamics, particularly in Minneapolis post-George Floyd, and challenges to criminal justice systems. She emphasizes community-based public safety solutions and critiques punitive policies. Awards include the Minnesota Book Prize (2025) and the Joan Petersilia Award (2023).

Phelps actively engages in policy debates, advocating for systemic change through academic scholarship and public discourse. Her research spans historical penal policy, probation systems, and racial disparities in policing.