Welcome to the Project

The DCCR database is primarily composed of materials collected in the course of working on the Carceral State Project’s publications and reports. The majority of archival items were gathered or attained by University of Michigan’s Carceral State Project researchers–including faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduates–as part of our interdisciplinary investigations. In addition to these research-driven collections, the database also includes materials generously provided by individuals and community-based organizations directly impacted by criminalization and confinement.

Confronting the crisis of criminalization and confinement requires resources that are free, accessible, clear, and navigable. The DCCR Database has been designed to allow diverse public users to readily search, browse, and better understand both the origins and lived realities of carceral systems. By bridging the gap between academic research and community knowledge, the DCCR database transforms complex histories into transparent and understandable resources that foster insight and support collective reckoning.