Welcome to Carceral Empire, a discussion on colonialism and governance. I am Dr. Balraj Gill—a writer, researcher, educator, and currently a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Indian Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. I am writing a book at the intersection of carceral, colonial, and Native American histories, focusing on governance and institutions of confinement.

The inspiration for this site is my own research, seminars I taught at Harvard University and Washington University in St. Louis, various collaborative projects, the tremendous work of Carceral Studies and Native Studies scholars, and social movements that are questioning and contending with regimes of punishment and organizing for a brighter future. I am a historian and cultural studies scholar with a PhD in American Studies from Harvard University. While my research and other interests are expansive, the posts on this site focus on colonialism and governance to more precisely figure out what we’re talking about when we talk about things like colonialism and the carceral state.

My own research began some years ago with the questions: Why are Native American histories and peoples largely absent from Carceral Studies research? How might our historical understanding of mass incarceration in the United States shift if we studied it from Native perspectives—that is, changing the framework from nation to empire?

Along the way, I’ve received all kinds of helpful feedback on my work—such as from a historian of capitalism who suggested I globalize my perspective. From an American Studies/Native Studies scholar who suggested the opposite—that I make my work even more local and specific. A political anthropologist suggested I consider comparing differently racialized populations. This site is a way for me to explore these suggestions and more with whoever is interested in joining this conversation.

Thank you for following and reading. Feel free to reach out with questions or anything you would like to share.