Night School Lecture + Social:Rethinking Crime, Punishment & Justice

Night School Lecture + Social: What If Punishment Isn’t Justice?

Canada is often seen as fair, safe, and just.
But what if the systems we rely on to deliver justice are actually producing harm?

For this Night School, we’re joined by Dr. Rai Reece — Associate Professor of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University and National Co-Director of Walls to Bridges — for a timely and urgent conversation on prisons, punishment, and what comes next.

This session asks a difficult but necessary question:
What would it mean to build a world without prisons?

Drawing on her work in abolition, anti-Black racism, and carceral systems, Dr. Reece will explore:

– Why modern society relies so heavily on punishment
– How incarceration is shaped by colonialism and racial inequality
– What “abolition” actually means (beyond the misconceptions)
– How communities can move toward accountability, care, and repair without prisons

This isn’t a purely theoretical talk.
It’s a grounded, real-world look at alternatives — and the possibility of building something better.

Central Question:
How can we create meaningful alternatives to incarceration while still addressing harm in our communities?

A live lecture series for people who want more from their nights.

Ideas out of the classroom and into the room.
Experienced, not performed.

Each evening begins with a research-driven talk and opens into live dialogue in a setting that’s social, thoughtful, and alive.

Come for the ideas. Stay for the conversation.

Because you’re done with surface-level nights.

– Conversations that go somewhere
– Ideas that actually stay with you
– A room that listens, questions, and pushes back
– A social experience with substance

You don’t just attend. You participate.

– Limited capacity for an intimate experience
– Drinks available
– No prior knowledge required — just curiosity

6:45 PM — Arrival

• Grab a beverage, meet your classmates, and ease into the room.

7:30–8:30 PM — Class Is in Session

• A research-driven lecture led by Night School Faculty.
  Clear, engaging, and grounded in real insight, followed by open conversation with the room.

8:30 PM onward — After Class Hangout Sesh

• No rush out. This is where conversations unfold, connections form, and ideas carry into the night.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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