NEW in Toronto: Private Interests in Canadian Incarceration

Brains and Barstools brings captivating professors to Toronto bars for vivid lectures that spark curiosity and connection over drinks. To mark 1 year of Brains and Barstools, we're bringing back some of our popular lectures that sold out within minutes earlier in the year. On Nov 2nd, we bring to you: "Invested in Punishment: Private Interests in Canadian Incarceration" by Prof. Jessica Evans, PhD. What happens when a publicly operated prison system quietly relies on private interests? This lecture breaks down the political economy of incarceration in Canada—revealing how private companies shape everything from policy decisions to prison expansion, even as crime rates fall. Dr. Jessica Evans examines who profits, who pays the price, and why “tough on crime” policies persist despite evidence that they don’t improve public safety. We’ll look closely at Ontario’s major correctional expansions, including the province’s plans to add over 1,350 new prison beds across multiple regions. Drawing from critical political economy, abolitionist scholarship, and community-based research, this lecture explores a central question: when governments build more prison beds than community beds—who does it serve? And who does it harm? 💡 About the wonderful Professor Jessica Evans, PhD. Dr. Jessica Evans is a community-engaged criminologist whose research focuses on the causes and consequences of incarceration in Canada. Guided by anti-racist, decolonial, abolitionist, and political-economic frameworks, she has led influential projects on prison conditions during COVID, restorative justice for sexual harm, and community-based crisis intervention. She is a co-founder of the former Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project. Her work has been widely published in leading journals—including Punishment & Society, The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, Citizenship Studies, Canadian Journal of Law and Society, and more—and she is a frequent contributor to The Conversation. 📅 Date: November 2, 2026 🕡 Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM 📍 Location: Black Lab Brewing 🎤 Speaker: Prof. Jessica Evans, PhD Expect a clear, compelling walkthrough of the systems, incentives, and politics shaping Canadian incarceration today—and why understanding them matters for anyone interested in justice, citizenship, and public policy. 🎟 Seats are limited! Early bird tickets available for a limited time.