Jonathan Ben-Menachem

Jonathan Ben-Menachem

Research Interest

Bio

Jonathan Ben-Menachem is a Ph.D student and Paul F. Lazarsfeld Fellow in the Sociology department at Columbia University. His research interests include political economy and punishment, with a particular focus on non-coercive institutions and social relations that make communities safe. Before joining Columbia, Jonathan worked at the Fines and Fees Justice Center, where he designed and managed the organization’s Clearinghouse, a research library documenting American fines and fees practices & efforts to end related harms. He is also a journalist and commentary contributor, primarily focused on policing, incarceration, fiscal austerity, and the politics surrounding these topics. His writing has been published by The Appeal, Slate, Shadowproof, and Current Affairs.

Education

BA in Philosophy and Comparative Literature (Honors), New York University, 2016