Lydia Pelot-Hobbs is an assistant professor of Geography and African American and Africana Studies at the University of Kentucky where she teaches and writes on mass incarceration, racial capitalism and social movements.

ViewpointRural America
Louisiana’s Prison System—Brought to You by Big Oil
How oil money turned Louisiana into the prison capital of the world.
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs
Announcing In These Times’ New Agreement with the National Writers Union
Freelance contributors are essential to the quality and success of In These Times and independent media, and this agreement is one way to demonstrate their value to our publication and our commitment to transparency.
For more information about the National Writers Union, visit nwu.org.
Read the full agreement, which reaffirms a floor for the rates of our freelance editorial content, as well as our current rates (which are higher) and submissions guidelines below.