Hi there! My name is Daniel. I’m a graduate student at the University of Chicago.

My research examines the history of social movements, legal thought, and public policy in the twentieth century United States. I am particularly interested in how different groups of Americans have understood the legal and moral dilemmas posed by incarceration, and their efforts to reform, abolish, or entrench prisons as a response to criminal wrongdoing.

Before attending graduate school, I worked as a journalist. My essays and reporting have appeared in outlets like Smithsonian, The Baffler, The Nation, and The New Republic. I am also a contributing editor to the online journal Inquest.

If you’d like to get in touch, you can email me at danielfernandez@uchicago.edu.