Sophie Allen
Affiliation Years
2022-2023
Department:
Sociology and Law School
Community Engagement Fellow

Dissertation title: COVID-19 and Health in Jail: Perspectives from people living inside 

Dissertation description: There is a plethora of research showing that incarceration harms individual and population health. At the same time, people in jail have a federal constitutional right to medical care, and some suggest that carceral settings can positively impact vulnerable peoples’ health through the coercive provision of barebone resources like food, shelter, and medical treatment. This dissertation contributes the perspectives of people living in jail through in depth interviews.


Sophie is a JD/PhD candidate in Sociology. Her dissertation focuses on the health and well-being of people living in jail. She is passionate about public defense and has worked as an investigator or law clerk in various offices, including Brooklyn, Nashville, and Santa Clara. Sophie co-leads the Stanford Jail & Prison Education Project, a graduate student group that facilitates seminar courses inside local jails. She also enjoys baking, propagating plants, and petting her pit bull.