Brandon Brown is a PhD candidate at George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.  The focus of Brandon’s scholarship is on the ways in which narrative functions within the U.S. criminal legal system and social conceptions of justice.  His journey into criminal legal reform work began when, at the age of 21, Brandon was arrested and subsequently sentenced to serve 17 years in prison, during which time he earned his Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees, as well as the first half of his PhD program.

As a consultant, researcher, podcaster, public speaker, and advocate, Brandon uses narrative theory to uncover the master narratives which permeate society and stand in the way of comprehensive criminal legal reform, using his voice to advocate for system-wide policy change that centers the voices of affected stakeholders, draws on more complex stories from directly impacted people, and bridges the divide between marginalized people and society as a whole.  Brandon is the campaign manager for Maine Youth Justice, a project coordinator for Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, and the co-creator and host of “Behind the Door” podcast; he has also worked on numerous grant-funded projects involving reform and abolitionist efforts both locally and nationally.  Additionally, Brown has been adjunct faculty at University of Maine Augusta and Colby College and continues to teach college courses both inside and outside of prisons.