The 2025-26 Film and Speaker Series presents: Bad People and Good Ol’ Boys - The Criminalization of Rural Disadvantage
Washington State University (WSU) Professor of Sociology Dr. Jennifer Sherman's invites you to explore the criminal justice system within rural communities on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6 PM.
If you live in a rural area and commit a crime, your social standing plays a huge role in your ability to recover. Drawing on research from Central and Eastern Washington, this talk explores how the social dynamics in rural communities play an outsized role in how a person is treated after an entanglement with the law.
Particularly in small towns, where word can travel fast of an arrest, judgement and stigma can undermine social relations and create barriers to securing work and housing. Yet those same dynamics can also give some people a pass—your local reputation can make it easier for some to regain their standing in the community.
Join professor Jennifer Sherman as she asks questions including: Why do we define criminality in the ways we do? And are there more effective ways to keep our communities safe and support vulnerable people?
Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members. Registration is recommended.
Funds from this event support the Museum’s mission-serving programs, including featured exhibits, MakerSpace, robotics clubs, field trips, student scholarships, community cultural events, film and speaker series, and collection restorations.
The 2025-26 Film & Speaker Series is supported by the City of Wenatchee and the City of East Wenatchee.
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