Professor Mugambi Jouet of USC Gould School of Law approaches criminal justice as a lens through which society’s values, evolution, and imagination are revealed. A former public defender in New York City who is now associate professor of law at USC Gould, Jouet transitioned to academia to explore the intricate interplay between law, public policy, history, and society. His multidisciplinary perspective enriches his teaching and research, offering a holistic understanding of the human condition and the societal structures shaping it.
Jouet’s work focuses on the distinctive evolution of the United States in comparison to other Western democracies and the wider world. Key areas of his research include the death penalty, mass incarceration, prisoners’ rights, abortion, and gun laws — topics tied to the broader theme of American exceptionalism. “America has evolved differently, but it is not static,” he explains. “History is always in movement, and so is the United States.”
His historical and comparative approach reveals surprising insights. For instance, the United States once led the way in curbing the death penalty, with states like Michigan and Wisconsin abolishing it in the mid-19th century. Similarly, the U.S. had incarceration rates relatively comparable to other Western democracies before the emergence of mass incarceration in the 1970s. Jouet highlights these shifts as examples of how societal policies and norms are shaped by imagination — or its failures.
For Jouet, criminal justice serves as a “benchmark of humanity and democracy,” reflecting how societies value life and dignity, even for those guilty of grave crimes. He believes this perspective encourages students to engage with fundamental questions about human rights and constitutional values. “The hardest question in criminal justice is how to treat the guilty,” he asserts. “Through this, we can understand much broader ideas about the value of human life and dignity.”
Jouet is optimistic about the possibilities for reform, finding hope in historical evidence that societal change is achievable even though modern American democracy faces unprecedented challenges. By fostering a deep understanding of criminal justice in its historical and comparative contexts, he inspires students to think critically about legal systems and their capacity for transformation.
In his classroom, one of Jouet’s goals is to instill in his students the importance of viewing criminal justice as both a microcosm of society and a platform for broader exploration of democracy, humanity, and social evolution. Through this lens, he equips future legal professionals to approach the law with insight, nuance and a multifaceted perspective.
Watch the full interview with Professor Jouet to hear more about his multidisciplinary perspective and work examining American exceptionalism.
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