Karen Dolan is a Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. Karen holds an M.A. With Highest Distinction in Philosophy and Social Policy from the American University in Washington DC.

Karen joined IPS in 1996. Her public scholarship and activism at IPS has linked community-led organizations with social movements and policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels. The focus of her work is on anti-poverty issues, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, and transgender rights with a focus on race, gender, and gender identity. Karen currently directs the Criminalization of Race and Poverty project.

Some of Karen’s publications include: Mothers at the Gate: How a powerful family movement is transforming the juvenile justice system; The Poor Get Prison: The alarming spread of the criminalization of povertyClosing the Inequality DivideBattered By The Storm: How the Safety Net is Failing Americans and How to Fix itWe’re Not BrokeOur Communities are Not for SalePaying the Price: the Mounting Costs of War in IraqForeign Policy Goes Local; and she was a contributor for Mandate for Change.

Karen blogs for Huffington Post and regularly appears in other media outlets. Karen serves on the boards of The Participatory Budgeting Project, The Liberty Tree Foundation and Jobs With Justice Worker Rights Board.

Areas of Expertise

  • Progressive movement, policymakers
  • Poverty, economic hardship
  • Criminalization of race and poverty
  • Juvenile justice; criminal justice reform
  • Gender and gender identity; transgender rights
  • Cost of war and militarism at home

Latest

Biden’s Budget Would Level the Playing Field and Reduce the Deficit

The president’s plan for jobs, families, and health reflects the things most of us value. But it should spend more on those and less on the Pentagon.

Criminalization of Poverty Program at IPS’s Statement on President Biden’s Budget

“As an expression of values, its proposals to invest in families and workers, protect Social Security, and strengthen Medicare reflect the values of most of us.”

Cuts to SNAP Benefits Will Push Millions Over the Hunger Cliff

This is a critical moment for our nation. We must not allow struggling workers or our children, grandparents and disabled loved ones to fall back into hunger.

President Biden: Don’t Negotiate With Fiscal Terrorists

If Biden gives in, he’ll be as much to blame for a possible recession and spiking economic hardship as McCarthy and his party of extremists will be.

Biden Presented a Bold Agenda. Can He Back It Up?

The president had much to celebrate in his State of the Union address. But to finish the job, he needs to take executive action.

An absurd issue demands an absurd solution: Let’s mint a bazillion-dollar coin to bring the curtain down forever on the Republicans’ farcical debt-ceiling theater

Congressional Republicans don’t want fiscal responsibility. They want to destroy the government’s ability to improve the lives of American citizens.

Gen Z Voters Are a Force for Progressive Politics. Can Politicians Keep Up?

Young voters are repelled by the far right, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always show up for squishy centrists

Four options for Democrats to avert another debt ceiling crisis

The debt ceiling has one use: helping extremists take our seniors, veterans, and kids hostage to political demands. Congress should abolish it now.

Americans of every race deserve a fair shot. Affirmative action provides one.

Far too many are denied this chance simply because of the color of their skin.

These midterm elections have enormous stakes for poor and low-income Americans

Our country faces a material and moral crisis – and Republicans are offering only resentment and false solutions.

The data is in: Poverty is a political choice

Common sense federal investments caused poverty to plunge during the pandemic shock. If we fail to renew them, we’re choosing poverty.

Biden’s Inflation Bill Is (Mostly) Good News for People and the Planet

But it needs to be a first step, not the last.

‘Hardening’ School Security Is the Wrong Answer

If we are serious about keeping children safe, lawmakers should heed the dozens of school districts across the country that have begun decreasing their reliance on police in schools.

A Pandemic of the Poor

As we approach 1 million COVID-19 deaths, Americans in poorer counties have died at double the rate of wealthier counties.

Clarence Thomas’ Conflicts Put Our Whole Constitutional System at Risk

Federal law requires Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves from cases in which their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

Should one millionaire senator really be able to send millions of children back into poverty?

The human cost of Manchin’s threat to kill the Build Back Better Act.

Three Reasons to Be Hopeful About 2022

The year to come could still see big changes for the better. Here’s how.

Democrats Need to Stop Scaling Back Build Back Better, and Pass the Bill Right Now

The Democrats’ main vulnerability right now is that voters simply have no idea they’re trying to do popular things.

To Curb Inflation, Pass Biden Plan

The bill helps Americans get good jobs and afford food, housing, health care and child care — a strong response to inflation.

Democrats Need to Protect Democracy — And Pass Their Own Agenda

The 2022 elections are still a year away, but all signs point to trouble for Democrats.

Project Director

Criminalization of Race and Poverty

Email this expert

202-787-5228

Community Policing, Criminal Justice, Families of Incarcerated, Juvenile Justice, Local Democracy, Mass Incarceration LGBTQIA, Participatory Budgeting, Race and Poverty, Racial Justice

Dolan Reviews State Of The Union Address

WORT-FM | February 15, 2023

KPFA Evening News

KPFA Evening News | February 11, 2023

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