Nationwide — Jason Sole, who was formerly incarcerated on drug charges, is now a professor teaching Criminal Justice at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. After all that he has gone through, he said he believes there can be a world without police.
Sole, a native of Chicago, grew up during the 90’s war on drugs. He was doing well at school but he got involved in gangs when he was a teenager. In fact, at the young age of 19, he was arrested and sent to prison after he was caught carrying a gun in Minnesota.
Since then, he was in and out of prison on drug charges. During that time, he was also studying college courses, and eventually decided to get his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice.
For the past 12 years, Sole has been a criminal justice educator. He is currently an adjunct professor at Hamline University where he helps his students to prepare for careers in law and law enforcement.
“I can see a world without police and cages,” Sole would tell his students. Moreover, he is making initiatives to show other safer ways to hold people accountable when they harm others.
Sole co-founded Humanize My Hoodie, a movement that aims to fight against the stereotype of Black people wearing a hooded sweatshirt through clothing, art exhibitions, documentary screenings, and workshops.
Most recently, he has also launched a Kickstarter to help fund the Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists that aims to “provide political education for community members and practitioners to learn effective ways to improve relationships and reduce harm through courses, workshops, training, and coaching.” It has so far gathered nearly $50,000 of the $100,000 goal.
