Dr. Rai Reece

Rai Reece is an interdisciplinary scholar-activist, whose work broadly examines how carceral processes in Canada are organized and maintained by historical and contemporary narratives of colonial violence. Her work specifically examines the intersection of punishment and misogynoir as legally and socially enacted via governance and settler capitalism. Her work also explores how community-based ethnographic pedagogy can be a tool for social activism.

Since 2005 she has been involved with anti-prison work with prisoners and ex-prisoners. She has conducted frontline work with prisoners, street active youth and in the domestic violence sector. In 2007 she conducted one of the first research projects in Canada to exclusively examine the intersections of race, incarceration, and the meaning of Canadian citizenship as it pertained to federally sentenced Black women in Canada. In 2018 she received Humber College’s Research Excellence Award for her research project titled "One Seed at a Time: Evaluating the Impact of the Horticulture Technician Pre-Apprenticeship Program on the Lives of Incarcerated Women.” In addition, Dr. Reece was one of the co-investigator’s along with Professors Dr. Soheila Pashang and Tonia Richard MSW, in a 2019 research project titled “Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching Diversity in Classrooms”. Rai has published in the areas of ‘Race’ and Racism, Feminism, and Criminological studies and her most recent co-publication in the Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice examines Harm Reduction practices in Federal Prisons. She received her PhD in Women’s Studies from York University in 2010, and also holds a Graduate Certificate in Refugee and Migration Studies from York University. In 2020 Dr. Reece was honoured as one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.

Her areas of expertise include Canadian Black feminism, critical race theory, anti-Black racism, punishment and misogynoir, critical feminist criminology, community-based ethnography, prison health, equity as social praxis, and abolition and activism.

"Ryerson’s commitment to outstanding research, teaching and community-based pedagogy has always been appealing to me. I am excited to be joining the department of Sociology where areas of my research on anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism cross-pollinates nicely with the rigorous work of Faculty members in this department. In addition, I am excited to have the opportunity to access research support that allows for student involvement as a learning pillar of social activism."