Michael Gibson-Light discusses prison labor, prisoners’ unions, and the politics of work behind bars

César Rosado Marzán and Matthew Dimick discuss how worker centers are constructing a new moral economy

In Episode 55, César Rosado Marzán and Matthew Dimick discuss Rosado Marzán’s forthcoming book, A Baseline of Decency: Social Capital, Symbolic Capital, and the Moral Economy of Alt-Labor and Worker Centers. The conversation explores worker centers as network organizations that leverage social capital, symbolic capital, coalition building, and grassroots activism to reshape labor protections and construct a new moral economy rooted in dignity, equity, and democratic participation. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 55 [https://www.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/multimedia/podcast/podcast-25-26/rosado-marzan.html]

Resnik, Giammatteo, and Harrington discuss the boundaries of state power in prison systems

Judith Resnik, John Giammatteo, and Alexandra Harrington come together in Episode 54 to discuss Resnik's book, Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy. Their conversation is about how prisons evolved as institutions shaped by democratic ideals while simultaneously undermining them. Considering the role of law in structuring punishment, they talk about the ongoing struggle to define the boundaries between permissible and impermissible state power. For transcription, please visit Baldy Center Podcast Episode 54 [https://www.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/multimedia/podcast/podcast-25-26/resnik-et-al.html]

Matthew Dimick discusses law, income inequality, and the economics of justice

The Baldy Center Podcast features Matthew Dimick discussing his recent book, Ending Income Inequality: A Critical Approach to the Law and Economics of Redistribution. Dimick explores how legal rules and institutions shape income distribution and the economy long before taxation occurs. He unpacks the concepts of redistribution, predistribution, and the “double distortion argument,” highlighting how law and society research can reveal the real impact of economic policy on inequality. This conversation touches on the interdisciplinary mission of The Baldy Center, and the role of law in creating a more equitable economic future. For the transcription, please visit Baldy Center Podcast Episode 53 [https://www.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/multimedia/podcast/podcast-25-26/dimick-income-inequality.html]

Raj Sharman discusses crisis-ready healthcare, resilience, and trust in information systems

In Episode 52 of The Baldy Center Podcast, Raj Sharman (School of Management) discusses how healthcare systems and public institutions prepare for crises. Drawing on his research in disaster response, hospital information systems, and telehealth, Sharman explains why resilience depends on preparedness, trust, communication, and equity, not just technology, and what these lessons mean for healthcare systems in an era of AI and growing institutional risk. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 52 [https://www.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/multimedia/podcast/podcast-25-26/Raj-Sharman.html]

Michael Gibson-Light discusses prison labor, prisoners’ unions, and the politics of work behind bars

In Episode 51 of The Baldy Center Podcast Michael Gibson-Light discusses his research on the 1970s prison labor movement in the United States. He details how incarcerated workers organized through underground newspapers like The Outlaw, the rise and fall of prisoners’ unions, and what this history reveals for today’s debates on prison labor and mass incarceration. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 51 [https://www.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/multimedia/podcast/podcast-fall-2025/Gibson-Light-prison-labor.html]