"Old school" classroom, new world issues: Jarrod Shanahan
By Laura Pohl, Contributing Writer
In the classroom of Dr. Jarrod Shanahan, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Governors State University (GovState), students encounter topics like the prison system, policing, labor organizing, racism, class domination, and many more. He is an expert on the history of the New York City jail system and a critical scholar of policing and incarceration in the United States.
“My classes deal with heavy topics,” Shanahan said. “I present these subjects not because I enjoy thinking about them, but because I feel obligated to tell the truth about our messed up society and how it came to be. I am passionate about demonstrating how these injustices, and the institutions that carry them out, have not always existed.”
Shanahan, who teaches in both the history and criminal justice programs, earned tenure at GovState in 2025. A prolific writer, he was honored in 2023 with a New York City Book Award for his book, “Captives: How Rikers Island Took New York City Hostage.”
Shanahan earned a B.A. in political science and philosophy from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and a M.A. in philosophy from New School for Social Research in New York. While at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, he earned both a master’s and a doctorate degree in environmental psychology.
Knowledge inspires action
Shanahan wants his students to consider how one person makes a difference “in a big, mean world such as ours.”
“I believe that most people just need to be empowered to think of history as their history, and politics as a matter that concerns them directly,” he said. “Then they’ll start paying attention and taking action.”
His message is that they have the power to change the course of history. “We can actually redefine the past while creating the future. And all of this can be done as it has always been done: by millions of anonymous people just like us, who decided at critical moments to take bold and decisive action to free themselves and others.”
Reading and writing replaces screen time
In Shanahan’s classes, students read and discuss texts, identifying their structure and contentions, raising critiques and questions. He appreciates that a former student called him “old school.”
“I took that as a compliment. My classes revolve around reading and writing,” he explains. “That’s what a liberal arts education should be: you read, you write, and then you repeat.
“I write on the board to help piece it all together. The overhead projector stays off most days. Young people spend all day mesmerized by screens. My classroom is a break from that.”
GovState classrooms harbor rich discussion
Shanahan feels that GovState students relate to social questions in terms of real-life experiences. “It’s a joy to discuss even the most controversial topics in a GovState classroom,” he said. “Our students don’t shy away from uncomfortable topics and don’t pepper their language with glossy euphemisms. I’ve had some of the realest conversations of my entire life in a room full of GovState students speaking truthfully about their experiences and how they see the world.”
Interested in applying to the Criminal Justice or History programs at GovState? Click here to learn more about criminal justice and click here for history.