Hastings Journal of Crime and Punishment (HJCP) is a forum in which meaningful discussion can occur on issues of criminal law, incarceration and the criminal justice system. Our intention is to establish a cross-disciplinary platform in which scholars and practitioners analyze criminal law and procedure as well as the different institutions of incarceration. From the pervasiveness of racial profiling to the shackles of collateral consequences, the criminal system disparately impacts the poor and people of color. A thorough examination of the various ways in which individuals are impacted by the criminal system is only possible with a diversity of perspectives. Therefore, we warmly invite the written analysis of those who traditionally have been excluded from legal scholarship, including incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, as well as others who have been most affected by the criminal justice system. Ultimately, we believe that through the exploration of criminal law and its greater context in American society, HJCP can contribute to a critical discourse on punishment, justice and human dignity.