Reader Responses to Doc Politics

Thanks to Brown Alumni Magazine for highlighting the work of Rachael Bedard, who has carved out an incredibly unique and influential space within the social justice space, including the correctional system. The situation at Riker’s Island is a difficult one and represents the intersection of a larger policy crisis that is anchored in poverty, systemic bias, public funding, and health care, generally. The article neglects to provide that larger context and perhaps as a profile piece, that direction was intentional. I was thrown by the title “Reforming Rikers” (BAM newsletter) and was expecting more. If you’re doing a profile piece about someone’s work within a particular system, especially our criminal justice system, context enriches the conversation and the reader’s understanding of the work and its challenges. I left the article wishing that I had learned more. The final quote from Dr. Bedard about the intersection of medicine and policy as a platform for human rights is a promising one however. Perhaps it’s the beginning of a series about Brown-educated doctors who are looking to advance human rights through their work.