Masters Student in Sociology Wins 3MT for Prison Project Presentation

Masters student Alexandra Gagnon is the first person in the Department of Sociology to win the University of Alberta's Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.In a pool of fifteen 3MT finalists, competitors across all disciplines had just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research projects to a non-specialist audience.

Gagnon, affiliated with the University of Alberta Prison Project and the Centre for Criminological Research, used a "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" analogy for her "Remand, Release, Reconvict" presentation to highlight the viscous cycle incarcerated people face, advocating for a paradigm shift in recidivism, re-integration and lasting change. She also received the People's Choice Award from voters in-person and online watching the livestream.

Gagnon is part of a team spearheading the first systematic Canadian study on formerly incarcerated people's re-entry experience by conducting interviews and surveys in Western Canadian provincial institutions with approximately 800 incarcerated people. They intend to identify what challenges formerly incarcerated people face in their re-entry to society and create evidence-based policy recommendations to end the cycle of reoffending.

"I am honoured to be the first person from the Department of Sociology to win the 3MT competition," says Gagnon of her win. "It has been incredibly motivating to see how well the Prison Project has been received and that people are excited about it. I hope to continue bringing attention to this research and am looking forward to representing the University of Alberta at the Western Canadian Regionals at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna on May 8."