Field Journal, 2026 Scholars, Week 6
Reflecting on my Laidlaw research project and leadership findings.
In this video, I discuss my research project, how I became interested, its significance, and my lessons from the leadership trainings.
Ruchi Mangtani
(She/Her)
Student, Columbia University
I am interested in the 1960s-70s prisoners' rights movement. In the past, I spent significant time researching the Attica Prison Uprising, the deadliest prison rebellion in the United States. Prison writing was a defining mobilizing force for the incarcerated people at Attica, and I am eager to delve into prison autobiographies in particular this summer as a progressive art form that has challenged literary expectations and engendered a collective voice of incarceration.
Outside of research, I am heavily involved in advocacy and volunteering related to criminal justice.
