CrimSL 2026 Graduate Student Conference: State Violence and the Governance of (Dis)Order

The Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto is hosting the 2026 Annual Graduate Student Conference, themed "State Violence and the Governance of (Dis)Order." This one-day, in-person event is scheduled for March 26, 2026, at the Canadiana Gallery building on the university's campus.

The conference will feature over 30 interdisciplinary presentations from graduate students across Canada and internationally. Key topics include theories of order and disorder, security as a governance tool, comparative histories of policing, state formation in colonial contexts, expansion of carceral practices, predictive policing, militarization of police forces, racialized and gendered dimensions of state violence, state responses to protest, and discourses around immigration.

Attendees will have opportunities for networking and engaging in critical discussions. The event is free to attend, and registration is available through Eventbrite. The conference is particularly beneficial for PhD and advanced MA students in criminology, sociolegal studies, sociology, law, psychology, history, science and technology studies, anthropology, public policy, geography, and related disciplines.