Julia Mattingly

Behind Bars: The Economic Incentive to Incarcerate in Rural Kentucky

For decades in Kentucky and throughout the United States, it has been a commonly held notion that incarceration is predominantly an urban phenomenon. And up until recent years, Kentucky’s urban areas were indeed at the focal point of that phenomenon, incarcerating the largest proportions of their citizens. However, that pattern has altered today, and oddlyContinue reading “Behind Bars: The Economic Incentive to Incarcerate in Rural Kentucky“

The Impact and Implications of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

The Louisville Political Review looks at monumental court cases that have defined the United States, Commonwealth of Kentucky, and city of Louisville. Today we examine Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, its impact on the physical autonomy and bodily integrity of women, and political and electoral implications. Friday, June 24th, 2022 will undoubtedly go downContinue reading “The Impact and Implications of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization”

The Western Branch Library: a Beacon of Hope for Louisville’s Black Community

“The library does more than furnish facts and circulate books…the people feel that the library belongs to them, and that it may be used for anything that makes for their welfare.” -Rev. Thomas Fountain Blue, the Western Branch’s first librarian For centuries, libraries have served as a space for self-enlightenment, a place where people canContinue reading “The Western Branch Library: a Beacon of Hope for Louisville’s Black Community”

How Racism is Built into Louisville’s Infrastructure

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody. – Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) The true dynamism of American cities comes from the connectedness of its institutions and the people within it. Considered one of the most residentiallyContinue reading “How Racism is Built into Louisville’s Infrastructure”

Kentucky’s Rural Hospital Problem

One and a half million dollars. This is how much money—annually— my hometown hospital in rural Kentucky has lost since 2012. With less than a week’s worth of operating cash on hand at any given time, the small rural hospital has been struggling to make ends meet for years now. This is not the onlyContinue reading “Kentucky’s Rural Hospital Problem”