Danielle Jefferis

I serve as Of Counsel at Novo Legal Group. My research focuses on theories of punishment and the law and policy governing prison and detention, with an emphasis on the for-profit prison industry and immigration-related confinement. I take both critical and comparative approaches to my work, examining carceral systems, practices, and theories around the world. I have presented this research at academic institutions and provided expert commentary on prison and detention issues for national and international media outlets.

I am a former Nadine Strossen Fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union's National Security Project in New York, where I worked on post-9/11 racial and religious discrimination and the intersection of national security and criminal justice. I also served as an associate attorney at Killmer, Lane & Newman, LLP, focusing on law-enforcement misconduct, employment discrimination, and prisoners' rights.

At Novo Legal, I lead initiatives involving state and federal detainees — ensuring they receive proper access to medical care and advocating for their rights. I am also a Professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law, with prior teaching positions at California Western School of Law in San Diego and the University of Denver College of Law.