Dr. Jon Carter

Dr. Jon Carter is a sociocultural anthropologist whose on-site research in Central America began in 1997 and spans 20 years. His research tracks the history of street gangs in Honduras and the impacts of state violence and the U.S. drug war in the region. Carter’s publications examine regional security initiatives to contain gang violence, gang extortion practices, undocumented migration, and border violence and security.  He also writes on efforts to combat institutional corruption in Central America’s Northern Triangle countries, U.S. foreign policy in Honduras, the impact of NAFTA and free-trade in Central America, and the crisis of mass incarceration across Latin America with attention to diverse forms of prison management, programs for rehabilitation, and societal reinsertion. He is regularly an expert witness in U.S. immigration courts and asylum cases.

Areas of expertise

• Central American street gang violence
• Undocumented migration from Central America
• U.S. war on drugs in Central America
• Political climate in Central America
• Mass incarceration in the U.S. and internationally
• History of Black Mountain College