Melissa is an academic, writer, and activist based in Toronto. They hold a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University, and a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Manitoba. Melissa’s research focuses on the presence of hostile architecture in urban space as connected to a longer history of state-led displacement. They are also interested in investigating prison design reforms that sustain and ultimately expand the growth of the prison under the guise of improving prisoner conditions. This research is both historical and abolitionist, working to map and identify oppressive architectural strategies in efforts to deconstruct carceral geographies.