The Crime and Enlightenment project started with a simple but powerful question: What happens when Crime and Punishment is taught to men awaiting sentencing—and then to the prosecutors deciding their fate? The answer unfolds in stories of guilt and grace, justice and mercy, and what it takes to stay human in the hardest places.

Andrew D. Kaufman’s teaching brings great literature into real-world dialogue with people at moral crossroads—college students, incarcerated individuals, and others grappling with life’s hardest questions. Using methods like Socratic inquiry and experiential learning, he helps them wrestle with what it means to live with purpose.

Trained at Stanford and for many years a professor of Russian literature at the University of Virginia, Andrew bridges rigorous scholarship with transformative learning experiences that reach far beyond the classroom.

His teaching has been featured on The Today Show, NPR, and in The Washington Post, as well as in education expert Ken Bain’s Super Courses, which praises his work for its innovation, depth, and community impact.