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Contact UsProfessor of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Criminal Justice & Criminology
[email protected]PhD in Sociology
Kansas State University
Other in Master of Public Administration
University of Kansas
BS in Criminal Justice
Wichita State University
Disparate Incarceration Rates and Racial Profiling
My primary research interests explore the relationship between race, class, gender, crime and punishment. Primarily I investigate reasons why the U.S. has such high and disparate rates of incarceration. More significantly, I analyze whether punishment is the product of social structure and cultural values, comparable to the body of thought, “Sociology of Punishment,” attempting to understand legal punishment as a social phenomenon and trace its role in social life. My primary research question is does unemployment interact with race to affect imprisonment, independent of crime?
Secondarily, my research interests and publications also include racial profiling. One of the most important issues facing American policing today is whether or not race influences routine law enforcement decisions. Literature indicates that race plays a relatively small role in a police officer’s decision on whether or not to issue a traffic citation. However, more importantly, it appears that race plays a substantial role in police officer’s decision to stop and/or search a vehicle.
Institutional Corrections
My teaching philosophy is reflective of my overall commitment to social justice and change through education and research. My overall aim is to persuade students to work hard in the course, come to grips with complex issues, and to build on skills that will assist them throughout their lives. I believe enthusiastic teaching connects students to the material and helps them grasp the course material.
As a catalyst in the learning process, I see my role as someone engaged in reciprocal learning and dialogue with students. Within the classroom, I actively engage students in practical application of criminological theories and criminal justice systems. When analyzing various criminological theories, I encourage students to consider whether or not universal application is appropriate, or if factors such as race, class, and gender place limits on their applicability. When teaching the criminal justice systems and how it relates to structural inequality, I arrange for guest speakers to come to the class to share their personal and professional experiences and perspectives. Since I worked five years as a Corrections Officer for the State of Kansas, I understand how important it is for students to have the opportunity to dialogue with professionals in the field and with individuals who may have had encounters, obstacles and prospects quite marked from their own.
Monday - [12:00 to 02:30]
Tuesday - [12:00 to 02:30]