The Criminology Academy

Ep. 130 Domestic Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic with Tara Richards

Dr. Tara Richards is the David Scott Diamond Alumni Professor of Public Affairs and Community Service and Co-Director of the Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Her research and teaching focuses on prevention, intervention, and system responses to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and child abuse and neglect.

Ep. 129. Correctional Officer Drug Smuggling with William Schultz

William J. Schultz is an assistant professor of criminology at MacEwan University in the department of Sociology. He received his MA and PhD in Sociology from the University of Alberta. Will’s research interests center on the life experiences of incarcerated people, the influence of fentanyl and other drugs on prison environments, gangs and radical ideological groups in prison, and how correctional officer cultures impact the daily operations of prisons.

Ep. 128 Role Reversal! Jose and Jenn get Interviewed by Taylor, Abby, Naya, and Valeria

This month, some of Jenn's graduate students take over the podcast and question Jenn and Jose about various topics!

Ep. 127 Mass Shootings and their Consequences with Jillian Peterson

Dr. Jillian Peterson is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Executive Director of The Violence Prevention Project, a nonpartisan research center committed to using data-driven solutions to reduce violence in our communities.

Ep. 126 Women, Inequality, and Crime with Karen Heimer

In episode 126, we’re exploring the career and research of one of the leading scholars on gender, inequality, and crime, Professor Karen Heimer.

Karen Heimer is Professor of Sociology & Criminology, Collegiate Fellow in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Distinguished Research Fellow of the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa. She also holds a courtesy appointment in the Boyd College of Law. Heimer researches and teaches in the areas of gender and violence, juvenile delinquency, criminal punishment, and causes of crime and violence. She became a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology in 2015 and served as President of the American Society of Criminology in 2018.  She is a recipient of the 2018 Iowa Regents Award for Faculty Excellence and the 2019 UI’s Hancher-Finkbine Faculty Medallion.

Ep. 125 Reflection Series: Society and Punishment with David Garland

David Garland is Professor of Sociology in NYU’s Department of Sociology and Arthur T. Vanderbilt Professor of Law at NYU School of Law. His area of research is social theory and historical sociology with a focus on the penal state and the welfare state. In 2012, the American Society of Criminology awarded him the Edwin H. Sutherland Prize for outstanding contributions to theory and research. He has been elected to membership of learned societies in both the United States and the United Kingdom, being a Fellow of the British Academy, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 

Ep. 124 Pre-Trial Detention and Sentencing Outcomes with Stacie St. Louis

This is Episode 124, and today we’re exploring how pretrial detention and going to trial can shape sentencing outcomes. To help us explore this topic, we’re excited to be joined by Professor Stacie St. Louis.

Stacie St. Louis an Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University. Her research focuses on the administration of justice, including jails and pretrial detention, case processing and cumulative disadvantage, and public opinion and reform. Some of her ongoing projects include assessing the main, indirect, and interactive effects of pretrial detention on case outcomes and exploring public opinion surrounding pretrial justice and ongoing bail reforms. Her studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals, such as Justice Quarterly, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Criminal Justice and Behavior. Dr. St. Louis received her PhD in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University and was previously an Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern University.

Ep. 123 Gangs in the Digital Age with Michelle Storrod

We spoke to Professor Michelle Storrod, whose work examines how gangs have adapted to—and been shaped by—the digital world.

Michelle Lyttle Storrod is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Widener University and is an affiliate of the SAFElab at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her PhD from Rutgers University–Camden. Michelle is the coauthor of the largest violence prevention charity in Europe. Her cross-national scholarly pursuits center on the intricate intersection of youth, social media, and crime. Specifically, her research delves into how young people utilize social media platforms and mobile devices within the context of crime and victimization including drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and serious youth violence. 

Ep. 122 Desisting from Crime and Identity Transformation with Shadd Maruna

Shadd Maruna is Head of the Department of Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology at the University of Liverpool. His research focuses on how individuals desist from crime and reintegrate into society, emphasizing the transformative power of identity and narrative. Shadd’s influential book, Making Good, introduced the concept of the “redemption script,” reshaping our understanding of desistance. He served as President of the American Society of Criminology in 2023.

Ep. 121 Policing, Protests, and Race with Rod Brunson

This week, we spoke with Rod Brunson about one of the most urgent and challenging topics in criminology: race and policing.

Rod K. Brunson is a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park. His tackles issues on police including community relations, youth violence, and evidence-based criminal justice policy. He has consistently called for effective crime reduction strategies that do not result in racially disparate treatment of minority citizens and disadvantaged neighborhoods. Rod is a fellow of the American Society of Criminology.