Over 60 students and faculty members from the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice attended November’s American Society of Criminology (ASC) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA. The three-day event provided an opportunity for the College’s students and faculty to present research findings to members of the field, learn more about other areas of research, and network with peers from universities across the country.
Among the research presented, several projects originated from the Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research.
Through the Center’s partnership with Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice, students had the opportunity to research and present on the following projects at this year’s ASC Annual Meeting:
- A School District and Juvenile Court Partnership for Working With Low-Risk Delinquent Youth – Andrea Montes Lindsey, Daniel P. Mears, Sonja E. Siennick,George B. Pesta, Nicole L. Collier, Peter S. Lehmann, Samantha J. Ladwig
- The Influence of School-Level Characteristics on the School to Prison Pipeline – Alexa J. Singer, Jennifer M. Brown, Daniel P. Mears, George B. Pesta, Sonja E. Siennick
- To See or Not to See – Factors Affecting the Likelihood of Visitations in Juvenile Residential Facilities – Melissa Nadel, William Bales, George Pesta, Mark Greenwald
- Exploring the School-Based Labeling Effects of an In-School Versus Out-of-School Arrest on a Cohort of Florida Youth – Julie Mestre Brancale, Thomas G. Blomberg, George B. Pesta
- Translational Criminology: Research and Public Policy in Florida’s Adult and Juvenile Corrections System – Javier Ramos, Thomas G. Blomberg, George Pesta, Andrew Ranson
A similar partnership between the Center and Florida’s Department of Corrections resulted in the following research projects, which were also presented at this year’s ASC Annual Meeting:
- Declining Returns: Explaining Trends in Recidivism Rates of Florida Inmates, 2004-2010 – Catie Clark, William Bales, Gerry Gaes, Samuel Scaggs
- A Wrinkle Over Time: The Growth in Florida’s Older Prisoner Population – Samuel J. A. Scaggs, Alex Widdowson, William D. Bales
- Crossing the Finish Line: An Exploratory Analysis of Inmate Participation in an Equine Rehabilitation Program – Leslie Hill, William Bales
- In Prison Vocational Training and Post Release Employment in Florida – Jennifer M. Brown
- From Enforcing the Law to Serving Time in Prison: How Police Officers Reenter Society – L. Sergio Garduno, William D. Bales, Heather Zurburg
- From Serving One’s Country to Serving Time: An Examination Into Veterans’ Likelihood of Recidivism in Florida – Elizabeth Borkowski, William D. Bales
In addition to presenting research, the College also hosted a reception at the event celebrating Professor Gary Kleck. Dr. Kleck retired this spring after 37 years of teaching, research, and service. His impact on the College, as well as the field, was reflected at the reception which was standing room only as numerous students, faculty members, and peers stopped by to say goodbye and celebrate his far-reaching career.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Kleck’s work impacted not only his students and colleagues, but also the field of criminology and national policy. As a highly revered expert on gun control, Dr. Kleck has testified before Congress and state legislatures on gun control proposals. Additionally, his research was cited in the Supreme Court’s landmark District of Columbia v. Heller decision, which struck down the D.C. handgun ban and held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms.
Dr. Kleck’s work has also been honored by his peers. Among his many accolades, he won the Michael J. Hindelang Award from the American Society of Criminology for his book Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America.
To see photos from from the ASC Annual Meeting, please visit our Facebook page.