There Can Be More Than One: A Black Man’s Journey Through the Academy

The underrepresentation of Black Americans as graduate students and faculty in Criminology and Criminal Justice programs is well-recognized. This essay discusses some of the dynamics of the academy that potentially contribute to the lack of Black representation at the highest levels of the academy. Through the sharing of various experiences, this essay sheds light on how the dearth of Black men in the academy creates challenges for the few Black men that do exist in the academy.

Tokenism in Criminology and Criminal Justice Departments: Problems and Solutions

In this article, I argue that criminology and criminal justice programs exhibit racial “tokenism,” in that the majority of such programs employ no more than one Black tenured/tenure track professor. This tokenism creates a plethora of problems that undermine the contributions of Black faculty and prevent them from achieving their full potential. I use my own experiences to illustrate these issues. I conclude with potential solutions to the problems identified.

Inmate Attitudes about Prison Tours for Students

Correctional facility tours are common within criminal justice programs as a way for students to experience real-world criminal justice. While tours have received praise for solidifying learning, they have also been criticized for objectification of inmates. In this research, individuals who were incarcerated in a Midwestern state were surveyed about their attitudes toward students touring prisons. While participants, in general, viewed tours favorably, one theme underscored the need to include the voices of incarcerees in the schedule of prison tours.

Developing Civically Engaged Citizens in an Introductory Criminal Justice Course

Criminal justice programs are often considered a training ground for students’ future careers; however, that training often lacks a focus on civic engagement. This article highlights an experiential learning project in an introductory criminal justice course that was designed to develop the skills of civically engaged professionals. The project, combining research with service-learning, was implemented in an undergraduate criminology course to demonstrate the ways in which research and theory are necessary for implementing social and political change. Student participants achieved the desired learning outcomes and gained a deeper understanding of their role as change agents. The success of this project suggests that a focus on experiential learning can help criminal justice programs across the United States to develop civically engaged citizens.

Breaking the addictive cycle of the system: improving US criminal justice practices to address substance use disorders

Purpose – Recent political commentary in the USA has suggested that there is great potential for current criminal justice practices designed for drug-involved offenders to be significantly overhauled in the near future. It is imperative to plan for these changes by assessing how well current programs serve drug-involved criminal justice populations. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This critical assessment begins with an overview of the most recent research on the prevalence and impact that substance use disorders have within the criminal justice system. Although the evidence demonstrates that relying on incarceration as a crime control method for drug-involved offenders has many shortcomings, there are innovative new programs being adopted across the country. Two of these promising programs are discussed, as well as the potential results that could be realized from integrating medication assisted treatment into appropriate criminal justice programs designed for drug-involved offenders. Findings – Incarceration is a failed practice for attending to the underlying reasons why many drug-involved offenders become involved in criminal activities. There are encouraging new programs emerging in different parts of the USA, but the inclusion of supplemental treatment options could further promote positive outcomes. Originality/value – The impending expansion of criminal justice programs for drug-involved offenders must consider how innovative new programs can be fused with supplemental treatment options to achieve the best results.