Spring 2021
Dr. Bryson Publishes New Research Examining the Factors that Contribute to a “Youth Discount” in Juvenile Court
May 4, 2021
Dr. Sara Bryson, Assistant Professor, (with Dr. Jennifer Peck from the University of Central Florida) recently published “The Effects of Age, Race, and Offense Type on Receiving a “Youth Discount” in Juvenile Court” in the Journal of Crime and Justice. Previous research has suggested that younger juveniles may be more likely to receive lenient treatment at several juvenile court stages compared to older youth (i.e., the ‘youth discount’). Dr. Bryson’s research examines whether the “youth discount” is equally applied across racial groups and youth charged with different offenses (i.e., status versus delinquent). Results indicate that the youth discount is applied at the petition stage but not disposition, and that race and offense type are more predictive of decision-making than the age of the juvenile.
Department Holds Second “Social Justice in Criminal Justice” Webinar
March 29, 2021
The department held its second webinar in the new Social Justice in Criminal Justice series on March 29. Prior to the webinar, participants viewed the film Just Mercy (2019) which is based on the best-selling memoir of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson. Stevenson is also the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States. Dr. Eboni Baugh, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and Faculty in Residence for Mentoring and Inclusion with the Office for Faculty Excellence, moderated an excellent discussion about the differential treatment the black community receives in the criminal justice system.
Dr. Walfield Selected for NCFDD Faculty Success Program
March 16, 2021
Dr. Scott Walfield has been selected by Dean Allison Danell to participate in the Summer 2021 Faculty Success Program (FSP). FSP, part of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), is a nationally recognized virtual, intensive professional development program designed to enhance productivity through coaching and peer support. The almost $5,000 investment per faculty member for participation in the program is covered by Harriot College.
Department Hosts 10th Annual Criminal Justice Career Fair
March 15, 2021
Last week marked the tenth year that the Department of Criminal Justice hosted its own Career Fair. Unlike past years, however, the 2021 Career Fair took place virtually. Twenty-eight local, state, and federal agencies held structured presentations and open Q&A sessions via WebEx from March 8 to March 12. Participants included law enforcement agencies from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, state agencies such as the State Bureau of Investigation, Highway Patrol, and the Wildlife Resources Commission, and federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Naval Criminal Investigative Services. ECU students, as well as students from area community colleges, took part and gained invaluable insights into career planning and employment opportunities in criminal justice.
Department Holds First “Social Justice in Criminal Justice” Webinar
February 22, 2021
The department held its first webinar in the new Social Justice in Criminal Justice series on February 22. Prior to the webinar, participants took Implicit Association Tests to inform a discussion of biases of which we may be unaware, and read the first three chapters in The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Dr. Eboni Baugh, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and Faculty in Residence for Mentoring and Inclusion with the Office for Faculty Excellence moderated an excellent discussion about the role the War on Drugs played in the current state of mass incarceration for persons of color, and how the erosion of civil rights protections for unreasonable search and seizure has compounded the problem.
Drs. Stacey and Bonner Publish New Research on Measuring Disproportionate Treatment in Policing
February 12, 2021
Dr. Michele Stacey and Dr. Heidi Bonner recently published “Veil of Darkness and Investigating Disproportionate Impact in Policing: When Researchers Disagree” in Police Quarterly which examines how disparate treatment in policing is measured. Several methods for measuring disproportionate treatment have been proposed including the ‘veil of darkness’ approach (Grogger & Ridgeway, 2006). Research using the veil of darkness approach on traffic stop data, however, has shown a variety of results and it is difficult to determine whether veil of darkness is effective at measuring this disparity because practically every study uses a different sampling method. In this study, Stacey and Bonner set out to examine the impact that the disagreement over sampling in veil of darkness research has on the conclusions drawn regarding disparities in treatment using a single sample of traffic stops. This allowed them to compare multiple sampling strategies within the same jurisdiction. They discovered that the sampling strategy used has a substantial impact on the conclusions drawn and surmised that this was largely a result in the loss of power in the models as the sample size was restricted. The findings suggest that researchers and agencies wanting to examine disparities in traffic stops need to be cautious about the sampling and analysis methods they choose.
Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Nationally Ranked
January 29, 2021
The department’s online graduate program in criminal justice remains the top-ranked program in North Carolina according to the US News & World Report. The 2021 rankings also place our program 21st out of 79 schools nationwide. See the full story on the ECU website and consider if our program is right for you! Application deadlines are May 15 and October 15.
New Forensic Science Career Pathway
January 22, 2021
Are you interested in a career in a crime laboratory? Consider our new degree pathway, created in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry. Earning a BS in Criminal Justice combined with a BA in Chemistry and a Minor in Forensic Science prepares students for careers like drug chemist, clandestine laboratory responder, and toxicologist. Take a look at the 4-year degree plan, and talk to your academic advisor if you are interested in pursuing this dual major.