Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) (MS ’88) was appointed Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service. The national organization has the dual role of ensuring speedy delivery of international goods while maintaining systematic and effective intervention to control economic crime, money laundering, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, intellectual property rights, and disposal of toxic and hazardous waste.

Jim Clay, a graduate of LEMIT Leadership Command College, was promoted to Assistant Chief of the Beaumont Police Department.

The College of Criminal Justice mourns the loss of Constable A.J. Dorr of Fort Bend County Precinct 1, who served in the post since 1997.

The College of Criminal Justice was saddened to learn of the death of Alumnus David O. Garrett, a police officer and accident investigator with the Corsicana Police Department who later served as a Captain with the Ennis Police Department.

Grimes County Chief Deputy Todd Greene recently graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Mark Herman, a graduate of LEMIT’s Leadership Command and Constable Leadership College, recently was appointed Constable for Harris County Precinct 4 by the Harris County Commissioners Court.

SHSU Graduate Sarah Martinez recently was sworn in as a Lubbock Police Officer.

David Nelson was recognized with the Top Gun Award at the College of the Mainland Basic Peace Officers Academy.

Dr. Joe Serio (Ph.D. ’11) recently co-authored a fitness guide for law enforcement officers with Matt Wagner, Associate Professor at the Health and Kinesiology Center. The book is titled Getting Healthy: 50 Lessons on Fitness for Law Enforcement.

The College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University established a scholarship fund in memory of Deputy Darren Goforth of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, who was brutally murdered in the line of duty, to help criminal justice majors pursue future careers in law enforcement.

“The death of Deputy Darren Goforth resounds deeply and painfully for criminal justice students at Sam Houston State University as the misdeed occurred in our backyard to one of the brothers of our discipline,” said Aaron Valadez, President of Lambda Alpha Epsilon, the largest criminal justice student organization at SHSU. “As students, we can honor the fallen by kindling an inextinguishable flame for their memory by assisting in the creation a scholarship. We pray for Officer Goforth's relatives, friends, and department for healing and peace, and we hope that this flame will flare brightly in remembrance of our late heroes to illuminate the future for peace officers.”

Donations will be accepted in Deputy Goforth’s name through the Division of University Advancement, Sam Houston State University, Box 2537, Bobby K. Marks Administration Building, Suite 120, Huntsville, TX 77341-2537. For more information, contact the office at (936) 294-3625.

“This tragic loss of Deputy Darren Goforth through a senseless murder struck at the very heart of the criminal justice system,” said Dr. Phillip Lyons, Dean of the College and Director of the Criminal Justice Center. “Through this scholarship, authorized by the Goforth family, Darren’s legacy will live on in the good work done by future generations of law enforcement officers whose education will be supported in his name.”

Deputy Goforth, 47, was executed by an assailant as the uniformed officer pumped gas into his patrol car on Aug. 28 in Cypress. He is survived by his wife Kathleen Goforth and two children, a daughter Ava and a son Ryan, as well as countless family and friends. His death prompted an outpouring of support for law enforcement in the community, including the campus of Sam Houston State University, where students from Phi Delta Theta collected signatures of support on a banner that will be presented to his wife.

The law enforcement community is particularly hard hit by the loss and professional institutes at SHSU, including the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) and the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) also contributed to the scholarship fund.

“Deputy Goforth is now known as a peace officer who dedicated his life to serving others,” said Dr. Rita Watkins, Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT). “He is a reminder of the risks of the job, but it doesn’t diminish the role of a peace officer serving others. That is the legacy Deputy Goforth has given us.”

The College of Criminal Justice is one of the oldest and largest programs in the United States, educating undergraduate and graduate students in pursuit of careers in law enforcement, corrections, victim services, forensic science and homeland security. In addition to its academic programs, the College hosts several professional institutes that advance research and practices in the field, including LEMIT, CMIT, the Police Research Center, the Crime Victims’ Institute, and the Institute for Forensic Research, Training and Innovation. It has been recognized as a national leader for setting standards in criminal justice.

Dr. Wayne Osgood, a Professor of Criminology and Sociology at Pennsylvania State University, will discuss “Contributions of Friendship Networks to the Diffusion and Prevention of Delinquency and Substance Use” at the Beto Chair Lecture for the fall semester.

Dr. Osgood conducts research on a variety of topics concerning delinquency and other problem behaviors during adolescence and early adulthood. The major focus of his current work is adolescents' friendship networks. His talk will summarize findings from the PROSPER Peers Project about ways that involvement in illegal behavior may be shaped by adolescents’ choices of friends and about how prevention programs can take advantage of those same processes to reduce those behaviors.

The PROSPER Peers Project gathered data on friendship choices and illegal behavior every year from 6th through 12th grade for students in 27 small communities in Iowa and Pennsylvania, which provides a unique opportunity to examine the co-evolution of friendship networks and behavior across this critical period of growing independence. Work to date has addressed the cohesiveness and status of delinquent versus non-delinquent groups, the interplay of selection and influence in contributing to the similarity of friends for problem behavior, and the role of friendships for exposing adolescents to additional adult influence from friends’ parents.

A valuable feature of the PROSPER Peers Project is that it is part of study of prevention programs with proven effectiveness for reducing future delinquency and substance use. The study has shown that these programs also alter schools’ social networks in ways that would reduce the potential for antisocial influence, and additional evidence indicates that program benefits diffuse from participants to non-participants through friendship connections.
In addition to these topics, Dr. Osgood has conducted research on a variety of programs for juvenile offenders, including prevention, diversion, and residential programs. He also has written about statistical issues for the analysis of deviant behaviors, of longitudinal data, and of program evaluations.

Dr. Osgood serves as the editor of Criminology, an official journal of the American Society of Criminology (ASC). Dr. Osgood was named a Fellow by the ASC in 2005 and served as a member of several prestigious panels, including the National Consortium on Violence; the MacArthur Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood, 1999 – 2010. He has also served on the editorial boards of Criminology and Public Policy, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Journal of Research on Adolescence, and Criminal Justice and Behavior, to name a few.

Dr. Osgood received his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder

Dr. Lisa Muftić recently co-authored her first textbook, Victimology, which includes a strong focus on research.

“What I especially like about the book is that it integrates hot topics with cutting edge research making it more palatable for students,” said Dr. Muftić, who collaborated with Dr. Leah E. Daigle of Georgia State University on the textbook. “Within each chapter we incorporated issues that made recent headlines with a focus on research. It’s not so much about telling stories, but about using science, and the scientific method, to expand on our understanding of victims and victimization.”

Victimology introduces students to the causes and consequences of victimization; how the criminal justice system accommodates and assists victims; and how other elements of society, such as the media, deal with crime victims. The book examines the extent of victimization in society and the theories involved in the study of victimology.

In addition to examining victims’ rights and remedies, the book explores various types of victimization, including homicide, sexual assault, intimate partner violence and special populations, such as people with mental illness. It also looks at emerging topics in victimization, including terrorism, hate crimes, human trafficking, and the overlap between victims and offenders.

Because of Dr. Muftić’s extensive experience conducting research abroad, a chapter on comparative victimology is included. Furthermore, each chapter highlights an international issue giving students the experience of exploring the issues and challenges victims face in other countries.

The book also highlights stories and studies from Sam Houston State University. A chapter on homicide victimization highlights the story of Justin Lopez, a SHSU kinesiology student whose mother was murdered by an ex-boyfriend in a domestic violence incident. Justin Lopez and his sister, Porsha, who witnessed the shooting, founded Angie’s Awareness Angels, an advocacy group against domestic violence.

The book also profiles research by Drs. Leana Bouffard, a faculty member at the College, and Maria Koeppel, a Ph.D. graduate, on the short and long term health effects of repeated bullying on victims. The study found that those who experience chronic bullying before age 12 were likely to suffer from mental health issues, including homelessness, or to be in poor or fair health as they become young adults. That study was published by Justice Quarterly in 2014.

Finally, Dr. Muftić acknowledges several Sam Houston State University students who provided assistance with the book, including Dr. Jonathon Grubb (Ph.D. graduate), Molly Smith, Ashley Boillot-Fansher, Michael Candler, Susan Hoppe and Laura Taylor.

“Daigle and Muftić have crafted an excellent resource for students and professionals alike to learn about the ‘big picture’ as well as the more detailed problems and solutions surrounding victimology,” said Dr. Kate Fox, a former SHSU faculty member who is a professor at Arizona State University. “This book is approachable, digestible and leaves the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the state of victimology—and the key areas that will increasingly become important in the future.”

Victimology is available from Sage Publications.

Here is a list of publications recently produced by faculty, students and alumni of Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice.

Alexander, M. B., Hodges, T. K., Bytheway, J., & Aitkenhead-Peterson, J.A. (2015). Application of soil in forensic science: Residual odor and HRD dogs. Forensic Science International. Advance online publication.

Blasko, B. L., Friedmann, P. D., Rhodes, A. G., & Taxman, F. S. (2015). The parolee-parole officer relationship as a mediator of criminal justice outcomes. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 42(7), 722-740.

Boutwell, B. B., Nedelec, J., *Lewis, R. H. & Beaver, K. M. (2015). A behavioral genetic test of the evolutionary taxonomy. Evolutionary Psychological Science. Advance online publication.

Cuvelier, S. J., *Jia, D., & Cheng, J. (2015). Chinese police cadets’ attitudes toward police roles revisited. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(2), 250-264.

Diamond, B., **Morris, R. G., & Piquero, A. R. (2015). Stability in the underlying constructs of self-control. Crime & Delinquency. Advance online publication.

**Grubb, J. A., & Nobles, M. R. (2015). A spatiotemporal analysis of arson. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. Advance online publication.

Haigle, L.E., &Muftić, L. (2015). Victimology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Hayes, B. (2015). Impact of victim, offender, and relationship characteristics on frequency and timing of intimate partner violence using life history calendar data. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. Advance online publication.

Hayes, B. (2015) Indirect abuse involving children during the separation process. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication.

Kerrigan, S., **Savage, M., **Cavazos, C., & **Bella, P. (2015). Thermal degradation of synthetic cathinones: Implications for forensic toxicology. Journal of Analytical Toxicology. Advance online publication.

King, W., & Wells, W. (2015). Impediments to the effective use of ballistics imaging information in criminal investigations: Lessons from the use of IBIS in a developing nation. Forensic Science Policy & Management: An International Journal, 6(1-2), 47-57.

**Lee, J., & Gibbs, J. C. (2015). Race and attitudes toward police: The mediating effect of social distance. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 38(2), 314-332.

Lu, H., Liang, B., *Li, Y. & He, N. (2014) Professional commitment and job satisfaction: An analysis of the Chinese judicial reforms from the perspective of the criminal defense. The China Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Greater China, 14(2), 159-181.

Lytle, D. J., &Randa, R. (2015). The effects of police satisfaction on fear of crime in a semirural setting. International Criminal Justice Review. Advance online publication.

Maguire, E. R., King, W. R., Wells, W.,& Katz, C. M. (2015). Potential unintended consequences of the movement toward forensic laboratory independence. Police Quarterly, 18(3), 272-292.

Muftić, L. R., Bouffard, L. A., & Armstrong, G. S. (2015). Impact of maternal incarceration on the criminal justice involvement of adult offspring: A research note. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. Advance online publication.

**Nolasco, C.A.R.I., del Carmen, R.V., **Steinmetz, Vaughn, M. S., & Spaic, A. (2015). Building legal competency: Foundations for a more effective criminology and criminal justice discipline. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 26(3), 233-252.

*Smith, M., Muftić, L. R., Deljkic, I., & **Grubb, J. A. (2015). Perceptions of the sex trade in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A comparative analysis of practitioners and future practitioners. International Criminal Justice Review, 25(2), 174-193. DOI: 10.1177/1057567715577832

Tibbetts, S. G., & **Hemmens, C. (2015). Criminological Theory, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

**Wells, J., Armstrong, T., Boutwell, B., Boisvert, D., Flores, S., **Symonds, M., &Gangitano, D. (2015). Molecular genetic underpinnings of self-control: 5-HTTLPR and self-control in a sample of inmates. Journal of Criminal Justice, 43(5), 386.

White, J., Hughes-Stamm, S., & Gangitano, D. (2015). Development and validation of a Rapid PCR Method for the PowerPlex® 16 HS System for forensic DNA identification. International Journal of Legal Medicine, 129(4), 715-723 (2015).


Key
Bold: Faculty
*: Doctoral Students
**: Alumni

The Correctional Management Institute of Texas added a new secretariat post, expanding its diversity in serving the correctional field, as well as new staff members to address the growing need for training professionals in prisons, jails, community corrections, probation and parole.

The Texas Corrections Association (TCA) is the ninth professional organization that will utilize CMIT to assist with the day-to-day operations of their organizations. The TCA represents more than 300 professionals in Texas, including employees at correctional institutions, county corrections, courts, and residential treatment as well as probation and parole agencies. The association is dedicated to enhancing and building the corrections profession, raising public awareness and support for the profession, promoting ethical practices, creating opportunities for education and training, and protecting communities through citizen support.

“TCA serves as an umbrella association for all of corrections and provides a great networking opportunity for everyone in the field,” said Christie Davidson, Executive Director of TCA.

CMIT also serves as secretariat to eight other state, national and international organizations, including the Association of Paroling Authorities International (APAI), National Association of Probation Executives (NAPE), National Juvenile Court Services Association (NJCSA), Texas Association of Court Administrators (TACA), Texas Association of Drug Court Professionals (TADCP), Texas Jail Association (TJA), Texas Probation Association (TPA) and the Texas Chief Deputies Association (TCDA).

“Joining a professional association is an excellent way to improve yourself as a professional in the field,” said Davidson. “They offer various training and networking opportunities that keep you current in the field and at the top of your game.”

CMIT is charged with enhancing adult and juvenile community and institutional correctional agencies through professional development, training, technical assistance, and research. To fulfill its mission, CMIT recently hired five new employees to assist with programs and secretariat duties.

Among the new employees are:

• Tiaya Ellis serves the Mid-Management Leadership Program, Emergency Preparedness Training, the annual Drug Impact Conference, and the TPA.
• Amber Gregory serves the New Chief’s Program, Deputy Director’s Program, and the TADCP.
• Ashley Koonce serves the Warden Peer Interaction Program, Senior Level Leadership Program, the annual Gangs Conference, and APAI
• Bree Patranella serves as the administrative associate to CMIT’s executive leadership as well as the office manager for CMIT operations
• Michaelanne Teeters serves the Adult Certification Trainings, Motivational Interviewing Training Academy, Foundation Skills Training for Trainers, and International Delegations.

Retired Lt. Dan Webb of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) was one of the first officers in the state certified in sobriety field testing and as a drug recognition expert (DRE). Last month, he was named the latest DRE Emeritus for the honor and integrity he brought to the nationwide program.

Although he retired from DPS five years ago, Webb was recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police for his legacy of keeping roads safe by identifying drunk and drugged drivers. He trained hundreds – if not thousands -- of law enforcement officers, school personnel and employers to recognize the signs and symptoms of impaired driving. He was the first instructor for the DRE program in Texas and had been a regular presenter for the Impaired Driving Initiatives programs at Sam Houston State University.

“As a police officer, you want to save lives,” said Webb. “Those opportunities are few and far between. What I tell my rookies is that when you take a drunk driver off the road, you will have no idea how many lives you saved that night. That person could drive down the road, cross the yellow line and kill four people. It is one of those things you can look back on and say ‘I saved lives.’”

As a highway patrol officer, Webb was one of the first officers in Texas to be trained in the new Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) in 1984, which provided scientific-based testing for drunk driving. That testing includes such techniques as following a pen with the eyes, standing on one leg, walking a straight line and touching the index finger to the nose. Prior to the standardized test, officers developed random practices for roadside testing, such as dropping coins on the road and asking suspects to pick them up in order or reciting the alphabet.

The science behind field sobriety testing led to more convictions for drunk driving across the country.

With the increase in drug use in the 1980s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed a standardized protocol for testing suspected impaired drivers for drug use, beginning with the Los Angeles Police Department. When training began in a few other states, Webb went to New York to become certified in the practice. Shortly after returning to Texas, the training turned out to be a life-saver for a young infant taken in custody with her mother.

The mother was pulled over, with her infant in the back seat, for suspected possession of heroin. During the interview, Webb saw the baby “on the nod,” a classic heroin symptom, and he immediately called for emergency medical service. The mother had hidden heroin in her baby’s diaper, and the child ingested it. If it had been only 15 minutes later, the infant would have died.

Following his certification, Webb traveled the country to train other law enforcement officers and develop curriculum in techniques to identify specific types of drugs used in impaired driving cases. Unlike the sobriety test, drug use can be detected by practices developed in the medical field, including pupil size and dilation, blood pressure and pulse rates, and temperature. “Drugs affect the entire body,” Webb said. “I went to Maine, California, Idaho, Florida – all over. I trained hundreds if not thousands of law enforcement officers how to be Drug Recognition Experts.”

In those days, crack, LSD and marijuana were popular while today the most frequent drug found in impairment cases is prescription drugs, Webb said.

Although Webb is no longer involved with the program, he still monitors its progress.

“Dan was and is still highly respected in the ‘DRE World’,” said Cecil Marquart, Director of Impaired Driving Initiatives at Sam Houston State University, who nominated Webb for the award. “I often hear some of the seasoned Texas DRE Instructors comment on Dan’s ability/skill in training the Physiology Module of the DRE Basic Course (a module that most instructors dread instructing). Dan was and is a mentor to me. His commitment and loyalty to the DRE Program has played an integral role in the success of the Texas DRE Program. He is very of deserving of the DRE Emeriti Award.”

Special Presentation: Law Enforcement Fitness and Performance
with Lt. Greg Davis, Fitness Wellness Coordinator, DPS
Thu, Oct 8, 2015
2:00pm
CJ Courtroom

The majority of law enforcement agencies require physical fitness tests as part of their job application process and some agencies, like the state of Texas, require all commissioned officers to pass ongoing fitness assessments to remain on the job.

Lt. Greg Davis, the Fitness Wellness Coordinator for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), will discuss the importance of trooper fitness for on-the-job performance as part of a special program sponsored by the Department of Kinesiology and the College of Criminal Justice. Lt. Davis handles the physical fitness development and assessment for recruits in the academy as well as the implementation and fitness-for-duty standards among DPS personnel.

“The DPS family has enjoyed great success with our fitness program and sharing it with the rest of our state government family is an honor and privilege,” said Lt. Davis.

Texas is the only state in the country that requires biannual physical fitness testing for its officers and other states, counties and local police have expressed an interest in adopting requirement that can assure that officers can handle the ongoing demands of the job.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Fitness Wellness Unit focuses on changing lives and preventing heart and obesity-related disease through training and education. This award-winning unit is using a holistic approach educating commissioned and non-commissioned personnel through physical fitness classes, nutrition education, sleep education, and resilience training. The unit offers a six-week training program to prepare future fitness instructors in program management, basic training, basic anatomy and physiology, exercise leadership, injury prevention, strength training, physical fitness assessment, conditioning and functional training. In addition, the unit offers welcome seminars and fitness symposiums throughout the state.

Lt. Davis began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps as a military police officer. Before joining DPS 14 years ago, he served as a federal police officer and instructor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police; in the Attorney General’s Office Internal Security and Investigation and as a police officer and instructor at the University of Texas at Austin Police. At DPS, he began as a trooper in the Capital District and was a member of the Governor’s Protective Detail before joining the fitness unit.

Lt. Davis also was a competitive athlete for 34 years in domestic and international competitions in power-lifting, biathlons, obstacle courses, track and field, wrestling, and Iron Cop and Tough Man competitions. He also is pursuing a Ph.D. in Health Science with a concentration of Physical Readiness Testing and policy development.

The College of Criminal Justice will hold a Victim Services Career Fair to introduce students to the diverse job opportunities that are available.

“Attending the Victim Services Career Fair is a great way for students interested in victim studies to network with employers in the field and find out what type of job opportunities are available,” said Michelle Haynes, Career Counselor Liaison for the College of Criminal Justice.

The Career Fair, which will be held in the Criminal Justice Center Lobby, will feature agencies that serve victims in the community. Among those scheduled to attend are:

• CASA of Walker County
• Collin County Sheriff’s Office
• Dallas Police Department
• Gulf Coast Trade Center
• Houston Police Department
• Katy Christian Ministries
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving
• Office of the Attorney General
• SAAFE House
• San Antonio Police Department
• Texas Advocacy Project
• Texas Department of Public Safety
• Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
• Twin City Mission
• U.S. Border Patrol
• University of Texas Police at Houston
• Virginia's House

Victim services, like other careers in criminal justice, offer a broad variety of career options for student graduating from Sam Houston State University. The College is one of only a few programs nationwide to offer an undergraduate degree in victim studies and even fewer that offer a graduate level degree in this discipline.

The College of Criminal Justice offers a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree to prepare students to work in various setting with victims of crime. The multi-disciplinary degree consists of courses in criminal justice, political science, business, and psychology. The difference between the two degrees is that the BA requires foreign language, while the BS requires social science.

The Masters of Science in Victim Service Management is designed to prepare graduates to work in various areas of victim services, including direct service provision, organizational management and social policy development. The 36-hour, online program is designed so that students can complete the degree in two years by enrolling in two, 15-week course per semester.

In addition to visiting with agencies, participants can get information about the Crime Victim Services Alliance, a student organization dedicated to victim services on campus and in the community. The Crime Victims’ Institute also participates to provide information about research into trends in victim issues in Texas.

The new president of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) at Sam Houston State University was appointed to a national post overseeing student chapters that fight for minority rights across the country.

“The NABCJ informs minorities about legislation that may affect them and educates them about how they can change the system and how we are a major part of the system,” said Xavier Perry, President of the SHSU NABCJ and Vice President of the Student Council for the national organization. “The NABCJ is really serious about minorities getting just representation.”

The non-profit organization, headquartered in Durham, N.C., seeks equal justice for blacks and other minorities and consists of criminal justice professionals, including law enforcement, community and institutional corrections, courts, social services, academics and religious and community-based organizations. It is open to all races and ethnicities who are committed to the organization’s mission.

“I know we have ‘Black” in the name, but we don’t want to deter anyone from joining,” Perry said. “We have Caucasians and Hispanics on the national board, and as long as you understand the purpose, you are welcome to join our organization.”

At Sam Houston State University, the student organization is active in the core components of the mission, which is presenting justice seminars on emerging topics in criminal justice, adopting a school to mentor students and participating in community service. In fact, in October, the group plans to offer two seminars to educate and inform fellow students on important issues.

On Oct. 6 , the SHSU chapter presented “Colorblind” to discuss police brutality among many racial and ethnic groups, whether it is confrontations involving Blacks, Whites or Hispanics. “It comes from all angles, and it is not just happening to minorities or males,” Perry said.

On Oct. 26, at 5:10 pm in CHSS Room 140, SHSU NABCJ will present “Canceling Our Public Strife,” an interactive presentation to educate students about proper interactions with police. The audience will be presented information on common police encounters and asked how they would respond. A panel of law enforcement officers will address the proper way to respond to interactions and the reasons behind it.”

In addition to its justice seminars, the SHSU NABCJ performs community service by assisting families at Hospitality House, which serves the families of inmates in Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisons; entertaining seniors at the Carriage Inn retirement center; and mentoring students at the Boys and Girls Club in Huntsville.

Justice seminars, school mentorships, and community services are mandated for every chapter in the national organization. As the National Vice President of the Student Council, Perry assists in collecting information from local student chapters and compiling a biannual newsletter called The Student Exchange to highlight their accomplishments. He also guides chapters on the rules and regulations they must follow to remain affiliated with the national organization.
Perry already is instrumental in increasing student participation in the national organization by opening the national organization’s teleconference to students and promoting the organization’s annual job fair.

“I am extremely passionate about this organization, and I want to give everything I have to it,” Perry said. “I have been encouraging my chapter to network by bringing in speakers every month because I want to get everyone out of their comfort zone. It’s different graduating and looking for a job and graduating and having a job. That is something I want to do for the chapter and the NABCJ is there to help us by laying the groundwork.”

Mark Bull’s job is to help ensure safe travels for 52 million people a year who pass through George Bush Intercontinental Airport and monitor about 34,000 employees and contractors that work in three Houston area airports.

As the Assistant General Manager for Security and Emergency Preparedness at the Houston Airport System, the Sam Houston State alumnus and Adjunct Professor protects the day-to-day safety of Bush Intercontinental Airport and coordinates with his counterparts at Hobby International Airport and Ellington Airport.

“A good part of what we do is facilitate people through the airport, including driving on the road coming in, finding a parking space, getting through the lobby and terminal, and getting planes on the runway and into the air in the safest, quickest way possible,” Bull said. “It really is a balance between providing good customer service and timely movement with enough procedures and technology in place to keep people safe.”

Bull’s position is multi-faceted and involves many areas of operations at the airports. He is in charge of regulatory compliance and inspection not only for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules and policies, but also for the rules and regulations handed down by the city of Houston. These regulations involve the movement of passengers, employees and baggage in and out of the airports. In fact, the inspections were recently beefed up after the press reported about airline employees found smuggling guns through the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“It’s pretty fast-moving, and everything is done on a quick time schedule,” said Bull. “It never gets boring. If you enjoy helping people, it’s a good job. It is a business of emotion. Some people are coming through to attend celebrations, and others are going to the funeral of a loved one. You get to see the full range of the human condition and the full range of emotions.”

While the TSA is in charge of screening passengers, Bull is responsible for issuing credentials to anyone who works at the airport, including airline, concession personnel, and contractors. The employee vetting includes fingerprints as well as a security threat risk assessments by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and TSA. It usually takes a week to issue new badges.

Bull also oversees the communication system for the airports, which monitors alarms, closed circuit television cameras, and dispatch for airport emergencies, maintenance or operations. The system also serves as an emergency operations center for major incidents and has been activated for such events as a plane that slid off the runway and a gas leak at the airport. Like the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the airport system includes representatives of all major airlines, local police and fire departments, and many federal agencies who have roles in air transportation in the case of an emergency.

Airports provide a wealth of job opportunities for criminal justice professionals. In addition to operating security forces, these facilities frequently house many federal and law enforcement agents, including Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Agriculture, Homeland Security Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI, and the Houston Police Department. The Houston Airport System also has federal air marshals who work on planes and on the ground in the terminals.

Many of those who work in safety in the airport are former law enforcement or military officers. In fact, Bull spent 15 years in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, while working for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. After 15 years, and attaining the position of Assistant Warden, he left the agency and started a consulting business. He joined the airport system in 2004 and also has been teaching at Sam Houston State University since 2010.

Bull recommends that students research what they would like to do in the criminal justice field before pursuing their degrees. He got his bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement and Police Science in 1992 and received a master’s in Security Studies in 2009. He said it was also important to network with fellow students and professionals in college.

“You have to learn how to do the job, but until you have someone to introduce you to someone else, you can’t get the job,” Bull said. “I got to move around in my career because of the network I built.”

One of only two fire death investigation courses in the country using human case studies recently was made possible by property access and logistical support at Sam Houston State University, with lectures and research provided by the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility (STAFS) and other professional and academic leaders.

“This program could not have been possible without a suitable location,” said Steve Seddig, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal for Wylie and President of the association. “The Center for Biological Forensic Science provided the answer, as part of their commitment to cross-disciplinary scientific discovery and education.”

The program was sponsored by the Collin County Fire & Arson Investigators Association (CCFAIA), an agency formed in 2013 to deliver training tied to academic programs, the scientific method, hands-on exercises and the study of pre- and post-fire causes. The program was attended by 62 fire marshals, investigators and attorneys from small and large agencies across the country , including the Texas Rangers, The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and representatives from Arkansas, Nevada, Oklahoma, McAllen, Guadalupe County, Wichita County, Sequin, and Waco, to name a few.

“Our goal is to provide this course to smaller cities, offering a rare chance for participants to experience burn scenarios with controlled variables that yield professional research level training results,” said Seddig. “The participants will gain experience in the use of observation, experimentation, and conclusion that becomes critical for formulating the theory/hypothesis tied to the scientific method.”

The five-day program covered a wide variety of information on fire science, fire death investigations, and forensic science. The week culminated with controlled experiments to investigate fire deaths in a dwelling, a pit and a garbage can, utilizing cadavers from STAFS. The exercise included three identical dwelling scenes, with one distinct difference -- the weapon used on the victim. Fire investigators were able to observe the scene prior to the fire and investigate the scene and causes afterward, reporting their findings at a final presentation.

“There is intrinsic information you get by going out and observing what happens,” said Dr. Joan Bytheway, Director of STAFS, one of only six body farms in the U.S. “It is going to change a lot of preconceived ideas about fire death investigations.”

The training was prompted by a 2011 report by the Texas Forensic Science Commission (TFSC) on two arson cases, which resulted in death penalty convictions for Ernest Willis and Cameron Todd Willingham in two separate cases in 1986 and 1992. Both cases were based on similar assumptions, findings and conclusions by state and local arson investigators who concluded that each man had set fire to houses and killed occupants. However, Willis’ case was dismissed in 2004; Willingham was executed that same year.

The TFSC found that the two cases highlight “gaps in understanding” between fire scientists and fire investigators and stressed the need to use the scientific method in investigating fire death cases.

As a result the CCFAIA partnered with various universities – most recently Sam Houston State University – to provide ongoing training class for state fire officials. The group plans to return to STAFS in Sept. 2016 to provide even broader research opportunities for fire marshals and investigators.

“We created scenarios from beginning to end, and we got to see what happened,” Seddig said. “It was a level of reality a lot of them had never dealt with before. They learned what to expect and how to approach it.”
Individuals in the class received credit for participation from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement since most fire investigators are licensed peace officers. The training was funded in part by the Texas Forensic Science Commission. See photos from the training on our Flickr page.

The newest criminal justice organization at the College of Criminal Justice is an elite chapter for masters’ students in homeland security studies pursuing careers in homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, and protective services.

The inaugural members of the Sam Houston State University (SHSU) Chapter of the Order of the Sword and Shield National Honor Society (Omikron, Sigma, Sigma) were inducted into the organization at a special ceremony in October. Founded in 2010, the Order of the Sword and Shield is the only national academic and professional honor society dedicated to the Homeland Security Enterprise.

“Not only will it be very beneficial for the students, but for the College and community as well,” said SHSU Chapter President Josh Marreel. “We will participate in community involvement projects, and it will help our security studies program to become nationally known.”

The society promotes critical thinking, high scholarship, and professional development; further enhances ethical standards of security professionals; and cultivates a high order of personal standards. It also prepares communities for emergency situations, providing informational events annually.

To become a member of the Order of the Sword and Shield National Honor Society at SHSU, students must have completed 50% of the credits toward their graduate degree, maintain a 3.5 average, and demonstrate leadership competence. The inaugural group inducted 14 members into the OSS, including three online students. In addition to masters’ students, the group is encouraging Security Studies alumni to join the professional track of the OSS and hopes to expand its reach to undergraduate students when a bachelor’s degree is launched in the future.

The SHSU chapter of the OSS initiated with the help of Dr. Magdalena Denham, its Coordinator, was able to raise $1,000 in a matter of weeks through a GoFundMe campaign launched by the executive student leadership of the OSS; the students’ self-funding of the inaugural event was possible because of generous contributions of the supporters.

“We are starting to lay the foundation for future members of the organization,” said Ivan Ayo, Secretary of the chapter. “We are here to be involved in the program. The criminal justice program is big, and we want to make the Security Studies program just as big.”

The group hopes to begin community service projects in the Spring, which may include hosting well-known speakers or teaching emergency management skills to children in the Huntsville school system. They also plan to contribute to the College’s new scholarship honoring the life of Deputy Darren Goforth, who was viciously murdered while pumping gas into his patrol car while on duty.

“Our motto is ‘Out of Knowledge Comes Peace’, said Benzon Koshy-John, Vice President of the Organization.

The four core values of the new Honor Society are Ethics, Excellence, Knowledge, and Peace. Honor Societies evolved from secret Honor Societies such as the oldest Honor Society in the New World, Phi Beta Kappa founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. “Whilst our students are no longer under the pressures to illuminate clandestinely, their mission, just like among the Honor Societies of the past, remains that of liberation,” said Dr. Denham, the Chapter Coordinator. “Liberation from corruption to Ethics, from mediocrity to Excellence, from ignorance to Knowledge, and ultimately from conflict to Peace.”

The honored guest at the induction ceremony, General Miroslaw Schossler, the Vice-Commander in Chief of the Polish National Police, addressed the inductees and encouraged them to use the Shield to protect the vulnerable, to shield communities from harm, and to safeguard core social justice values. He told the students to reserve the sword only for those moments when the vulnerable, the communities, and the social justice values are in an imminent peril. Several other members of a delegation from the Polish National Police were in attendance, as was Dr. Phillip Lyons, Dean of the College.

The Honor Society of the Sword and Shield (Omikron Sigma Sigma) joins the other nine student organizations currently active at the College of Criminal Justice, including Alpha Phi Sigma, the Crime Victim Services Alliance, the Graduate Student Organization, Kats for CASA, Lambda Alpha Epsilon, the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, the National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice, Phi Alpha Delta, and the Society of Forensic Science.

Mothers who separate from their abusive partners are four times more likely to report threats to take or to harm their children than those who stay in the relationship, a study by Sam Houston State University found.

“In “Indirect Abuse Involving Children During the Separation Process” Dr. Brittany Hayes, Assistant Professor at the College of Criminal Justice, said that victims of intimate partner violence continue to suffer from abuse after separation, but few recognize the indirect abuse of children during the process.

“When we look at the separation process, we know that women are at an increased risk of violence and sexual assault,” said Hayes. “But we need to keep an eye out for other forms of abusive behavior that are not as obvious.”

The study is based on 339 abused mothers from the Chicago Women Health Risk Study, which surveyed over 700 women who used health care services at a Chicago area clinic over a 10-month period. According to the study, nearly one-quarter of abusers threatened to take the children away from their mothers, whereas 8 percent threatened to harm the children. Threats against the children are attempts to further control further the victim, even after the abusive relationship has ended, the study found.

Although separation may provide additional avenues for abused women in the legal process, it may lead to new avenues of exploitation through child custody issues. Courts rely on “the best interest of the child” standards, which recommends joint custody unless there is evidence of child abuse. The current system makes it hard to balance the safety of the abused victim with the custody and visitation rights of the father.

Therefore, the study suggests it is important for child custody workers to screen for child abuse beyond physical violence, as controlling behaviors may pre-date the separation and have been found to be a causative factor in victimization. Behaviors that child custody workers should screen for include the abuser encouraging negative beliefs among the children, undermining the mother’s authority, or using the children to frighten the mother. The study also recommends the creation of Family Justice Centers that can be used for supervised visits or safe exchanges of children in cases involving intimate partner violence. Family Justice Centers also can provide resources for the victims of abuse, including talking to an advocate, filing police reports, meeting with the prosecutor, creating a safety plan, obtaining medical assistance and getting information on housing or public assistance.

“There is still much work that needs to be done on improving services for those involved in a child custody case where there is a history of intimate partner violence,” Dr. Hayes said.

The study was published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and can be found at http://jiv.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/07/24/0886260515596533.full

Alicia Jurek, a first year Ph.D. student at the College of Criminal Justice, was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Paper for 2015 by the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association.

Jurek’s paper, “Police Agency Response to Human Trafficking,” is an empirical assessment of the creation of specialized human trafficking units in American police departments. Based on a national random sample of 300 agencies with 100 or more employees, Jurek found 13.7 percent of these agencies have adopted specialized units to address human trafficking.

According to various estimates, there are 5,166 to 60,476 victims of human trafficking in the U.S. This estimate includes American citizens as well those who are brought into the U.S. for the purposes of labor and sex trafficking. Both groups face a range of traumas, including physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, social restrictions, economic exploitation, and health problems. There are an estimated 18.7 million human trafficking victims worldwide.

“Alicia’s paper was the culmination of hundreds of hours of work,” said Dr. William King, Associate Dean of Research and Program Development for the College of Criminal Justice. “She doggedly assembled data from her own surveys and from secondary sources to address the issue of how human trafficking is addressed by local police agencies in the U.S. Her findings have advanced. . . knowledge on this topic.”

Jurek’s study was based on organizational theory, including how changes in the organizational environment and how well females were represented in the department influenced the creation of human trafficking units. Jurek would like to continue to explore the issues of human trafficking as well as police organizational responses to special victims, such as sexual violence, human trafficking and violence against women.

The Midwestern Criminal Justice Association is a regional organization affiliated with the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Its purpose is to foster communication and collaboration among criminal justice researchers, academics, and practitioners. Members of the association include representatives from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Canadian Provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Wed, Nov 18, 2015
2:00 pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

Alumnus Jesse J. Williams II helps root out dangerous criminal aliens for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas.

As Assistant Field Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) at the San Antonio Field Office, Williams oversees three programs in the Austin, Del Rio and Waco areas, which target fugitives, criminal aliens and violent criminal aliens. He also is supervisor of the Special Response Team for the region, which is a special unit trained to serve high-risk warrants under hazardous conditions, escort dangerous criminal aliens who have been ordered to be removed, and assist local law enforcement agencies during critical incidents.

The mission of ERO is to identify, arrest and remove aliens who pose a threat to national security or public safety by entering the U.S. illegally. The office is charged with enforcing immigration laws in a fair and effective manner and focuses their efforts on convicted criminals, fugitives, those who pose a threat to national security, and recent entrants. They also manage illegal aliens in custody, provide access to legal resources and advocacy groups, and remove individuals who have been ordered to be deported.

Williams supervises the Fugitive Operations Unit, which targets fugitive aliens convicted of crimes or those who reenter the U.S. after being deported; the Criminal Alien Program, which works to identify and process criminal aliens at large or in federal, state and local jails and prisons; and the Violent Criminal Alien Section, which screens for repeat alien offenders and targets them with criminal prosecution by U.S. Attorneys.

Before becoming Assistant Director, Williams was the Unit Chief for the 287(g) programs, which partners with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and remove criminal aliens. He also served in the Washington Field Office in several capacities and in the Secure Communities Program, which utilizes technology to share information between law enforcement agencies in an effort to assist local communities in removing high-risk criminal aliens. He also was a supervisory detention and deportation officer and served as a senior special agent in Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D. C.

Williams, who earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University and his Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from Boston University, began his career as a Border Patrol Agent in the San Diego section before serving as a State Trooper with the California Highway Patrol in the El Cajon office.

New Board Member

Dr. Melina Tasca elected to national corrections board at ASC.

Dr. Melinda Tasca of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology was recently elected as a member of the distinguished American Society of Criminology Division of Corrections and Sentencing Executive Board.

“Not only does this accomplishment demonstrate Dr. Tasca’s dedication to professional service outside of the University, it denotes her growing reputation across the country as a recognized corrections scholar,” said Dr. Gaylene Armstrong, Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University.

Dr. Tasca will serve as the Secretary/Treasurer of the board. The Division of Corrections and Sentencing was established in 1999 to facilitate and encourage research on juvenile and adult corrections; to disseminate research to ASC members, practitioners, funding agencies, policy-making board, corrections and sentencing organizations and other relevant entities; to help form collaborative research groups within common areas of study; and to promote corrections and sentencing related sessions for ASC.

“As a junior faculty member, I am honored to be able to serve the DCS,” said Dr. Tasca. “I value service and want to promote and support the important work being done in the area of corrections and sentencing.”

The other board members are Chair Natasha Frost, Northeastern University; Vice Chair Shelley Listwan, University of North Carolina; and Executive Counselors Sara Wakefield, Rutgers University, Kevin Wright, Arizona State University and Ben Steiner, University of Nebraska.

Dr. Tasca’s research centers on correctional policy, the consequences of incarceration, as well as race/ethnicity, gender and crime. Her recent work has appeared in Criminal Justice and Behavior, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. As reflected in her scholarly work, Dr. Tasca has expertise in mixed methods as well as extensive experience studying vulnerable family systems. Currently, she is co-principal investigator of the Arizona Prison Visitation Project (APVP), a mixed-method study aimed at advancing knowledge on prison visitation and its effects on recidivism, misconduct, and self-harm. Dr. Tasca's work has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and Sam Houston State University's Enhancement Research Grant Program.

Dr. Lisa Muftić was recently appointed as Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University.
She will work closely with current Department Chair, Dr. Gaylene Armstrong, on developing new initiatives that will expand the educational opportunities for the more than 3,000 undergraduate majors in that department.

“This unique combination of research and teaching interests makes Dr. Muftić the ideal faculty member to assist in overseeing our undergraduate programs – both the Criminal Justice degree and the rapidly expanding Victim Studies degree,” said Dr. Armstrong.

“I’m thrilled to take on this new role,” said Dr. Muftić. “It’s very exciting to see the growth in our undergraduate programs, and I’m looking forward to helping shape the academic opportunities that our students have in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology.”

Among the Department’s undergraduate initiatives, Dr. Muftić will focus on increasing the Department’s involvement with the Honors College, which attracts highly competitive students and creates a stimulating intellectual environment on campus. She also plans to further expand the department’s involvement with McNair Scholars, a program which prepares talented, low-income, ethnic minority students for the pursuit of doctoral degrees. Dr. Muftić has a special affinity for first generation students.

“On a more personal level, I identify with the students at SHSU,” Dr. Muftic said. “Like many of our students, I too was the first in my family to graduate from college. I understand the unique challenges this poses. As such, I’m especially looking forward to working with programs on campus - the Honors College, McNair Scholars, First Year Experience - that provide resources to help meet the distinctive needs of our student population.”

Dr. Muftić's teaching and research expertise spans both Criminal Justice and Criminology as well as Victim Studies. Her work explores the intersectionality of interpersonal violence perpetration, victimization, sex, and justice responses. Relatedly, she has extensive experience in the areas of violence against women, human trafficking, and international criminal justice issues, with special expertise regarding the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dr. Muftić’s research was recently recognized by the American Society of Criminology Division of Victimology when they named her the 2015 Research Award recipient.

“This distinguished award serves to further underscore Dr. Muftic’s national reputation as an expert in her field” noted Dr. Armstrong. “We are fortunate to have her on our faculty.”

During the 2012-2013 academic year, Dr. Muftić was appointed the United States J. William Fulbright Scholar to Bosnia and Herzegovina where she was a visiting faculty member with the Faculty of Criminal Justice Sciences, Criminology and Security Studies at the University of Sarajevo. She has conducted field work in Bosnia and Herzegovina related to intimate partner violence, law enforcement responses to human trafficking in the region, and the impact reformation efforts have had on police attitudes and behaviors. Dr. Muftić recently co-authored her first book, Victimology, with Dr. Leah E. Daigle, and she has published scholarly works in well-respected refereed journals including Justice Quarterly, Crime & Delinquency, and the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency.

Security Plan

Homeland Security students provide a security plan for local juvenile justice program.

A Security Studies class at Sam Houston State University will develop security plans for the Gulf Coast Trades Center, a Walker County facility which provides education and training in vocational skills for at-risk youth from the juvenile justice system.

The residential program, located outside New Waverly, operates as an open campus, which stresses coaching and teaching rather than controlling and punishing youth to attain positive development and long-term behavioral change. Students in the program can finish high school or attain their Graduate Equivalency Diploma through the Raven School and learn a trade in automotive, building maintenance, bricklaying and masonry, business information systems, or culinary arts.

“We are excited to have Dr. Dozier and his students take a look at security related issues at Gulf Coast Trades Center,” said Tony D’Cunha, Assistant Director of Gulf Coast Trade Center. “It never hurts to have fresh eyes looking at us, and in this regard, I am looking forward to reviewing the findings and recommendations of this study.”

The Security Studies class project is part of the Academic Community Engagement program at Sam Houston State University, where college students combine community service with lessons learned in the classroom. The project will be conducted by Dr. Jim Dozier’s graduate level class in Security and Management.

“It’s nice that we just don’t read stuff that comes out of a book, but we now get to go out in the field and make something out of what we are learning,” said Spencer Copeland, a graduate student.
Ileana Bolanos is looking forward to applying the knowledge she has gained in the Master of Science in Homeland Security program. “It gives us hands-on experience,” she said.

Gulf Coast Regional Trade Center has a large campus composed of portable trailers, classrooms, and dormitories and is located in Sam Houston National Forest. The campus provides challenges in securing students on site while avoiding threats from outside sources.

Providing a security assessment for a non-profit organization would force us to think outside the box, because of their very limited resources,” said Ezequiel Mendez, another master’s student. “However, because students are learning trades like carpentry that will make them productive members of society, we can also have them use their skills to make their campus safer.”

Andrew Robinson also said the philosophy of rehabilitation also provide a unique opportunity to develop plans that keep students and the campus safe. “We want to avoid any physical labels because these are good students,” he said.

Mendez praised the Security Studies program for providing outside practical experience for college students to include on their resumes

“I think this is a project that speaks well for the program,” said Mendez. “We have several opportunities to do things like this. These opportunities make us more employable because not only do you need the degree, but you also need experience.”

Previous ACE projects in Security Studies included creating safety plan for a community for developmentally disabled adults as well as certifying students as Citizen Emergency Response Team members for the Huntsville community.

To help develop a security plan, the class met with Terry K. King from Securadyne Systems, a business that develops security solutions for the oil and gas industry, federal and municipal services, health care, electric utilities, education and pharmaceutical and life sciences customers. King discussed the process they use to address security in various settings.

“He told us how his business works, step-by-step,” said Jennifer Miranda, another student. “You have to think ahead of time about what you will be looking at and what you need to address,” said Miranda.

Incarcerated Mothers Impact

Dr. Lisa Muftić investigates the connection between incarcerated mothers and links to children's future criminal behavior.

Children of incarcerated mothers are twice as likely to be arrested, convicted and incarcerated as adults, according to a study by Sam Houston State University scholars.

"Impact of Maternal Incarceration on the Criminal Justice Involvement of Adult Offspring: A Research Note,” by Drs. Lisa Muftić, Leana Bouffard and Gaylene S. Armstrong of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, found a significant link between incarcerated mothers and children who are imprisoned as adults, even after considering common correlates of criminal behavior.

The findings are based on the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a 20-year study that follows a nationally representative sample of youth who were in 7th to 12th grades in 1994-95. The survey, conducted in four waves, includes data on social, economic, psychological, and physical well-being, as well as information on the family, neighborhood, community, school, friendships, peer groups, and romantic relationships, to see how behavior and environment are linked to health and achievement outcomes.

“The current findings serve to bolster the contentions regarding the unintended consequences of maternal incarceration that include collateral damage to the children these women are forced to leave behind during imprisonment,” said Dr. Muftić. “Specifically, this study provides updated analyses that focus on a more recent time period when maternal incarceration impacts a larger proportion of youth.”

Although women only comprise 7 percent of the overall prison population, growth in the rate of incarceration for females is outpacing that of males males, with a 64 percent growth in commitments to prison between 1991 and 2011 for women, compared to 22 percent for men. The rise in incarceration rates for women are the result of determinant sentencing policies, such as sentencing guidelines, mandatory minimum sentencing, enhanced sentences for certain crimes, and the War on Drugs.

Two-thirds of women in prison are mothers and generally have greater responsibility in child-rearing than incarcerated fathers. Children with incarcerated mothers are more likely to live with relatives away from home, which increases the risk of attachment disruptions, separation anxiety, depression, preoccupation with the loss of a parent, and sadness, according to existing research. Compounding this problem is that fathers may also be in prison, the study found.

Based on the Add Health survey, this study compared adult children whose mothers had been incarcerated to those whose mothers had not been in prison or jail. Among the adult children of incarcerated mothers, participants were three times more likely to report their mother’s absence and half as likely to be a college graduate. The sample also measured factors that correlate with criminal behavior, including self-control, delinquency, peer delinquency and parental supervision.

“The absence of mothers significantly increases the likelihood that offspring are actively involved in the criminal justice system in the future,” said Dr. Bouffard. “Maternal incarceration, above and beyond maternal absence, demonstrated a unique impact on offspring that may be due to the offspring’s extended displacement from the home, increased attachment disruption or other negative psychosocial effects.”

The study was published in the
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency.