American Corrections in Brief

About Carolyn PetrosinoGeorge ColeMichael ReisigTodd Clear

Carolyn Petrosino is Professor of Criminal Justice and Founding Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. She received her Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1993. Prior to beginning her teaching career she held various positions in the corrections system of the State of New Jersey. Her publications include journal articles and book chapters on such topics as hate crimes juvenile delinquency sexual offenders and parole decision-making. She has published in Crime and Delinquency Journal of Social Issues Journal of Criminal Justice Police Quarterly and Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. Dr. Petrosino's forthcoming book is UNDERSTANDING HATE CRIMES: ACTS MOTIVES OFFENDERS VICTIMS AND JUSTICE (Routledge). Dr. Todd R. Clear is university professor of criminal law at Rutgers University in Newark New Jersey. He is currently involved in studies examining the effects of incarceration the criminological implications of place and the concept of community justice. A prolific author Dr. Clear has written on topics of correctional classification prediction methods in correctional programming community-based correctional methods intermediate sanctions and sentencing policy. He has served as president of several professional organizations including the American Society of Criminology and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Dr. Clear has served as a programming and policy consultant to public agencies in more than 40 states and five nations. In addition his work has been recognized with prestigious awards from the American Society of Criminology the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences The Rockefeller School of Public Policy the American Probation and Parole Association and the International Community Corrections Association. Dr. Clear has written 13 books addressing various aspects of the justice system including three books on community justice and a book on mass incarceration. The late George F. Cole was professor emeritus of political science at the University of Connecticut. He was recognized for outstanding teaching and research and in 1995 was named a fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. A specialist in the administration of criminal justice Dr. Cole published extensively on such topics as prosecution courts and corrections. He also developed and directed the graduate corrections program at the University of Connecticut and was a fellow at the National Institute of Justice (1988). Among his other accomplishments Dr. Cole was granted two awards under the Fulbright-Hays Program to conduct criminal justice research in England and the former Yugoslavia. Dr. Michael Reisig is professor of criminology and criminal justice at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. from Washington State University. Previous to joining Arizona State University he served on the faculty of Michigan State University and Florida State University. Dr. Reisig's corrections research has appeared in several leading criminology journals including Criminology Crime and Delinquency Justice Quarterly and Punishment and Society.