I use a critical theoretical perspective to analyze racial and ethnic injustice, social inequality, harsh punishment, and public punitiveness, for adults and children, in criminal justice contexts as well as educational institutions. My scholarship is motivated by concerns about the disparate treatment of suspected criminals and delinquents, particularly among persons of color, and the extent to which students are criminalized through discipline that feeds the school-to-prison pipeline. My research demonstrates the need to implement policies to reduce racial and ethnic profiling (and the stereotypes that fuel it) and to reform social control policies that exacerbate inequality.
Research Interests:
- Racial and ethnic criminal stereotypes
- Racial and ethnic disparities in school punishment and student discipline
- School-to-prison pipeline
- Minority threat theory
- Public punitiveness