November 1999
Crime & punishment
UC Irvine's Department of Criminology, Law and Society in the School of Social Ecology ranks among the top criminology and criminal justice programs in the nation. The following researchers are available as sources for reporters writing about issues related to crime. Here's a sampling of what UCI experts are working on.
Youth crime, wrongful conviction and public policy
Ronald Huff, dean of the UCI School of Social Ecology and president-elect of the American Society of Criminology, is a nationally recognized authority on youth crime, gang violence, wrongful conviction and other criminal justice policy issues. He has advised the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies on crime and public policy. Huff recently completed a National Institute of Justice-funded study of the criminal behavior of gang members.
Diverting delinquents
Arnold Binder, professor emeritus of criminology, law and society, has studied juvenile crime and delinquency for more than 25 years. He is founder of an Orange County police diversion program that provides shelter, counseling, parenting classes and other services for high-risk youths. Binder also has conducted considerable research on police culture, including racial issues and use of deadly force.
Tracking gangs in Orange County
James Meeker, professor of criminology, law and society and associate dean of students for the School of Social Ecology, is director of Orange County's Gang Incident Tracking System, a collaboration of UCI researchers and local law enforcement that studies trends in street violence. Meeker also has investigated legal needs of the poor and is looking at nontraditional approaches to prosecution in drug enforcement and organized crime cases.
Best way to rob S&L is to own one
Kitty Calavita, professor of criminology, law and society, is the author, with colleague Henry Pontell, of "Big Money Crime: Fraud and Politics in the Savings and Loan Crisis." Their study of white-collar crime in the savings and loan industry analyzes massive insider fraud as well media and government roles in one of the 20th century's greatest financial disasters.
Financial fraud goes global
Henry Pontell, professor and chair of criminology, law and society and professor of social sciences, found in a recent study of global crimes that the technology and economic liberalization that make possible international finance also propagate international fraud. He is a leading expert on white-collar crime--particularly corporate crime, crime in financial institutions and international financial fraud. Pontell also has written about the savings-and-loan scandals of the 1980s and, more recently, about the role of fraud in the Orange County bankruptcy. His research interests also include prison and jail overcrowding and social deviance.
Exposing white-collar/white-coat crime
Paul Jesilow, associate professor of criminology, law and society, is lead author--with colleagues Gilbert Geis and Henry Pontell--of "Prescription for Profit: How Doctors Defraud Medicaid." In a federally funded study of the health care enforcement system, the UCI researchers examined factors that promote medical insurance fraud as well as physicians' explanations for their crimes. Though Jesilow is best known for his studies of white-collar crime, his current research focuses on community policing.
Miscarriage of justice in high-profile crimes
Gilbert Geis, professor emeritus of criminology, law and society, has examined miscarriage of justice in such sensational "Crimes of the Century" as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the Alger Hiss case, and is an expert on criminal behavior and white-collar crime. His wide-ranging research interests include Portuguese prostitutes, witches in literature and Good Samaritans who intervene in crimes. Geis also has studied compensation for crime victims, rewards for informers, consumer fraud, private prisons and parental responsibility in juvenile crime.
Hate crimes--old biases find new victims
Valerie Jenness, associate professor of criminology, law and society and of sociology, takes a new look at an old problem--crimes against the "other," or hate crimes. In her research on hate crimes and hate crime law, Jenness examines how social activists, legislators and judges decide who will be recognized as a victim of hate crimes and who will remain invisible--why, for example, as others increasingly are recognized as victims of hate crime, such groups as union members, the elderly and children are not. In addition to two books on hate crime, she also has written extensively on the politics of prostitution and civil liberties issues.
More crime, less justice for developmentally disabled
Joan Petersilia, professor of criminology, law and society, focuses primarily on policing, sentencing, career criminals and corrections. In a study of people with developmental disabilities in the justice system, she's found they are more likely than others to be victims as well as offenders--and less likely to receive justice. Petersilia also has studied the effectiveness of probation and parole, and has evaluated such community corrections programs as fines, electronic monitoring, work release and drug treatment--particularly as they impact public safety, costs and recidivism.
Investigating crime, interrogating witnesses
Richard Leo, assistant professor of criminology, law and society and of psychology and social behavior, is an internationally recognized authority on police interrogation practices, false confessions and miscarriages of justice. His research interests include criminal investigations, prosecutorial misconduct and the death penalty. Leo is completing a book on the sociology and history of 20th-century American police-interrogation practices. He also is writing a book on social psychological causes and legal consequences of police-induced false confessions.
(Mis)using DNA tests in court
William Thompson, professor of criminology, law and society, is a nationally recognized expert on the use of genetic evidence in court. He has raised concerns about procedures used to interpret forensic DNA tests. To avoid possible misinterpretation of the tests, he recommends more extensive validation, rigorous standards and careful expert testimony about results. Thompson, who is an attorney, was a member of O.J. Simpson's defense team. Trained in psychology as well, he is interested in jurors' ability to evaluate scientific and statistical data. Thompson's research focuses on the use of forensic DNA tests and other mathematical and scientific evidence in jury trials. He also has studied the use in trials of hearsay and character evidence and the testimony of children.
Other crime investigators ...
Robert Beck, assistant professor of education, has conducted a study focusing on teen peer courts, an innovative national trend in juvenile justice that emphasizes prevention over punishment ... Kenneth Chew and Richard McCleary, professors of environmental design and analysis, have identified age-related risk factors that could lead to more effective prevention of child homicides ... John Dombrink, professor of criminology, law and society, is examining implications of legalizing assisted suicide in a new study of Oregon's Death With Dignity Act.
Contact: Karen Morris, (949) 824-7913, [email protected]
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