Restrictions on Feeding the Homeless in American Cities (with Robert J. Norris - Appalachian State University)
In recent years, dozens of cities in the United States have taken action to criminalize feeding the homeless. This research examines these policies in several contexts. Specifically, we argue that these policies constitute acts of state harm and have important consequences for the homeless, their advocates, and state power. Future research within this topic will explore the experiences of those who have faced sanctions for feeding the homeless, as well as the experiences of state actors who enforce such policies.
Religious Individuals' Views of Registered Sex Offenders (with Brooke Long & Fritz Yarrison - Kent State University)
There is perhaps no other class of criminal more stigmatized than registered sex offenders. This project explores the role of religion and sex offender reentry. We use a large dataset collected by Kent State's Survey Research Lab to examine several issues related to public attitudes towards sex offenders attending places of worship, as well as how religious views affect support for sex offender housing policies. This research will be presented at the 2016 meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society as well as the 2016 meeting of the North Central Sociological Association.
Citizen's Attitudes Towards Sex Offender Housing (with Kelly M. Socia and Jason Rydberg - UMass Lowell)
One of the most difficult challenges that sex offenders face is finding affordable housing. When they are unable to secure housing on their own, local government may place them in emergency shelter situations (such as motels/hotels) used by other homeless populations who are less stigmatized (e.g. families with children, the disabled). Many such shelters suffer from poor living conditions that may endanger the residents. This project uses an experimental design to examine how citizen support for fixing emergency shelter conditions is affected by the shelter's population. This research was presented at the 2015 meeting of the American Society of Criminology.
In recent years, dozens of cities in the United States have taken action to criminalize feeding the homeless. This research examines these policies in several contexts. Specifically, we argue that these policies constitute acts of state harm and have important consequences for the homeless, their advocates, and state power. Future research within this topic will explore the experiences of those who have faced sanctions for feeding the homeless, as well as the experiences of state actors who enforce such policies.
Religious Individuals' Views of Registered Sex Offenders (with Brooke Long & Fritz Yarrison - Kent State University)
There is perhaps no other class of criminal more stigmatized than registered sex offenders. This project explores the role of religion and sex offender reentry. We use a large dataset collected by Kent State's Survey Research Lab to examine several issues related to public attitudes towards sex offenders attending places of worship, as well as how religious views affect support for sex offender housing policies. This research will be presented at the 2016 meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society as well as the 2016 meeting of the North Central Sociological Association.
Citizen's Attitudes Towards Sex Offender Housing (with Kelly M. Socia and Jason Rydberg - UMass Lowell)
One of the most difficult challenges that sex offenders face is finding affordable housing. When they are unable to secure housing on their own, local government may place them in emergency shelter situations (such as motels/hotels) used by other homeless populations who are less stigmatized (e.g. families with children, the disabled). Many such shelters suffer from poor living conditions that may endanger the residents. This project uses an experimental design to examine how citizen support for fixing emergency shelter conditions is affected by the shelter's population. This research was presented at the 2015 meeting of the American Society of Criminology.