The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is one of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ 10 interdisciplinary departments and programs, all committed to investigating and improving the human condition. www.bsos.umd.edu
DEPARTMENT OF
Criminology & Criminal Justice
AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES BE EMPOWERED ANTHROPOLOGY BE CULTURAL CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE BE JUST ECONOMICS BE EFFICIENT GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES BE GLOBAL GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BE CIVIL HEARING & SPEECH SCIENCES BE HEARD JOINT PROGRAM IN SURVEY METHODOLOGY BE COUNTED PSYCHOLOGY BE UNDERSTOOD SOCIOLOGY BE SOCIAL
Criminology & Criminal Justice at Maryland >> In the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the
B E J UST
University of Maryland, we’re discovering new knowledge about what drives people to commit crimes and how they can be stopped. Working with police, correctional programs, courts and all levels of government, we’re developing strategies to lower crime rates across our country, and to make the system more fair. We’re inspiring Maryland pride by working to correct injustices throughout the state. We are turning imagination into innovation by getting dangerous weapons off our streets through partnerships with leading research organizations such as the National Institute of Justice. We’re transforming the student experience by leveraging our location near the heart of the nation’s justice system to give students unmatched access to internship, research and career opportunities.
2220 SAMUEL J. LEFRAK HALL 7251 PREINKERT DR. COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742 WWW.CCJS.UMD.EDU P 301.405.4699 / F 301.405.4733 ccjs-admin@umd.edu
Research in Action
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Our faculty, students, partners and alumni focus their work in five main areas: »» Crime and Justice Decision Making »» Crime Control and Prevention »» Juvenile Delinquency
“ An education in the behavioral and social sciences taught me how to research issues, and how to make informed decisions, prepare for challenging assignments, and use my composure to my advantage. ”
»» Life-Course Criminology
Faculty Research Highlights
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What is the role of a defendant’s physical appearance on criminal punishment? BRIAN D. JOHNSON is examining inequalities in criminal sentencing that are associated with the physical appearance of convicted offenders. Using booking photos for a large sample of convicted
THOMAS MANGER, CCJS ’76 Chief of Police, Montgomery County, Maryland
»» Violence
offenders, he investigates the impact that defendant skin tone—and other physical qualities like attractiveness, visible
go.umd.edu/CCJSResearch
scars and tattoos—exert on sentence severity in criminal courts. This
THROUGH OUR WORK, WE ARE GUIDING THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT —NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY—TO DEVELOP POLICIES THAT
research sheds new light on racial disparities in the justice system and on social inequities in punishment that are tied to physical appearance.
prevent and control delinquency, crime and terrorism.
Innovative Centers & Projects
Academic Offerings
»» NSF project on smartphone use and cybercrime
malfeasance and whether, when companies are caught for illegal activ-
»» Rochester Youth Development Project
ities and are subject to negative publicity, they respond by diversifying
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Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice faculty and students
nology is that gender is strongly predictive of
are actively engaged in a wide range of publicly and privately funded
criminal participation; males are significantly
research projects, which examine pressing social issues. These include:
more likely to participate in most types of crime
»» Center for the Study of Business Ethics, Regulation and Crime
than are females, including corporate offending.
»» Maryland Data Analysis Center
SALLY SIMPSON extends this research to assess
»» National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and
whether gender and race diversity in corporate boards of directors and top management lowers the risk of corporate
Responses to Terrorism >>
UNDERGRADUATE OFFERINGS
Bachelor of Arts
their boards and top management teams. This research is of practical
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urgency given the extensive financial and other costs borne by crime victims and society as a whole, and will lead to a better understanding
go.umd.edu/CCJSUndergraduate GRADUATE OFFERINGS
Master of Arts Joint Traditional Master of Arts/Juris Doctorate Professional Master of Arts in China Professional Master of Arts in Vietnam Doctor of Philosophy go.umd.edu/CCJSGraduate
CCJS Points of Pride OUR AWARD-WINNING FACULTY ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS, ARE ASKED TO PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, AND FREQUENTLY ADVISE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON MATTERS PERTAINING TO CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
of successful ways to prevent and deter corporate crime. >>
#1
OUR GRADUATE PROGRAM IS CONSISTENTLY RANKED #1 IN THE NATION BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT.
“It’s cool to read cutting-edge research and theories for class and realize the author is a UMD professor! The staff is also approachable and eager to help with homework, recommendations, or career planning.” OLIVIA PETTINGILL, CCJS ’17 Intern, Supreme Court of the United States Police; International Studies Representative, College Park Scholars Student Advisory Board
One of the most consistent findings in crimi-
Why do Hispanics living in newer settlement areas experience higher risks of violent victimization than those living in traditional settlement areas? MIN XIE examines how differences in the labor market, marriage market and other community institutions between new and traditional settlement areas are related to Hispanics’ risk of violent victimization. To do this, she relies on restricted-use data from the National Crime Victimization Survey at the United States Census Bureau Headquarters to collect information on geographic variation in crime. This research will lead to a better understanding of what the local community can do to help prevent violent victimization.
OUR CONNECTIONS WITH LOCAL AND FEDERAL INSTITUTES AND ORGANIZATIONS—AND OUR PROXIMITY TO D.C.—ALLOW FOR EXCEPTIONAL INTERNSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
STUDENTS WORK WITH FACULTY ON CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH PROJECTS.
IN ADDITION TO OUR COLLEGE PARK PROGRAMS, CCJS OFFERS AN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN SHADY GROVE, MD.
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS OFFER LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES.
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