REU Site: Disparities in the Criminal Justice System

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

The project is jointly funded by the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). It has both scientific and societal benefits and integrates research with education. The REU in the study of Disparities in the Criminal Justice System (DCJS) at the University of South Carolina brings together an academically gifted and diverse group of students to work on innovative projects with graduate students and faculty to learn the research process and produce publishable products from the findings. The projects focus on how race/ethnicity, class, and gender shape the involvement of juveniles or adults in criminal offending, and how these factors are connected to decisions made within the criminal justice system, including the implementation of policies meant to address crime. They also examine how and why these disparities are occurring and the impact on individuals, families, and communities. Given the small percentage of minority students currently pursuing graduate degrees and entering the criminology field, increasing the diversity of students in academe adds new perspectives to research and contributes to the types of research questions being asked in the discipline. The knowledge and skills acquired from the research experience is beneficial both for students considering graduate school and those who plan to become lawyers, practitioners, and policymakers. The DCJS-REU site provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to learn about research in their field of interest, develop their academic and research skills, and expose them to the possibility of pursuing a graduate degree. The team-based structure of the program, as well as the planned academic and social activities, are designed to foster long-term working relationships between faculty and students. The main objective of this REU site is to provide program participants with opportunities to ask compelling research questions and recognize how studies can inform our understanding of crime and criminal justice system policies. The five explicit aims are: (1) to target for participation underrepresented undergraduate students; (2) to expose students to the research process through mentoring from faculty; (3) to offer students opportunities to learn how to disseminate research findings; (4) to enhance learning and skill development through discipline-specific training, university workshops, and interactions with criminal justice professionals; and (5) to successfully prepare students to apply to and attend graduate programs in criminology/criminal justice or related fields. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.