About Us

The Crime and Justice Research Unit (CJRU) of the Social Science Research Center of Mississippi State University was established in 1994 as a joint effort by faculty in the Department of Sociology and Social Sciences Research Center at MSU. Since then, the Unit has become a collaborative effort between those departments and the Legal Studies Department at the University of Mississippi. Our primary objectives are (1) to promote criminological and criminal justice research by Mississippi faculty and students and (2) assist the state of Mississippi by providing timely research around criminological topics to assist in policy- and decision-making throughout the state.  The unit also aims to create opportunities for students to engage in collaborative research projects.

Our Researchers

Robertson_Angela_20230405_M6B2028~aar7

 Dr. Angela Robertson

Associate Director of SSRC
Coordinator of CJRU
Research Professor

Boateng_Square

Dr. Francis Boateng

Assistant Professor
Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
University of Mississippi

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Amanda Cook</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Assistant Professor</strong></p>

Dr. Amanda Cook

Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
Mississippi State University - Meridian

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Sheena Gardner</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Post-Doctoral Research Fellow</strong></p>

Dr. Sheena Gardner

Assistant Research Professor
Social Science Research Center
Mississippi State University

GOLIATH1

Dr. Jesse Goliath

Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures
Mississippi State University

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Stacy Haynes</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Associate Professor</strong></p>

Dr. Stacy Haynes

Professor
Department of Sociology
Research Fellow - SSRC

Jennings_square

Dr. Wesley Jennings

Gillespie Distinguished Scholar, Chair, & Professor
Department of Criminal Justice &Legal Studies
University of Mississippi

Johnson_cropped2

Dr. Kecia Johnson

Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
Mississippi State University

Kaiser_square

Dr. Kimberly Kaiser

Assistant Professor
Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
University of Mississippi

sanna king

Dr. Sanna King

Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
Mississippi State University

Studio portrait of Jordan Lynton
 (photo by Beth Wynn / © Mississippi State University)

Dr. Jordan Lynton

Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures
Mississippi State University

<h3 style="text-align: center;">David May</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Professor</strong></p>

Dr. David May

Professor
Department of Sociology
Research Fellow - SSRC

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Colleen Sinclair</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Associate Professor</strong></p>

Dr. H. Colleen Sinclair

Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
Research Fellow - SSRC

headshot of megan richardson

Dr. Megan Stubbs-Richardson

Assistant Research Professor
Center for Cyber Innovation
Mississippi State University

Tara Sutton

Dr. Tara Sutton

Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
Mississippi State University

Walker_Square

Dr. D'Andre Walker

Assistant Professor
Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
University of Mississippi