Book Talk: Forgotten Law Enforcement

Description

Integrating intersectional criminology with organizational theory, Forgotten Law Enforcement examines how identity, power, and institutional design shape correctional staff experiences. Drawing on in-depth interviews with correctional staff at Rikers Island, one of the nation's largest J*il complexes, Dr. Simone Martin-Howard centers the lived experiences of Black and Caribbean men and women working inside the J*il system. Amid ongoing challenges in recruiting, retaining, and managing correctional officers-issues intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic-the book offers an insider's perspective on staff dynamics, organizational culture, and occupational safety and health. Set against the backdrop of the impending closure of Rikers Island J*il, this timely and thoughtful work humanizes correctional staff who are often depicted in the media as a uniformly punitive group. By shifting the focus from incarcerated and detained populations to those who work within correctional institutions, Forgotten Law Enforcement provides a compelling and necessary contribution to contemporary discussions on J*il confinement, labor, and institutional reform.

Author's Bio

Dr. Simone Martin-Howard is Director of the Master of Public Administration - Public Policy and Administration specialization and an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Before her role as Director, Dr. Martin-Howard served as the Criminal Justice Management Program Coordinator at John Jay. She holds a Ph.D. in Global Affairs from Rutgers University-Newark, a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from St. John’s University. While at the Maxwell School, Dr. Martin-Howard completed three Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study in Health Services Management and Policy; Conflict Resolution; and Security Studies. Simone’s work has appeared in Public Administration Review; the Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs; Crime & Delinquency; the Journal of Urban Health; the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration; Women & Criminal Justice; and the Journal of Public Management and Social Policy. Dr. Martin-Howard's first book, Forgotten Law Enforcement: Behind the Gates with Correctional Staff at Rikers Island J*il, examines how identity, power, and organizational structures shape experiences within the criminal justice system.