American Corrections: Concepts and Controversies

Barry Krisberg (PhD, University of Pennsylvania) is a Senior Fellow at the Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy at the University of California, Berkeley Law School and a Lecturer in Residence at in the Juris Doctor Program at Berkeley Law. He is known nationally for his research and expertise on juvenile justice and corrections issues and is often called upon as a resource for professionals, foundations, and the media. Dr. Krisberg was appointed by the legislature to serve on the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Inmate Population Management. Past president and fellow of the Western Society of Criminology, he was Chair of the California Attorney General’s Research Advisory Committee. Dr. Krisberg was appointed to chair an Expert Panel to investigate the conditions in the California youth prisons. His many books and articles include Juvenile Justice and Continuing the Struggle for Justice, both published by SAGE.

Susan Marchionna has a varied background in writing, publications, and communications in the criminal justice field. She has most recently consulted with the Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy at UC Berkeley on a number of projects, such as developing evidence-based policy and procedures for the San Francisco Adult Probation Department. Other Warren projects include a probation caseload survey, evaluations of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, and brief analyses on policing and crime in California cities. In addition, Susan has worked with the MOSS Group on publications projects related to PREA compliance and sexual safety in institutions, She is serving as the Technical Editor for a new Desktop Guide Series being produced by the Nation Partnership for Juvenile Services in conjunction with OJJDP. Prior to her current consulting work, Susan was the Director of Communication at the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD). There, she helped develop a series of Focus publications on various research topics. For the NCCD Centennial, Susan edited a collection of essays entitled, Continuing the Struggle for Justice. Susan is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz and a long-time resident of the San Francisco bay area.

Christopher Hartney is a senior researcher at the National Council on Crime and Delinquency in Oakland, California. He has worked with the organization since 2001, and has two decades of professional experience in research and statistics. Chris’ work at NCCD, funded by various federal, state, and local government agencies and philanthropic foundations, has included the national evaluation of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative; bed space needs forecasts for youth tried as adults in Baltimore, Maryland and for juvenile justice-involved youth following system reforms in Arkansas; the development of a new approach to prison for young adults emphasizing intensive strengths-based rehabilitative and educational services in small secure facilities; a review of the causes and impacts of the decarceration of youth from California’s youth prison system; the national evaluation of Parents Anonymous; the potential cost savings of alternatives to incarceration for non-serious adult offenders; a Structured Decision Making system for the District of Columbia; the interplay of media coverage, public sentiment, data trends, and policymaking with regard to youth violence in major U.S. cities; and a survey of health care access for system-involved youth in 58 California counties. Chris has authored several NCCD publications documenting disproportionate representation of people of color in the justice system and other issues in justice and corrections, including spotlights on women, Native American youth, youth under 18 in the adult system, and international corrections. He is co-author of several peer-reviewed articles and has presented study findings before a variety of professional, governmental, and community groups. Before joining NCCD, his research work included educational assessment and health impacts in communities exposed to industrial accidents. Chris has a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and has completed all master’s level coursework in experimental psychology at San Francisco State University.