Marina’s dissertation research titled, Exploring the consequences of Relationships with Offenders,  examined whether direct personal or professional relationships, or indirect experiences with offenders leads individuals to explicitly and/or implicitly associate self with the group criminal. She also examined under what conditions associations between the self and group criminal may be strengthened. Study 1 utilized a sample of friends and family members of offenders, Study 2 utilized a sample of parole officers, and Study 3 utilized a sample of criminal justice students.  Results showed that among participants who had personal relationships with offenders, participants who were reminded of a past experience, regardless of the type of reminder, and felt close to an offender exhibited stronger implicit associations with the group criminal in comparison to participants who were not reminded of a past experience. Further, parole officers who were reminded of positive experiences exhibited stronger implicit associations with the group criminal in comparison to those who were reminded of negative experiences. Collectively, Marina’s dissertation research may support efforts to improve relationships between non-criminal others and offenders and improve the overall well-being of non-criminal others who have relationships with offenders. In addition, this research may also support efforts to create relationships which facilitate desistance.

Marina will be a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Caldwell University, beginning August 2019.

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