Jordan Blair Woods

King's College

Queering Criminology

My dissertation provides a critical analysis of the treatment of issues concerning sexual orientation and gender identity in the field of criminology. It calls for a "queer criminology" that incorporates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) perspectives and theories into criminological research. The project is divided into two parts. The first part provides a historical critique of the treatment of sexual orientation and gender identity issues in each of the four theoretical schools of modern criminological thought - biological, psychological, sociological, and critical. The second part provides new visions for a queer criminological movement. It addresses a number of difficult questions that are essential to developing 'queer' criminologies, including: What does it mean to 'queer' criminology and what are the goals of such an endeavour? What ontological assumptions should guide queer criminologies? What implications does queering criminology have for the methods that criminologists employ? The analysis does not take specific positions on these issues. Rather, in exploring the range of answers to these questions, it illustrates the complexities and potential for differing positions within a queer criminological movement.           

Start Date: 2010/01.

End Date: 2013/01.

2010 – 2013       Doctor of Philosophy (Candidate), Criminology

                         University of Cambridge, Institute of Criminology

                         Cambridge Gates Scholar

 

2009 – 2010       Master of Philosophy, Criminological Research

                         University of Cambridge, Institute of Criminology

                         King’s College Studentship

 

2006 – 2009       Juris Doctor, Law

                         University of California (Los Angeles)

                         Dean’s Scholarship

                         Order of the Coif

                         UCLA Law Review, Senior Editor

                         UCLA Moot Court Honors Program 

 

2002 – 2006       Bachelor of Arts, Social Studies (Social and Political Theory Concentration)

                         Harvard University

 

Criminal law, criminal procedure, constitutional law, criminalization, criminology, critical theory, identity politics, law and society, hate studies, policing. 

ARTICLES (Sole Author)

(forthcoming 2012). 'Systemic Racial Bias and RICO's Application to Criminal Street Gangs', Michigan Journal of Race and Law.

(2011). ‘A Decade After Drug Decriminalization: What Can the United States Learn from the Portuguese Model?’, University of the District of Columbia Law Review 15: 1-31 (invited symposium issue).

(2010). 'Policing Hate Crime: A Case Study of an English Police Force", Journal of Hate Studies, 9(1): 127-148. (peer review journal).

(2010). ‘Gay-Straight Alliances and Sanctioning Discrimination Under the Equal Access Act’, New York University Review of Law and Social Change, 34(1): 373-423.

(2009). ‘The Internet’s Promise to Improve Bias Crime Reporting: The Case for Including Bias Crimes on Official Crime-Reporting Websites’, Journal of Hate Studies, 8: 87-102. (peer review journal).

(2009). ‘Addressing Youth Bias Crime’, UCLA Law Review, 56(6): 1899-1934.

(2009). ‘Don’t Tap, Don’t Stare, and Keep Your Hands to Yourself! Critiquing the Legality of Gay Sting Operations’, Iowa Journal of Gender, Race and Justice, 12: 545-578.

(2008). ‘Ensuring a Right of Access to the Courts for Bias Crime Victims: A Section 5 Defense of the Matthew Shepard Act’, Chapman Law Review, 12: 389-431.

(2008). ‘Morse v. Frederick’s New Perspective on Schools’ Basic Educational Missions and the Implications for Gay-Straight Alliance First Amendment Jurisprudence’, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, 18(1): 282-312.

(2008). ‘Taking the “Hate” Out of Hate Crimes: Applying Unfair Advantage Theory to Justify the Enhanced Punishment of Opportunistic Bias Crimes’, UCLA Law Review, 56(2): 489-541.

(2008). ‘Reconceptualizing Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes as Burdening LGBT Expression and Association’, Journal of Hate Studies, 6: 81-115. (peer review journal).

BOOK REVIEWS

(2011). ‘Hate Crime: Concepts, Policy, Future Directions’, Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 50(3): 339-40.

PRESENTATIONS/CONFERENCES/SYMPOSIA

'Queering Criminology', American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Washington DC, Nov. 16, 2011.

'Policing Hatred: A Case Study of an English Police Force', Second International Hate Studies Conference, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, Apr. 7, 2011. 

'A Decade After Decriminalization: What Can the United States Learn from the Portuguese Model?', Life After the War On Drugs Symposium, University of the District of Columbia Law School, Washington DC, Mar. 24, 2011. 

'Meeting the Needs of Hate Crime Victims Through Third Party Reporting', Victim Support Scotland Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, Oct. 7, 2010.

‘The Internet’s Promise to Improve Hate Crime Reporting’, Lunchtime Graduate Seminar Series, King’s College, University of Cambridge, Jan. 22, 2010.

‘A Racial Critique of RICO’s Application to Criminal Street Gangs’, Third Annual Critical Race Studies Symposium: Race in Colorblind Spaces, UCLA School of Law, Mar. 6, 2009.

Michael Rice and Loraine Gelsthorpe