Vitae

Jill K. Doerner   jkdoern@bgnet.bgsu.edu

As a criminologist and family sociologist, my research focuses on the sentencing decision process, and more specifically the effects of legal (prior record, offense severity) and extralegal characteristics (race, ethnicity, gender) on the likelihood of incarceration and sentence length outcomes. I also have an interest in the process of reentry into the community following incarceration and the consequences it has on the family and children of the offenders. My dissertation examines the existence of a gender gap in the sentencing process, determining what factors and characteristics contribute to the differential sentencing of defendants in U.S. federal courts.

In addition to my dissertation, I am presently co-authoring an article with my advisor, Steve Demuth, on the effects of race/ethnicity, gender, and age on sentencing outcomes, as well as a paper with fellow graduate students examining the consequences of incarceration on the aging prison population, paying particular attention to the inmate's safety and well-being, as well as their overall health outcomes.

I have taught two sections of Principles of Sociology. I have also tutored student athletes and freshman students, and lead several discussion sections on various topics. I have served as a teaching assistant for various courses including Principles of Sociology, Sociology of Sport, Corrections, and Research Methods. I am most enthusiastic about teaching courses on sentencing/corrections, family violence, criminal justice processes and procedures, research methods, and juvenile delinquency/juvenile justice. I have served on many departmental and University committees, including the Sociology Graduate Student Association, Graduate Student Senate, the University Budget Committee, and the Academic Honesty Committee.