Bio

Dr. Christian received her Ph.D. from the University at Albany School of Criminal Justice in 2004. Her work examines incarceration’s impact on families and neighbourhoods, emphasizing the gendered aspects of family members’ connections to prisoners, as well as the disparate impact on racial and ethnic minority groups. She has conducted research about family visiting at prisons and the social and economic implications of maintaining ties to prisoners. Recent work focuses on the role of informal social support in the re-entry process, including a study of a family based prisoner re-entry intervention for young people, as well as a mentoring program for formerly incarcerated women. She is a member of the Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice Network (RDCJN), now based at Rutgers University-Newark.