Cicely Cottrell, Ph.D.

About Cicely

Dr. Cicely J. Cottrell is Chair and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies at Spalding University. A scholar, educator, and restorative justice practitioner, her work bridges criminal justice education, restorative practices, youth justice, and community-based approaches to addressing harm. In the classroom and through her leadership of the School of Criminal Justice Studies, she challenges students to think critically about justice while connecting academic learning to the complex realities of criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Dr. Cottrell brings extensive professional experience to her teaching and scholarship. Before entering higher education, she worked across multiple areas of the justice and human services systems, including corrections, jail administration, pretrial services, and residential programming for young people. She also gained federal policy experience as a Congressional Intern with the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary. These experiences allow her to bring a practitioner-informed perspective to the classroom and help students connect theory, research, policy, and practice.

A certified trainer through the International Institute for Restorative Practices, Dr. Cottrell has provided restorative practices training and facilitation for universities, schools, juvenile justice agencies, and community organizations. Her scholarship and professional presentations examine restorative practices, relationship-centered approaches to accountability, storytelling as a tool for engagement and healing, and the experiences of Black girls impacted by the juvenile legal system.

As Chair, Dr. Cottrell has helped lead the continued growth and development of Spalding’s Criminal Justice Studies programs, including expanding experiential learning and internship opportunities, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting program and curriculum development. She has also secured external funding to connect university resources with community needs. She served as Principal Investigator for a Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice Title II grant supporting Sister’s Keeper Achieving Resilience and Success (SKARS), an initiative designed to support Black girls and reduce deeper juvenile justice system involvement through restorative and community-centered approaches.

Dr. Cottrell’s scholarship has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, and she regularly presents at professional and academic conferences, including the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. Her contributions to Spalding University were recognized with the 2025 Outstanding Faculty of the Year Trustee Award.

Beyond the university, Dr. Cottrell contributes her expertise to public conversations about criminal justice policy, policing, and reform. During the national and local response to the killing of Breonna Taylor, she provided analysis on policing, accountability, and reform in HuffPost’s How Louisville Can Still Get Justice for Breonna Taylor, WLKY News’ Professors: LMPD reforms in Breonna Taylor settlement show promise, shortcomings, and WFPL’s In Conversation: The Breonna Taylor Decision and Its Aftermath.

Dr. Cottrell earned her PhD in Sociology and Criminology from Howard University, MS in Administration of Justice from the University of Louisville, and BS in Political Science from Western Kentucky University.

Publications

• Cottrell, C. J., Williams, C, and Shinault, C. (2023). Vulnerability through storytelling: A restorative approach for disengaged college students. In Vah Seliskar, H. (Ed.), Restorative Justice in the 21st CenturyJ.
• Jones-Brown, D., Ruffin, J., Blount-Hill, K.L., Dawson, A., and Cottrell, C. J. (2020). Hernandez v. Mesa and Police Brutality for Youth Homicides Before and After the Death of Michael Brown. Criminal Law Bulletin, 56(5).
• Cottrell, C. (2018). Racial Differences in Anger and Depression as Mediators in the Relationship Between School Suspension and Juvenile Delinquency: A Test of General Strain Theory. Journal for the Advancement of Educational Research International, 12 (1).

Honors & Affiliations

• Spalding University Trustee Award for Outstanding Faculty, 2025
• Presentation Academy Tower Award for Women Leaders in Government Justice & Law, 2023
• Member of Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
• Member of the American Society of Criminology
• Member of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice
• Member of The Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators
• Member of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice
• Member of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice