At a time when the country is focused intensely on social justice and potential police reform, Spalding University has hired Dr. Cicely J. Cottrell – a scholar on restorative justice, the school-to-prison pipeline and the use of force by law enforcement – as the new director of its undergraduate Criminal Justice Studies program.

Cottrell, who began at Spalding on July 1, 2020, most recently served from 2017-20 as Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Chowan University in North Carolina. The Harlan, Kentucky, native holds a doctorate in sociology and criminology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Now directed by Cottrell, the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Studies program at Spalding was launched in 2019 with a focus on restorative practices and criminal justice reform. While criminal justice programs are ubiquitous at colleges and universities, Spalding’s curriculum is believed to be one of the few in Kentucky, if not the nation, to emphasize restorative justice.

Cottrell has collaborated on multiple research articles relevant to issues of social justice and policing that are at the forefront of our national dialogue. The topics of her work include the use of deadly force by police, so-called stop-and-frisk policies, the wearing of body cameras by police, and the effects of school suspensions on delinquency.

OVERVIEW | BS in Criminal Justice Studies program

“With her experience and passion for criminal justice reform and restorative justice, Dr. Cicely Cottrell will be an outstanding leader of our innovative criminal justice studies program,” Spalding President Tori Murden McClure said. “Spalding is committed to the promotion of social justice and systemic change, and this academic program is an example of that commitment. Led by Dr. Cottrell, this program will give future professionals in law enforcement, the courts, corrections and government an understanding of racial biases in our justice system while teaching ways the system can be improved and made more equitable.”

While completing her doctorate, Cottrell spent 2016 in Washington working as a policy fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, advising members of Congress and staff on criminal justice and civil rights policy, and assisting on drafting legislation, supporting communications and research materials.

Cottrell, who has also served as an instructor at Montgomery College in Maryland and as a teaching assistant at Howard, has additional interest in research and policy related to drug addiction, with a focus on compassionate approaches to rehabilitation.

Her other professional experience includes working for the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Job Corps Center, helping students achieve academic and career goals; for the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, monitoring conditional release cases; and for the Kentucky Department of Corrections, serving as a correctional officer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Western Kentucky University and a master’s in administration of justice from the University of Louisville.

“What struck me about Spalding was reading about its mission and focus on compassion, peace and justice, and that aligns with my own values and what I teach my students,” Cottrell said. “Throughout my career, I’ve really learned that in our justice system there is a lot of focus on crime control and punishment, rather than on repairing harm and restoring relationships and providing resources toward rehabilitation. I’ve learned that a lot of compassion and forgiveness are needed when you are making decisions that impact someone’s freedom as well as their ability to provide for their basic needs to survive. Having the opportunity to work at an institution where these values are embedded, it’s not just me as a professor teaching these values to students; it’s the whole institution.”

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and Spalding University are teaming up to host a three-day summit to highlight and train educators on restorative justice practices.

The Restorative Justice Practices Training Summit, being held March 14-16 at Spalding, will educate school administrators, teachers, staff and school resource officers about the methods of restorative practice, a social science that seeks to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and restoring relationships.

“Restorative practice has been a valuable tool in guiding how we respond to conflict and misbehavior in the classroom while emphasizing safety and accountability,” JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said. “Our ultimate goal is to utilize these strategies to decrease referrals and improve school attendance.”

JCPS has turned to intervention strategies such as restorative practice and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in recent years to proactively manage student behavior. The district implemented a restorative practice pilot at 10 schools this fall, with another eight schools to be added in the 2018-19 school year. Preliminary data indicate that restorative practice elementary and high schools were outperforming the district on suspension incidents, suspension days and in-school suspensions, while two of the three middle schools in the pilot have shown recent improvements in the suspension data.

“We look forward to hosting JCPS leaders and resource officers on our campus to learn more about restorative practices,” Spalding President Tori Murden McClure said. “At Spalding, we’ve made restorative practices a priority and believe they are a thoughtful, compassionate way to manage conflicts and build community. Spalding has implemented restorative techniques and methods on our campus to help find solutions and understanding in a range of settings.”

The first day of the conference is designed for professionals who work in K-12 educational settings and are interested in finding ways to implement restorative practice in their schools.

School resource officers will take part in the second and third days of the conference, which will include training and offer examples on how to utilize authority in restorative ways. The focus will be on fostering positive relationships with students and how to implement talking circles – controlled group conversations designed to promote dialogue about difficult topics and offer all parties equal time to talk freely in a safe setting.

In some cases, restorative practices are also being used as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system in Louisville. With restorative practices, the offender and victim volunteer to participate together to express what harm has been done, who is responsible for repairing that harm and how can that harm be repaired, according to Restorative Justice Louisville, whose offices are located on Spalding’s campus.

The International Institute of Restorative Practices and local law enforcement agencies will all be partners in the training. In addition, JCPS Behavior Support Systems Department Coordinator Naomi Brahim and resource teachers Angel Jackson and Ronzell Smith will present, along with Spalding Director of Forensic Psychology and Restorative Studies Dr. Ida Dickie and forensic psychology graduate student Mariya Leyderman. Dickie recently won the Kentucky Psychological Association’s Community Service Award.

The conference is being held at Spalding University’s College Street Building, 812 Second St.