Richard G. Wright, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Criminal Justice

Bridgewater State College

Ph. D. University of Massachusetts Boston - 2004 M.S. University of Massachusetts Boston -1999   "The primary purpose of the State is to maintain its sovereignty and its legitimacy. Agents of the State may act a variety of ways in aiding, checking, balancing or subverting the State's primary purpose."

    As of September 2005, I have joined the growing and innovative Criminal Justice Department at Bridgewater State College. My background includes a variety of experiences which inform my views about the nature of "the State" and the criminal justice system. My professional experiences have included creating, implementing and evaluating programs in domestic violence, child maltreatment and racial inequality. My academic research focuses primarily on criminal justice policy. Recent research efforts have included an examination of the Jacob Wetterling Act and the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry, the PROTECT Act of 2003 and the Children's Safety Act of 2005.

    My goal in educating our students is to prepare them to critically examine all aspects of the criminal justice system with its intended and unintended effects. I work with them to develop the skills and knowledge to work in any field of the system; courts, corrections, victim advocacy, federal, state, or local. Perhaps equally important is working with them to develop a critical view of crime laws, underlying theoretical and practical assumptions of crime legislation and an examination of the growth and power of the State.

    My colleagues and I are available for consultation, research and evaluation on a variety of criminal justice issues.

What's New??

    Prof. Wright on Friday, April 21 2006 on Sex Offender Registries - http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2006/04/20060421_a_main.asp

    Current Courses - Spring 2006

• CRJU 201 - Introduction to Criminal Justice   Section 01  Click here for syllabi.     Section 02 Click here for syllabi.
• CRJU 335 - Courts and Criminal Law                             Click here for syllabi.
• CRJU 399 - Special Topics in CJ: Sex Crimes                  Click here for syllabi.
   

   Forthcoming Courses - AY 2006-2007

• CRJU 213 - The Juvenile Justice System
• CRJU 399 - Terrorism & the USA Patriot Act

    Office Hours & Contact Information - Spring 2006

•     MWF 10am - 11am, Fridays 1:30pm - 3pm & By Appt.
•     Hart Hall, Room 247 Bridgewater, MA 02325
•     Ph. 508-531-2678
•     Email: Richard.Wright@bridgew.edu

    Research Interests:

• Sex Offender Policy
• Federalization of Crime Policy
• Anti-Violence Program Implementation and Evaluation
• Domestic & Sexual Violence

    Current Vitae - Click to download.

    Current Criminal Justice Issues -

The USA PATRIOT ACT II -  http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/     http://www.eff.org/patriot/    http://action.aclu.org/reformthepatriotact/

Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings on Judge Samuel Alito -http://www.nytimes.com/pages/politics/politicsspecial1/index.html

    Relevant Links -