Francesca Spina
Chair and Associate Professor

Biography

Dr. Francesca Spina is Chair and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Westfield State University. She brings over a decade of teaching, research, and leadership experience to the department, with a focus on fostering inclusive, applied, and interdisciplinary learning environments. Her areas of expertise include environmental justice, gender and incarceration, race and ethnicity in crime data, and criminal justice policy.

Dr. Spina is the author or editor of several books and has published widely in academic journals. She is passionate about bridging scholarship and practice, and her work often examines how systems of power and inequality shape criminal justice outcomes. In addition to her academic contributions, she has served on statewide policy commissions and continues to advise organizations on topics related to corrections, equity, and public safety. At Westfield State, she is committed to supporting students' academic growth and professional success in the field of criminal justice.

Education

  • Ph.D., Criminal Justice and Criminology, University of Massachusetts Lowell

  • M.A., Criminal Justice, University of Massachusetts Lowell

  • B.A., Economics, Trinity College, CT

Courses Taught

  • Introduction to Criminal Justice

  • Theories of Crime

  • Introduction to Corrections

  • Research Methods in Criminal Justice

  • Women in the Criminal Justice System

  • Race and Ethnicity in the Criminal Justice System

Publications

Siegel, L., & Spina, F. (under contract). Advanced Criminological Theory. Cognella: Solana Beach, CA.

Spina, F. (under contract). Women and Incarceration: Global Lives in Focus. Bloomsbury: Santa Barbara, CA.

Spina, F. (forthcoming 2025). The Routledge Companion to Gender and Crime. Ed. by Francesca Spina. Abingdon Oxon: Routledge.

Accordino, M., & Spina, F. (forthcoming 2025). “A Program Evaluation of a Residential Treatment Facility for Adolescent Boys,” in The Routledge Companion to Gender and Crime. Abingdon Oxon: Routledge.

Spina, F. (2025). “Legal Challenges to Using Criminal Justice Technology: Protecting Civil Rights as Technology Advances,” in Criminal Justice Technology in the 21st Century (4th ed). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishing.

Sturgeon, W.P., & Spina, F. (2023). Think Like a Terrorist to Combat Terrorism and Radicalization in Prison. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

McCormack, P., Clarke K., Walfield, S., & Spina, F. (2023). “The (Mis)measure of Race and Ethnicity in Crime Data,” in Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice 21(3).

Spina, F. (2023). “The Importance of Mindfulness Meditation in Correctional Settings,” in Journal of Correctional Education 74(2).

Accordino, M., Spina, F., & Clark, D. (2023). “Improving Residential Treatment Programs for Adjudicated Males with Disabilities,” in Corrections and Disability. Boston, MA: Aspen Publishing.

Fullmer, L., Greco, C., & Spina, F. (2023). “Introduction,” in Corrections and Disability. Boston, MA: Aspen Publishing.

Spina, F. (2021). “Marital Violence,” in Sexual Harassment and Misconduct: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Spina, F. (2021). “National Sex Assault Awareness and Prevention Month,” in Sexual Harassment and Misconduct: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Clericuzio, A., Spina, F., & Rosati, A. (2020). “Italy,” in Gender and Identity around the World. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Spina, F. (2020). “Gender and Crime.” Oxford Bibliographies in Sociology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Spina, F. (2019). “Females and Law School,” in The Encyclopedia of Women and Crime. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Spina, F. (2019). “Mary Kay Letourneau,” in The Encyclopedia of Women and Crime. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Boyd, L.M., & Spina, F. (2019). Massachusetts’s Criminal Justice System. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.

Spina, F., McCormack, P., Clarke, K., & Walfield, S. (2019). “Exploring how Latino Political Representation Influences Environmental Enforcement,” in Sociological Perspectives, 62(3).

Connor, D., & Spina, F. (2018). “Protective Pairings in Men’s Prisons,” in American Prisons and Jails: An Encyclopedia of Controversies and Trends. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

McCormack, P., & Spina, F. (2017). “Justice Francis X. Spina” in Trends in the Judiciary: Interviews with Judges from Around the Globe, Vol. 3. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Spina, F. (2017). “Amadou Diallo,” in The Use and Abuse of Police Power in America. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO/Greenwood/Praeger.

Spina, F. (2017). “Variations in Law Enforcement Attitudes about Gun Control Laws,” in The Use and Abuse of Police Power in America. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO Greenwood/Praeger.

Spina, F. (2015). “Environmental Justice and Patterns of State Inspections” in Social Science Quarterly, 96(2).

Professional Service

  • Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
  • American Society of Criminology

 

Headshot of Francesca Spina.