Francesca Spina

Dr. Francesca Spina serves as Chair and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Westfield State University, where she focuses on fostering interdisciplinary and inclusive learning environments. Her expertise spans environmental justice, gender and incarceration dynamics, racial disparities in crime data, and criminal justice policy reform. She holds a Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Trinity College, CT, respectively.

Dr. Spina’s research emphasizes bridging academic scholarship with practical policy applications, particularly examining how systemic inequalities shape criminal justice outcomes. She has authored or edited multiple books and contributed to peer-reviewed journals, with a recent focus on global perspectives on gender and crime, technology’s role in law enforcement, and mindfulness practices in corrections.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • M.A. in Criminal Justice (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • B.A. in Economics (Trinity College, CT)

Her work often critiques and proposes solutions to systemic issues such as biased crime reporting, technological overreach in policing, and the unique challenges faced by incarcerated women and marginalized groups. She has advised state policy commissions and organizations on equity-focused corrections and public safety strategies. Dr. Spina also teaches courses including Theories of Crime, Women in the Criminal Justice System, and Race and Ethnicity in Criminal Justice.

Recent publications highlight her interdisciplinary approach, with contributions to texts on counterterrorism in prisons, disability-inclusive rehabilitation programs, and the intersection of race, ethnicity, and crime data accuracy. Her upcoming projects include a Routledge Companion on Gender and Crime and a book on legal challenges posed by emerging criminal justice technologies.