Beth E. Richie

Beth E. Richie serves as LAS Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Criminology, Law and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a dual appointment as Professor of Black Studies. Her work bridges criminology, gender studies, and race theory through a Black feminist lens.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Sociology, University of New York (1992)
• MSW in Sociology, Washington University, St. Louis (1980)
• BSW, Cornell University (1979)

Dr. Richie's research centers on the gendered impact of mass incarceration on African American women, examining how race and social position shape experiences of violence and carceral systems. She pioneers the concept of 'gender entrapment' where battered women become enmeshed in criminal legal systems, and advocates for prison abolition through community-based solutions. Her work critically analyzes the limitations of mainstream anti-violence movements in addressing racialized gender violence.

Her publications reveal evolving scholarly focus from foundational analyses of criminalized survivors (Compelled to Crime) to contemporary abolitionist frameworks (Abolition. Feminism. Now.). These works consistently emphasize intersectional approaches to gender violence within carceral states, documenting how anti-violence movements have been co-opted by punitive systems during mass incarceration eras.

Accolades include:

• Audre Lorde Legacy Award (Union Institute)
• Advocacy Award (US Department of Health and Human Services)
• Visionary Award (Violence Intervention Project)
• UIC Woman of the Year Award
• Honorary Degree (CUNY Law School)

Her research is sustained by major grants from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The National Institute for Justice, and The National Institute of Corrections. As co-founder of INCITE!: Women of Color Against Violence and former Senior Advisor to the NFL on gender violence prevention, she bridges academic research with grassroots activism and policy implementation.

Dr. Richie maintains deep engagement with incarcerated communities through collaborative projects like The Long Term, developed with teachers from Stateville Prison, demonstrating her commitment to participatory research methodologies within abolitionist frameworks.