Christopher Dum

Christopher Dum is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Kent State University, part of the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on criminal justice policy, incarceration effects, and public opinion. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Albany in 2014. His work explores societal marginalization, particularly among homeless populations and incarcerated individuals, and has resulted in publications like Exiled in America (Columbia University Press, 2016). He co-founded the ID13 Prison Literacy Project, amplifying inmate voices through creative writing.

Research Interests:

• Incarceration and Reentry
• Sex Offender Policy
• Public Opinion Dynamics
• Qualitative Methods
• Homelessness and Stigma

Awards:

• Farris Family Innovation Award (2017–2020)
• National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Grant (SES 1323945)
• American Society of Criminology Graduate Fellowship

Grants: Led the Farris-funded study on inmate writing impact, yielding publications in Prison Journal and Journal of Experimental Criminology. His NSF grant explored sex offender policy impacts in motels.

Labs/Teams: ID13 Prison Literacy Project (www.id13project.com) focuses on creative expression as a tool for reentry advocacy.