Mary A. Finn

Mary A. Finn is a full-time Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. She previously served as Dean of the College of Social Science (2020-2023) and Director of the School of Criminal Justice (2015-2020). Prior to MSU, she was a Professor and Associate Provost at Georgia State University. Her research bridges academia and justice policy, focusing on conditional release decisions, mass incarceration, and collaborations with law enforcement agencies. She is affiliated with MSU's Center for Gender in the Global Context.

Education:

• PhD, State University of New York at Albany (1989)
• MA, State University of New York at Albany (1984)
• BA, Mercyhurst University (1983)

Research Focus: Professor Finn's expertise spans criminal justice policy with emphasis on:

• Human Trafficking & Sex Work: Examining pimping dynamics, coercive control, and online illicit markets.
• Violence Across Lifespan: Intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and victim-offender overlaps.
• Correctional Systems: Community supervision, parole efficacy, and policy impacts on incarceration rates.

Publication Trends (2015-2021): Her recent work analyzes coercive control in relationships, exploitation in sex markets, and criminal adaptation to enforcement. Methodologies include qualitative fieldwork, dataset analysis (e.g., National Elder Mistreatment Study), and behavioral studies of offenders. Dominant themes include gender-based violence, policy evaluation, and digital-era criminology.

Awards & Honors: None reported.

Collaborations & Affiliations: She partners with justice agencies, advocacy groups, and state governments. Her lab/team engagements center on the Center for Gender in the Global Context, focusing on intersectional crime research.