"Governors State University allows me the latitude and flexibility to challenge my students to reach their highest potential. This allows me the opportunities to develop and encourage intellectual excitement. During this process, I form interpersonal rapports with the students in my classes, creating an environment where my students feel as though they are treated fairly and with respect for their personal knowledge and experiences in a safe and diverse environment. I see my students wrestling with complex philosophical and ethical dilemmas, and as they move towards graduation, I notice a maturing and intellectual growth process.
I have always tried to demonstrate professionalism, ethics, and standards because I demand that of students going into a field that can result in the loss of life. For my efforts, I have received numerous accolades, including three faculty excellence awards in recognition of my contributions to the university, my students, and our community. Before I was hired to teach at GSU I served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army, and I earned the Army Achievement Medal in support of operations in the Gulf War.
In terms of community service, I have served on a number of committees and in different capacities. The one that I gained my most valuable community service from was when I was a Board Member for ERIC Family Services. It is a charitable organization established to provide for the care, treatment, housing, education, and protection of children and adults with social and psychological needs. I learned and experienced how a segment of the population in the community suffered from a list of societal ills. I also experienced how dedicated workers in this organization could have a positive influence and effect on this population that the rest of society ignores or hopes would just disappear.
In the area of scholarship, I have a number of publications, book reviews, and presentations. I have publications and book reviews in journals such as the Journal of the Institute of Justice and International Studies, International Criminal Justice Review, Criminal Justice Review, and the University of Miami LawReview.
I have presented at major conferences including the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the American Society of Criminology, and the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association. The list of my scholarship is included below.
- Bruce Wilson, Ph.D.
PUBLICATIONS & BOOK REVIEWS
- Innocence and Wrongful Convictions: The Contributing Factors and Methods of Corrections (2014 Cognella University Readers)
- “False Confessions: A Core Problem that too often Leads to Wrongful Convictions”. International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences(Peer Reviewed 2014)
- “Attempts at Reforming the Administration of Capital Punishment in American have Failed. The System is Fatally Flawed. The Time has Come to Abolish Capital Punishment as a Punitive Sanction”. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences(Peer Reviewed 2014)
- “The Presumption of Guilt: The Disturbing Problem of Post-Conviction Innocence in the Criminal Justice System”. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (Peer Reviewed 2013)
- "The Myth of the Criminal Justice System from a Systems Approach", Book completion date pending.
- Jones, Vincent and Bruce Wilson “Innocent and its Impact on the Reassessment of the Utility of Capital Punishment: Has the Time Come to Abolish the Ultimate Sanction?” University of Miami Law Review, 67:459-476 (2013).
- "A Commentary of America Draconian Criminal Justice System in Relations to the Industrialized Democratic Nations of Western Europe." Book Review Article published in the International Criminal Justice Review (2007).
- “The Relationship Between a Criminalgenic Community and Continued Juvenile Crime Rates.” Article published in the Journal of the Institute of Justice and
International Studies (2004).
- "Prison Nation: The Warehousing of America’s Poor." Herivel, Tara and Paul Wright. New York, New York, Routledge Publishers, 332 (2003).
- "Racial Issues in Criminal Justice: The Case of African Americans." Free, Marvin D. Westport, Connecticut, Praeger Publishers, 278 (2003).
- "The War on Drugs III." Inciradi, James A. Boston, Massachusetts, Pearson Education, 324 (2002).
- "Justice Blind: Ideals and Realities of American Criminal Justice." Robinson, Matthew B. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. (2002).
- "The Force of Prejudice: On Racism and Its Doubles”. Taguieff, Pierre-Andre, Minneapolis Press. 410 (2001).
- "Class. Race, Gender, and Crime: Social Realities of Justice in America." Barak, Gregg and Jeanne Flavin and Paul Leighton. Los Angeles, California. Roxbury Publishing Company, 302 (2001).
- "Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times, and Places." MacCoun, Robert J. and Peter Reuter. Harlow, England, Pearson Education, 479 (2001).
- “Minority Police Officers’ Perceptions of Discrimination in a Large Urban Police Department: Policy Strategies for Self-Actualization.” Published in the 26th Third World
Conference Proceedings: (2001).
- Drug Politics: Dirty Money and Democracies." Jordan, David C. Norman, Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma Press, 288 (1999).
- "Racism, Crime, and Justice." Bowling, Ben and Coretta Phillips. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 315 (1999).
- "The Color of the Law: Race, Violence, and Justice in the Post-World War II South." O’Brien, Williams B. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press (1999).
- "Crimes of the Century. Geis, Gilbert and Leigh Bienen." Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern University Press. (1998).
- Field Placement Directory for the Office of Internships, Sam Houston State University, January (1994).
- The Imperative of Justice in the Equation of Criminal Justice, November 1993, The Sage SHSU Vol. 2 No. 4
- An Argument Against Racial Prejudice, December 1993, The Sage SHSU Vol. 1 No. 4
- Texas Justice Statistics Compendium, Sam Houston State University, June 1992.
PRESENTATIONS
- “The Future of the Death Penalty and LWOP as a Possible Alternative to Executions.” University of Miami Law School Symposium on the Death Penalty, Miami, Florida, February 2012.
- “An Analysis of Faculty and Professional Advising in Post-Secondary Education." Midwestern Criminal Justice Association Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2005.
- “The Importance of Internships in Criminal Justice Curriculum at Governors State University." Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Chicago, Illinois, March 2005.
- “Re-evaluating Criminal Justice Internships at Governors State University.” Midwestern Criminal Justice Association Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2004.
- "The Relationship between a “Criminalgenic” Community and Continued Juvenile Crime Rates”. Impacting Juvenile Justice: The Intersection of Approaches an International and Interdisciplinary Conference the Institute of Justicemand International Studies, Warrensburg, Missouri, March 2004.
- “The Myth of a Unified Criminal Justice System." Midwestern Criminal Justice Association Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2003.
- “Maintaining the Balance between Individual Rights Versus Group Rights In-Order to have a Safer America." Counter terrorism & Civil Liberties Conference the Institute of Justice and International Studies, Warrensburg, Missouri, March 2003.
- “The Relationship between Traditional Corrections, Minorities and HIV/AIDS Rates in America." Third World Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2003.
- “Female Police Officer’s Perceptions of Belonging in a Large Urban Police Department." American Society of Criminology Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 2002.
- “Criminal Justice Education: The Need for External Review." Midwestern Criminal Justice Association Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2002.
- “Proposal for Putting Students First: Mastery of Student Learning." Illinois Board of Higher Education Assessment Conference, Bloomington, Illinois, June 2002.
- “The HIV/AIDS Epidemic as it Relates to Incarcerated Minority Inmates." Third World Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2002.
- Panel Presentation for Recruitment, Articulation and Marketing sponsored by the Office of the College of Arts and Science at Governors State University, September 2002.
- Panel Presentation for Pathways to Accreditation: A Model for Program Review and Validation sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Center for Quality at Governors State
University, April 2002.
- “Female Police Officer’s Perceptions of Discrimination Concerning Security Need in a Large Urban Police Department." Midwestern Criminal Justice Association Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2001.
- “The Hidden Truth; Negative Consequences of Incarceration for Women and Minorities." Third World Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March, 2001.
- “Recruitment, Retention, and Education for Practitioners in the Field of Criminal Justice. "Midwestern Criminal Justice Association Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2000.
- “Strategies for Self-Actualization for Female Minority Officers in Urban Police Departments." American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada, November 1999.
- “Minority/Female Officer’s Perceptions of Discrimination in a Large Urban Police Department: Policy Strategies for Self-Actualization of Police Officers." Third World Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 1999.
- Panel Presentation for Student Life Division Black History Celebration. Governors State University, University Park, Illinois, February, 1999.
- Pre-Service Student Views of Affirmative Action: Law Enforcement Student "Attitudes at Western Illinois University." Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Conference March 1991.