Faculty Bio

Dionne Peniston, Ph.D., Associate Faculty

In 2006, Dr. Peniston attained a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). At UTA, she developed solid knowledge in areas such as corrections, policing, criminological theory, and victimology. Dr. Peniston furthered her education when she completed a PhD in Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2014. Her doctoral dissertation explored the reunification experiences of parolee fathers after their release from prison. Her research stemmed from her experience as a District Parole Officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). During her tenure, she supervised primarily males, and as they communicated, she became aware of many of their reentry challenges. However, the inability of reentering fathers to reconnect with their children was a challenge that she found particularly troubling. Not only was this challenge unaddressed by the TDCJ but she found there to be a dearth of information in the literature on the reunification experiences of reentering fathers. This led her to explore the experiences of fathers after imprisonment. Her passion for the criminal justice field has led her to teach criminal justice courses and to remain abreast of developments in the field.

 

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Community Engagement: ICPRC

AA -Criminal Justice Field of Study (requirements)

Certificate - Criminal Justice Field of Study (requirements)

Library - Criminal Justice resources page

Cougar Connect Student Organizations:

  ♦Phi Theta Kappa - Honor Society
  ♦Student Veterans of America
  ♦Political Justice League - Mock Trial