Dr. Dawn Beichner-Thomas

Professor

Ofc International Engagement

Office

Schroeder Hall - SCH 439

Office Hours

Please email to set an appointment.

Office Phone

(309) 438-8278office
phone

dmbeich@ilstu.eduemail

About
Education
Awards & Honors
Research

Biography

Dawn Beichner-Thomas is professor in the Criminal Justice Sciences Department and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. Her research interests include victimology, incarcerated women, prisoner reentry, and restorative justice. Dr. Beichner-Thomas is a member of the Executive Committee of the World Society of Victimology (WSV) and serves as a liaison to the United Nations. She is also a research consultant for the YWCA Labyrinth Outreach Services to Women, a nonprofit organization which provides reintegration services to women returning home from prison and jail, and the Peoria Problem Solving Courts. Dr. Beichner-Thomas is a course director for a WSV-sponsored post-graduate course on "Victimology, Victim Assistance, and Criminal Justice" that is held at the Inter University Centre of Dubrovnik, Croatia and teaches a "Gender and Offending" course at Fachhochschule Kiel in Kiel, Germany. At ISU, in addition to hosting an annual study abroad connected to the Dubrovnik, Croatia course (CJS 306.99 International Experiences in Justice), she teaches Women & Criminal Justice, Individuals, Society & Criminal Justice, World Criminal Justice Systems, and the graduate seminar, International Justice, Human Rights, and Conflict Resolution.

Current Courses

499.001Independent Research For The Master's Thesis

499.101Independent Research For The Masters Thesis Final Term

287.003Independent Study

400.001Independent Study

470.001Seminar in International Justice, Human Rights, and Conflict Resolution

291.003Undergraduate Teaching Experience In Criminal Justice Sciences

339.001Women In Criminal Justice

339.002Women In Criminal Justice

499.001Independent Research For The Master's Thesis

400.002Independent Study

Teaching Interests & Areas

Gender and crime, victimology, international justice, global social problems.

Research Interests & Areas

The effects of incarceration on the family, victimization, gender and justice.

Ph D Criminal Justice Sciences

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Omaha, NE

MA Criminology

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, PA

BA Criminology

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, PA

CoraMae Richey Mann Inconvenient Woman of the Year Award

American Society of Criminology, Division on Women and Crime

2019

Impact Award

Illinois State University

2017

Internationalization Award

Office of International Studies and Programs, Illinois State University

2017

Women of Distinction

YWCA McLean County

2017

Outstanding Teaching Award

College of Applied Science and Technology

2015

Faculty Travel Award

Office of International Studies and Programs

2013

Professional Development Travel Award

College of Applied Science and Technology

2010

Civic Engagement Project of Excellence Award

Illinois State University

2006

Book, Chapter

Beichner, D. (2021). Campus sexual assault in the USA: A call for a restorative, survivor-centered, intersectional approach. In E. Mikulec & Beichner, D. (Eds.), Distraction: Girls, School, and Sexuality. (pp. 165-190). New York, NY: DIO Press.

Beichner, D., Craig, M.O. & Bell, C. (2021). Racialized mass incarceration in the U.S.A. as a form of macro victimization. In Varona, G. (Ed.) Macrovictimización, abuso de poder y victimología: Impactos intergeneracionales (pp. 327-363). Cizur Mayor, Spain: Aranzadi.

Cannon, K., Dirks-Linhorst, P., Cobb, P., Maatia, Florence, Beichner, D. & Ogle, R. (2013). LGBT issues and criminal justice education. In Dana Peterson and Vanessa Panfil (Eds), Handbook of LGBT Communities, Crime, and Justice. Pp. 261-282. Springer: New York.

Beichner, D. & Hagemann, O. (2016). Incarcerated Women - Their Situation, Their Needs, and Measures for Sustainable Reintegration. In Kury, Redo, and Shea’s (Eds.), Women and Children as Victims and Offenders: Background-Prevention-Reintegration: Suggestions for Succeeding Generations.
New York, NY: Springer. Pp. 85-116.

Hagemann, O. & Beichner, D. (2018). Restorative justice als philosophie in frauenhäusern (Restorative justice as a philosophy in women’s shelters). In Gaby Lenz & Anne Weiss’s (Eds.),
Professionalitat in der frauenhasarbeit. Aktuelle entwicklungen und diskurse. Heildelburg, Germany: Springer. Pp. 157-185.

Book, Edited

Mikulec, E. & Beichner, D. (Eds.). (2021). Distraction: Girls, School, and Sexuality. New York, NY: DIO Press.

Journal Article

Barberet, R., Ranjan, S., & Beichner-Thomas, D. (2023). Feminist approaches to justice: contributions to CSW66. Editors’ introduction. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 47(2), 107-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/01924036.2023.2168284

Craig, M. O., Kim, M., & Beichner-Thomas, D. (2023). Incarcerated in a Pandemic: How COVID-19 Exacerbated the “Pains of Imprisonment.” Criminal Justice Review, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/07340168231190467

Beichner, D. & Hagemann, O. (2022). A global view of women, prison, and aftercare: A call for reform. Violence Against Women, 28(8), 1788 – 1808.

Beichner, D. & Hagemann, O. (2022). Frauengefängnisse abschaffen: Aktuelle international Gesichtspunkte (Abolishing Women’s Prisons: International Perspectives). Forum Strafvollzug:
Zeitschrift für Strafvollzug und Straffälligenhilfe, 22(1), 42-49.

Beichner, D., Barberet, R. & Ranjan, S. (2022). Special Issue. Prioritizing the elimination of violence against women worldwide: Lessons from the 65^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Guest editors’ introduction. Violence Against Women, 28(8), 1728 – 1735.

Presentations

Beichner-Thomas, D. (2023). “Rural Women Returning Home From U.S. Prisons and Jails.” Parallel event presented in conjunction with the 67^rd Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, March 2020. U.N. Church Center, New York, New York.

Barberet, R., Ranjan, S. & Beichner, D. (2022). “The Researcher-Policymaker Dialogue: International Feminist Criminology and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.” American Society of Criminology Meetings, November 2022, Atlanta, Georgia.

Beichner, D. (2022). “Rural Women Returning Home From Prisons and Jails.” European Society of Criminology Meetings, September 2022, Málaga, Spain.

Beichner, D., Rabe-Hemp, C. & Kim, M. (2022). “U.S. Women in Justice Professions: A Half a Century After Title VII.” Parallel event presented in conjunction with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, March 2022. Virtual format.

Beichner, D., Zinsstag, E., Fonseca Rosenblatt, F., Wemmers, J., Manikis, M. & Van Camp, T. (2022). “Innovative Responses to Gendered Violence.” World Society of Victimology Symposium, June 2022, San Sebastian, Spain.

Piason, B. & Beichner, D. (2022). “Understanding Mothering Experiences of Women in Jail.” American Society of Criminology Meetings, November 2022, Atlanta, Georgia.

Beichner, D. & Hagemann, O. (2021). “A Global View of Women, Prison, and Aftercare: Promising Practices.” Parallel event presented in conjunction with the 65th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, March 2021. Virtual format.

Maedzenge, P. & Beichner, D. (2021). “Parenting Experiences of Women in Prison.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Meetings, November 2022, in Chicago, Illinois.

Powers, N. & Beichner, D. (2022). “Providing and Coordinating Sexual Assault Services in the Pandemic” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Meetings, November 2022, in Chicago, Illinois.

Bridging Research to Policy: The Role of NGO Activism in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. British Society of Criminology. (2019)