Dr. Charles Bell

Assistant Professor

Criminal Justice Sciences

Office

Schroeder Hall - SCH 440

Office Phone

(309) 438-5968office
phone

cabell6@ilstu.eduemail

Website

www.suspendedbook.comwebsite

About
Education
Awards & Honors
Research

Biography

Dr. Charles Bell is a Detroit native and assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences. His research explores African American students' and parents' perceptions of out-of-school suspension, school safety measures, and law enforcement officers. His research confirms that school suspension negatively impacts Black students' achievement, harms parents' employment, and periodically violates state code of conduct guidelines. Dr. Bell's work also suggests that schools fail to protect Black students, leaving them vulnerable to victimization. His forthcoming book, "Suspended: Punishment, Violence, and the Failure of School Safety" expands upon this work and will be published by Johns Hopkins University Press on October 19, 2021.

Dr. Bell has been interviewed and cited by several news outlets such as Atlanta Black Star, The Conversation, WGLT, WDET Detroit, Aljazeera America, Michigan Center for Youth Justice, and Detroit PBS. Currently, he serves as the incoming (2021-2023) Associate Chair of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Crime and Juvenile Delinquency Division and on the Journal of School Violence Editorial Board.

Current Courses

308.001Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice

308.002Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice

318.001Schools, Crime, and Social Policy

200.001Contemporary Corrections

291.001Undergraduate Teaching Experience In Criminal Justice Sciences

Ph D Sociology

Wayne State University

MA School Psychology

Michigan State University

BA Psychology

Wayne State University

Ruth D. Peterson Fellowship

American Society of Criminology

2017

Book, Authored

Bell, C. Suspended: Punishment, Violence, and the Failure of School Safety. Johns Hopkins University Press (2021)

Journal Article

Harm, A., & Bell, C. Teaching beyond the Textbook: Integrating Formerly Incarcerated Individuals into Criminal Justice Learning Environments. Journal of Criminal Justice Education (2021)

Bell, C., & Puckett, T. I Want To Learn But They Won’t Let Me: Exploring the Impact of School Discipline on Academic Achievement. Urban Education (2020)

Bell, C. Maybe if they let us tell the story I wouldn’t have gotten suspended: Understanding Black Students’ and Parents’ Perceptions of School Discipline. Children and Youth Services Review (2020)

Bell, C. The Code of the School: Discipline, Respect, and Survival in Primarily Black High Schools. Journal of Crime and Justice (2019)

Bell, C. Special Needs Under Siege: From Classrooms to Incarceration. Sociology Compass (2016): 698-705.

Bell, C. Poverty to PhD: An Insider Account on Structural Barriers That Affect Impoverished Students of Color. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Newsletter 4 (2018): 26-28.

Bell, C. Race & Policing: A Legacy of Exclusion, Profiling, and Oppression. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Newsletter (2017): 71-75.

Newspaper, Article

Bell, C. School suspensions don’t just unfairly penalize Black students – they lead to lower grades and ‘Black flight’. The Conversation (2020)

Bell, C. School suspensions don’t stop violence – they help students celebrate it. The Conversation (2019)

Presentations

They Just Want to Learn!!!! – The collision of school discipline and academic achievement. Black Doctoral Network. (2020)

Exploring Black Students' and Parents' Perceptions of School Safety Measures. Society for the Study of Social Problems. (2019)

School Discipline Reform. School Discipline and Mass Incarceration Reform. Kalamazoo College. (2019)

The Code of the School: Discipline, Respect, and Survival in Primarily Black High Schools. Midwest Sociological Society. Illinois State University. (2019)

The Hidden Consequences of School Punishment: An Insider's Perspective. Culturally Responsive Campus Community. Illinois State University. (2019)

Beyond the Bars: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Incarcerated Individuals & Prison Reform Solutions. Facing Race Conference. Race Forward. (2018)

Exploring the School-to-Prison-Pipeline & Parent Rights. Oakland County Parent Expo. Oakland County Black Male Taskforce. (2018)

Opportunities Denied: Advancing Conceptualization of Black School Discipline Disproportionality. American Society of Criminology. (2017)

Grants & Contracts

Midwest Sociological Society Research Grant. Midwest Sociological Society. Other. (2019)

Student Sustainability Research Grant. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2019)

Summer Research Initiative Grant. African American Studies. Illinois State University. (2019)

Teaching Innovation Grant. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2019)

University Research Grant. Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2019)