Brenda Vollman
Associate Professor
Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice
EMAIL: bvollman@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: N-660
Office Hours: Varies by Semester
Phone: +1 (212) 776-6981
Dr. Vollman is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at BMCC. Her research interests are oriented around understanding the nexus of victim, offender, and criminal event context. This is explored using data derived primarily from written accounts and interviews in order to understand the ways in which we perceive and construct narratives of violence and victimization (particularly sexual victimization), and how these shape social and institutional responses.
Additionally, her interests have focused on examining Open Educational Resources, which promote equity in academic achievement. Last, she openly participates in interdisciplinary research as a methodologist and data analyst.
Her most recent publications are listed below.
Expertise
Open Education Resources, Sexual Deviance and the Law, Sex Crimes, Violent Crimes, Narratives of sex offending and sexual victimization, gender and the law.
Degrees
- Doctorate, Criminal Justice – CUNY Graduate Center / John Jay College (2011)
- Masters, Criminal Justice – CUNY John Jay College (2008)
- Masters, Sociology – CUNY City College (2000)
- Bachelor of Arts, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies – The Ohio Sate University (1995)
Courses Taught
- Criminal Justice is the field that studies formal social control. This course covers the processing of crime by agents of formal control (police, courts, and institutional corrections). The general focus is on understanding the complex interactions of structures and agents in the system. Of particular concern are discretion and diversity in law enforcement, due process in criminal courts, and the punishment-rehabilitation dichotomy in corrections. The ultimate goal is to provide a critical foundation that prepares students for the challenges of a career in criminal justice.
- This is an introductory and foundational course in the study of crime and justice. It is designed to introduce students to the various historical and contemporary theories and empirical research used to understand deviant and criminal behavior. This course takes a critical approach to the study of the definition and measurement of crime, as well as applications of these theories to practice and in policy. Offending and victimization, as these relate to specific crime types (i.e., white collar crime, violent crime, sex crime, drug related crimes, etc.) will be explored. Prerequisite: SOC 100
- This course provides a historical overview of the relationship of the states of the Bill of Rights, and how the Supreme Court has interpreted the powers of the federal government. The effect of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment on the application of the Bill of Rights to the states is examined through a study of the leading Supreme Court decisions related to criminal justice. Topics include characteristics and powers of the three branches of government, the principles governing the operation of the Bill of Rights, and the variables affecting the formulation of judicial policy. Prerequisite: POL 100
- This course is intended to broaden the studenta??s understanding of the origins and development of law enforcement agencies in the United States. Moreover, the course will examine the complex role of the police in a democratic society in the criminal justice system. An emphasis will be placed on recruitment, the training process and the importance of diversity, particularly among larger police departments in the U.S. The course will also examine contemporary legal issues and modern strategies such as community, evidence-based, intelligence-led and predictive policing. Prerequisite: CRJ 101
- This course examines the history of criminal punishment in Western society, emphasizing the United States. The course highlights social forces (political, religious, economic, and technological) shaping punishment; reviews common theories (deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation, incapacitation, and restoration) and examines how theory relates to policy. The course takes a critical approach to correctional systems and policies by considering disparities and structural inequalities. Empirical evidence is used to examine contemporary crises of punishment (i.e., mass incarceration, school-to-prison pipeline) as well as prison culture, staffing, privatization, and prisoner civil rights. Alternatives to traditional punishment, especially restorative justice models, are explored. Prerequisite: CRJ 101
- This course will explore a significant topic, concept, theme or methodology of interest in the field of criminology, which studies crime as a social phenomenon. Topics for the following semester will be chosen by the instructor and will be made available during registration. Each section of the course will cover in depth a single special topic related to criminology, such as one of the following: Race and Crime; Gender and Crime; Media/Culture and Crime; Drugs and Crime; Theories of Juvenile Offending and Justice; Critical Criminology; Cultural Criminology; Crime and Social Problems; Criminal Deviance; Green Criminology; Elite Crime/White Collar Crime; Cyber criminology; Organized Crime; Immigration (or Migration and crime); Victimology; Violent Crime; Fear of Crime; Perspectives on Terrorism; Narrative, Ethnographic or Qualitative methodologies; Feminist Criminology.
Prerequisite: CRJ 102 and one 200-level social science course
Research and Projects
CUNY Open Educational Resources Research Program, Tax Levy Award. “The Effect of Open Educational Resources (OERs) on Student Outcomes.” Co-Principle Investigator with Ilir Disha, PhD. Awarded $ 10,000 February 1, 2021-December 31, 2021
National Institute of Health (NIH) Director’s Emergency Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional). Submitted: September 30, 2020 (2021-2026) “Children in a COVID19 Hotspot: Effects of Pre-Existing Risk on Psychobiological and Developmental Impact of a Pandemic.“ Principle Investigator Ha Phan, MD. PhD, New York Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities. Proposed $1,000,000; Subaward request $256,000
Cycle 51 PSC-CUNY Research Award, Traditional B Grant (July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021). Sole Principle Investigator. Narrative and Meaning: Exploring Accounts of Same-Sex Sexual Abuse. Awarded $ 6,000
City University of New York (CUNY) Interdisciplinary Climate Crisis Research Grant (Round 4) (August 1, 2019-March 1, 2021) Co-Principle Investigator with Henry Bulley, PhD., Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, and Jochen Albrecht PhD., Hunter College, CUNY. Experiences, Attitudes, and Policy Drivers Shaping Bottled Water Use in New York City. Awarded $ 38,900
Publications
Disha, Ilir & Vollman, Brenda K. (2023). “Open educational resources and student performance trajectories: B is achievable, A illusive.” Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2023.2190345
Vollman, B.K. (2021) “When Did I Become a Victim? Exploring Narratives of Male Same Sex Childhood Sexual Abuse.” Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00346-0
(2021). Access, use and perceptions of open (free) and traditional textbooks: an exploratory comparative analysis of community college criminal justice courses, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2021.1874330
Vollman, B. K. (2017). “Rikers Island”. In Kurley, K. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Corrections (1 – 4). New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118845387.wbeoc075
Vollman, B. K. and Ronda, M. (November 14, 2017) Endorsing OER. American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) 21st Century Center: Resources for Reclaiming the American Dream. http://www.aacc21stcenturycenter.org/article/endorsing-oer/
(2014). “Race and sex crimes”. In D. Jones-Brown, B.D. Frazier, and M. Brooks (Eds.), African Americans and Criminal Justice: An Encyclopedia (pp. 473 – 479). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Press. https://products.abc-clio.com/abc-cliocorporate/product.aspx?pc=B1089C
(2014). “Jock Young”. In M. Miller, A. Gover, W. Jennings, and C. Schreck (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118517390.wbetc110
(2013). “Police Corruption”. In L. Salinger, and J. Golson (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of White-Collar and Corporate Crime, Second Edition. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/encyclopedia-of-white-collar-corporate-crime/book226269
(2012). Pedophilia and the U.S. Catholic Church: Victimization and its effects. In D. W. Harper, L. Voigt, and W. E. Thornton (Eds.), Violence: Do We Know It When We See It? (pp. 345–368). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781594608810/Violence-Do-We-Know-It-When-We-See-It
(2011). Identity and Behavior: Exploring an Understanding of “Being” and “Doing” for Catholic Priests Accused of the Sexual Abuse of Minors in the United States (Publication # 3444521) [Doctoral dissertation, City University of New York]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://media.proquest.com/media/hms/ORIG/2/0o2uH?_s=TIg7L%2BXTcCyptvi0rIo096KBNS8%3D
Terry, K.J., Smith, M.L., Schuth, K., Kelly, J.R., Vollman, B.K., & Massey, C. (2011). The causes and context of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the United States, 1950-2010. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Washington, D.C. ISBN 978-1-60137-201-7. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2011_05_18_John_Jay_Causes_and_Context_Report.pdf
Smith, M.L., Rengifo, A.F., & Vollman B.K. (2008). Trajectories of Abuse and Disclosure: Child Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests. Criminal Justice and Behavior 35(5):570-582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854808314340
Honors, Awards and Affiliations
- American Society of Criminology
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- Alpha Phi Sigma Honors Society
