Michelle A. Ronda
Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice Coordinator
Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice
EMAIL: mronda@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: N-651K
Office Hours: Email for current office hours
Phone: +1 (212) 220-8000;ext=5338
Professor Michelle Ronda has long-standing interests in deviance and social control, as well as criminal justice and social justice. She has taught courses in sociology, criminology, urban studies, and theories of justice. She has also taught courses in prison, and is committed to the transformative power of higher education in prison and jail.
Professor Ronda oversees a Criminal Justice program of approximately 2,900 students, 35 part-time, and 9 full-time faculty, and works closely with the John Jay CUNY Justice Academy to transition students to complete bachelor’s degrees on that campus. Professor Ronda has worked closely with the BMCC Library and faculty to develop a Zero Textbook Course CRJ degree program, using Open Educational Resources.
Expertise
Degrees
- Ph.D., Sociology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), 2011
- M.Phil., Sociology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), 2003
- M.A., Speech Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 1993
- B.A., Psychology & Sociology, Queens College of the City University of New York, 1989
Courses Taught
- 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 takes a critical approach to the study of crime and justice in urban settings. Course materials examine contemporary crime-related issues that affect urban communities within a historical and sociological context. The course highlights the intersections of deviant behavior and the criminal justice system within the structures of class, race, gender, and power inequalities. Topics explored may include racial profiling, juvenile delinquency, media representations of crime, policing, the war on drugs, and prisoner re-entry.
Prerequisite: CRJ 101 and CRJ 102 - 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
Research and Projects
Professor Ronda is currently co-Principal Investigator on a research project exploring inside-out or combined classes in two New York State prisons for women, examining the impact on participants of college courses taught in prison that bring together “outside” students with incarcerated students. She recently completed the Battery Park City Parks User Count and Study 2017-2018 with Professor Robin Isserles, which provided an empirical base from which the Battery Park City Authority can assess their resources and planning regarding the 36 acres of public space and parks managed by their Parks Conservancy. Professor Ronda has worked closely with the BMCC Library and faculty to develop a Zero Textbook Course CRJ degree program, using Open Educational Resources. She contributed a chapter entitled, “The Children of the Whole People Can be Educated” to Women on the Role of Public Higher Education: Personal Reflections from CUNY’s Graduate Center (eds. Deborah Gambs and Rose Kim), Palgrave Macmillan 2015.
Publications
- Ronda, M. & Utheim, R. (forthcoming). “Toward Abolition Pedagogy: Teaching Social Justice in Prison Combined Classrooms.” Dialogues in Social Justice.
- Ronda, M. & Isserles, R. (2018). “Battery Park City Authority Parks User Count and Study.” New York, NY: Battery Park City Authority.
- Vollman, B. & Ronda, M. (2017). “Endorsing OER.” American Association of Community Colleges 21st Century Center.
- Ronda, M. (2015). “The Children of the Whole People Can be Educated.” In D. Gambs and R. Kim (Eds.), Women on the Role of Public Higher Education: Personal Reflections from CUNY’s Graduate Center (pp. 29-44). New York, NY: Palgrave.
- Ronda, M. (2008). “Prison,” “Recidivism,” and “Prison Overcrowding.” In V. Parrillo (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Social Problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
- Ronda, M. (2007). “Puerto Ricans.” In J.H. Moore (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Volume 2. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA.
- Van Ryzin, G., Ronda, M. and Muzzio, D., (2001). “Factors Related to Self-Sufficiency in a Distressed Public Housing Community” Journal of Urban Affairs 23(1): 57-69.
- Reingold, D., Van Ryzin, G. & Ronda, M. (2001). “Does Urban Public Housing Diminish the Social Capital and Labor Force Activity of Its Tenants?” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 20(3): 485-504.
- Ronda, M. & Valencia, R.R. (1994). “’At-risk’ Chicano students: the institutional and communicative life of a category.” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 16(4), 363-395.
Honors, Awards and Affiliations
- Member, CUNY UFS Committee on Higher Education in the Prisons, Spring 2015 to present
- Community Member, Marymount Manhattan College Institutional Review Board, Fall 2014 to present
