Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Faculty | Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Legal Studies | University of West Florida
Skip to main content
Crow,Matthew_211

Matthew Crow

Biography

Dr. Matthew S. Crow joined UWF in 2005 after earning a Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Florida State University. He has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses on Criminal Justice Theory, Courts, Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice, and many other subjects. Since joining UWF, Crow has served as Graduate Coordinator, Assistant Director, and Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He also directs the department’s study abroad program in Scotland. He has received the UWF Distinguished Research and Creative Activities Award, the UWF Student Government Association Distinguished Teaching Award, the UWF Distinguished Faculty Service Award, and the Springer American Journal of Criminal Justice Outstanding Article Award.

Dr. Crow’s main research interests focus on criminal sentencing, issues in policing, and offender reentry, although he has published on a variety of other topics as well. His work has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed publications, including the American Journal of Criminal Justice, Crime & Delinquency, Criminal Justice and Behavior, Criminal Justice Policy Review, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Deviant Behavior, to name a few. He also
co-edited a book, “Offender Reentry: Rethinking Criminology and Criminal Justice” and contributed to several other books about courts, ex-offenders returning to society, and influences behind criminal sentencing.

Degrees & Institutions

Dr. Crow received a bachelor's degree in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He earned a master's degree and a doctorate degree in Criminology & Criminal Justice from Florida State University.

Research

Dr. Crow’s research on criminal sentencing has analyzed the impact of sentencing guidelines, race and ethnicity, and prior criminal history on sentencing outcomes. His research on policing has examined the use of Tasers, perceptions of body-worn cameras, and job satisfaction among police officers. He has also studied wildlife and natural resource crime and conservation policing. His work on offender reentry includes a multi-year, controlled experimental design evaluation of a federal reentry court. Crow's research is often collaborative, and he enjoys working on projects with colleagues and students.

Current Courses

  • Courts
  • Survey of Crime and Justice
  • Criminal Justice Seminar
  • Criminal Justice Theory

Classes Taught

  • Courts
  • Survey of Crime and Justice
  • Policing
  • Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Justice Seminar
  • Criminal Justice Theory
  • Criminological Theory
  • Courts and Society
  • Police and Society
  • Criminal Justice in Scotland

Special Interests

  • American Journal of Criminal Justice Editorial Board
  • Northern District of Florida Robert A. Dennis, Jr. Reentry Court Program
  • Children’s Home Society/YouthWorks

Publications

Book, Book Chapters, Reviews

*Designates current or former student.

  • Crow, M. S., & *Elligson, R. (2016). Courts: Issues and Concerns. In W. G. Doerner (Ed.), Criminal Justice Basics. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.
  • Crow, M. S., & Smykla, J. O. (2014). Offender Reentry: Rethinking Criminology and Criminal Justice. Boston, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  • Crow, M. S., & Smykla, J. O. (2014). Reentry in the 21st century: Challenges and opportunities. In M. S. Crow and J. O. Smykla (Eds.), Offender Reentry: Rethinking Criminology and Criminal Justice (pp. 1-5). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
  • Smykla, J. O., & Crow, M. S. (2014). More than meets the eye: Unsettled issues in reentry. In M. S. Crow and J. O. Smykla (Eds.), Offender Reentry: Rethinking Criminology and Criminal Justice (pp. 379-384). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
  • Crow, M. S. & Gertz, M. (2009). Legal and democratic subcultures: Understanding how the law and political forces shape criminal sentencing. In G. L. Mays & P. R. Gregware (Eds.), Courts and Justice: A Reader, 4th Edition. Long Grove, IL; Waveland Press.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

*Designates current or former student.

  • Crow, M.S., & Goulette, N. (Forthcoming). U.S. District Court judicial diversity: The impact of race and gender composition on sentencing outcomes at the district level. Crime & Delinquency. doi.org/10.1177/00111287241231748
  • Crow, M.S., & Goulette, N. (2022). Judicial diversity and sentencing disparity across U.S. District Courts. Journal of Criminal Justice, 82, 101973. doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2022.101973
  • Crow, M.S., Smykla, J.O., *O’Brien, H., *Cerna, T., *Johnson, A., *Pisaris, S., *Suarez, M., & *Wilder, J. (2023) What’s in your file drawer? The case of the missing null in criminology and criminal justice. Crime & Delinquency, 69, 2574-2594. doi.org/10.1177/00111287221090959
  • Goulette, N., Denney, A., Crow, M.S., & Ferdik, F. (2022). “Anything can happen at any time”: Perceived causes of correctional officer injuries. Criminal Justice Review, 47, 17-33. doi.org/10.1177%2F0734016820952521
  • Crow, M.S., & Goulette, N. (2021). Sex, politics, and U.S. District Court outcomes: Examining variation in judge-initiated downward guideline departures. American Journal of Criminal Justice. 1-24. doi.org/10.1007/s12103-021-09648-3
  • Goulette, N., Denney, A. A., Johnson, K., & Crow, M. S. (2021). Modifying an introduction to criminal justice course to be writing-intensive. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 32, 479-494. doi.org/10.1080/10511253.2021.1912798
  • Crow, M. S., & Smykla, J. O. (2021). The effect of reentry court participation on post-release supervision outcomes and re-arrest. Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research, 6, 242-267. doi.org/10.1080/23774657.2019.1647805
  • Crow, M. S., & Smykla, J. O. (2019). Police body-worn cameras: Research developments on an emerging technology. Criminal Justice Review, 44, 257-262. doi.org/10.1177%2F0734016819854789
  • Snyder, J. A., Crow, M. S., & Smykla, J. O. (2019). Police officer and supervisor perceptions of body-worn cameras pre- and post-implementation: The importance of officer buy-in. Criminal Justice Review, 44, 322-338. DOI: doi.org/10.1177/0734016819846223
  • Penrod, C., & Crow, M. S. (2018). The biggest “have” of them all: Wal-Mart and its litigation outcomes in slip-and-fall cases. American Business Law Journal, 55(2), 223-259. doi.org/10.1111/ablj.12120 ***Top Downloaded Article 2017-2018
  • Crow, M.S., Snyder, J.A., Crichlow, V.J., & Smykla, J.O. (2017). Community perceptions of police body-worn cameras: The impact of views on fairness, fear, performance, and privacy. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 44, 589-610. doi.org/10.1177%2F0093854816688037
  • Smykla, J. O., Crow, M. S., Crichlow, V. J., & Snyder, J. A. (2016). Police body-worn cameras: Perceptions of law enforcement leadership. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 41, 424-443. doi.org/10.1007/s12103-015-9316-4 ***2017 American Journal of Criminal Justice Outstanding Article Award, Springer Publishing
  • Patten, R., Crow, M. S., & Shelley, T. O. (2015). What’s in a name? The occupational identity of conservation and natural resource oriented law enforcement agencies. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(4), 750-764. doi.org/10.1007/s12103-014-9286-y
  • Crow, M. S. & *Lannes, P. (2015). Risk, proportionality, and sentencing: Guideline circumvention in federal child pornography and sexual abuse cases. Criminal Justice Policy Review. 26, 575-597. doi.org/10.1177%2F0887403414526230
  • Crow, M. S., & Smykla, J. O. (2015). An examination of author characteristics in national and regional criminology and criminal justice journals, 2008-2010: Are female scholars changing the nature of publishing in criminology and criminal justice? American Journal of Criminal Justice, 40, 441-455. doi.org/10.1007/s12103-014-9250-x
  • Crow, M. S. & Smykla, J. O. (2013). A mixed methods analysis of methodological orientation in national and regional criminology and criminal justice journals. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 24, 536-555. doi.org/10.1080/10511253.2013.827229
  • Crow, M. S., Shelley, T. O., & Stretesky, P. B. (2013). Camouflage collar crime: An examination of wildlife crime and characteristics of offenders in Florida. Deviant Behavior, 34, 635-652. doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2012.759049
    • Reprinted in: T. Spapens, R. White, & M. Kluin (Eds.). (2014). Environmental Crime and its Victims: Perspectives within Green Criminology (pp. 185-204). Ashgate.
  • Crow, M. S., Lee, C. B., & Joo, J. J. (2012). Organizational justice and organizational commitment among South Korean police officers: An investigation of job satisfaction as mediator. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 35, 402-423. doi.org/10.1108/13639511211230156
  • Crow, M. S. & *Adrion, B. L. (2011). Focal concerns and police use of force: Examining the factors associated with taser use. Police Quarterly, 14, 366-387. doi.org/10.1177%2F1098611111423740
  • Stretesky, P. B., Shelley, T. O., & Crow, M. S. (2010). Do conservation organizations influence the production of natural resource violations? Organization & Environment: International Journal for Ecosocial Research, 23 (4), 398-416. doi.org/10.1177%2F1086026610385902
  • Scott, D. L., Crow, M. S., & Thompson, C. J. (2010). Tempest in a therapeutic community: Implementation and evaluation issues for faith-based programming. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 49 (1), 39-51. doi.org/10.1080/10509670903435464
  • Swanson, C., Crow, M. S., & Rohrer, G. (2010). Is criminal justice education ready for reentry? Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 21 (1), 60-76. doi.org/10.1080/10511250903496463
  • Crow, M. S. & Kunselman, J. (2009). Sentencing female drug offenders: Reexamining racial and ethnic disparities. Women & Criminal Justice, 19 (3), 191-216. doi.org/10.1080/08974450903001511
  • Shelley, T. O., & Crow, M. S. (2009). The nature and extent of conservation policing: Law enforcement generalists or conservation specialists? American Journal of Criminal Justice, 34 (1), 9-27. doi.org/10.1007/s12103-008-9057-8
  • Crow, M. S., Hough, R., Mosley, J., Smykla, J., & Tatum, K. (2008). Drunk and alone in a K-Mart parking lot: The pedagogy of simulations and contemporary attitudes toward drinking and driving. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 19 (3), 417-431. doi.org/10.1080/10511250802476244
  • Crow, M. S. & Gertz, M. (2008). Sentencing policy and disparity: Guidelines and the influence of legal and democratic subcultures. Journal of Criminal Justice, 36 (4), 362-371. doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2008.06.004
  • Crow, M. S. (2008). The complexities of prior record, race and ethnicity, and offense: Interactive effects in sentencing. Criminal Justice Review, 33 (4), 505-523. doi.org/10.1177%2F0734016808320709
  • Crow, M. S. & Johnson, K. (2008). Race, ethnicity, and habitual offender sentencing: A multilevel analysis of individual and contextual threat. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 19 (1), 63-83. doi.org/10.1177%2F0887403407308476
  • Crow, M. S. & Bales, W. (2006). Sentencing guidelines and focal concerns: The effect of sentencing policy as a practical constraint on sentencing decisions. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 30 (2), 285-304. doi.org/10.1007/BF02885896
  • Crow, M. S., Shelley, T. O., Bedard, L., & Gertz, M. (2004). Czech police officers: An exploratory study of police attitudes in an emerging democracy. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, 27(4), 592-614. doi.org/10.1108/13639510410566299
  • Shelley, T. O. & Crow, M. S. (2001). Balancing power: Police labor and management relations. Polizei & Wissenschaft, 4, 25-34.

Keywords: offender reentry, body-worn cameras, sentencing, conservation officers, wildlife crime and offenders, police use of force, women scholars in criminology