About the Author

Kristin A. Bates is a professor of criminology and justice studies in the Department of Sociology at California State University San Marcos. Her research focuses on racial, ethnic, and gender inequality in criminal justice policies. She is currently involved in a study examining the community impact of civil gang injunctions. She is co-editor of the book Through the Eye of Katrina: Social Justice in the United States, as well as co-author of Juvenile Delinquency in a Diverse Society, both in their second editions. Dr. Bates earned her PhD in sociology from the University of Washington in 1998.

Richelle S. Swan is Professor of Sociology and Criminology and Justice Studies at California State University, San Marcos. She earned her Ph.D. in criminology, law, and society from the University of California, Irvine, and her M.S. in justice studies from Arizona State University. She teaches a number of classes related to delinquency, crime, law, and social justice. Her ongoing research projects focus on gang injunction laws in Southern California (with Kristin Bates) and the intersection between law, undocumented immigration, and society (with Marisol Clark-Ibáñez). Past research has included problem-solving courts, welfare fraud diversion, restorative justice, and social justice movements. She is the co-editor of Through the Eye of Katrina: Social Justice in the United States (2nd ed.) and co-author of Spicing Up Sociology: The Use of Films in Sociology Courses.