FACULTY (and student) PURSUITS: Week of Aug. 1, 2022

Dr. Sarah Lazzari (criminology & sociology) has received word that research she has been conducting, along with three ‘Berg co-authors – Alexa Hawk ’21, Brooke Franz ’22, and current senior Kendall Wright – and a formerly incarcerated individual, Shawn McWeeney, has been published.

The recent issue of the International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology published their research, Experiences of Loneliness: COVID-19 Versus Incarceration. Sarah and her co-authors have represented different parts of the study at the Faculty Research Symposium and the Student Research Conference this past year.

The study compares the quarantine experiences during COVID-19 with that of incarceration. Here’s an excerpt from the abstract:

“As the world comes to terms with the realities surrounding COVID-19, media sources have likened quarantine experiences to that of incarceration. Individuals who have experienced incarceration and individuals who have experienced the incarceration of loved ones, have already experienced periods of time apart. We are exploring the experiences of individuals who have some experience with incarceration; whether they were personally incarcerated, or they experienced the incarceration of a loved one. Utilizing snowball sampling, a mixed methods survey was circulated on social media. Survey items included demographic information, questions about incarceration, issues related to COVID-19 quarantines, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results follow similar patterns to previous studies. However, this unique population argues that COVID-19 quarantines are not the same as periods of incarceration. Similarly, future research and community agencies need to examine the unique needs of those who have experienced the incarceration of a loved one.”