LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 01, 2026) — The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) Criminal Justice programs will bring a significant faculty and research presence to the 2026 Southern Criminal Justice Association (SCJA) Annual Conference as a conference partner.
Held Sept. 14-18 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the SCJA annual conference brings together criminal justice scholars, educators, practitioners and students from across the region to exchange research, explore emerging challenges and strengthen connections across the discipline.
This year’s theme, “Justice in Transition: Innovation, Equity, and Community,” reflects a focus on the evolving systems, policies and practices shaping criminal justice – conversations that faculty will contribute to throughout the week.
Across nine conference sessions and events, CoSW faculty and scholars will present research, chair panels and participate in interdisciplinary discussions exploring issues ranging from artificial intelligence and online harms to incarceration and reentry, substance use, juvenile justice, community-engaged research and cultural narratives surrounding crime and masculinity.
For UK, that presence comes during a period of significant growth in criminal justice education, research and faculty expertise. CoSW launched UK’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and fully online Master of Science in Criminal Justice in Fall of 2023. The programs have since expanded student pathways through immersive education and specialized certificates, including an undergraduate certificate in victimology and an upcoming criminal investigations certificate launching Spring of 2027.
The College has also built a growing cohort of criminal justice scholars and educators whose expertise spans policing, investigations and forensic science, corrections and reentry, juvenile justice, victimization, cybercrime and online harms, mental health and the criminal legal system, substance use, gambling and community safety. Together, that growth has expanded CoSW’s capacity for instruction, research and student mentorship while strengthening UK’s presence in the broader criminal justice discipline.
That breadth will be reflected throughout the SCJA program.
Tom Mowen, Ph.D., will present research examining the use of twin studies in criminology, while Paul Bleakley, Ph.D., will present on an artificial intelligence image-based abuse scandal and chair a conference panel focused on hate crime.
Glenn Sterner, Ph.D., will present research on the development of an early warning system for substance use issues.
UK will have an especially strong presence in conversations surrounding youth justice. Nicole McKenna, Ph.D., will chair a panel examining family structure, institutional experiences, resilience and professional preparation in juvenile justice. The session will include research from Vitoria De Francisco Lopes, M.CJ., examining single-parent households and juvenile justice involvement; Jackie Duron, Ph.D., and McKenna examining disciplinary infractions in juvenile confinement facilities; and Duron and McKenna exploring a multisystemic approach to understanding justice-involved youth. McKenna will also discuss collaborative and participatory teaching approaches through a University of Kentucky case study.
McKenna will later join Stephanie Quiring, Ph.D., and Megan Trafford, MS, for a roundtable examining the opportunities and challenges associated with community-engaged and participatory research across disciplinary boundaries.
Victoria Collins, Ph.D., executive director and chair of UK Criminal Justice programs, and Quiring will also present research examining representations of rural fighting matches and Appalachian stereotypes of masculinity.
“Criminal justice at UK has grown quickly, but our focus has always been on building something that is both academically rigorous and responsive to where the discipline is going,” Collins said. “Our faculty bring an incredible range of research and professional expertise to that work. SCJA gives us an opportunity not only to share that scholarship, but to contribute to important conversations across the field and introduce more students, scholars and criminal justice professionals to what we are building here at Kentucky.”
Among UK’s conference presenters is Trafford, a lecturer in criminal justice who was selected to receive the SCJA Student and Untenured Faculty Travel Award for her research with Sarah Lazzari, Ph.D., of the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Trafford will present findings from their research examining the experiences of incarcerated women participating in the Horizon Prison Initiative. Her presentation, “‘It Makes Me Feel More Comfortable Going Back to Society’: Insights from Horizon Prison Initiative Participants,” explores how participants describe the program’s role in personal growth, social support, hope and preparation for returning to their communities.
“Building strong academic programs is only one part of the work,” Collins said. “We also want our faculty and students engaged in the broader discipline through sharing research, learning from others and helping shape conversations about where criminal justice scholarship and practice go next.”
The CoSW’s participation in SCJA builds on a growing national and international presence for its criminal justice faculty, who regularly share scholarship at professional conferences and collaborate with researchers, educators, practitioners and community partners on issues affecting crime, justice and public safety.