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Jennifer Peck

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Central Florida

Areas of Expertise

  • Racial and ethnic disparities
  • Juvenile justice system
  • Juvenile justice courts
  • Juvenile justice reform
  • Disproportionate minority contact
  • Vulnerable populations

Key Findings

  • Individuals that identified as non-White were more likely to have negative associations and perceptions of the police when compared to their White counterparts, regardless of other dependent variables. MORE
  • Hispanic individuals held more positive views of the police compared to Black individuals but continued to have more negative views when compared to White individuals. MORE
  • The demographic of juveniles most likely to be judicially waived from the juvenile court are Black males, followed by White males then Black females. MORE
  • The odds of a Black juvenile being waived from the juvenile court were 72% higher than for their White peers. MORE
  • White female juveniles had the greatest likelihood of remaining in juvenile court. MORE
  •  Juveniles had higher odds of receiving a court referral at intake if they were charged with a personal offense (15%), a sex offense (22%), a property offense (55%), or a drug offense (60%). MORE
  • The research models indicate that race did not impact intake outcomes across offense types. MORE
  • Peck offers discussion topics to highlight the importance of the Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Mandate, since its inception and execute its goal of creating an equitable juvenile justice system. MORE

Biography

Jennifer Peck, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida, is an expert in the juvenile justice system, juvenile courts, racial and ethnic disparities, disproportionate minority contact, and the treatment of marginalized and vulnerable groups in juvenile and criminal justice settings.

Peck is a Past President of the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association and a member of the American Society of Criminology, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Midwestern Criminal Justice Association, and Southern Criminal Justice Association. 

She has been published in numerous academic journals, including Justice Quarterly, Youth Violence & Juvenile Justice, Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice & Behavior, and Crime & Delinquency. She is also the incoming Editor for the Journal of Crime and Justice.

Peck received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Criminology from the University of South Florida and dual B.A. degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University at Albany, State University of New York.