Franklin T. Wilson

Franklin T. Wilson Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Criminology and Security Studies
Holmstedt Hall 230
Email: Frank.Wilson@indstate.edu
Twitter: @DrFrankWilson
LinkedIn: Dr. Frank Wilson

Education

2006    Ph.D.,  Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University
2000    M.S.,    Criminal Justice, Eastern Kentucky University
1993    B.A.,   Criminal Justice, Ohio University
1993    A.A.S.,  Law Enforcement Technology, Ohio University

Areas of Expertise

Mass Incarceration
Crime and Media
Death Penalty
Race and Gender

Current Research Interests

Entertainment Media Depictions of Police Use of Force
Prison Cemeteries (Historical)
Race, Class and Crime Issues
New Visual Media Research Methodologies

Select Honors and Distinctions

2020    Named one of the Top 20 Influencers in Criminology by Cronycle
2019    Invited to Serve as a “Criminal Justice Research Institute Doctoral Student Research and Teaching Mentor” Criminal Justice Research Institute Texas Southern University (October 16, 2019).
2019    State of Opportunity in America Summit Invitee - This event is conducted by The Center for Advancing Opportunity (CAO), a Washington, D.C.-based research and education initiative created by a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Charles Koch Foundation, and Koch Industries.  Summit focused on At Risk Communities and the role of education and criminal justice. Only 200 scholars, entrepreneurs, civic and private leaders invited to take part. April 14th-16th, 2019
2017    Named one of fifteen Top Criminology and Criminal Justice Professors on Twitter by OnlineEducation.com
2014    Keynote Speaker – Annual Meeting of the National Organization of Black Law  Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
2010    Indiana State University Tenure Track International Faculty Award
2005    Outstanding Leadership Award, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Spring 2005 Semester.

Select Publications

Wilson, F. T., Schaefer, B. P., Blackburn, A. G., & Henderson, H. (2019). Cultivating police use of force perceptions through cinema: Maintaining the racial divide?. Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society, 20(3), 1-22. (Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society is the official journal of the Western Society of Criminology)
Wilson, F. T., Schaefer, B. P., Blackburn, A. G., & Henderson, H. (2019). Symbolically annihilating female police officer capabilities: Cultivating gendered police use of force expectations?. Women & Criminal Justice, DOI: ttps://doi.org/10.1080/08974454.2019.1588837
Wilson, F. T. (2015). Crime and Media Studies: Diversity of Method, Medium, and Communication (1st Ed.). San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing.
Wilson, F. T. & Henderson, H. (2014). The criminological cultivation of African American municipal police officers: Sambo or sellout. Race and Justice: An International Journal 4(1), 45-67. (Race and Justice is the official journal of the American Society of Criminology Division on People of Color and Crime)
Wilson, F. T. & Blackburn, A.G. (2014). The depiction of female police officers in the first forty years of the core cop film genre: It’s a man’s world. Women and Criminal Justice 24(2), 83-105.
Wilson, F. T., Longmire, D., & Swymeler, W. (2009). The absence of gay and lesbian police officer depictions in the first three decades of the core cop film genre: Moving towards a cultivation theory perspective. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 16(1), 27-39.
Wilson, F. T., (2009). Identifying large replicable film populations in social science film research: A unified film population identification methodology. Criminal Justice and Law Review Journal, 1(1) (June), 19-40.
Cho, Y. & Wilson, F.T. (2008). Terrorism and media in Korea. Journal of the Institute of Justice & International Studies, 8, 89-98.
Henderson, H. & Wilson, F. T. (2008). Seeking reasonableness in use of force cases: Analysis of judicial parameters. Contemporary Issues in Criminology and the Social Sciences, 2 (3), 91-110.
Wilson, F. T. (2004). Out of sight out of mind: An analysis of Kansas v. Crane and the fine line between civil and criminal sanctions. The Prison Journal, 84, 362-379. Wilson Out of Sight.pdf (indstate.edu)

Invited Keynote Addresses, Guest Lectures, Panel Discussant, and Program Chair Positions

2020    Panel Discussant - Indiana State University Athletics Department Social Justice/Racism Panel. Invited by Indiana State University Athletics Department (November 8, 2020)  
2020    Panel Discussant -  ‘Cops on Film’. Invited by the California State University San Bernardino Pfau Library’s Conversations on Race and Policing. (August 25, 2020) Cops on Film
2019    Lecture - Researching the Largest Prison Graveyard in the United States. Invited by University of New South Wales Center for Crime, Law and Justice. (December 3, 2019).  
2018    Panel Discussant - Police and the Media Panel. Invited by the Department of Criminology at the University of West Georgia. (October 24, 2018). PolicePanelEventPoster
2018    Lecture - Stories from Peckerwood Hill: Exploring the History of Mass Incarceration and Punishment in the United States Through Its Largest Prison Cemetery.  Invited by the University of Westminster, London, England. (March 12, 2018)  
2018    Lecture - Stories from Peckerwood Hill. Presented at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Invited by the Indiana University Criminal Justice Student Association. (October 11, 2018).  
2017    Program Chair for the Special Topic Area “Media and Crime” for the 2017 Annual Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference. Kansas City, Missouri. Invited by Dr. Lorenzo Boyd President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. (March, 2017)  
2016    Round Table Discussant by the Criminal Justice Research Alliance - How to Talk to the Media About Your Research at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, New Orleans, LA. (November 18, 2016). Invited by the American Society of Criminology  
2016    Workshop Instructor with Caitlin Kizielewicz of the Criminal Justice Research Alliance - How to Effectively Share Your Findings and Expertise with National Media Outlets at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, New Orleans, LA. (November 15, 2016). Invited by the American Society of Criminology  
2015    Lecture - What Forty Years of Cop Films Can Tell Us About Racism, White Privilege, and Ferguson. Invited presentation given at St. Francis College, Brooklyn, New York. Invited by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at St. Francis College, New York and sponsored by the Center for Crime and Popular Culture. (February 2015) Frank Wilson Cop Films St Francis
2014    Keynote Speaker - African American City Police Officers are Good for Comedic Entertainment Only - At Least That's What the Movies Tell Us. Keynote Address presented at the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Annual Conference. Invited by Joseph C. Akers Executive Director of NOBLE and Introduced by Dr. Cedric L. Alexander NOBLE National First Vice President. NOBLE
2013    Lecture - Compassion and the Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery. Presentation was part of the two-day remembrance ceremony for the Captain Joe Byrd Prison Cemetery in Huntsville, TX. Invited by Yaira Robinson, Associate Director of the Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy. (November, 2013) Frank
2013    Program Chair for the Special Topic Area “Media and Crime” for the 2013 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Conference.  Dallas, Texas. Invited by Dr. Craig Hemmens President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. (March, 2013)  
2013    Lecture - Peckerwood Hill: Americas Common Ground. Speech Presented to the Department of Anthropology at Indiana University. Invited by Dr. Della C. Cook Department of Anthropology Indiana University (February, 2013)  

Select Media Appearances

General Interviews

2019    USA Today. April 24, 2019. Incarceration rates down 10%, Department of Justice report says
2019    Finger Lakes Times. April 24, 2019. US incarceration rates down 10%. What does it tell us?
2018    USA Today. October 11, 2018. Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2018    WCNC (NBC Charlette, North Carolina). October 11, 2018.  Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2018    WKYC (NBC Cleveland, Ohio). October 11, 2018.  Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2018    12News (ABC and NBC Beaumont, Texas). October 11, 2018.  Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2018    11Alive (NBC Atlanta, Georgia). October 11, 2018.  Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2018    WUSA9 (CBS Washington, DC). October 11, 2018.  Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2018    Aberdeen News (Aberdeen, South Dakota). October 11, 2018.  Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2018    Daily American (Somerset, Pennsylvania). October 11, 2018.  Death knell for capital punishment? Washington becomes 20th state to ban executions
2013    WTHITV Channel 10 24 November 2013 Men More Likely to be Behind Bars
2013    TribStar 16 November 2013 Despite recent spike, violent crime falling in Wabash Valley
2013    WAWV Channel 2 ABC 23 September 2013 Crime Time at Indiana State University
2012    Monocle 24 Radio (London) How Crime is Reported in The Media.

Prison Cemetery Research

2014    The Texas Observer 11 March 2014 Laid to Rest in Huntsville
2013    The Monitor 8 November 2013 For Prisoners and Families, Burials with Dignity
2013    Texas Tribune 8 November 2013 For Prisoners and Families, Burials with Dignity
2013    New York Times 7 November 2013 For Prisoners and Families, Burials with Dignity
2013    TIFA Contact: Official News Letter for Texas Inmate Families Association 2 November 2013 Faith Community Calls Texans to “Remembrance” of Those Who Die in Prison
2013    Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy 2 November 2013 In Remembrance 2013: Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery, Huntsville
2012    The Republic (Columbus, Indiana) 7 August 2012; Curiosity Spurs Criminologist to Document History of Texas Prison Cemetery
2012    The Courier of Montgomery County 5 August 2012: America's Common Ground
2012    Bloomington Herald Times 5 August 2012: Criminologist Documents Story of Largest Prison Cemetery in US
2012    UPI 4 August 2012: Historic Prison Cemetery Filling Up
2012    Houston Chronicle 4 August 2012: Eternity's Gate Slowly Closing at Peckerwood Hill
2012    Huntsville Item 17 July 2012: SHSU Alumnus Writing Book on Prison Cemetery
2012    Sam Houston State University College of Criminal Justice News 16 June 2012: Alumnus Unearths Stories from Prison Graveyard
2012    Sociological Images 24 February 2012: Prisons, Social Class, and One’s Final Resting Place
2012    John Jay College Center on Media, Crime and Justice The Crime Report 5 January 2012: Texas Maintains Larges Prison Grave Yard: 2100 Burials So Far
2012    Grits for Breakfast Blog 5 January 2012: Texas Prison Burials are a Gentle Touch in a Punitive System
2012    Pittsburg Post-Gazette 5 January 2012:  Texas Prisoner Burials Are a Gentle Touch in a Punitive System
2012    U.S. Catholic 4 January 2012: Dignity in Death for those Who Die in Prison
2012    New York Times 4 January 2012: Texas Prisoner Burials Are a Gentle Touch in a Punitive System

Cop Film Research

2020    Courier. 30 June 2020: “Hollywood’s Decades-Long Love Affair With Copaganda Is Finally Facing a Reckoning”
2015    Wilson, F. T. & Henderson, H. (2015, April 13). Hollywood, the police and ourselves: A shared responsibility for a better future [Web log Post]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/franklin-t-wilson/hollywood-the-police-and-ourselves_b_7013688.html
2014    National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) Newsletter 17 March 2014.
2014    Sam Houston State University Feature (Was also featured on the homepage of the university).31 March 2014: Study: Movies Show Black Police Officers Good For Entertainment Only
2014    Quartz. 4 April 2014:  “How American films use black cops for comic relief”
2014    MMXLII. 4 April 2014: “How American films use black cops for comic relief”
2014    Trebuchet Magazine. 1 April 2014: “Black Police Good For Comedy Value”
2014    Madame Noire Atlanta Post. 3 April 2014: Comedic Relief Only: Does Hollywood Paint Black Cops In A Less Than Flattering Light?
2014    National Association for Multi Ethnicity in Communication: Diversity Digest. 3 April 2014: “Study: Movies show black police officers good for entertainment only”
2014    Scoopedia. 5 April 2014: “How American films use black cops for comic relief”
2014    Phys.org. 31 March 2014: "Movies show black police officers good for entertainment only, study says."
2014    Science Codex. 31 March 2014: “Black police officers good for entertainment only -- at least that's what movies tell us.”
2014    Science News Line. 31 March 2014: “Black Police Officers Good for Entertainment Only - at Least That's What Movies Tell Us”
2014    Scienceblog. 1 April 2014: "Movies Show Black Police Officers Good For Entertainment Only"
2014    Newsroom America. 31 March 2014: “Movies Depict Black Police Officers As Good For Entertainment Only: Study”
2014    Black News Zone. 31 March 2014:  "Black Police Officers Good for Entertainment Only –At Least That’s What the Movies Tell Us."
2014    RealBollyWood. 1 April 2014: "Flicks portray black police officers as good for entertainment only: Study"

Experience

2014 – Present Associate Professor
School of Criminology and Security Studies
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

2008 – 2014   Assistant Professor
School of Criminology and Security Studies
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

2006 – 2008    Assistant Professor
Department of Criminal Justice
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

2005-2006   Assistant Professor
Department of Criminal Justice Administration
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

2004-2005       Doctoral Teaching Assistant
College of Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas

2002-2004       Doctoral Research Assistant
Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Mental or Medical Impairments
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Huntsville, Texas

2000-2002   Doctoral Research Assistant
National Institute for Victim Studies
Huntsville, Texas

Courses Taught

CRIM 416 Crime and Media
CRIM 416 Race and Crime
CRIM 396 Research Methods
CRIM 200 Criminology

School of Criminology and Security Studies