Katherine Maldonado

Katherine Maldonado Fabela, Ph.D., is from South Central Los Angeles and holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research interests include critical criminology, health, inequalities, and visual methodology. Her current book project examines the experiences of Latina/Chicana mothers within the carceral system, focusing on their interactions with the child welfare system. The study highlights the violence and grief these mothers face, the impact on their mental health, and mechanisms of recovery and healing through motherwork strategies. 

Chiara Packard

Chiara Packard, Ph.D., is a new Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology. Her research uses primarily qualitative methods to explore the political and social processes that shape punishment, and how punishment, in turn, reproduces inequality. Chiara’s book project focuses on one of the most powerful, yet understudied, actors in the criminal legal system: prosecutors. Drawing on twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork in two midwestern District Attorney’s offices, this study explores how prosecutors make decisions regarding charging, plea-bargaining, and sentencing recommendations. In her teaching, Chiara adopts a student-centered approach that is interactive, inclusive, and supportive. Finally, Chiara moved to Salt Lake City with her husband and baby girl, and they are excited to explore all the outdoor activities that Utah has to offer.

Doug Routh

Doug Routh, Ph.D., has primarily focused on corrections with emphasis on 1) risk and needs assessment tools and 2) strategies for population management and connecting individuals to treatment, services, and resources. Over the past several years, Doug has broadened his attention to focus on a more interdisciplinary approach to include the intersection of healthcare, public health, technology, implementation science, and criminal justice. Specifically, his more recent work has focused on identifying and addressing barriers to healthcare and treatment access experienced by justice-involved populations through telehealth or other technology-based interventions and efforts to improve outreach, provision, matching, initiation, retention, and completion of services. Doug’s teaching has covered a variety of topics within the criminal justice system, but has focused more Institutional and Community Corrections, Special Topics in Corrections, Technology in the Justice System, Crime Theories, and Introduction to Criminal Justice.

In his personal life, he is currently, ruled over by 1 tabby cat companion (Mochi); he is the king of his household. He is a huge sports fan, especially soccer and hockey. He really likes the Bees’ games. And finally, he is  a self proclaimed "huge comic book nerd" along with fantasy/sci fi literature.