Ihsan A
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Rutgers University, Newark
Expertise
criminology, criminal justice, sociology, public polict
Bio
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Criminal Justice at Rutgers University–Newark, where my research examines the emotional and historical dimensions of family separation across slavery, Jim Crow, and mass incarceration. My work bridges critical criminology and policy, from studying the impacts of guaranteed income on child welfare outcomes to analyzing tribal sovereignty's role in Indigenous child welfare reform. I'm especially drawn to research that translates rigorous scholarship into real policy change, work I've extended into legislative advising and abolitionist pedagogy. Outside of academia, I love painting, reading, and spending time with the people I care about. Some of my favorite moments are simple ones — a good picnic with friends, good music playing, and even better food. These moments of connection and creativity keep me grounded and remind me why the work I do matters.Project ideas
How Do TV Crime Shows Shape Public Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System?
Objective: Investigate how popular crime dramas and true-crime media portray the criminal justice system, and compare those portrayals to how the system actually operates. Task: Select a sample of 5–10 episodes or films from one or more crime shows/documentaries. As you watch, take notes on recurring patterns: How often are cases "solved"? How is forensic evidence used? How are defendants, police, and lawyers portrayed? Whose perspective does the story center? Choose 2–3 of these themes and research what the real data shows. For example: How often are real cases actually solved with forensic evidence? What are actual clearance rates for the crimes depicted? How common are wrongful convictions? Compare your findings from the show(s) to the real-world data. Where do they line up? Where do they diverge, and why might that be? Present your findings as a research paper, video essay, or policy-style brief aimed at raising media literacy around crime coverage. Deliverable: A written or multimedia piece (your choice of format) that lays out your comparison and what it suggests about how media shapes public understanding of crime and justice.
Who Gets Watched? Policing and Surveillance in Public Spaces
Objective: Investigate how surveillance and policing are distributed across a community, and what that distribution suggests about who is treated as a "threat." Task: Pick a defined area to study (a neighborhood, a school, a shopping district, or even a city compared to a suburb). Document visible forms of surveillance and control: security cameras, police presence, private security, signage ("no loitering," curfews), metal detectors, etc. A simple walk-through with notes or photos works well. Research who lives in or uses that space (income levels, racial demographics, age) using public data sources like the U.S. Census or local city data portals. Compare your observations across two or more areas with different demographics, or compare your findings to existing research on surveillance, "broken windows" policing, or racial disparities in policing. Reflect on what you found: Does surveillance intensity track with crime rates, or with something else (income, race, property values)? Deliverable: A written report, annotated photo essay, or short presentation summarizing your observations, your data comparison, and what it suggests about how safety and suspicion get distributed unevenly.