Education
Ph.D. in Criminology, University of Delaware , 2016
M.S. in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2011
B.A. Sociology and Psychology, Kent State University, 2005
Areas of Expertise
Criminological theory
Corrections and punishment
Community reentry following incarceration
Collateral consequences of criminal justice policies
Qualitative methodology
Biography
Ashley Kilmer earned her Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Delaware. Prior to joining the faculty at Towson University in the fall of 2018, Dr. Kilmer was an assistant professor of Criminal Justice at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. She is also a trained Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program facilitator and looks forward to teaching Inside-Out courses at Towson as they are incredibly transformative experiences for the students involved.
Dr. Kilmer studies the impact of criminal justice-related policies and practices on justice-involved individuals and their families. Most recently, her research examined the experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals during the first several weeks and months following release, identifying barriers and supports that impact people’s ability to form social bonds and manage stigma as they return to their communities. Other research includes the impact of sex offender policies on the lives of family members of registrants, and the effects of peer-facilitated prison programming on both participants and facilitators. Her research primarily relies on qualitative methodology such as interviews, written narratives, and open-ended surveys to gather in-depth responses that share the unique perspective of participants and experiences in their own words.