Joshua Ruffin

Biography

Joshua Ruffin, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Towson University. His work examines policing, corrections, and community responses to crime, with a focus on historically marginalized populations and the role of community institutions in advancing justice. He is a research affiliate of the Maryland Center for Community Schools, housed within Towson University’s College of Education. Before joining the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, he was an assistant professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics at California State University, Los Angeles.

Courses Taught

• CRMJ 254: Introduction to Criminal Justice
• CRMJ 345: Race, Crime and Justice
• CRMJ 375: Special Topics: Police-Youth Homicides (CURE)
• CRMJ 387: Issues in Policing

Selected Publications

• Trejbalová, Tereza, Ruffin, Joshua R., & Belisle, Linsey A. (2025). The impact of extended reality on students’ perceptions in a policing course: An exploratory study of experiencing diverse points of view. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 36(1), 121–140.
• Ruffin, J. R., & Martin, K. R. (2025). Black barbershops and guardianship: A mixed methods investigation on the role of barbershops and community. Journal of Urban Affairs, 47(9), 3403–3422.
• Haakmat, N. & Ruffin, J. (2024). As a Black woman, there's no winning in law enforcement:” Black women’s experiences in policing.18 Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice.
• Ruffin, J. (2023). What’s race got to do with it? Factors influencing urban officers’ off-duty participation in BLM protesting. Policing and Society. 34(3) 215-231.
• Dodson, K. & Ruffin, J. (2022). Justice-involved populations with disabilities: Examining inequalities during incarceration and reentry. In Ahlin, E.M., Mitchell, O., & Atkin-Plunk, C.A. (Eds.). Handbook on Inequalities in Sentencing and Corrections among Marginalized Populations (1st ed.). Routledge.
• Ruffin J.R., Battle N.T., Monk-Turner E. (2022). Formerly incarcerated people with disabilities: Perceptions of accessibility and accommodations in correctional programs. Journal of Correctional Health Care. 28(1):59-65.