Professor of Criminal Justice, Director MPA-CJ
Maguire Hall 110
845-398-4192
[email protected]
Dr. Chayet is passionate about prison reform and facilitating the experience of returning citizens. Her classes in these areas – Prisons in America, reentry (Contemporary Issues), and the effectiveness of punishment (Penology) – examine issues of race and class and identify directions to improve the criminal justice system. Joining the faculty in 2005, she loves to mentor her students, encouraging them to become informed, critical problem-solvers. She is also proud of helping to launch the B.S. program at Sullivan Correctional Facility.
Dr. Chayet has been awarded research and consulting grants in institutional and community corrections, including a dissertation fellowship from the National Institute of Justice for her work on racial disparities in sentencing and parole. She was trained by the federal government in policy-based evaluation while at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and conducted research at John Jay College and Rutgers University. Her research addresses deterrence, correctional good time, and white collar criminal careers.
Dr. Chayet holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from Brandeis University. She has been an active member of the Rockland County Reentry Task Force since 2011.
Dr. Chayet enjoys traveling, especially to her favorite places in Acadia, Maine and France; easy hikes; rooting for her beloved Red Sox; and reading crime and political thrillers. She loves spending time in New York City with her daughter going to ballets, Broadway shows, and concerts, and most of all, hanging out with her husband and daughter.
Publications & Professional Affiliations
American Society of Criminology, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Alpha Phi Sigma
Selected Publications:
Book: While Collar Crimes and Criminal Careers (2001, coauthors David Weisburd and Elin Waring
Selected articles:
"Penal policy is public policy: An examination of prisoner reentry" (2010, with Michael Brown, in The Long Term View)
"Good time credit in American prisons" (1996, with David Weisburd, in the Encyclopedia of American Prisons)
" Specific deterrence in a sample of offenders convicted of a white collar crime" (1996, with David Weisburd and Elin Waring, in Criminology)
"Correctional 'good time' as a means of early release" (1994, Criminal Justice Abstracts)
"Good time: An agenda for research" (1989, with David Weisburd, Journal of Criminal Justice and Behavior)
Degrees & Certifications
B.A., Sociology, Queens College CUNY
M.A., Sociology/Anthropology, Northeastern University
Ph.D., Social Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University
