Contemporary Authors

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Free, Marvin D.

WORK TITLE: Wrongful Convictions of Women
WORK NOTES: with Mitch Ruesink
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE:
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NATIONALITY:

https://www.uww.edu/cls/departments/sociology/undergraduate-research/faculty * http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=009754

RESEARCHER NOTES:

PERSONAL

Male.

EDUCATION:

University of Denver, Ph.D., 1985.

ADDRESS

  • Office - University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, College of Letters & Sciences, Laurentide Hall 4100, 800 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190-1790.

CAREER

Writer and educator. University of Wisconsin, Marathon Center, lecturer, 1985-87, professor, 1987-96; University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, professor, 1996—. Member of editorial boards of publications, including Encyclopedia of Race and Crime and the Contemporary Justice Review.

MEMBER:

Midwestern Criminal Justice Association (secretary, 1996—).

AWARDS:

Excellence in Research Award, Florida State University.

WRITINGS

  • African Americans and the Criminal Justice System, Garland (New York, NY), 1996
  • (With Ronald J. Berger and Patricia Searles) Crime, Justice, and Society: Criminology and Sociological Imagination, Lynne Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2001 , published as Crime, Justice, and Society: An Introduction to Criminology (), 2005, 2009
  • (Editor) Racial Issues in Criminal Justice: The Case of African Americans, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2003
  • (With Mitch Ruesink) Race and Justice: Wrongful Convictions of African American Men, Lynne Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2012
  • (With Ronald J. Berger, Melissa Deller, and Patrick K. O'Brien) Crime, Justice, and Society: An Introduction to Criminology (4th edition), Lynne Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2015
  • (With Mitch Ruesink) Wrongful Convictions of Women: When Innocence Isn't Enough, Lynn Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2016

Contributor of articles to publications, including the Journal of Black Studies.

SIDELIGHTS

Marvin D. Free is a writer and educator specializing in criminology. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of Denver. In 1985, he joined the University of Wisconsin, Marathon Center as a lecturer. He became a professor at the school two years later. Free moved to the school’s Whitewater campus in 1996 and has served as a professor there since then. He has also sat on the editorial boards of publications, including the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime and the Contemporary Justice Review. Since 1996, Free has served as the secretary of the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Research Award from Florida State University.

African Americans and the Criminal Justice System and Crime, Justice, and Society

Free is the editor of African Americans and the Criminal Justice System. The volume, which was released in 1996, includes essays from various contributors on the ways in which African Americans have been and are treated with regard to criminal justice. 

Free collaborated with Ronald J. Berger and Patricia Searles to write the 2001 text book, Crime, Justice, and Society: Criminology and Sociological Imagination. A second and third edition of the volume were released under the title, Crime, Justice, and Society: An Introduction to Criminology. A fourth edition of the work, published in 2015, was written by Free, Berger, Melissa Deller, and Patrick K. O’Brien. It includes excerpts from interviews with victims of crimes, people who have committed crimes, and people who work in the field of criminal justice. Chapters of the book focus on topics, including the ways in which crimes are counted, various types of explanations of crime, drug-related crime, sexual crimes, crimes committed by politicians and government officials, and white-collar crime. The authors also comment on how race, class, and ethnicity affect criminology.

Racial Issues in Criminal JusticeRace and Justice, and Wrongful Convictions of Women

Racial Issues in Criminal Justice: The Case of African Americans, a volume Free edited, offers statistics regarding the rate of incarceration of African Americans. They are disproportionately high compared to that of other races. Essays in the book focus on topics, including how slavery has led to African Americans continuing to be marginalized, racial profiling, black police officers and black jurors, and restorative justice.

Free and Mitch Ruesink, a psychologist, are the authors of the 2012 book, Race and Justice: Wrongful Convictions of African American Men. The volume includes information on 434 cases in which African American men, who were officially exonerated for their alleged crimes. Free and Ruesink structure the work using chapters devoted to types of crimes for which the men were convicted. Among the topics of chapters are rape, robbery, drug offenses, and murder. They discuss the reasons for which each case was deemed a wrongful conviction. Among the factors that contributed to many of the wrongful convictions were false confessions and mistakes or misconduct of officials. Free and Ruesink also comment on how wrongful convictions can have terrible consequences for those who are imprisoned and for their families. P.S. Leighton offered a favorable review of Race and Justice in Choice. Leighton asserted: “This book will be the definitive scholarly reference on this topic and a must-read.” Leighton also categorized the work as “essential.” “This comprehensive volume … provides a detailed collection of statistical data,” noted a contributor to Reference & Research Book News.

Free again collaborated with Ruesink to write Wrongful Convictions of Women: When Innocence Isn’t Enough. In this volume, they analyze over 160 wrongful conviction cases involving women. Among the charges the women were accused of are drug crimes, child abuse, and murder. Free and Ruesink examine the ways in which policing methods and prosecution have failed, resulting in the wrongful convictions of women.

BIOCRIT

PERIODICALS

  • Choice, August, 2012, P.S. Leighton, review of Race and Justice: Wrongful Convictions of African American Men, p. 2379.

  • Reference & Research Book News, April, 2012, review of Race and Justice.

ONLINE

  • Death Penalty, http://deathpenalty.procon.org/ (August 24, 2017), author profile.

  • University of Wisconsin, Whitewater Website, https://www.uww.edu/ (August 24, 2017), author faculty profile.*

  • African Americans and the Criminal Justice System Garland (New York, NY), 1996
  • Crime, Justice, and Society: Criminology and Sociological Imagination Lynne Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2001
  • Racial Issues in Criminal Justice: The Case of African Americans Praeger (Westport, CT), 2003
  • Race and Justice: Wrongful Convictions of African American Men Lynne Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2012
  • Crime, Justice, and Society: An Introduction to Criminology ( 4th edition) Lynne Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2015
  • Wrongful Convictions of Women: When Innocence Isn't Enough Lynn Rienner Publishers (Boulder, CO), 2016
1.  Wrongful convictions of women : when innocence isn't enough LCCN 2015037554 Type of material Book Personal name Free, Marvin D., author. Main title Wrongful convictions of women : when innocence isn't enough / Marvin D. Free, Jr., and Mitch Ruesink. Published/Produced Boulder, Colorado : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2016. Description viii, 313 pages ; 24 cm ISBN 9781626375062 (hbk. : alk. paper) CALL NUMBER KF9756 .F74 2016 Copy 1 Request in Law Library Reading Room (Madison, LM242) 2.  Race and justice : wrongful convictions of African American men LCCN 2011034705 Type of material Book Personal name Free, Marvin D. Main title Race and justice : wrongful convictions of African American men / Marvin D. Free, Jr., Mitch Ruesink. Published/Created Boulder, Colo. : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2012. Description x, 333 p. ; 24 cm. ISBN 9781588268105 (alk. paper) 1588268101 (alk. paper) CALL NUMBER HV9950 .F744 2012 Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms CALL NUMBER HV9950 .F744 2012 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 3.  Crime, justice, and society : an introduction to criminology LCCN 2014048177 Type of material Book Personal name Berger, Ronald J. Main title Crime, justice, and society : an introduction to criminology / Ronald J. Berger, Marvin D. Free, Jr., Melissa Deller, and Patrick K. O'Brien. Edition 4th Edition. Published/Produced Boulder, Colorado : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2015. Description xiv, 471 pages ; 23 cm ISBN 9781626372252 (pb : alk. paper) Shelf Location FLM2015 221066 CALL NUMBER HV6789 .B465 2015 OVERFLOWJ34 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms (FLM2) 4.  Crime, justice, and society : an introduction to criminology LCCN 2009002508 Type of material Book Personal name Berger, Ronald J. Main title Crime, justice, and society : an introduction to criminology / Ronald J. Berger, Marvin D. Free, Jr., Patricia Searles. Edition 3rd ed. Published/Created Boulder, Colo. : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2009. Description xiii, 613 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. ISBN 9781588266859 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1588266850 (pbk. : alk. paper) CALL NUMBER HV6789 .B465 2009 FT MEADE Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 5.  Crime, justice, and society : an introduction to criminology LCCN 2004007791 Type of material Book Personal name Berger, Ronald J. Main title Crime, justice, and society : an introduction to criminology / Ronald J. Berger, Marvin D. Free, Jr., Patricia Searles. Edition 2nd ed. Published/Created Boulder, Colo : Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005. Description xvi, 586 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. ISBN 1588262588 (pbk. : alk. paper) Links Table of contents http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0416/2004007791.html CALL NUMBER HV6789 .B465 2005 Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms 6.  Racial issues in criminal justice : the case of African Americans LCCN 2002044541 Type of material Book Main title Racial issues in criminal justice : the case of African Americans / edited by Marvin D. Free, Jr. Published/Created Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2003. Description x, 278 p. ; 24 cm. ISBN 0275975622 (alk. paper) CALL NUMBER HV9950 .R334 2003 Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms CALL NUMBER HV9950 .R334 2003 FT MEADE Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 7.  Crime, justice, and society : criminology and the sociological imagination LCCN 00037212 Type of material Book Personal name Berger, Ronald J. Main title Crime, justice, and society : criminology and the sociological imagination / Ronald Berger, Marvin D. Free, Jr., Patricia Searles. Published/Created Boston : McGraw Hill, c2001. Description xx, 524 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. ISBN 0072896132 (acid-free paper) CALL NUMBER HV6789 .B465 2001 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 8.  African Americans and the criminal justice system LCCN 95023142 Type of material Book Personal name Free, Marvin D. Main title African Americans and the criminal justice system / Marvin D. Free, Jr. Published/Created New York : Garland Pub., 1996. Description xix, 251 p. ; 22 cm. ISBN 0815319827 (alk. paper) CALL NUMBER HV9950 .F74 1996 FT MEADE Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE
  • University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Website - https://www.uww.edu/cls/departments/sociology/undergraduate-research/faculty

    Marvin Free, Ph.D., Professor- Coordinator of Criminal Justice
    Email: freem@uww.edu | Office Phone: (262) 472-5260 | Office Location: Laurentide 2124

    Research Interests
    Criminal Justice, Racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
    Classes Taught
    Intro to Criminology, Juvenile Delinquency, Minorities in the Criminal Justice System, Police and Courts

  • Death Penalty - http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=009754

    Marvin D. Free Jr., PhD Biography
    Title:
    Professor of Sociology at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
    Position:
    None Found to the question "Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed?"
    Reasoning:
    No position found as of May 12, 2010
    Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
     Experts
    Individuals with MDs, JDs, PhDs, or equivalent advanced degrees in fields relevant to death penalty issues. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to death penalty issues.
    Involvement and Affiliations:
    Professor, Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1996-present
    Editor, Sociological Imagination, 1998-2000
    Secretary, Midwestern Criminal Justice Association, 1996-present
    Professor, Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Marathon Center, 1987-1996
    Lecturer, Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Marathon Center, 1985-1987
    Recipient, Excellence in Research Award, College of Letters and Sciences, Florida State University
    Member, Editorial Board, The Contemporary Justice Review
    Member, Editorial Board, Encyclopedia of Race and Crime
    Education:
    PhD, Sociology, University of Denver, 1985
    Contact Info:
    Phone: 262-472-5260
    Fax: 262-472-2803
    Email: freem@mail.uww.edu
    Website: Graduate faculty page
    Select Publications:
    Racial Issues in Criminal Justice: The Case of African Americans, 2003
    Cowritten with Ronald Berger and Patricia Searles, Crime, Justice, and Society: Criminology and the Sociological Imagination, 2000
    African Americans and the Criminal Justice System, 1996
    "The Impact of Federal Sentencing Reforms on African Americans," Journal of Black Studies, Nov. 1997
    Other:
    None found

QUOTED: "This book will be the definitive scholarly reference on this topic and a must-read."
"essential."

Free, Marvin D., Jr.: Race and justice: wrongful convictions of African American men

P.S. Leighton
49.12 (Aug. 2012): p2379.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 American Library Association CHOICE
http://www.ala.org/acrl/choice/about
49-7195
HV9950
2011-34705 CIP
Free, Marvin D., Jr. Race and justice: wrongful convictions of African American men, by Marvin D. Free Jr. and Mitch Ruesink. L. Rienner, 2012. 334p bibl index afp ISBN 9781588268105, $68.00
An important justice theme of the 21st century is the number of wrongful convictions exposed by various innocence projects, and this book is an important addition to that literature. Criminologist Free (Univ. of Wisconsin, Whitewater) and psychologist Ruesink (Waukesha County Technical College) build on their earlier work about wrongful convictions by focusing on African American men--the group most overrepresented in prison. Their research uses public documents to explore the details of 434 cases that involved a formal exoneration. After introductory material and a review of methodology, the authors devote a chapter each to cases involving murder, rape, drug offenses, and robbery. Each of these chapters lists the cases, the factors leading to wrongful conviction (official misconduct, eyewitness testimony,
informants, false confession, etc.), and effective one-page examples (which also sometimes explain the tragic consequences of wrongful conviction). Concluding material helps highlight the role of race, and recommendations are thoughtful rather than formulaic. This book will be the definitive scholarly reference on this topic and a must-read for anyone interested in miscarriages of justice. Summing Up: Essential. **** Upper-division undergraduates and above.--P. S. Leighton, Eastern Michigan University
Leighton, P.S.
Source Citation   (MLA 8th Edition)
Leighton, P.S. "Free, Marvin D., Jr.: Race and justice: wrongful convictions of African American men." CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Aug. 2012, p. 2379+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA299990116&it=r&asid=c4878b96ba9bf3358a8e3e1fa766c66e. Accessed 11 Aug. 2017.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A299990116

QUOTED: "This comprehensive volume ... provides a detailed collection of statistical data."

Race and justice; wrongful convictions of African American men

27.2 (Apr. 2012):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Ringgold, Inc.
http://www.ringgold.com/
9781588268105
Race and justice; wrongful convictions of African American men.
Free, Marvin D. and Mitch Ruesink.
Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.
2012
334 pages
$68.00
Hardcover
HV9950
This comprehensive volume on the wrongful conviction of African American men in the American judicial system provides a detailed collection of statistical data and analysis on specific aspects of these miscarriages of justice that are increasingly being brought to light by advanced DNA testing and other modern review processes. The volume covers the data surrounding wrongful conviction generally, profiles prominent cases, and breaks down statistical information by crime, covering murder and attempted murder, sex crimes, drug offenses, and robbery and other crimes. An appendix provides an encyclopedic listing of wrongful conviction cases. Free is a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Ruesink teaches psychology at Waukesha County Technical College, WI.
([c]2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th Edition)
"Race and justice; wrongful convictions of African American men." Reference & Research Book News, Apr. 2012. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA284979908&it=r&asid=91c32685bd7e8131f5f4a141b39d4bc2. Accessed 11 Aug. 2017.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A284979908

Leighton, P.S. "Free, Marvin D., Jr.: Race and justice: wrongful convictions of African American men." CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Aug. 2012, p. 2379+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA299990116&asid=c4878b96ba9bf3358a8e3e1fa766c66e. Accessed 11 Aug. 2017. "Race and justice; wrongful convictions of African American men." Reference & Research Book News, Apr. 2012. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA284979908&asid=91c32685bd7e8131f5f4a141b39d4bc2. Accessed 11 Aug. 2017.