Abigail Kolb

Associate Professor
Department of Civic Engagement and Public Service University College

678-839-6326
akolb@westgaF1X5Qe5ohSj9U6SvD4aOT7qfpmYtuE6zJ5mNXm5vFVD8EYGR8NgQ3gnOK.edu

Pafford Social Science Building - Room 238

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Abigail Kolb

My research is multidisciplinary, and has focused on the intersection of race, class, and gender inequalities within the criminal justice system. Specifically, I have focused on the unique issues that women of color face in corrections, their corporeal experiences within the carceral system, and their individual and collective mechanisms of agency.

In addition, I have worked as a clinical and forensic social worker for over a decade, with various populations, and primarily with sexual offenders. Currently, my research revolves around sex offender treatment.

Beyond my research, I serve as the Site Director for Prison Education Programs and teach courses at a Level V (maximum security) prison in Georgia. At this facility, the University of West Georgia (UWG) has implemented a 4-year Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program. We are currently in our first semester with our inaugural cohort! 

  • B.S., Bachelor of Social Work, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2005
  • M.S., Master of Science - Clinical Social Work, Columbia University, 2006
  • PhD, Doctor of Philosophy - Criminology, Simon Fraser University, 2015

Fall 2023 Sections

Summer 2023 Sections

Spring 2023 Sections

Fall 2022 Sections

Summer 2022 Sections

Spring 2022 Sections

Fall 2021 Sections

Summer 2021 Sections

Spring 2021 Sections

Fall 2020 Sections

Summer 2020 Sections

  • CRIM-2245 (Juvenile Delinquency) Section: E01
  • CRIM-4279 (Race and Crime) Section: E01

Spring 2020 Sections

  • CRIM-1100 (Intro to Criminal Justice) Section: E02
  • CRIM-2245 (Juvenile Delinquency) Section: 01
  • CRIM-4279 (Race and Crime) Section: 01

Fall 2019 Sections

  • CRIM-2245 (Juvenile Delinquency) Section: E01
  • CRIM-4279 (Race and Crime) Section: 01
  • CRIM-4280 (Sex Offenders) Section: E02

Kolb, A.F. (Forthcoming, Feb. 2024). Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Sex Offenders: A Treatment Guide. Routledge. [View Publication External Resource]

Schweighoffer, A., Piche, L., & Kolb, A. (Forthcoming, 2024). Assessing child sexual exploitation material offenders. In L.A Craig, L. Dixon, & T.A. Gannon (Eds.). The Wiley Handbook of What Works in Offender Rehabilitation: An Evidence-Based Approach to T

Christopher, Kelley; Kolb, Abigail; and Parsons, Tiffany A. (2022) "“’My walk matches my talk’: An exploratory study of a moral rehabilitation program for incarcerated women.”," The Journal of Public and Professional Sociology: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , A [View Publication External Resource]

Kolb, A. (2021). “Just Listen, People!”: Narrative as Resistance in Criminological Research. In J.A. Schlosser (Ed.) Prison Stories: Women Scholars’ Experiences Doing Research Behind Bars (pp. 67-84). Lanham, MD: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing G

Kolb, A. & Palys, T. (2012). Are you Down?: Power relations and gender reconstruction among Latina gang members in Los Angeles. Journal of Gang Research, 20(1): 19-32.

Kolb, A. & Palys, T. (2016). Homegirls, Hoodrats and Hos: Co-constructing gang status through discourseand performance. International Journal for Crime, Justice, and Social Democracy, 5(4): 29-44. doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.v5i4.334. [View Publication External Resource]

Kolb, A. & Palys, T. (2018). Playing the part: Pseudo-families, wives, and the politics of relationships in women’s prisons in California. The Prison Journal, 98(6), 678-699. doi: 10.1177/0328855. [View Publication (PDF)]

Kolb, A., Palys, T., & Green, A. (2019). “When You’re Out, You’re Not Really Out”: Exiting Strategies among Gang-Affiliated Chicanas. The Journal of Public and Professional Sociology, 11(2), Article 4. [View Publication External Resource]

Kolb, A. (Forthcoming). One step forward, one step back: An overview of inequality in the criminal (in)justice system from 1704 to the present. In P. Pitman-Brown, & T. Parsons (Eds.). Introduction to Social Justice.

Race, class, and gender inequality in the criminal justice system

Qualitative research; sex offender treatment; race, class, gender, and crime; criminal justice system