James Nolan, Ph.D.
Dr. Nolan teaches courses in the area of crime and social control. His research currently focuses on neighborhood dynamics, police procedures, crime measurement, hate crimes, and equity and inclusion in higher education.
His professional career began as a police officer in Wilmington, Delaware. In 13 years with that department, he worked in a variety of divisions, including patrol, community policing, organized crime and vice, and planning and research. He is a 1992 graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy. Just prior to joining the faculty at West Virginia University, Dr. Nolan worked for the FBI as a unit chief in the Crime Analysis, Research and Development Unit that provided management oversight for the National Hate Crime Data Collection Program.
His recent publications have appeared in the American Behavioral Scientist; Journal
of Quantitative Criminology; Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice; Justice,
Research & Policy; Information Sciences; Policing & Society; Criminal
Justice Studies; Homicide Studies; Journal of Criminal Justice, and The American
Sociologist. Dr. Nolan earned a Ph.D. in psychoeducational processes from Temple
University. His graduate work focused on the study of group and social processes.
Selected Publications
Nolan, J.J ., Crispino, F., & Parsons, T. (2021). Policing in an age of reform: An agenda for research and practice. London: Palgrave Macmillan
Nolan, J.J. & Hin kle, J.C. (2021). Changing the game: A sociological perspective on police reform. In Nolan, J.J., Crispino, F., and Parsons, T. (Eds.) Policing in an age of reform: An agenda for research and practice . London: Palgrave Macmillan
Nolan, J.J. & Hinkle, J.C. (2021). Community dynamics, collective efficacy, and police reform. In Nolan, J.J., Crispino, F., and Parsons, T. (Eds.) Policing in an age of reform: An agenda for research and practice . London: Palgrave Macmillan
Nolan, J.J. & Hinkle, J.C. (2021). Tools for a new situational policing. In Nolan, J.J., Crispino, F., and Parsons, T. (Eds.) Policing in an age of reform: An agenda for research and practice . London: Palgrave Macmillan
N olan, J.J., Parsons, T. & Crispino, F. (2021). “Doing right”: Police ethics in an age of reform. In Nolan, J.J., Crispino, F., and Parsons, T. (Eds.) Policing in an age of reform: An agenda for research and practice . London: Palgrave Macmillan
Nolan, J.J. (2021). The allegory of the dangerous intersection: A structural view of law enforcement and social problems. In Nolan, J.J., Crispino, F., and Parsons, T. (Eds.) Policing in an age of reform: An agenda for research and practice . London: Palgrave Macmillan
Levin, J. & Nolan, J. (2016). The Violence of Hate: Understanding Harmful Forms of Bias and Bigotry, 4th Edition. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Akiyama, Y., Nolan, J. Darrah, M, Rahem, M.A., & Wang, L. (2016). A Method for Measuring Consensus Within Groups: An Index of Disagreement via Conditional Probability. Information Sciences. Elsevier
Nolan, J., Haas, S., & Napier, J. (2011). Estimating the Impact of Classification Error on the “Statistical Accuracy” of Uniform Crime Reports. Journal of Quantitative Criminology.
Nolan, J., Conti, N., & Colyer, C. (2011). A Public Safety Process: Sustained Dialogue for Situational Policing, in Van til, J. Lohmann, R. and Ford, D. (eds.) Sustained Dialogue and Public Deliberation. Columbia University Press
Nolan, J., Kirby, J., Althouse, R. (2011). Facilitating Neighborhood Growth: A Common Sense Public Safety Response from the Relational Paradigm. In Van Til, J., Lohmann, R. & Ford, D. (eds .). Sustained Dialogue and Public Deliberation . Columbia University Press.
Nolan, J., Conti, N., & McDevitt, J. (2004). Situational Policing: Neighborhood Development and Crime Control. Policing & Society.
Nolan, J. (2002). From Vice Cop to Sociology Prof: A Long Journey to a Familiar Place in The American Sociologist, 33(2).
Courses Taught
- SOCA 232 Criminology
- SOCA 234 The Criminal Justice System
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SOCA 318 Hate Crime
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SOCA 461 Issues Crime and Justice
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SOCA 493 Inside Out Prison Exchange