Dr. Melinda Tasca
Associate Professor
Faculty Profile
Dr. Melinda Tasca is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Security Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso. Her research examines correctional policy, prisons and incarceration, carceral violence, and disparities within the criminal justice system. She has extensive experience partnering with correctional agencies and leading large-scale, policy-relevant research designed to advance science and strengthen policy and practice. Dr. Tasca’s research has been supported by more than $5.2 million in external funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and Arnold Ventures. Her scholarship has appeared in leading journals, including Justice Quarterly, Criminal Justice and Behavior, Crime & Delinquency, Punishment & Society, and the Journal of Criminal Justice. Her monograph, Managing Race on the Inside: Collective Identity, Prison Politics, and the Use of Restrictive Housing, is in press with Cambridge University Press and expected to be published in late 2026.
Classes Taught:
- CRIJ 4314 Women In Criminal Justice
- CRIJ 5315 Seminar in Criminal Justice Policy
- CRIJ 5326 Correctional Policy & Mgmt.
For more information on Publications and Research Activities, visit:
1) Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OAeyyRIAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
2) Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Melinda_Tasca
Documents
Publications
