Meredith Hosts Prison Psychologist as Part of Criminology Week

Throughout the academic year, Meredith College provides students with opportunities to apply their education to real life situations. Criminology Week, which took place from October 17-21, 2016, enabled students to learn more about a variety of careers in law enforcement and crime investigation.

On Thursday, October 20, psychologists Peter Kuhns and Marcia Brumbaugh spoke to students about how they apply psychology in their careers everyday. Kuhns is a psychological program manager at Central Prison in Raleigh, while Brumbaugh is a psychological program manager at Harnett Correctional Institution in Lillington, N.C.

Kuhns and Brumbaugh told students that about one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a  given year. Also, one in 17 Americans (6%) live with a serious mental illness and approximately 14.6 percent of the N.C. prison population meet criteria for serious mental illness.

Student attendee Mary Carmen Vickory, ’18, said, “I thought it was particularly interesting seeing just how many inmates are affected by mental illness and the lack of funding we have in our state. My eyes have been opened to mental illnesses of the incarcerated and it was extremely interesting to see how criminology and psychology can be related.”

Meredith is the first women’s college in North Carolina to offer an undergraduate major in criminology.

Carson Clark, ’17, who also attended the event, said, “As a student in a psychology course who is pursuing a career in dietetics, I will be working with many different people in many different areas of life who may be affected by mental illness. I am grateful that I was able to learn more about how I can relate my future career to those who are incarcerated.”

Criminology Week was sponsored by the Sociology and Criminology Programs and the Sociology and Criminology Club.

By Taylor Lynn Moore, ’17

Learn more about studying psychology and criminology at Meredith