Call for Experts

SPSSI Seeks Members with Research Expertise on Hate Crimes for Development of Policy Briefing Documents

In light of the Senate's recent passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the upcoming conference committee discussions pertaining to hate crimes legislation, SPSSI is seeking members with a strong interest in the issue to draft, either separately, or collaboratively, policy briefing documents for use on the SPSSI website and in advocacy settings where they might prove appropriate. 

This is envisioned as a project with a variety of potential focuses, including seeking to examine the current issues with the Matthew Shepard legislation, taking into account what research in the field was or wasn’t considered by legislators during the bill's developmental phase, and/or speaking to some of the benefits of the new protective categories of the act from a social justice standpoint.  Other areas of interest may be explored as well.  Members are encouraged to write from their own perspective, taking into account pertinent research in the field and viewpoints.

If you or a colleague would be interested in taking an active role in this call, please contact SPSSI Policy Coordinator Chris Woodside at cwoodside@spssi.org with a copy of your CV highlighting relevant publications.  Thank you.