Date of Award

Summer 8-22-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Quantitative Research Methods

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Research Methods and Information Science, Research Methods and Statistics

First Advisor

Nick Cutforth

Second Advisor

Frederique Chevillot

Third Advisor

Bruce Uhrmacher

Fourth Advisor

Callie Rennison

Fifth Advisor

Susan Hurtado

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Criminal justice, Street economy, Transgender, Victimization

Abstract

Transgender individuals experience disproportionately high rates of victimization within the U.S. criminal justice system, at rates some studies estimate as four times greater than those of cisgender individuals (Marchi et al., 2025). Victimization may occur at the hands of correctional officers, institutional staff, or fellow inmates. This narrative study focuses on the life story of a formerly incarcerated transgender woman, tracing her experiences before incarceration, throughout her time at two different correctional facilities in two different states, and her life following release. While Community Based Research (CBR) was not adopted as a formal methodological framework, its principles — centering lived experience, honoring participant voice, and involving a community partner — helped inspire the study's approach. Through a series of in-depth, unstructured interviews, this study provides a rich account of her experiences, highlighting systemic gaps in the U.S. criminal justice system's support of the transgender population — gaps she described plainly after repeated employment rejections following her release: "This is why people just go back to prison." Yet this study also offers a deep understanding of how gender identity and resilience coexist within extraordinarily stressful circumstances. Reflecting on her current work supporting others in recovery, she said, "I finally feel like I've found my purpose. For 20 years, I was the problem. Now I'm part of the solution."

Copyright Date

8-2026

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Kevin E. Hemminger

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

157 pgs

File Size

737 KB

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