Megan M. Parry

  • Associate Professor
  • Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Phone: 401.874.9306
  • Email: mmparry@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Chafee Hall, Rm 231

    On Sabbatical, Fall 2024

Biography

Megan Parry joined the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of Rhode Island in fall 2017. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice and a doctorate in criminology and criminal justice.

Her research draws on theories of police legitimacy, social cognition, and media effects, and focuses on the effects of vicariously witnessing police-citizen encounters through video recordings. Her current research examines public perceptions of the police and disabled communities.

She teaches Criminal Justice Systems, Policy Issues in Criminal Justice, Introduction to Policing, and Critical Issues in Policing.

Research

  • Neurodiversity and policing
  • Policing vulnerable populations
  • Perceptions of the criminal justice system
  • Procedural justice and police legitimacy
  • Media representations of crime and justice

Education

  • Ph.D. in Criminology & Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
  • M.S. in Criminal Justice, North Carolina Central University
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice, Weber State University
  • A.S. in Criminal Justice, Salt Lake Community College

Selected Publications

Parry, M. M., & Huff, J. (2022). Divergent perspectives: autistic adults’ perceptions of the police. Policing: An International Journal, 45(3), 509-523.
 
Parry, M. M., Dario, L. M., & Moule Jr, R. K. (2021). Is Seeing believing?: On the Content Validity of Video Recordings for Use in Criminological Research. Deviant Behavior, 1-14. 
 
Parry, M. M., Moule Jr, R. K., & Dario, L. M. (2019). Technology-mediated exposure to police–citizen encounters: A quasi-experimental assessment of consequences for citizen perceptions. Justice Quarterly, 36(3), 412-436.  
 
Moule Jr, R. K., Parry, M. M., & Fox, B. (2019). Public support for police use of SWAT: Examining the relevance of legitimacy. Journal of crime and justice, 42(1), 45-59.