Dr. Etta Morgan's educational resume reflects her passion for criminal justice and women's studies, one degree at a time. While completing her master's degree, Morgan wrote her thesis on Patricia Ann Thomas, who was convicted of murder in 1981 and sat on Alabama's death row for nine years before her sentence was later commuted to life in prison.
The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native attained all four of her degrees from the University of Alabama, culminating in a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in criminal justice and women's studies in 1999.
Although attending law school seemed like the next logical step given her interest in law, Morgan became interested in teaching while leading a class as a graduate student. On the advice of mentors, she accepted a position at Pennsylvania State University.
Morgan taught at the university for five years before she returned to the South to be closer to home upon the death of her aunt. Given that her alma mater had no open positions at the time, she started applying to teaching positions at different schools around her home state, including Jackson State University.
Morgan has been at JSU since the fall of 2004 and is now an associate professor. She also serves as chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, a position she has held since 2012. In addition to various mentorship and advisor roles, Morgan has served on numerous committees at the university, including the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, the Distance Education Implementation Team, Tau Sigma Advisory Council, and numerous search committees. Morgan is also a member of the City of Jackson Re-Entry Task Force and Mission Mississippi.
"It's been a rewarding experience," Morgan said. "Some (students) need a little pushing, some need a lot. But once they find out that you're truly interested, they're steadily trying to do things to improve themselves."
Morgan will serve as moderator for the upcoming Seventh Annual Criminal Justice Reform Conference April 11-12 on the JSU campus. Co-sponsors of the event are the JSU Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, and the Mississippi Public Defender Association. This marks the fourth year that JSU has partnered up with the ACLU to host the conference.
The theme of this year's conference is "Sentencing Reform: The Need for Community Education." Topics of discussion will include sentencing reforms and changes in sentencing codes, the impact of sentencing on advocacy efforts, youth mentorship, and a look at HIV and AIDS infected offenders within the prison population. Other important topics for discussion include re-entry into the community of those individuals who serve partial prison sentences as well as the cost effectiveness of supervising non-violent offenders within the community versus imprisoning them.
The event will also feature a presentation of the documentary "Gideon's Army." The film, which premiered on HBO in June 2013, takes an inside look at the tireless work of three southern public defenders, including Jackson area attorney and current Municipal Court Judge June Hardwick, who will also appear as a panelist at the conference.
Additional guest speakers and panelists include Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, "Justice Denied" author Joyce Ann Brown, Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston L. Kidd, U.S. Justice Carlton W. Reeves and Hinds County District Attorney Robert S. Smith.
Morgan said that in addition to serving as a platform to inform the public, the conference also presents a valuable opportunity for the public to come interact with local judges and senators free of the usual red tape.
The conference will be held at in the Dollye M.E. Robinson Liberal Arts Building on the JSU campus (1400 Lynch St.). Registration begins April 11 at 8:30 a.m. Individuals are encouraged to pre-register for the event, which they may do over the phone. The event is free and open to the public. For information or to pre-register, call the JSU Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at 601-979-2626, or ACLU of Mississippi at 601-354-3408.
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