Dr. Jill McCorkel is an award-winning Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Villanova University. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book on women’s prisons, Breaking Women: Gender, Race, and the New Politics of Imprisonment (New York University Press, 2013). Her research on gender, violence, and mass incarceration appears in leading scientific journals and has been featured in a variety of news outlets including Boston Globe, National Public Radio, New York Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Public Radio International, Salon, and Washington Post.
 
Throughout her career, Dr. McCorkel has provided pro bono assistance to incarcerated men and women on petitions for commutation and parole, and has provided research and expert testimony in criminal, appellate, and civil cases. She launched Philly Justice Project in 2020 to combat the ongoing crisis of gender violence and incarceration in the lives of women and girls. 
 
Dr. McCorkel is a graduate of Bucknell University. She received her Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Sociology from the University of Delaware.