About Me.

I am a doctoral candidate (expected conferral: May 2026) in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University and currently on the academic job market. My research centers on the intersection of health, incarceration, and punishment, with an emphasis on reproductive justice in carceral spaces. My dissertation, informed by feminist and life course criminology, explores how incarcerated women experience and interpret reproductive healthcare access.

Through my academic work, I collaborate with local organizations and agencies to advance menstrual equity, lead community-based health education initiatives, and support reentry programming. I am deeply committed to research that informs policy and practice to address systemic inequity, confront structural violence, and expand access to care for system-impacted individuals.

Professional Involvement & Engagement

Member, Youth Justice Lab, led by Dr. Adam Fine
Student Representative, Dean’s Watts College Doctoral Committee (one of two elected representatives for the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice)
Co-Chair, Graduate Student Committee (two years); continuing member providing ongoing service to the college and peers
Invited Speaker, DePaul University, Northeastern University, and Johns Hopkins University ARRWIP Group (led by Dr. Carolyn Sufrin)

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Education

2022-Exp Conferral 2026

Doctor of Philosophy, Criminology and Criminal Justice, ABD.

Arizona State University

Dissertation: "Drink Water and Walk the Track": The Intersection of Women’s Health, Carceral Control, and Punishment

Committee: Dr. Beth Huebner (Chair), Dr. Adam Fine, Dr. Gary Sweeten, Dr. Abigail Henson

2012-2014

Master of Science, Criminal Justice

Georgia College and State University

2007-2012

Bachelor of Arts

Georgia College and State University

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Wallace, D., Tapp, K., Parry, M., Castillo, I. (2025). Parent and Caregivers’ Perspectives on What the Police Should and Shouldn’t Do during Interactions with Autistic Individuals. In Press Police at Practice and Research: An International Journal.

Tapp, K. & Henson, A. (2024). “For men, by men”: Menstrual victimization and the weaponization of period products in carceral Settings. Women’s Health. DOI:10.1177/17455057241240931

Guiffre, A., Tapp, K., Huebner, B., Kras, K. Slocum, L. (2024). Cyclical pathways to probation violations: Housing, financial capabilities, and COVID-19. Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research. DOI: 10.1080/23774657.2024.2320413

Technical Reports

Huebner, B., Telep, C., Sandvik, J., Griffen, C.L., An, S., Schafer, J., Portillo, S., Tapp, K., Fairbanks, C., Bertucci, A., Corwin, S., & Forrai, K. (2025). Recruitment and retention of Arizona’s detention officers, Arizona State University. Report for the Arizona Board of Regents and the Community Supervisors Association.

Tapp, K. (2025). Making Good on "Good Time": A Landscape Analysis of Earned Credit Release Laws & Implementation, Unlocked Labs funded by Arnold Ventures.

Tapp, K. (2024). Youth Menstrual Health Report for Arizona Detention Leadership.

Portillo, S., Badger, S., Bertucci, A., Huebner, B., Jensen, U., Jones, T., Schafer, J., Swindell, D., & Tapp, K. (2023). Public Service Leader Interviews and Policy Review for Retention and Recruitment of Public Safety Personnel: Report in Series: Recruitment and Retention of Arizona's Law Enforcement and Fire Service Personnel. https://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/sites/g/files/litvpz841/files/2024-01/5%20-%20Public%20Service%20Leader%20Interviews+%202024.pdf

Jiang, S. Felson, M., Scott, M., & Tapp, K. (2023). Carjacking Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Series No. 75. https://popcenter.asu.edu/content/carjacking

Encyclopedia Articles

Tapp, K. Menstruation in Prison. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Menstruation and Society. In press.

Tapp, K. (2020). Judicial Scrutiny. Criminal Justice in America: The Encyclopedia of Crime, Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections. http://publisher.abc-clio.com/9781440862632

Doude, S. & Tapp, K. (2014). Radical Feminism. The Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118517390.wbetc090

Public Scholarship

Tapp, K. (2025, August 6). Detained and in the dark: Youth in detention need menstrual health education now. Youth Today. https://youthtoday.org/2025/08/detained-and-in-the-dark-girls-in-juvenile-detention-need-menstrual-health-education-now/

Griffin, M., Samuelson Bannow, B., Tapp, K., & Darivemula, S. (2024, June 21). Improving menstrual health throughout the reproductive life course. Cassyni Research Seminar. https://doi.org/10.52843/cassyni.dzz95v

Tapp, K. (2022). Do new laws on ‘revenge porn’ serve the needs of all victims?. Crime and Justice News, National Criminal Justice Association. https://www.ncja.org/crimeandjusticenews/do-new-laws-on-revenge-porn-serve-the-needs-of-all-victims

Under Review/In Preparation

Tapp, K., Moreira De Andrade, T., Blount Hill, K. Unlocking Trust: Procedural Justice and Perceived Ability to Ask Carceral Staff for Help. Under Review at Criminal Justice and Behavior.

Tapp, K., Jones, T., Wood, M., Huebner, B., Schafer, J., & Portillo, S. “Rebuilding the Ranks”: Law Enforcement’s Search for a Sustainable Workforce. Under Review at Police Chief Magazine.

Jones, T., Tapp, K., Schafer, J., Huebner, B. It is more than the money: Public Safety Responses to Recruitment and Retention Barriers. Under Review at Policing: An International Journal.

Huebner, B. & Tapp, K. Perpetual probation: Understanding the role of prosecutors in the probation sentencing and violations processes. In preparation.

Tapp, K. & Fine, A. “What Do I Say?”: Understanding Juvenile Detention Staff’s Roles and Experiences During Interactions with Detained Youth About Menstruation and Menstrual Health. In Preparation.

Tapp, K. & Fine, A. “Who do I ask?”: Youth menstrual health in detention. In Preparation.

Tapp, K. Are pads and tampons stuck in the “Hands-Off era”: Period product deprivation in carceral spaces. In preparation.