Some professors enjoy unwinding after work by watching crime shows on television. When Lecturer in Sociology Shannon Finn leaves campus, she lives them.
Finn, a 2010 graduate of Hillsdale College, works in the Detroit court system, advising attorneys using evidence-based sentencing. She said she essentially uses “science and research to argue for more tactful sentencing for convicted criminals in an attempt to change the system to make it more efficient and economical.”
Finn denies any glamour akin to shows like “CSI” and “Law and Order” in her line of work.
“When I was in college I definitely wanted to be a criminal profiler, from ‘Criminal Minds’ or ‘Silence of the Lambs,’” Finn said. “I found out that job does not exist in real life at all. What I do is more research and theoretical than crime scene investigation.”
After graduating from Hillsdale with degrees in sociology and psychology, Finn earned her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
“My graduate work at an Ivy League school was easier than the work I did at Hillsdale, without a doubt,” Finn said.
Professor of Philosophy and Culture and Director of Sociology and Social Thought Peter Blum fondly recalled Finn’s work ethic as one of his students. He remembered being especially proud of her during an early week of her condensed, year-long program at University of Pennsylvania.
“She posted on Facebook something like, ‘Now I understand why Blum made me read those hard theory books.’ Teachers always love those ‘aha’ moments,” Blum said.
The English-major-turned-criminologist grew up in a house where crime and punishment were typical dinner table conversations.
“My dad is a criminal defense attorney, so for me, normal dinner conversation was who is on trial for what, and I was more interested in what’s happening before to cause that – the how and why,” she said.
Finn’s specialty is primarily practiced on the coasts but is moving inward. She works primarily with defense attorneys to determine the best sentence, and estimated that for every case she takes, there is a 50-50 chance of convincing a judge to heed her counsel.
“As it turns out, right now, I have done a lot with biker gangs,” Finn said. “They’re very good for multiple offenses; a lot of time it is drug trafficking and violent criminal behavior. My specialty is violent crime. I find that interesting for sure.”
Her crime-ridden hometown is apt for her line of work. Finn remains hopeful of Detroit’s evolving dynamic, however.
“I’m a Detroiter, born and raised, and I’m hardcore about it,” Finn said. “Detroit is ripe for this type of job. Detroit is interesting, and it gets a really bad rap, but there’s growth. There are a lot of new businesses coming in, and you kind of see crime move away, even one or two streets over. I won’t be short on clients definitely, but who or what they look like will be changing.”
While believing strongly in the justice of her work, Finn admitted that she is not most prosecutors’ favorite person.
“From a psychological standpoint, child molesters cannot be rehabilitated at all, so when that comes across my desk it’s hard to work with,” Finn said. “But do you give the devil the benefit of the law? I think you should, and that’s not very popular.”
Twice a week Finn makes the trip from Detroit to Hillsdale, where she teaches Hillsdale sociology students as one of two part-time sociology professors and offers classes that attract students of all interests.
Senior Laura Wonders has taken Finn’s “Serial Killers” seminar and “Research Methods,” and has enjoyed “Courtship as Ritual” the most. As a senior, Wonders wishes she could have taken more of Finn’s classes.
“Sarcasm, dry humor, and the random bits of trivia she puts in her lectures make them interesting and easy to pay attention to,” Wonders said. “Rather than wanting us to sit silently and mindlessly take notes, she encourages constant discussion and makes us comfortable to voice our opinions.”
The flexibility of the sociology program has allowed her to teach classes that interest her and that she and Blum feel may interest and benefit students.
“I’ve always admired Shannon’s willingness to forthrightly challenge taken-for-granted assumptions,” Blum said. “Part of her strength as a teacher is her ability to challenge herself.”
Finn would love to earn her doctorate within the fields of criminal populations and the social sciences, but for now, she is happy to teach and work as a legal consultant.
“A lot of students mistakenly refer to me as ‘Dr. Finn’ and I don’t bother correcting them!”
