Assistant Professor, Peterborough Campus
Educational Background
PhD Social Policy, (LSE), 2017
Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching (LSE), 2014
MSc Social Policy & Planning, (LSE), 2011
MSW (Toronto), 2002
BSc Psychology and Linguistics, (Toronto), 2000
General Background
Else’s research interests focus mainly on the criminal justice system. Her doctoral project was a qualitative study of the experiences of children of prisoners in Ontario, for which she sought to center the voices of these young people who are deeply impacted by the prison system but tend to be invisible in its policies and practices. Else was a social worker in Toronto for several years, first as a child welfare worker and then as a policy analyst at a criminal justice policy organization, where she also supervised practicum students. Her teaching interests include critical/structural social work, reflexivity, and politicizing social policy decisions and processes. She is currently working on learning about her role in decolonizing the curriculum. Else teaches the introduction to social work course, as well as courses in social policy, social welfare and communications.
Teaching and Research Interests
Criminal justice policy; penology; punishment & society; critical criminology
Social policy; welfare state; social security
Children of prisoners; the ‘collateral consequences’ of mass incarceration
Sociology of childhood
National and International Conference Presentations
Discussant. “The International Network of Prisoner’s Families Researchers: New and Emerging Research.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting. Atlanta, November 2018
“The Invisibility of children of prisoners” Prisoners’ Families Symposium, Oxford University, May 2017
“Intersectionality and the experiences of families of prisoners,” Prisoners’ Families Symposium, Oxford University, June 2015
“Experiences of Canadian Children of Prisoners,” British Society of Criminology Conference, Liverpool, July 2014
Oral Intervention. United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child 2011 Day of General Discussion: Children with Incarcerated Parents. Geneva, August 2011
“Life Behind Bars in 2010” Canadian Civil Liberties Association Conference: “Tracking Canada’s Civil Liberties and Human Rights Landscape.” Toronto, January 2010
“Bill 106, An Act to Provide for Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods”, Deputation to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills,Ottawa, November 2009
“Working with men who use violence against a partner” Children’s Aid Society of Toronto staff training series, Toronto, November 2009
“Services for those who use violence against a partner: interventions that make a difference” Legal Aid Ontario Professional Development Series, Toronto, September 2009
“International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Rights of Remanded Prisoners in Canada” CURE Conference on International Prison Reform, United Nations, Geneva, July 2009,
“The Youth Criminal Justice Act: Successes, Challenges and Prospects” (co-presentation with Keast, M.), John Howard Society National Staff Conference, Ottawa, March 2009
“Identifying and Responding to Medical Neglect”, Current Issues in Child Maltreatment Annual Conference, (co-presentation with Shouldice, M. and Kirkland-Burke, M.), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, May 2008
Refereed Publications
Knudsen, E.M. (in press: 2019). Hearing Children’s Voices in Studies of Familial Incarceration: Experiences from a Canadian Study. In Hutton, M. and Moran, D. (Eds.). The Palgrave Handbook on Prisoners’ Families. Palgrave, UK
Knudsen, E.M. (2018) The Systemic Invisibility of Children of Prisoners. In Condry, R. and Scharff-Smith, P. (Eds). Prisons, Punishment and the Family. Oxford University Press, UK.
Knudsen, E.M. (2016). Avoiding the Pathologizing of Children of Prisoners. The Probation Journal. 63(3)
Other Publications
Knudsen, E.M. (2011) Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child 2011 Day of General Discussion: Children of Incarcerated Parents
Knudsen, E.M. (2010). Prisoners and the Right to Health Care inside Prisons. The Well (periodical of the Church Council on Justice and Corrections)
Knudsen, E.M. (2009, 15 May). Better to be Smart than Tough on Crime. The Toronto Star, Opinions
Knudsen, E.M and Jones, C. (2008). “Regarding the Youth Criminal Justice Act.” Submission to the Government of Canada, Department of Justice