Natalie Goulette

Dr. Natalie Goulette, who has a PhD in criminal justice, conducts research on judicial matters as part of her work as an associate professor at the University of West Florida’s Department of Criminology and Justice. Her research has examined such questions as whether female defendants receive different treatment than male defendants and what role defense attorneys play in generating disparities in case dispositions and outcomes.

Goulette also has studied other aspects of the criminal justice system: sentencing for black defendants; the influence of grandmothers raising children; collateral consequences of criminal conviction on offenders; and drug and mental health treatment for rehabilitative sentencing. In addition, she wrote technical reports on criminal matters for Ohio agencies and contributed to the Encyclopedia of Criminology & Criminal Justice. Goulette’s work has been published in peer-reviewed publications such as Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Public Policy, Criminal Justice Review, and Caribbean Journal of Criminology and Public Safety.

Goulette joined the University of West Florida's faculty in 2013 after she earned her doctorate from the University of Cincinnati. She also has bachelor's and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University. She teaches both online and traditional courses such as American Justice System, Juvenile Justice, Punishment and Society, and Courts and Society.