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Editorial Introduction

Published onOct 01, 2015
Editorial Introduction

Welcome to the second issue of the third volume of the Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology, and also my last issue as editor. Four years ago, I was given the opportunity by the president and board of the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice to start up a new association journal and they liked my idea of a qualitative methods journal that would appeal to not only criminal justice, but to criminology as well. I began putting together an editorial board and was overwhelmed by the positive support I received regarding my ideas for the journal. That made everything else simply fall into place. It has been a great experience and I hope it has made a significant contribution to, first and foremost, qualitative research, and secondly to the disciplines of criminal justice and criminology.

I am a firm believer that no one should hold onto these positions for any extended length of time. Four years is long enough. I advised the SWACJ board at the end of my third year, and they began putting together the search for a new editor. I am very pleased to report that Thomas Holt, from Michigan State University, will be taking over from me as the editor of the journal. Tom is an associate professor and a qualitative researcher who has been published in such journals as Crime and Delinquency, Deviant Behavior, and the Journal of Criminal Justice. A large portion of his research has been in the area of deviant and criminal behavior online, and he was the lead author on a contribution to JQCJC that appeared in the very first issue. So, Tom has been a supporter of the journal from the very beginning, which means, I believe, the journal will be in very good hands and will continue to advance far beyond my meager start.

There are far too many people to thank by name, but please know that I am so very grateful to all of the support I have received over the past four years. There are some that gave me the right encouragement at the right time and I have to thank them by name: The Adlers, Heith Copes, Richard Tewskbury, Dean Dabney, Kathy Charmaz, and Ron Weitzer. The service of all of the editorial board, the reviewers, and the authors have been outstanding and all, in my humble opinion, have helped to make this a significant contribution to the disciplines. I must also thank my favorite copy-editor, Ronda Harris of the Sam Houston State University Academic Success Center; my production editor Harriet McHale of the College of Criminal Justice; and my webmaster Melina Gilbert, also of the College of Criminal Justice. Without these three ladies and their hard work, I would never have even considered starting up this journal or serving as its first editor. Thank you for keeping the quality of the journal so high.

In closing, again, please join me and welcoming Tom Holt as the new editor of the Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology.

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