People

Jill McCracken

Professor of Women's & Gender Studies
Professor of Rhetoric - USF St. Pete
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Curriculum Vitae

Biography:

Jill McCracken, Ph.D. is a Professor of Rhetoric and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Co-Founder / Co-Director of Sex Workers Outreach Program (SWOP) Behind Bars, an organization that provides direct support for incarcerated sex workers and victims of trafficking in US prisons and jails. Having worked with sex workers and victims of trafficking for over sixteen years, her primary areas of research focus on sex work and trafficking in the sex industry, women and incarceration, and the impact of sexuality education on marginalized communities. Drawing on ethnographic and qualitative research methods, Dr. McCracken integrates community-based, participatory research into her work.

Dr. McCracken recently completed a Fulbright Specialist Project in collaboration with the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective to investigate the presence of violence and trafficking in the sex industry in a country where prostitution is decriminalized. She has conducted trainings for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-supported organizations, public defenders, human trafficking coalitions, and non-profit organizations. Her work has been recognized through many awards and honors including the International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference Influential Scholar Award, USF Outstanding Faculty Award, Women in Research and Philanthropy USF Faculty Research Award, and Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Service. 

Her recent publications include: 
 
McCracken, Jill. 2019. Learning from Women In Jail: Creating Community-Based Participatory Action Research. Springerbriefs in Anthropology and Ethics Series.  

Outlaw, Sharmus, McCracken, Jill, and Saunders, Penelope. 2016. “Resisting through Resilience: US Transgender and Sex Worker Led Community-Based Research.” Research for Sex Work 15: Resistance and Resilience. 

McCracken, Jill. 2013. Street Sex Workers’ Discourse: Realizing Material Change Through Agential Choice. Routledge Research in Gender and Society. 

McCracken, Jill. “Community Guide: The Impact of Anti-trafficking Legislation and Initiatives on Sex Workers.” Global Network of Sex Work Projects.” January 2019.   

McCracken, Jill. “Policy Brief: The Impact of Anti-trafficking Legislation and Initiatives on Sex Workers.” Global Network of Sex Work Projects.” February 2019.  

McCracken, Jill, Co-Author and Editor. SWOP Behind Bars with Bob Pelshaw. Focus on the Future: Re-Entry Journal and Workbook. April 2018. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.