Dr. Applegate is currently engaged in research exploring public views on offender reentry programs; the intersection of race, public conceptions of typical crimes, and punitiveness; jail officers’ perception and exercise of power over inmates; and the impact of tactical communication on jail officer use of force. Dr. Applegate teaches courses on juvenile justice, corrections, research methodology, and statistics. He is currently President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and he has previously served as President of the Southern Criminal Justice Association.