January 07, 2021

Media advisory: Experts available to discuss impact of Capitol Hill protests

Southern Illinois University Carbondale has experts available to assist reporters and news crews with perspective on the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill protests. The experts can discuss law enforcement dealing with public protests, historical and contemporary U.S. extremist violence, legal issues and the political impact for parties and the nation.

These experts – from the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the SIU School of Law and Paul Simon Public Policy Institute – with contact information to arrange for interviews, include:

  • Tammy Rinehart Kochel, professor of criminology and criminal justice, has studied protest policing. Kochel is writing a book on the subject and can discuss the challenges police must overcome when faced with public protests. Challenges include coordination among law enforcement agencies, decisions to ensure both officer and public safety and how responses affect public opinion. She can be reached at tkochel@siu.edu for her cell phone number and is available by email, telephone and Zoom.
  • Christopher Mullins, professor of criminology and criminal justice, specializes in political violence. He can discuss historical and contemporary U.S. extremist violence and extremist groups. He can be reached at mullinsc@siu.eduor 618-559-5289 and is available by telephone or Zoom.
  • Sheila Simon, assistant professor in the SIU School of Law, returned to the university after serving as Illinois’ lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2015. She has taught classes on government ethics. Prior to her work at the law school, she was an assistant state’s attorney in Jackson County. She can be reached at ssimon@siu.edu and is available to talk in person or via Zoom.
  • John T. Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, spent 26 years in Washington, D.C., covering Congress and economic issues for Market News International before his arrival at SIU Carbondale in 2018. He has been a guest on the PBS NewsHour and C-SPAN. He can be reached at 618-453-4009 or shaw@siu.edu.