Isabel Scheuneman Scott

PhD (University of Alberta), MA (University of Ottawa), BA (KPU)
Isabel

I am a proud graduate of Kwantlen Polytechnic University where I received my BA in Criminology (major) and Psychology (minor) before completing my MA in Criminology at the University of Ottawa and my PhD in Sociology at the University of Alberta. Moving around to different Universities and provinces enabled me to learn from a wide variety of scholars and perspectives. These experiences contributed to my development as an interdisciplinary critical feminist criminologist who actively and respectfully engages with Indigenous perspectives and prioritizes stories as well as lived experiences in both my research and teaching.

My most recent research project analyzed incarcerated Indigenous women’s storytelling within Tightwire – a prisoner produced newsletter that was created and published within the former Prison for Women (P4W) in Kingston, Ontario. While my work highlighted all women's stories, I paid particular attention to Indigenous women’s stories within the Native Sisterhood – an organization formed within P4W to resist the colonial impacts of incarceration by creating and centering meaningful relationships within and beyond the prison. For this project, I received numerous awards, including a Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC). During this time, I was also awarded a Respectful Relations Fund which helped support my decolonizing teaching practices.

Here at KPU, my work continues to center Indigenous peoples – particularly Indigenous women – as I use each of my courses as opportunities to teach about justice issues pertaining to Indigenous peoples and the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. As a settler on this land, I view this work as a responsibility and a privilege. I also use my privilege to positively and meaningfully impact the field of Criminology through my publications, conference presentations, invited talks, and my work on the Indigenizing and Decolonizing Criminology Committee here in KPU’s Criminology Department.

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Courses taught

  • CRIM 4240 - Indigenous Peoples and Justice
  • CRIM 1101 - Introduction to the Criminal Justice System

Areas of Interest

My research and teaching interests are widespread but generally include: criminalized and incarcerated (Indigenous) women; social, criminal, and Indigenous justice; storytelling, popular culture, and representation; (state) violence, imprisonment, and “Indigenization” of the CJS; as well as decolonizing education and pedagogical practices.Vitally, my scholarly work and pedagogical interests are informed by a combination of personal experience, witnessing, and community engagement.

Outside of the academy, I enjoy spending time outdoors, listening to music, and trying out new vegetarian recipes.

Scholarly Work

  • Scheuneman Scott, I., Chaisson, F., and Kidd, B. (2021). “The women that died in there, that’s all I could think of”: The P4W Memorial Collective and Garden Initiative. In Struthers Montford, K., and Taylor, C. (Eds.). Building Abolition: Decarceration and Social Justice (pp. 122-147). (Routledge Studies in Penal Abolition and Transformative Justice series). Routledge. Oxfordshire, ENG.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2019). Indigenous carceral motherhood: An examination of colonial, patriarchal, and neoliberal control. Aboriginal Policy Studies. 8(1). 78-103.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I., and Kilty, J.M. (2016). ‘When she cracks’: The visual (re)construction of ‘Deadly Women’ in infotainment media. Annual Review of Interdisciplinary Justice Research. Vol. 5. 72-97.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2019). [Review of the book Becoming Strong: Impoverished Women and the Struggles to Overcome Violence by Huey, L., and Broll, R.]. Canadian Journal of Sociology. 44(1). 115-118.
  • Conference Presentations:
  • Scheuneman Scott, I., and Monchalin, L. (2024, February). “Justice requires a decolonizing approach": Reducing the mass incarceration of Indigenous women. To be presented at the 50th Annual Western Society of Criminology Conference, Hilton Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach, CA.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2023, February). “Nowadays the government plays creator”: Indigenizing Canada’s Prison System. Presented at the 49th Annual Western Society of Criminology Conference, Sheraton Wall Centre, Vancouver, BC.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2019, September). Walking the Tightwire: Indigenous Prisoners’ Writing in Kingston Prison for Women. Presented at the Critical Prison Studies: Building Abolition Conference, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Banff, AB.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2019, June). Writing (In) Justice: Indigenous Women’s Prison Writing in Canada. Presented at Women’s and Gender Studies et Recherches Féministes in the 88th Annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences Conference, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2019, May). Indigenous Carceral Motherhood in Canada. Presented at the 5th Biennial Alberta Criminal Justice Symposium: Considering New Approaches to Rehabilitation and Correctional Reform, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2018, April). Ethical Red Flags: White Research(er), Red Prison(ers). Presented at the 12th Annual Methods, Ethics, and Identity of Research and Teaching Conference, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2018, March). Stories from Within: Incarcerated Indigenous Women’s Creative Expressions of Violence. Presented at the Canadian Association of Cultural Studies for the Carceral Cultures Conference, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2017, May). Incarcerated Indigenous women’s storytelling: Challenges and possibilities. Presented at the 7th Annual Critical Perspectives/Representing Justice Conference, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2015, June). Blurring fact and fiction: Examining gendered stereotypes in the infotainment series “Deadly Women”. Presented at Women’s the Gender Studies et Recherches Féministes in the 84th Annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences Conference, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2015, May). “Deadly Women”: Exploring media (re)presentations of women who kill from a feminist and (audio)visual perspective. Presented at the 5th Annual Critical Perspectives Conference, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2015, May). Blurring fact and fiction: Examining gendered stereotypes in the infotainment series “Deadly Women”. Presented at the 3rd Annual Justice, Crime and Deviance Conference, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford, ON.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2014, June). Content analysis of infotainment: Searching for feminist and (audio)visual meanings. Presented at the 4th Annual Critical Perspectives Conference, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2014, April). An image is worth a thousand words: Sociological implications of violent women in media. Presented at the 2nd Annual Justice, Crime and Deviance Conference, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford, ON.
  • Abedin, R., Lewis, S., Knowlton, B., Scheuneman Scott, I., Dooley, S., Tweed, R., & Bhatt, G. (2013, June). Voices of the community: Perceptions of youth gang involvement and prevention strategies. Poster presented at the 74th Annual Canadian Psychological Association Convention, Québec City Convention Centre, Québec, QU.
  • Mah, E., Knowlton, B., Mudim, T., Scheuneman Scott, I., Tweed, R., Bhatt, G., Dooley, S., Gagnon, N.,Vilijoen, J., and Douglas, K. (2013, March). Perceived gang consequences in at-risk youth.Poster presented at the 6th Annual Biennial Society for Research in Child Development Conference, Washington State Convention Centre, Seattle, WA.
  • Miller-Ashton, J., Godin, L, Scheuneman Scott, I., Brumby, A., Larochelle, V., & Brown, S. (2012, March). Inside Out – Come learn about a prison-based Kwantlen University course. Workshopconducted at the 1st Annual Kwantlen Polytechnic University Undergraduate InterdisciplinaryConference, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2013, January). Leading towards the path of social change for the homeless and mentally ill. Presented at the 5th Annual Kwantlen Student Leadership Conference, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I., Goldin, M., & Chauhan, A. (2013, January). The leadership journey of research assistants at Acting Together (SSHRC-CURA Project). Presented at the 5th Annual Kwantlen Student Leadership Conference, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2012, October). Increasing positive perceptions of the homeless and mentally ill. Presented at the 2nd Annual Sociology Undergraduate Conference, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC.
  • Knowlton, B., Mudim, A., Scheuneman Scott, I., & Lewis, S. (2012, May). Acting Together: Community-University Research Alliance Lab: A unique experience. Presented at the 5th Annual Connecting Minds Conference, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond, BC.
  • Scheuneman Scott, I. (2012, January). Inside Out and the reconstruction of the “other”. Presented at the 4th Annual Kwantlen Student Leadership Conference, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC.