ULM is well known for many things in athletics, academics and international work.
So when Attapol Kuanliang, associate professor of criminal justice, and Robert Hanser, coordinator of the Department of Criminal Justice and associate director of the School of Social Sciences, were given the opportunity to represent the university on a global level they were proud to accept the challenge.
The 23rd Annual Conference for the International Police Executive Symposium took place in Budapest, Hungary, and Kuanliang and Hanser hosted the round table to present issues about corrections.
Hanser presented on corrections specifically in the state of Louisiana and pushing for reentry.
“When men and women get out of prison, we want to put them back in the community in a way that doesn’t create new crimes,” said Hanser.
According to Hanser, this is a problem in Louisiana in particular because budget cuts have caused the shutting down of two prisons.
This creates a dilemma of who should be sent back into society.Kuanliang broadened the spectrum by setting his focus on corrections in Thailand.
“I brought the idea of how corrections in Thailand work, especially in the female population. The UN has what they call the Bangkok Rule. They agree on how we will treat the female prisoners there in Bangkok,” said Kuanliang.
Both Hanser and Kuanliang agree that women’s corrections are a strong issue all over the world.
“Female offenders’ rate of incarceration presents a lot of issues that are very different from men,” said Hanser. “There are many different factors that must be taken into account that are not an issue for male offenders.”
Hanser and Kuanliang attend these conferences to represent the university, but they also travel with a personal goal in mind.
““The two of us aspire to be more active in the international community. You run into many people that are good allies and friends that give you opportunities for research in crime fighting,” Hanser said. “You would be surprised how our country is affected by international activities.”
For Kuanliang, the most important thing is connections.
“I want to meet scholars and practitioners around the world and meet my fellow colleagues. And, of course, put ULM on the international map,” Kuanliang said.
Aside from the conference, Hanser and Kuangliang enjoyed experiencing the sights and culture of Budapest.
“They call Budapest the Paris of Europe,” said Kuanliang. “It was beautiful.”
They had national police to escort them wherever they went so they didn’t have to wait in lines, get caught in traffic or take taxis.
“We see a very unique, accommodating view of the country,” said Hanser. “There are a number of cultural events. They made sure we saw operas, Hungarian horse riders and a lot of medieval enactments. While it is fun to travel to these new places, our main objective is always to represent ULM on an international level.”
Lanier Lipsey, a criminal justice graduate student, has had the pleasure of working with both professors.
“They are very humbled and down-to-earth individuals. Their broad experience can only give you different perspectives and outlooks when it comes to your field of choice,” Lipsey said.
Hanser has been working for ULM since 2003 and Kuanliang joined the faculty in 2007.
