Falls High School Class of 1984 graduate and associate professor of criminal justice at Boise State University, Lisa Growette Bostaph, was recently appointed to a vacancy on the five-member Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter.
The daughter of Joe Growette and Charlene Jensen, she succeeds Mark Funaiole of Boise, whose term expired earlier this year.
Bostaph, who is politically unaffiliated, will face confirmation by the Idaho Senate when it convenes in January. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, a master’s degree in linguistics from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and a doctorate in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. She has taught at Boise State since 2003.
Her academic research has focused on race and gender issues in policing, the criminal justice system’s response to domestic violence, and public perceptions of the criminal justice system. She has conducted research for the Idaho criminal Justice Commission on such issues as best practices for misdemeanor probation and alternatives to incarceration, and she has studied teen dating violence and the training needs for victim advocate in Idaho.
“I am very honored that the governor and his staff sought me out for this appointment, said Bostaph, whose term will run until January 2015. “With the support of my family and Boise State University, I am happy to be of service to the state in this manner.”
“Pardons and Parole is a hugely important but little understood part of our criminal justice system. We need the best talent we can get to help the commission make difficult decisions that impact public safety as well as our prison system,” Otter said. “Dr. Bostaph’s knowledge, experience and professionalism will make her a great addition as we work to more closely integrate our handling of offenders from the time they’re received by the Department of Corrections to the time they emerge from programming and parole.”
