Email: eallensocialphd@gmail.com

Website: http://www.drelizabethallen.org/

I bring more than 25 years of clinical experience with justice-involved women and other marginalized groups. I am tenaciously committed to smart decarceration research, policy, and practice and throughout my career aimed to embrace what academia together with activism can offer change-agents and guide and support radical social change.

My dissertation research was an inquiry into redemptive narratives and the distance process for justIce-involved women with the goal of adding to the knowledge base of desistance, advocating for policies and interventions that support the process of distance and promoting a unifying framework to bridge micro and macro approaches with vulnerable and marginalized populations. Currently, I am a PI on a CBPR project using Photovoice with the urban youth with the lived experience of parental incarceration.

The synthesis of my clinical and research experience prepares me for the dual role of researcher and policy-maker and utilizing evidence to advance policy and practice. My research interests are vast and include the intersection of micro and macro issues amplified within criminal justice systems including racial, gender and economic justice and human rights.

Assistant Professor, UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO

Email: dapplega@buffalo.edu

Website: https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/faculty-research/full-time-faculty/michael-applegarth.html

About: Through his research, Dr. Michael Applegarth aims to increase our understanding of how mental illness and criminal legal involvement are connected for both juveniles and adults. His research aims to increase knowledge and inform policy surrounding strategies to prevent criminal legal involvement through diversion and community responses, provide treatment for those incarcerated, and increase the effectiveness of reentry services.

His dissertation focused on better understanding the connection between mental illness and recidivism for individuals on parole. Other research streams have examined how mental health and the juvenile justice system intersect around issues of family reintegration and the health needs of detained youth. Applegarth previously held research fellowships with both the National Institute of Justice and Rand Corp., in which he studied and co-authored reports on recidivism and the effectiveness of various support programs in reducing crime among at-risk and justice-involved youth.

Assistant Professor, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

Pronouns: He/They

Email: mbakko@wayne.edu

Website: https://socialwork.wayne.edu/profile/hq0072 

About: I examine human service organizations operating at the intersection of multiple and often conflicting systems. My research investigates how organizations’ embeddedness at these intersections shapes their policy and program implementation, as well as the realization of service and social change goals. I pay particular attention to how institutional and resource environments, inter-organizational relationships, and street-level service practices influence organizational implementation and goals. Empirically, my work primarily focuses on human service organizations that intersect with the criminal-legal system. I am particularly interested in anti-carceral, transformative alternatives that nonetheless interact with criminal-legal systems, especially in the field of behavioral health crisis response. I employ qualitative and mixed methods, bridging organizational and criminal-legal scholarship to contribute to both fields.

Doctoral Candidate, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY

Email: britabookser@berkeley.edu

Website: https://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/people/phd-students

About: Brita A. Bookser’s research interests include early care and education, education policy, carceral logics in education, feminist anti-carceral studies, womanism, and critical race theory. Her research-praxis agenda is facilitated by varied agency partnerships that explore policies and pedagogies for inclusion and civic engagement. Bookser’s qualitatively-driven mixed-method dissertation explores a typology of exclusionary discipline measures in preschools and examines how structural factors influence exclusionary tactics in early care and education settings.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON

Email: paja.charles@wisc.edu

Website: https://familywellbeingandjustice.com/;%20https://socwork.wisc.edu/staff/pajarita-charles-mpa-msw-phd/

Pajarita Charles is an Assistant Professor at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, the Center for Law, Society, and Justice, and the Justice Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research centers on the development, implementation, and testing of family-focused preventive interventions to promote positive outcomes for children and families affected by the criminal justice system. Dr. Charles’ efforts foster research, practice, and public sector partnerships to build capacity for reform and the reduction of the footprint of the criminal justice system. She is a co-leader of the national Promote Smart Decarceration grand challenge network for the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and frequently collaborates with local and state organizations to provide expertise and guidance on issues pertinent to families impacted by the criminal justice system.

Adjunct Professor, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY 

Email: cnc350@nyu.edu

Website: https://socialwork.nyu.edu/faculty-and-research/our-faculty/adjuncts/bios-a-c.html#chavez

About: My research interests and professional experience revolve around criminal and juvenile justice, gang violence and membership, racism in justice, restorative justice practices, mental health and trauma, policies and legislations regarding criminal justice, and immigration.

Clinical Assistant Professor, BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Email: copelanp@bu.edu

Website: https://www.bu.edu/ssw/profile/phillipe-copeland/

About: My interest is in the policing and punishment systems as mechanisms of racial capitalism and educating people to not only effectively abolish them, but help survivors to recover from their consequences.

GRADUATE STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Email: Dominique.Courts@uconn.edu

Website: https://ssw.uconn.edu/person/c-l-dominique-courts-ma-mft/#

After graduating from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Social and Cultural Analysis, Dominique Courts, MA, MFT, earned a clinical master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at UCONN. Following her work as a therapist, Dominique is now a Crandall-Cordero fellow at The UCONN School of Social Work and invested in affecting change on an institutional and systems level.

As a doctoral student, she is particularly interested in using a reproductive and healing justice framework to understand the healing process for people, who live with intersecting marginalized identities, especially lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and queer individuals of color. The lack of visibility and research around LGBTQ people of color led her to be passionate about conducting mixed-methods and participatory action research to explore various aspects of their lived experiences. Ultimately, Dominique desires to amplify the voices of marginalized populations in her research and use collaborative and empowering research methods and accessible dissemination techniques.

Throughout the CT community, Dominique also facilitates workshops and groups focused on relationships, LGBTQ identities and other topics related to social justice and healing. She centers the lived experiences and needs of the individuals at the intersections of race, sexuality, gender and ability in her research, teaching, clinical and community work and advocacy.

Associate Professor, FRESNO STATE UNIVERSITY

Email: marcuscrawford@csufresno.edu

Website: https://chhs.fresnostate.edu/about/directory/social-work/crawford-marcus.html

About: Child welfare, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATION

Email: mepperson@uchicago.edu

Website: https://ssa.uchicago.edu/ssascholars/m-epperson and www.smartdecarceration.org

Matt Epperson, PhD, MSW is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, where he also serves as Director of the Smart Decarceration Project ( www.smartdecarceration.org ). His research centers on developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to reduce disparities in the criminal justice system. His primary areas of focus include addressing risk factors for criminal justice involvement among persons with mental illnesses, as well as advancing evidence-based approaches to effective and sustainable decarceration. Dr. Epperson’s scholarship and teaching aim to build the capacity of the social work profession to address these challenges and opportunities for criminal justice transformation. He is Co-Leader of the Promote Smart Decarceration network, through the Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative. Dr. Epperson received his Ph.D. with distinction from the Columbia University School of Social Work, a M.S.W. from Grand Valley State University, and a B.S. in Sociology/Criminal Justice from Central Michigan University. He has over 15 years of clinical and administrative social work experience in behavioral health and criminal justice settings.

Assistant Professor, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY EDWARDSVILLE

Email: jeerwin@siue.edu

Website: https://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/social-work/faculty-staff/erwin.shtml

About: My research focus has primarily explored adult mental health courts. Additional research interests include examining the experiences of adults with mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system and the role of peer support in treatment courts.

VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE

Email: espinozl@strose.edu

Liz Espinoza has forensic social work experience at state government level in NY.

Associate Professor, MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

Pronouns: He/Him

Email: john.gallagher@morgan.edu

About: Gallagher teaches in the Master of Social Work (MSW) Department. His expertise is in clinical social work, substance use disorder and mental health treatment and recovery, and policy analysis and advocacy. Dr. Gallagher’s research agenda is focused on the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in treating opioid use disorders; exploring drug court and other treatment court participants’ lived experiences in programming; identifying the factors that may contribute to racial disparities in treatment court outcomes; program evaluation for drug courts and other treatment courts; and implementing evidence-based interventions to promote substance use disorder and mental health recovery. He serves as Associate Editor for Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, is on the editorial board for the Journal for Advancing Justice, and has been invited to serve as a peer-reviewer for over 30 academic journals. Dr. Gallagher has developed a national reputation for excellence in drug court research, and he helped develop the Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) Program Assessment Tool, presents the equity and inclusion curriculum for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), and advocates for best-practice standards in serving African Americans in drug court. Dr. Gallagher is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC) who has practiced substance use disorder and mental health counseling since 2002.

Associate Professor, SUNY ULSTER

Email: Godfreyi@sunyulster.edu

Website: http://sunyulster.edu

About: I have participated in a recent research study about the value of post secondary education for incarcerated persons. My teaching interest and expertise is in Alternative to Incarceration & Reentry strategies and initiatives

Associate Professor, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

Email: goldkind@fordham.edu

Website: https://www.laurigoldkind.net/

About: Dr. Goldkind is currently studying the data practices and data literacy of justice informed young men.

Assistant Professor, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CROWN FAMILY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, POLICY, AND PRACTICE

Email: agottlieb@uchicago.edu

Website: https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/directory/aaron-gottlieb 

About: Dr. Gottlieb’s research focuses on the causes and consequences of mass incarceration, how to effectively reduce U.S. reliance on incarceration, and examining the implications of reallocating resources away from traditional forms of public safety. His scholarship has been published in leading social work, criminology, and sociology journals, and has been cited in a wide range of media outlets, including the New York Times and the Atlantic.

Clinical Assistant Professor & Assistant Dean of Field Education, SUNY STONY BROOK

Email: warren.graham@stonybrook.edu

Website: https://socialwelfare.stonybrookmedicine.edu/faculty-staff-warren-graham 

About: Having taught on both the graduate and undergraduate levels multiple institutions over the years, I oversaw the administration of Nassau County Adult and Juvenile Drug Court Programs for 7 years. prior to that I worked in outpatient substance abuse and alternatives to incarceration treatment programs. I have also been active in NASW, having been elected as Delegate to the National Assembly, Division Director, Program Committee, and selected as Advocacy and Governmental Relations Committee member. I am currently a member of the NASW NYS Diversity Committee, member of the NASW Social Work in the Courts Specialty Practice Section where I publish annually, and am a CSWE Council on Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity member. I have authored/co-authored “Criminal Injustice Competency” (NASW, 2019), “Navigating Privilege and Confidentiality for Social Workers in Legal Settings” (NASW, 2020), and “Specialized opportunities for Social Workers in the Courts” (NASW, 2010) as a part of the inaugural newsletter, co-authored “The Death of Black Males: The unmasking of cultural competence and oppressive practices in a micro-aggressive environment” (Routledge, 2016), “Evidence Based Practices for the Criminal Justice System” (2018), “To Protect and to Serve,” a book chapter in the Violence Against Black Bodies book. I am a Board member of DC based non-profit, re-entry program, Darnice’s Place, and the NYS Social Work Educator’s Association and am interested in decarceration. On the Board of Advisors for the Center for Children, Families, and the Law at Hofstra University, I am a forensic social worker in private practice for over 12 years, and member of the National Organization of Forensic Social Workers.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SOONGSIL UNIVERSITY

Email: whan@ssu.ac.kr

Woojae Han is an assistant professor of School of Social Work at Soongsil University in Korea. His research focuses on alternative court system, community rehabilitation for offenders with mental illness, and behavioral health disparities for populations at risk.

Director of Practice Implementation and Evaluation, NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Email: dhrouda@neomed.edu

About: Focus on the implementation of evidence-based, best, and emerging practices for people along the continuum of justice involvement.

Editor 

Email: russimmarigeon@fairpoint.net

About: Editor of national publications on community corrections, alternatives to prison, and offender programming. Editor of four books on crime desistance, prisoner reentry, and women, gender and girls in the criminal justice system. Independent researcher on the overuse of incarceration for women and others, and of cash bail in pretrial settings

JD/PhD Student, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE

Email: bryantjj@uci.edu

Website: https://sites.uci.edu/bryantjacksongreen/

About: Bryant Jackson-Green is a doctoral student in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine and a JD candidate at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. His research lies at the intersection of criminal justice policy and organizational theory, focusing on how organizations perceive and make decisions about social risk. Using mixed methods, his work highlights the importance of law and organizations in a larger social-ecological context.

Associate Professor, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

Email: nevjones@pitt.edu

Website: https://www.socialwork.pitt.edu/people/nev-jones

About: Interests include policing and the role of police in mental health crisis response, mental health courts, peer-led diversion and re-entry programs and critical perspectives on abolition and decarceration. Research centers those with direct experience of psychiatric disabilities and/or intersectional experiences of systems involvement.

Assistant Professor, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO

Email: jennifer.l.kenney@csus.edu

Website: https://cj.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JKenneyCV_Sept15.pdf  &  https://scholars.csus.edu/esploro/profile/jennifer_kenney/overview

About: Clinical and policy-oriented social work in the criminal legal system and outside the system working towards decarceration and abolition, with a special focus on clinical work and research related to women and trauma-responsive care.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY

Email: kerrison@berkeley.edu

Website: http://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/faculty/erin-kerrison

My research and teaching interests extend from a legal epidemiological framework, wherein law and legal institutions operate as social determinants of health. Specifically, through varied agency partnerships, my mixed-method research agenda investigates the impact that compounded structural disadvantage, concentrated poverty and state supervision has on service delivery, substance abuse, violence and other health outcomes for individuals and communities marked by criminal justice intervention.

Associate Professor, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

Email: jeank@uoregon.edu

Website: https://education.uoregon.edu/people/faculty/jeank

About: Dr. Jean Kjellstrand, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Human Services at the University of Oregon, focuses on parental incarceration. Specifically, she examines how parental incarceration impacts child development, and how to support children and their parents both during and after incarceration. Her goal is to create effective interventions that are affordable, acceptable, and sustainable within existing delivery systems. Before entering academics, Dr. Kjellstrand was a licensed social worker for over 15 years. During this period, she developed and coordinated several individual, group, and community interventions to support and empower children and families in high-risk circumstances.