Research Team

The research team of professors and students seek to identify new and improved ways of responding to youthful offending through a data-driven lens that helps implement evidence-based programs and policies in juvenile justice. The Director of Research for the TYJI, Dr. Danielle Cooper, heads the team of research undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students. The team works on research projects for JJPOC and agencies outside of JJPOC. Our students provide research that focuses on juvenile justice matters with a goal of identifying opportunities for policy change.

The Director of Research has attended monthly JJPOC meetings, monthly workgroups and sub-workgroup meetings, as necessary, and held weekly research team meetings with the students. The two primary focus areas for the research team are:

• Research and evaluation that inform policy, planning, development, and implementation in order to elevate evidence based practices and programs for youth involved in the juvenile and criminal justice system.
• Engage with youth serving organizations that focus on youth justice reform such as advocacy groups, community agencies, state agencies, national juvenile justice organizations, public school systems and more, to collaborate on evidence-based youth justice reform.

Members of the research team often attend the JJPOC meetings and the JJPOC workgroup meetings on Diversion, Incarceration, Recidivism, and Cross Agency Data Sharing. This offers students exposure to a wide array of individuals working in the field which provides a deeper, practical understanding of reform and the research they are working on to support it.

In addition, Faculty research contributors include:

•  Dr. Kendell L. Coker, J.D., Assistant Professor
• Dr. Kevin Barnes-Ceeny, Assistant Professor
• Dr.  Kento Yasuhara, Assistant Professor