Doctoral student Allison Cross received the Career Development Award from the Graduate Student Government! This will allow her to attend a Qualitative Research Workshop by CenterStat.
Doctoral student Trevor Morris has been awarded a Broadening Representation, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Global Equity (BRIDGE) Committee Travel Award for $700 to attend the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) Conference at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino in San Juan, PR! This award recognizes Trevor’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in psychology and law. Wishing him a fantastic conference experience!
Doctoral student Allison Cross received the ASU Graduate College Graduate Research Support Program grant for her Teen Court study. The $1,983 grant will support one of her dissertation studies which consists of thoroughly evaluating a set of teen courts. Congratulations!
Many students from the Youth Justice Lab attended the American Society of Criminology Conference in San Francisco. Kelsey Tom and Savanna Allen discussed measurements in risk assessments. Allie Cross discussed perceptions of police as warriors and guardians. Kathryn Tapp discussed juvenile detention officers' ability to support menstrual health and education in detention.
Kelsey Tom, Allison Cross, Savanna Allen, and Adam Fine
Kathryn Tapp
A year ago, we began partnering with the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department, the Maricopa County School Superintendent, and ASU's Learning Enterprise to pilot Universal Learner Courses in the juvenile detention facility. Today, 10 students are actively working toward earning college credits through ASU's Universal Learner Courses. Learn more here. Check out news coverage by ABC15.
Congratulations to doctoral student Kathryn Tapp on receiving the ASC Division of Feminist Criminology's Graduate Student Research Scholarship ($5000)!
Al Titkemeyer from the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department came by the lab space to film this great video about the new virtual tutoring program. Check it out here.
Led by undergraduate student Mercedes Tang (pictured right speaking to News12), the YJL helped Maricopa County host a juvenile records destruction event at the juvenile court house on Saturday, September 7. Check out media coverage from KJZZ.
Mercedes Tang being interviewed by News12
Starting September 2, Dr. Fine and Melissa Hosten are thrilled to announce the launch of the virtual tutoring program, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This free, virtual tutoring program is for youth experiencing probation and diversion in Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, and Pinal counties in Arizona. Graduate student Saydia Phillips is our project lead, with undergraduate students America, Casandra, Jacqueline, Monserrat, Nana, and Selena joining as our inaugural cohort of tutors.
To welcome new doctoral students Bellamy and Sasha, the YJL attended a Phoenix Rising home soccer game.
Front row: Bellamy Williams, Kelsey Tom, Sasha Kuhl, Kathryn Tapp, and Savanna Allen
Top row: Adam Fine, Trevor Morris, Royce Hill, Justin Richardson, and Allison Cross
Undergraduate student Mercedes Tang and Professor Fine presented Project Restore: My Records, My Rights to the Maricopa County bench and bar. The purpose was to walk attorneys and judges through the Destruction of Records, Set Aside an Adjudication, Restoration of Rights, and Marijuana Expungement processes for people adjudicated in the juvenile justice system. The presentation was in advance of the second annual Project Restore event where people can have their records reviewed and rights restored on the spot on September 7.
Doctoral student Allie Cross had her new publication, "Are police as “guardian-oriented” as they should be? Expectation-reality discrepancies are related to perceptions of legitimacy" accepted at the Journal of Criminal Justice. Congrats, Allie!
Doctoral students Justin Richardson and Kelsey Tom had their publication, "What Youth Want: Youths’ Perceptions of Incentives in Juvenile Probation" accepted at Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. This is Justin's first first-authored publication. Congratulations, Justin and Kelsey!
Doctoral student Allison Cross's first-authored publication, "Beyond Police Apologies: Concrete Plans of Action Increase the Public's Willingness to Cooperate with Police" was accepted at the Journal of Experimental Criminology! Congratulations, Allison!
Doctoral student Kelsey Tom was awarded the Watts College Principled Innovation Student Grant for her project on juvenile strengths assessments. Congrats, Kelsey!
At the research symposium, Ashlynn Compo presented her research regarding an evaluation of a Youth Education Program that is being utilized in local juvenile detention facilities. In addition, Sasha Kuhl presented her work on the complex dynamics of juvenile probation officer role orientations and how that relates to relationship quality with youth on probation and their parents. Further, Julia Wegiel presented her work focused on how parents' perceptions of procedural justice in relation to their child's probation officers, and the impact of a juvenile record shape parental monitoring behaviors. Great job, everyone!
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has awarded us a grant that will expand our detention tutoring program. Now, we will launch a virtual tutoring program in Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, and Pinal with all youth on community supervision. This will allow all youth on probation and diversion to have access to free virtual educational support.
Congratulations to Sophia Marturano for successfully defending her Undergraduate Honors Thesis! She presented her work titled " Locked Up Not Left Behind: Understanding the menstrual needs of and experiences of female youth in detention." Great job, Sophia!
This year many YJL members were excited and able to attend the 2024 American Psychology and Law Society conference in Los Angeles. In addition, doctoral students Allison, Justin, and Kelsey presented their research as a part of a thematic panel focused on youth and families involved with juvenile probation, which concluded with a discussion by Dr. Fine. Allison presented her talk on how probation officer role orientation relates to relationship quality with youth and their parents, Justin presented his told on what incentives youth desire to motivate them to do well on juvenile probation, and Kelsey presented her talk on how parents' legal perceptions of juvenile probation relate to their parenting behaviors.
Doctoral students Allie Cross and Trev Morris were awarded a Graduate Student Grant from the American Psychology-Law Society (APLS) for their project titled, "Framing Fairness: Understanding Perceptions of Police Procedural Justice in Body-Worn Camera Footage." Congratulations, Allie and Trev!
Doctoral student Kathryn Tapp's first-authored publication, "Menstrual Victimization and the Weaponization of Period Products in Carceral Settings" was accepted at Women's Health. Congratulations, Kathrynn!
We wanted to extend a warm welcome to Bellamy Williams and Sasha Kuhl who have both received acceptances into Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice PhD program! Congratulations to you both!
The official results of the Youth Justice Lab Student Grant Competition have been announced! In this competition, students in Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice or Law and Behavioral Science program were invited to submit research proposals in hopes of securing a small grant (maximum of $2,000) to support empirical graduate research. After review, the proposals of Thaís Moreira De Andrade, Kathryn Tapp, Allison Cross and Trevor Morris were awarded funding! Congratulations!
The YJL partnered with the Judicial Branch (Superior Court and the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department), the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the Maricopa County Office of the Public Advocate, and the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court on the first-ever event to review and, when eligible, destroy people's juvenile records from Maricopa County. We're planning at least 2 of these events per year moving forward. See some news coverage here, here, and here. For folks who missed the event, we created a guide to the free electronic filing process here.
Mercedes Tang will be starting a paid position in January with the YJL as an Undergraduate Fellow with Project Restore! The grant is funded by the Watts College Design Studio for Community Solutions at Arizona State University.
Kathryn, a second-year doctoral student in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, won the Graduate Student Paper award for the American Society of Criminology's Division of Feminist Criminology. Congratulations, Kathryn!
Kelsey Tom has been awarded the NIJ Graduate Research Fellowship ($89,763.00) for her project, "Thriving, Not Surviving: Refocusing Juvenile Justice Assessments and Strategies." Congratulations, Kelsey!
The YJL hosted our first-ever undergraduate research conference. Over the course of the summer, the undergraduate researchers worked with graduate student mentors to develop and answer research their own research questions, and the experience culminated in our inaugural undergraduate research conference. Congratulations to these fantastic research teams and thank you to the Watts College Undergraduate Research Program for sponsoring their projects!
Parental Monitoring and Engagement in Juvenile Probation
by Julia Wegiel with mentor Kelsey Tom, M.S.
Youth and Parent Understanding of Probationary Requirements
by Sasha Kuhl, Lauren Bucklin, & Katya Wolf with mentor Savanna Allen, M.S.
Addressing Romantic Relationships in At-Risk Youth
by Heather McDermott with mentors Justin Richardson, M.S., & Allie Cross
How Youths Reflect on Impulse Control
by Avani Maddipatla with mentors Justin Richardson, M.S. & Allie Cross
Youths’ Identified Risk and Protective Factors
by Saydia Phillips with mentors Allie Cross & Justin Richardson, M.S.
Examining Stress and Anxiety Reduction in a Sample of Incarcerated Youth Through the Journey.do Platform
by Kenna Diebitsch with mentors Allie Cross & Justin Richardson, M.S.
The National Association of Counties (NaCo) recognizes innovative county government programs and practices across the country. On May 18th, 2023, NaCo recognized YJL's detention tutoring program and the Journey.do program with Achievement Awards for advancing innovative work affecting children and youth in Maricopa County. To learn more, click here!
Dang Khanh An Tran, an undergraduate student in the YJL, received the 2023 ASU Moeur Award! The Moeur Award is given to the undergraduate student who is graduating with the highest academic achievement. Congratulations on this well-deserved award, An! After graduating this spring, An will be heading to George Washington University in DC to begin a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Graduate student Savanna Allen provided a fascinating talk on the basics of Item Response Theory and its utility to data concerning youth in the juvenile justice system. Thanks, Savanna!
The YJL is excited to welcome Justin, Trevor, and Royce as first-year doctoral students in ASU's Psychology and Law Program and to the Youth Justice Lab. Justin is from Arizona and is returning to pursue his doctoral education after recently completing his M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice at ASU. Originally from Texas, Trevor will be joining ASU after completing his B.A. in psychology and B.A. in Criminology & Law Studies at Marquette University. Royce will also be joining ASU from Southern Illinois University where he completed his M.A. in Clinical Psychology.
Congratulations to Dr. Adam Fine and Dr. Benjain Van Rooij who were awarded the Lawrence S. Wrightman Book Award from the American Psychology- Law Society for their book The Behavioral Code: The Hidden Ways the Law Makes Us Better...Or Worse.
Doctoral students Allison and Kelsey presented their research at the 2023 American Psychology and Law Society conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Allison and Kelsey both gave talks as a part of a thematic panel focused on legal socialization and procedural justice along with three other researchers from the University of New Hampshire, which concluded with a discussion by Dr. Fine. Allison presented her talk on "The aftermath of George Floyd's murder: A longitudinal study assessing obligation to obey the law" and Kelsey presented her talk titled "How supported do youth feel by their probation officers?"
Congratulations to Lex Weber, a first-generation student, who not only defended her undergraduate honors thesis, but was also accepted to the University of Oregon's doctoral program in the School of Psychology.
Congratulations as well to Justin Richardson who was accepted into the Law & Behavioral Science doctoral program in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Arizona State University.
Julia Wegiel was awarded a summer research assistantship at the University of Nebraska's Medical Center. Julia received a funded position working in the Munroe-Meyer Institute undergraduate research program in Nebraska over the summer of 2023. Congratulations, Julia!
ASU’s Youth Justice Lab begins assisting at juvenile facilities in Mohave, Pinal counties. Read the recent news coverage here.
Dr. Fine was honored to receive a National Science Foundation CAREER award with the Law & Science Program ($669,000). This 5-year project will support graduate and undergraduate student work and research in juvenile justice. Read more about it here.
Congratulations to Lex Weber on her admittance to the Qualitative and Quantitative Research PhD program at Indiana State University! Lex is set to graduate this Spring Semester and plans to begin her doctoral education in the fall.
In 2022, the YJL was proud to partner with the staff of the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department (MCJPD) and teachers of the Maricopa County Regional School District to create a tutoring program for youth experiencing detention. Now, we are expanding to Mohave and Pinal counties, and ABC 15, Fox 10, and Univision came to see the program in action. To learn more about the program, click here. To see Maricopa County's press release about the program, click here. To see some of the media coverage, click here.
Dr. Sarah Vidal joined lab to talk to YJL students about careers contributing to research and science outside of university settings. Dr. Vidal earned her Ph.D. in psychology with a concentration in human development and public policy from Georgetown University and completed an NIH/NIDA T32 postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Prevention and Community Research at Yale University School of Medicine. She is a Social and Behavioral Sciences Administrator in the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) at NIH and serves as a Scientific Review Officer for the Interventions to Prevention and Treat Addictions study section. Prior to joining NIH/CSR, she was a senior study director in the behavioral health and health policy area at Westat where she directed and led projects focused on criminal and juvenile justice, behavioral health, and social services research. Dr. Vidal’s scientific work has focused on identifying risk and protective processes of (multi)system involvement among youth and adults, conducting evaluations of evidence-based programs and services for youth and families, and informing policy and practice to improve individual-, community-, and systems-level outcomes.
Dr. Fine is part of a research team led by Cassia Spohn with Ojmarrh Mitchell, Andrea Montes, and Michael White that received a $796,000 grant from NIJ titled, "Assessing the Effectiveness of Interventions." The objectives of this project are to conduct a comprehensive review of research focusing on racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system, identify interventions that have the potential to reduce disparate treatment, and identify policies and practices that have exacerbated disparities. Dr. Fine will lead the portion focused on juvenile justice.
Dr. Fine is thrilled to have received a new grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to work with Justice for Families, an NYC-based nonprofit, to develop family-youth engagement tools for juvenile probation departments. The goal is to create publicly accessible tools for jurisdictions to assess their family engagement practices in case planning and management.
Marybeth Hoyle works as a juvenile research specialist in the Juvenile Justice Services Division of the Arizona Supreme Court. Hoyle facilitated a conversation with the Youth Justice Lab about working in the Arizona Judicial Branch and how to pursue alt-academic careers.
Undergraduate student Maria Benevento has been selected to become a Sexual Violence Prevention Facilitator within Arizona State University’s Health Initiatives.
Iya Affo is a Culturalist and Historical Trauma Specialist. She earned Western Certification as a Trauma Specialist and is a descendant of a long line of traditional healers from West Africa. A specialist in teaching about racial and historical trauma, she conducted a fantastic training with our Youth Justice Lab community, particularly pertaining to working with justice-involved youth. Learn more about Iya Affo here.
Lab alumna and doctoral candidate Nicole Mckenna joins the School of Social Work at Rutgers University as a postdoctoral associate in research with juvenile justice populations. Congratulations, Nicole!
Dr. Adam Fine and Dr. Juan Del Toro published a new article entitled Consequences of Fearing Police: Associations with Youths' Mental Health and Felt Obligation to Over both the Law and School Rules in the Journal of Criminal Justice. Read it here!
Dr. Kathleen Padilla joined the editorial board of Police Practice and Research. Congratulations, Dr. Padilla!
Dr. Kathleen Padilla alongside ASU alumni Drs. Jessica Huff (Northern Carolina University) and John Bottema (University of Southern Mississippi) attended the first meeting of the Applied Criminology and Data Management Course in North Carolina. Funded by the National Institute of Justice, this program brings innovative researchers and police practitioners together to build evidence-based solutions to policing.
Recent lab alumna, Dr. Carlena Orosco, was featured on an episode of Law Enforcement Analyst Podcasts (L.E.A.P) to discuss how her experience as a dispatcher informed her approaches as a crime analyst and criminologist. Catch her episode on L.E.A.P. here: https://www.leapodcasts.com/e/atwje-carlena-orosco-the-policing-strategist/
We are thrilled to announce our very own Dr. Kathleen Padilla will be the newest addition to the Texas State University's faculty as an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Congratulations, Professor Padilla!
Justin Richardson, M.S. successfully defended his master's thesis examining how youth on probation and their parents view the use of incentives titled, "Exploring Incentives and Juveniles' Probation Compliance." Congratulations, Justin!
Katelyn Kubly successfully defended her undergraduate honors thesis titled, "Public Perceptions of Life without Parole for Juvenile Offenders: Results from a national experiment." Congratulations, Katelyn!
Lex Weber, a first-generation college student, was selected for the competitive Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in the study of Disparities in the Criminal Justice System at the University of South Carolina. The REU is a 10-week summer program that engages 9 selected undergraduate students with faculty and graduate students from the department in research addressing the role of race/ethnicity, class, and gender in explaining criminal behavior and understanding criminal justice practices.
Carlena Orosco, Ph.D., defended her dissertation on March 25, entitled, "The Calm During the Storm: Identifying the Principles and Techniques of De-Escalation among Police Dispatchers." After graduating with her Ph.D., she will be starting a tenure-track Assistant Professor position at California State University, Los Angeles. Congratulations, Professor Orosco!
Allie, Kelsey, and Dr. Fine traveled to Denver, Colorado to the American Psychology-Law Society (APLS) conference. Both Allie and Kelsey received travel awards from APLS to attend the conference. Allie presented her work, " Exposure to police on social media and youths’ interest in policing careers during the workforce crisis" which received the Outstanding Student Presentation Research Award in a Novel Topic. Kelsey presented her work, "Why Do Children Cooperate with Police? Integrating Authority Relations and Cognitive Development."
The American Bar Association announced Dr. Fine's book, The Behavioral Code, a finalist for the 2022 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts in the book category. These awards "recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. This is the ABA’s highest honor in recognition of this purpose." The winner will be announced May 18.
Allison Cross received the Outstanding Student Presentation in Novel-Topic Research Award by the AP-LS Student Committee for her poster titled Exposed to Police on Social Media: Youths' Interest in Policing Careers during the Workforce Crisis. Congratulations, Allison!
Graduate student Allison Cross was announced as the awardee for the 2022 Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions Seed Grant Funding Initiative. Allison was awarded $15,000 for her project Future Faces of Public Safety: Warriors or Guardians investigating adolescents' willingness to become police officers. Congratulations, Allison!
We were thrilled when Dr. Caraballo, a recipient of the Ruth D. Peterson Fellowship for Racial and Ethnic Diversity Award Recipients from the American Society of Criminology (ASC) and currently a Presidential Post-Doctoral Fellow in the School of Criminology & Criminal Justice at ASU, spoke to our weekly lab meeting. Dr. Caraballo spoke about the influence of immigration law on the victimization of foreign nationals, as well as on the value of grounding how we measure foreign nationals' status based on immigration law.
Graduate students Kelsey Tom and Allison Cross were chosen by American Psychology-Law Society conference submission reviewers to receive travel awards in order to attend the upcoming conference Denver, Colorado. Kelsey will be presenting a paper on youth legal socialization and Allie will be presenting a poster on youth willingness to become a police officer. Congratulations, Kelsey and Allie!
Dr. Lynette Tannis, lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and author of the book Educating Incarcerated Youth: Exploring the Impact of Relationships, Expectations, Resources and Accountability, spoke with the undergraduates participating in the Youth Education Program as tutors for youth experiencing juvenile detention.
Erandy was invited to join the Tau Sigma National Honors Society at Arizona State University. Tau Sigma is a national academic honor society that is designed for transfer students to promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students. Congratulations, Erandy!
Congratulations to Kelsey Tom and her fellow graduate students Skyler Morgan, Kayleigh Stanek, and Jessica Rosenthal who were awarded the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions' Inclusive Design for Equity and Access (IDEA) Mini Grant on behalf of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice's Graduate Student Committee to host the second annual Diverse Perspectives on Justice Speaker Series (DPJSS)! The DPJSS invites underrepresented scholars from across the nation to share their knowledge and research that extends beyond traditional criminological curriculum or challenges traditional criminological assumptions. We look forward to attending the speaking events this semester!
Kathleen Padilla was selected to join the first cohort of the Applied Criminology and Data Management Course through the Executive Committee of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing. Funded by the National Institute of Justice, she'll participate in this program this summer at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Kathleen Padilla finally had the opportunity to walk for her graduation as she received her doctorate in Criminology & Criminal Justice. Dr. Fine had the privilege of hooding her. Her dissertation, chaired by Cassia Spohn, was titled, "Hiding behind the badge: An examination of stress, mental healthcare services, and barriers to accessing mental healthcare services among police officers." Congratulations. Dr. Padilla!
We are launching a new tutoring program with the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department. ASU undergraduate students will travel to the county's juvenile detention facility to tutor youth experiencing detention in math and ELA.
The ASU Youth Detention Tutoring Program supports the academic goals of youth experiencing detention through providing them high-quality volunteer tutoring. For youth, our goal is to supplement the education they receive in the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Facility and promote their academic achievement by providing them ASU students who conduct free, high-quality tutoring within the facility. For ASU students, our mission is to train them to become effective tutors, allies, and advocates who understand and promote structural solutions to structural problems.
Applications are due Friday, December 3, 2021. Please see the tutoring page to learn more and to apply.
Allison and Kelsey presented their work at the ASC conference in Chicago, IL. Allie presented "The impact of social media on the police officer workforce crisis" and Kelsey presented "How do police videos impact youth? Results from a national, randomized-controlled trial."
Dr. Fine had the pleasure of having a conversation with Professor Kristin Henning, the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law, on race, policing, and the juvenile legal system. Their conversation was recorded as part of the ASU Youth Justice Collaborative and will be publicly available shortly. In the meantime, check out her recently released book, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth. It should be required reading for anyone who cares about race and the juvenile legal system.
Dr. Fine has been elected to the Executive Board of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) Division of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology. Starting November, 2021, he will be the Chair of the Nominations Committee.
Dr. Fine and his book coauthor, Benjamin van Rooij, have been invited to start a recurring section for Psychology Today's website, titled The Behavioral Code. Check this link for the upcoming pieces that explore the science between law and human behavior.
Juan Del Toro and Dr. Fine have published a new article titled: The Longitudinal Associations Between Fathers’ Incarceration and Families’ Well-Being: Implications for Ethnic-Racial Disparities in Health. It will be appearing in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Undergraduate Katelyn Kubly has received a $1,000 grant from the ASU Barrett Honors College to support her honors thesis research on the public's perceptions of juvenile life without parole (LWOP) sentences. Congratulations, Kaitlyn!
Doctoral candidate Kathleen Padilla successfully defended her dissertation on July 21 and has officially become Kathleen Padilla, Ph.D. Congratulations, Dr. Padilla! She will be joining the lab as a postdoctoral researcher on one of Dr. Fine's projects focused on officer mental health.
Professor Fine published a new paper, "Measuring Youths’ Perceptions of Police: Evidence from the Crossroads Study in Psychology, Public Policy, & Law. He and Kathleen Padilla published a second paper titled, "Can Working Collaboratively with Law Enforcement on Community Service Promote Positive Youth Development?" in Police Practice and Research: An International Journal.
Professor Fine received two grants. The Heal the Hero Foundation is generously funding his evaluation of a law enforcement wellness program. This $150,000 grant will fund the 1.5-year, randomized controlled trial evaluation. In the second grant, Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department is funding the evaluation of the ThriveCast Pathways to Sobriety collection of modules delivered to justice-involved youth who want to make progress reducing their substance use. For that grant, he is working with Professor Sasha Barab in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU.
Congratulations to undergraduate student Katelyn Kubly on her recent appointment to the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Undergraduate Student Government Downtown (USG-D). Her duties include creating programming for the diverse students on campus, implementing cultural competency trainings for USG-D, and remodeling the multicultural space for students until a multicultural center is built. Congratulations, Katelyn!
Welcome to Agent Phyllis J Coulson, Kathleen Padilla's new pup.
Professor Fine presented at the New York State Youth Justice Institute's Lunch and Learn series. You can watch his talk, titled "Families and Juvenile Probation: Dual or Dueling Supervision?" here.
Justin is a 2nd-year Master's student in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He received a B.S in Psychology and B.S in Criminal Justice from Northern Arizona University. His research interests broadly focus on juvenile sentencing, risk factors for delinquency, and mental health. Welcome, Justin!
Professor Fine was honored with the ASU Watts College Emerging Community Solutions Scholar Award. This yearly, college-wide award goes to an individual across the four schools (School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, the School of Community Resources & Development, School of Public Affairs, and the School of Social Work) who "has demonstrated early success pursuing innovative, community-embedded research and implementing solutions with clear impact." Read more about it here!
Undergraduate Katelyn Kubly has joined the lab. She is currently conducting research on the public's perceptions of life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) for juvenile offenders. Welcome, Kaitlyn! Read more about her here!
Our very own Carlena Orosco, alongside Dr. Michael White, Victor Mora, and Dr. Hedburg published an article, “Moving the needle: can training alter officer perceptions and use of de-escalation?,” in Policing: An International Journal. This study found de-escalation training was favorably viewed by officers and changed the way officers approached policing. Interested in learning more? Read it here!
Lisa Thurau, Executive Director of the non-profit Strategies for Youth, and Professor Fine published an op-ed titled, "When Policing Youth, Honey Works Better Than Vinegar" at The Crime Report. Read it here!
Professor Fine and Team Kids were awarded the Maryvale One Square Mile Initiative Grant to expand the Team Kids youth empowerment program to the Cartwright School District in the local Maryvale community. This award enables the implementation of a virtual program connecting students to make a difference in their communities while remaining safely at home. Congratulations!
Undergraduate research assistants Sidney and Ryan received internships with Pinal County Juvenile Court Services to support the Parent Youth Engagement project aiming to evaluate and improve family engagement with probation services. Congratulations Sidney and Ryan!
As the Spring semester approaches, the YJL is gaining three new undergraduate research assistants. Welcome to the YJL Caitlyn, Lex, and Malia!
Kathleen Padilla was awarded one of the six inaugural Knowledge Mobilization Innovations grant for her work on preparing to help police officers manage stress, which now includes the impact of COVID-19. Her funding will support her research in identifying challenges for research on officer mental health and identifying steps towards overcoming those challenges. Congratulations, Kathleen!
Congratulations to Kathleen Padilla and her groom Wesley Smith! The couple are both pursuing their doctoral degrees in Criminology and were married on October 31st. Best wishes to you both from the YJL!
Carlena Orosco was recognized for her work with the the Lieutenant workgroup at Tempe Police Department. This project involved using a data forward approach to restructuring zone boundaries in an effort to best deploy police resources in the city. Congratulations, Carlena!
"Since being hired with the Tempe Police Department, SPARC Analyst Carlena Orosco has demonstrated time and time again that she is an exceptionally dedicated employee, as well as a vital component to her own and many other workgroups that lean on her for expertise with data analysis and insight on current crime issues."
- Tempe Chief of Police
David Roybal and Ryan Anaya went to the Pinal County Juvenile Detention Facility as a part of their project working with officers to create materials for detained youth and their families.
Kathleen Padilla was selected to be a Mentor for the ASC Division on Women and Crime Mentoring Program led by Dr. Christine Rasche. As this year's only graduate student fulfilling the mentorship role (traditionally served by faculty), Kathleen lends her unique perspective as a current graduate student with her research expertise to better serve her mentee. Congratulations, Kathleen!
Carlena Orosco was awarded a scholarship as part of the Watts College Diverse Doctoral Scholars Initiative upon being nominated by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. This scholarship is awarded to doctoral students of color in excellent standing in their respective schools. Congratulations, Carlena!
Kathleen Padilla and Professor Fine's article on how youth view the police as they grow up was published in The Conversation. View the article here!
Professor Fine, Kathleen, and Kelsey's article, “Police Legitimacy: Identifying Developmental Trends and Whether Youths’ Perceptions Can be Changed,” was accepted and published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology. This study found age-graded differences in perceptions of police legitimacy and suggests youths' perceptions can be improved. Read the article here!
After recently completing her M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University (ASU), Kelsey Tom is returning to the YJL and ASU's criminology program as a first year PhD student. Prior to her graduate career, she completed her B.A. in Criminology, Law, & Society and her B.A. in Psychology & Social Behavior from the University of California Irvine. Her research interests broadly include the psychological consequences of justice system contact, correctional interventions, and race/ethnicity in the justice system. Welcome back, Kelsey!
Allie Cross is a first-year Law and Psychology PhD student. She received a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Justice Studies from the University of New Hampshire. Her research interests include juvenile procedural justice, legal socialization, and the effects of social media. She is the recipient of the ASU Graduate College Fellowship for both Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Welcome to the YJL, Allie!
Our very own Kathleen Padilla, alongside Dr. Danielle Wallace, Dr. Matthew Larson, Logan Somers, and Ryan Mays published their article, “Recidivism and Relationships: Examining the Role of Relationships, Transitions, and Relationship Quality in Re-Incarceration,” in the Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology. This study found that relationship quality, rather than marriage or relationship transitions, was associated with a lower likelihood of reincarceration. Read it here!
Graduate student Carlena Orosco was selected to serve on the Publications Committee for the International Association of Crime Analysts. Their mission is to develop current and relevant information to support and promote the growth, institutionalization, and professionalization in crime analysis. Carlena will be updating the IACA book, writing white papers for the field, and collaborating with academic researchers on publications. Congratulations, Carlena!
Bianca presented her poster of her Master's degree research at the Institute for Social Science Research's Poster Contest, and she won First Place for her poster, "'I Feel Like I'm About to Walk Out of Prison Blindfolded': Prison Programming and Reentry." Congratulations, Bianca! View the award ceremony online.
Both students successfully defended their Master's degree theses and received a Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice (MSCCJ). Bianca Rodriguez's thesis was titled "I Feel Like I'm About to Walk Out of Prison Blindfolded": Prison Programming and Reentry" and Kelsey Tom's thesis was titled Looking Within: Examining the Consequences of Confinement over the Transition to Adulthood.
All three students presented their posters of their recent research at the Institute for Social Science Research's Poster Contest. As a result of the COVID-19 virus, the poster contest was moved online. View their posters at the online gallery.
Noah Kurtz of Wrangler News interviewed Professor Fine about the Team Kids program in local Tempe Schools. Professor Fine is quoted discussing how youths' perceptions of law enforcement appear to have declined in recent years. Read the article at Wrangler News.
Professor Fine's article, "Youth Perceptions of Law Enforcement and Worry about Crime from 1976-2016", was accepted for publication in the journal Criminal Justice & Behavior. This study found that youths' perceptions of law enforcement recently reached a decades-long low and racial/ethnic gaps in perceptions of law enforcement appear to be growing. Read the preprint on ResearchGate.
Sidney Lopes has just begun her senior year and has begun to invest time into victim services. She has started to volunteer and apply to victim advocacy internships.
Fabio continues to work on his application process to law school during the break for the upcoming fall semester. In preparation for law school, he began working at a small law firm in Central Phoenix.
Ryan Anaya recently received an internship with Team Kids, which is as he stated "absolutely an amazing opportunity for me. This internship will allow me to see the research we have been conducting first hand and give me a better understanding of the in-person relationships shared between kids and law enforcement!" Ryan is very excited and grateful for this opportunity to learn more and work hands on with the Team Kids Program.
Kelsey Tom received a $500 grant from the Graduate College to travel to the American Psychology and Law Society (APLS) annual conference to present on the results from Professor Fine's RCT in Compton, CA and her thesis on the consequences of confinement during adolescence on internalizing problem behaviors. She will be presenting in March 2020 at APLS.
Professor Fine and doctoral student Kathleen Padilla's article, "Can youths’ perceptions of the police be improved? Results of a school-based field evaluation in three jurisdictions" was just published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. This study examined whether a positive youth development program that enables police officers to work collaboratively with children on community service projects might improve children’s perceptions of police. The results of analyses, which used pre- and postevaluation data on a sample of predominantly Hispanic/Latinx or Black/African American 5th and 6th graders located in 3 jurisdictions in the United States, suggested that enabling law enforcement officers to work collaboratively with children can improve children’s perceptions of police. Read the article here.
In November of 2019 Valeria Garcia got great news that she received an internship that she worked hard to obtain with the Arizona State Legislature. She proudly accepted the internship and currently is an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives. She is the research intern for the Transportation and Military and Veterans Affairs committees, where she works closely with a research analyst to create bill summaries for bills that are passing through legislation every day! Valeria also works directly with the committee members and chairmen of her committees to plan agendas for the committee meetings or house caucus. Valeria presents bills in meetings as well as answers any pressing questions the members may have.
Kelsey Tom received a $400 travel award from the Graduate Professional Student Association to present on adolescents' adjustment to incarceration in terms of internalizing symptomology from a paper she is working on with Professor Fine and Dr. Cauffman from UC Irvine at the American Society of Criminology's (ASC) annual conference in San Francisco. Specifically, her presentation highlighted the importance of parental relationships, sleep quality, and supportive programming over the first week of confinement.
The travel award also helped her to present a poster with Kathleen Padilla and Dr. Fine on the results of three studies of youth perceptions of police at the American Society of Criminology's (ASC) annual conference in San Francisco, CA in November.
Kathleen Padilla published her first solo manuscript, entitled "Sources and severity of stress in a Southwestern police department." This publication is currently in press at Occupational Medicine. Findings suggest that even in a racially/ethnically diverse police department, stress still varies by race, with non-white police officer reporting higher levels of occupational stress, as well as overall levels of stress, when compared to their white, non-Hispanic counterparts.
Kathleen Padilla published her first book chapter, entitled "Promoting Officer Health and Wellness. In Transforming Police: 13 Key Reforms," with lead co-authors Edward R. Maguire and Logan J. Somers. This book is currently in press. Their review examined risks to police officers' health and wellness while on the job, interventions designed to alleviate those risks, and provides practical recommendations for improving health and wellness.
Dr. Fine, Kathleen Padilla, and Kelsey Tom won an honorable mention award at the Institute for Social Science Research's poster contest ($400) for their poster on a mixed-methods study of the RCT in Compton, CA. The poster shares the positive results of the TKC for participating youth and law enforcement officers.