2025

March 2025: Allie Cross receives a Career Development Award

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.

February 2025: Trevor Morris receives a travel award

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!

January 2025: Allie Cross receives a grant

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!

2024

November 2024: Students in detention receive ASU college courses

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.  

October 2024: Kathryn receives a grant

Congratulations to doctoral student Kathryn Tapp on receiving the ASC Division of Feminist Criminology's Graduate Student Research Scholarship ($5000)! 

August 2024: YJL Launches the New Virtual Tutoring Program!

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. 

August 2024: Destroying Juvenile Records: Presentation to the bench and bar

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. 

August 2024: New publication!

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!

May 2024: Congratulations to Justin Richardson

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!

April 2024: Congratulations to Allison Cross

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!

April 2024: Congratulations to Kelsey Tom

Doctoral student Kelsey Tom was awarded the Watts College Principled Innovation Student Grant for her project on juvenile strengths assessments. Congrats, Kelsey!

April 2024: Undergraduate students Ashlynn Compo, Sasha Kuhl, and Julia Wegiel presented at ASU Watts College's Undergraduate Research Symposium! 

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!

April 2024: Tutoring Program Goes Virtual! 

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. 

March 2024: Congratulations to Allison Cross and Trevor Morris

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! 

March 2024: Congratulations to Kathryn Tapp

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!

January 2024: Welcome Bellamy Williams and Sasha Kuhl

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!

2023

December 2023: Youth Justice Lab Student Grant Competition Results

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!

November 2023: One-Stop Event to Destroy Juvenile Records, Restore Rights

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.

October 2023: Design Studio for Community Solutions awards Mercedes Tang with an undergraduate fellowship. Congratulations, Mercedes!

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.

October 2023: Doctoral student Kathryn Tapp wins the Graduate Student Paper Award for the ASC Division of Feminist Criminology!

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! 

September 2023: Graduate student Kelsey Tom was awarded the NIJ Graduate Research Fellowship 

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!

August  2023: Inaugural Youth Justice Lab Undergraduate Research Conference

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! 

May 2023: Tutoring Program for Youth in Detention and Journey.do Rehabilitation Program receive National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

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!

April 2023: Congratulations to An Tran!

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.

April 2023: Savanna Allen presents: "An Introduction to Item Response Theory"

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!

April 2023: Welcome Justin Richardson, Trevor Morris and Royce Hill!

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.

March 2023: Dr. Fine receives Lawrence S. Wrightman Book Award from the American Psychology - Law Society 

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. 

March 2023: Multiple students accepted into doctoral programs

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. 

February 2023: Undergraduate Julia Wegiel selected for summer research assistant position at the University of Nebraska Medical Center

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! 

February 2023: Congratulations, Dr. Fine!

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.

January 2023: Congratulations to future doctor, Lex Weber!

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.

2022

October 2022: Sarah Vidal visits lab to discuss non-university careers in research

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.

September 2022: New grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)

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.  

September 2022: New grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation

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. 

August 2022: Marybeth Hoyle visits to discuss alt-academic careers

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. 

June 2022: Congratulations to lab alumna, Nicole Mckenna!

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!

June 2022: Dr. Kathleen Padilla joins the editorial board of Police Practice and Research

Dr. Kathleen Padilla joined the editorial board of Police Practice and Research. Congratulations, Dr. Padilla!

April 2022: Graduate Student Justin Richardson Defended his Master's Thesis

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! 

April 2022: Undergraduate Lex Weber Selected for University of South Carolina Research Program 

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. 

March 2022: American Bar Association names The Behavioral Code a Finalist for the 2022 Silver Gavel Award  

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.

March 2022: American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) Student Committee Recognizes Allison Cross!

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!

February 2022: A Big Congratulations to Allison Cross!

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!

February 2022: New Grants!

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!

January 2022: Erandy Leon joins ASU's Tau Sigma National Honors Society

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!

January 2022: New Grant!

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!

January 2022: Dr. Padilla selected for funded summer course

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. 

2021

December 2021: New tutoring program!

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.

July 2021: Welcome Dr. Kathleen Padilla!

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.

July 2021: Two new publications!

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.

June 2021: Two new grants!

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. 

June 2021: Congratulations to Katelyn Kubly!

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!

April 2021: Professor Fine Receives Award

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!

February 2021: New Publication!  

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!

2020

December 2020: Professor Fine and Team Kids Awarded Maryvale One Square Mile Initiative Grant 

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!

December 2020: Sidney Lopes and Ryan Anaya Receive Pinal Juvenile Court Services Internship

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!

November 2020: Kathleen Padilla Receives Knowledge Mobilization Innovation Grant 

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!

October 2020: Kathleen Padilla Chosen as an ASC Division on Women and Crime Mentor

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!

September 2020: Carlena Orosco Awarded Watt's College Diverse Scholars Initiative Scholarship

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!

September 2020: New Article!

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!

June 2020: New Publication!

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!

May 2020: New Publication!

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!

April 2020: Carlena Orosco Selected for IACA's Publications Committee

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!

April 2020: Bianca Rodriguez Won First Place in the ISSR Poster Contest 

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. 

April 2020: Bianca Rodriguez and Kelsey Tom Defend their Master's Theses

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.

March 2020: Graduate Students Kathleen Padilla, Bianca Rodriguez, and Kelsey Tom Present Their Research 

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. 

March 2020: Professor Fine Quoted in Wrangler News

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.

January 2020: New Publication! 

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. 

January 2020: Senior Year! 

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. 

January 2020: After Graduation! 

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.

2019

December 2019: Ryan Anaya got an internship! 

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. 

December 2019: Kelsey Tom received a grant! 

 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. 

November 2019: New Publication!

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. 

November 2019: Valeria Garcia got an internship at the Arizona State Legislature! 

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. 

October/November 2019: Kelsey Tom received an award and presented a poster at ASC!

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. 

October 2019: Kathleen Padilla published her first solo publication!

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.

October 2019: Kathleen Padilla published a book chapter! 

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.

April 2019: Kathleen Padilla and Kelsey Tom received an award for their poster! 

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.