Devon Johnson

Dr. Devon Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. Her research focuses on punishment preferences, police-citizen relations, and racial disparities in public opinion on criminal justice issues in the U.S. and Caribbean. She has held prior affiliations at Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute and UCLA's Center for the Study of Urban Poverty.

Her research interests include the intersection of race, policing, and crime policy. She employs survey methods and experimental designs to analyze how procedural justice and systemic inequities shape public perceptions of law enforcement and legal institutions. Key topics addressed in her work include Black Lives Matter's impact on political discourse, neighborhood disorder in marginalized communities, and the Trayvon Martin case's societal implications.

Dr. Johnson’s publications span criminology, sociology, and public policy journals, with a focus on punitive attitudes and institutional legitimacy. Her teaching portfolio includes courses on crime policy, inequality, and the politics of criminal justice. She has advised doctoral dissertations addressing juvenile justice disparities, procedural justice in immigrant communities, and intake officer decision-making.

• Awards: Teaching Excellence Award (Mason), AAPOS Research Award, SSSP Law & Society Division Recognition
• Affiliations: Former Research Associate (Harvard Du Bois Institute), Former Research Fellow (UCLA Urban Poverty Center)

Her work bridges empirical research with policy advocacy, emphasizing equitable justice systems and marginalized community perspectives.