Decarceration Professors and Supervisors | ApplySharif

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Monica BellView profile

Professor

Yale UniversityUnited States

Monica Bell is a tenured Professor of Law and Associate Professor of Sociology at Yale University, holding joint appointments across Yale Law School and the Department of Sociology. Her office is located at 127 Wall Street, New Haven, CT. As the first Black woman to serve as a junior faculty member and the second Black woman to receive tenure at Yale Law School, she is deeply committed to advancing diversity in academia. Education: B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, Furman University (Truman Scholar) M.Sc. in Equality Studies, University College Dublin (Mitchell Scholar) J.D., Yale Law School Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy, Harvard University Bell's research examines structural inequality through interdisciplinary lenses, focusing on policing, legal estrangement, housing segregation, welfare policy, and racial-spatial dynamics. She employs qualitative methodologies to analyze how marginalized communities experience legal institutions, with emphasis on urban poverty and systemic exclusion. Her conceptual framework of 'legal estrangement' redefines understandings of community-law enforcement relationships. Her publications consistently engage with themes of racial justice, institutional reform, and community agency. Recent work demonstrates a strong focus on reimagining policing systems, analyzing residential segregation patterns, and developing democratic approaches to poverty governance. Articles frequently intersect law, sociology, and urban studies while incorporating critical race theory. Awards and Honors: Jane Addams Article Award (American Sociological Association) Derrick A. Bell, Jr. Award (AALS) Yale Law Women Faculty Excellence Award Russell Sage Foundation Visiting Scholar Fellowship Truman Scholarship & Mitchell Scholarship Bell teaches Constitutional Law and Law & Sociology, exploring governmental power structures and sociological applications to legal analysis. She previously clerked for Judge Cameron McGowan Currie (U.S. District Court) and served as an Arthur Liman Fellow at Legal Aid Society of D.C., focusing on TANF policy. No current grants, labs, or student advisees are detailed in available materials.

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Naomi MurakawaView profile

Associate Professor

Princeton UniversityUnited States

Naomi Murakawa is an Associate Professor in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University, School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the reproduction of racial inequality in American politics, particularly in the realms of crime policy and the carceral state. Her scholarly work bridges political science, critical race theory, and legal studies. Key areas of interest include mass incarceration, racial liberalism, the historical development of crime control, and the paradoxes of reform within the criminal justice system. Her research, reflected in publications such as The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America and numerous journal articles, reveals how ostensibly progressive policies have contributed to the expansion of the prison system. Themes across her work include the racialized foundations of state power, the limitations of liberal reform, and the structural persistence of racial inequality in law and governance. Scientific Awards and Fellowships: Fellowship from Columbia Law School’s Center for the Study of Law and Culture Fellowship from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Program Professor Murakawa has advised graduate students and contributed to major scholarly and public conversations on race and justice. Her work has been supported by significant research grants and fellowships, enabling deep historical and theoretical analysis of the American carceral state. She is a leading voice in interdisciplinary debates on decarceration, abolition, and transformative justice. She is affiliated with research initiatives focused on race, law, and inequality, contributing to collaborative teams examining the intersections of policy, history, and social movements. Her ongoing scholarship continues to challenge conventional narratives about crime, punishment, and racial progress in the United States.

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J.Z. BennettView profile

Assistant Professor

University of CincinnatiUnited States

Dr. J.Z. Bennett serves as an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, specializing in juvenile justice reform and criminological theory. His academic foundation includes B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in Criminal Justice from Temple University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Urban Education. Research focuses on juvenile life without parole policies, developmental pathways in criminal behavior, and educational interventions for at-risk youth. His work bridges academic theory with community action through prison education initiatives and youth leadership development programs. Dr. Bennett co-founded the Urban Youth Leadership Academy and actively participates in The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program® and Graterford Think Tank. Major funded research includes: Arnold Ventures Grant ($861,692) : National outcomes study on decarceration for juvenile lifers (Co-PI, 2022-2025) Department of Education Grant ($987,871) : Transitioning gang-impacted youth to higher education (Collaborator, 2023-2026) Key recognition includes the Ronald E. McNair Scholar fellowship that launched his research career. His community-university partnerships emphasize practical applications of criminological research to reduce recidivism and support educational access for marginalized populations.

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Deborah M. WeissmanView profile

Professor

University of ZurichSwitzerland

Deborah M. Weissman is the Reef C. Ivey II Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Her work focuses on domestic violence, gender and human rights, political economy, and critical legal theory. She has published extensively on intersections between law, social control, and marginalized communities. Research Interests: Her scholarship examines the political economy of gender-based violence, neoliberalism's impact on legal advocacy, and the criminalization of survivors. She advocates for community-driven legal reforms and human rights frameworks. Collaborations: Weissman frequently collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and institutions like the University of Miami School of Law, Syracuse University, and the United Nations Human Rights Council. Scientific Awards: Reef C. Ivey II Distinguished Professor of Law Recent Publications: Highlights include analyses of lifelong criminalization of gender violence survivors (2025), economic justice in domestic violence policy (2023), and critiques of carceral systems (2021). Her work spans journals like Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy and North Carolina Law Review .

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John PfaffView profile

Professor

Fordham UniversityUnited States

John Pfaff is a Professor of Law at Fordham Law School, specializing in Criminal Law and Procedure , Law and Economics , and Law and Social Science . He teaches courses on criminal law, sentencing law, and law and economics. His research focuses on empirical analysis of criminal justice, particularly the role of prosecutorial discretion in driving mass incarceration trends. He has received grants from the John Templeton Foundation and the University of Chicago's Arete Initiative for his work on evidence-based judicial review. Professor Pfaff is a frequent contributor to media and policy discussions, appearing in outlets like MSNBC , The Intercept , and Truthout . His 2017 book Locked In challenges conventional narratives about mass incarceration. His recent publications include analyses of private prisons , state-level criminal justice reform , and geographic disparities in sentencing . He previously held the John M. Olin Fellowship at Northwestern University Law School and clerked for Judge Stephen F. Williams on the DC Circuit.

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Mira EdmondsView profile

Assistant Clinical Professor

University of Michigan-Ann ArborUnited States

Mira Edmonds serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at the University of Michigan School of Law, with additional appointments in the Pediatric Advocacy Clinic and Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic. Her work centers on holistic advocacy and community lawyering within public interest legal frameworks. Her academic credentials include: Brown University, BA, magna cum laude Harvard University, JD Edmonds' research and practice focus on systemic inequities in criminal justice systems, specifically indigent defense, decarceration strategies, and prisoner reentry challenges. She simultaneously addresses housing justice through analysis of the affordable housing crisis, tenants' rights enforcement, and homelessness prevention frameworks. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges legal theory with community-based advocacy to dismantle structural barriers faced by marginalized populations. Recent scholarship reveals consistent thematic concentration on criminal record relief mechanisms, narrative deconstruction of 'violent offender' labels, and healthcare access restoration for formerly incarcerated individuals. These works demonstrate empirical rigor through survey methodologies while advocating for policy shifts toward restorative justice models. Her professional recognition includes: 2025 Teaching Award from Michigan Law students Friedman Fellowship at The George Washington University Law School Through clinical supervision in juvenile justice, pediatric advocacy, and civil-criminal litigation contexts, Edmonds mentors law students in direct representation of vulnerable clients while navigating complex intersections of housing instability, criminal legal involvement, and healthcare access. Her clinics operate as interdisciplinary incubators for innovative public interest lawyering methodologies. She leads the Juvenile Justice Clinic as its director while maintaining active roles in the Pediatric Advocacy Clinic and Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic, fostering collaborative teams that integrate legal services with social work frameworks to address clients' multifaceted needs within systemic inequity contexts.

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Alexandra CoxView profile

Associate Professor

University of ReadingUnited Kingdom

Alexandra Cox is an Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Reading, serving as Programme Director for the BSc in Criminology. She holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Cambridge and a Yale undergraduate degree. Previously, she was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Essex, Assistant Professor at SUNY New Paltz, and Research Scholar at Yale Law School. Her research focuses on socio-legal dynamics of punitiveness, criminal justice institutions, youth justice, and racial inequities. She has authored/co-edited books like Trapped in a Vice and The Palgrave International Handbook of Youth Imprisonment , and her work has been published in journals such as Punishment and Society and Social & Legal Studies . Dr. Cox collaborates with organizations like Reprieve, the Howard League, and the Centre for Justice Innovation on projects addressing race and criminal justice policy. She has received awards including the American Society of Criminology Book Award and fellowships from the Gates Cambridge Trust and Soros Justice Advocacy. Her research emphasizes intersectional analysis, decarceration strategies, and the impact of systemic racism within criminal justice systems. Her recent publications explore topics such as Black fatherhood in youth justice, probation officer perspectives on systemic legitimacy, and racial disparities in youth diversion programs. She actively advises Ph.D. students researching criminological and socio-legal issues, with a focus on frontline workers, juvenile confinement, and racial justice.

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Erin ComartinView profile

Professor

Wayne State UniversityUnited States

Erin Comartin is a Professor at Wayne State University School of Social Work, where she has served on faculty since 2016 after transitioning from Oakland University. Her scholarship critically examines social welfare policies and interventions for vulnerable populations within the criminal legal system, with particular emphasis on behavioral health needs and systemic reform initiatives. Her educational foundation includes: Ph.D. in Social Work from Wayne State University MSW from Wayne State University Post-Graduate Diploma of Arts in Community & Family Studies from University of Otago, New Zealand BA in Sociology from Oakland University Comartin's research program integrates clinical expertise from her prior work with homeless youth and domestic violence survivors to address critical gaps in justice-involved behavioral health services. She specializes in sex offender management policies, jail diversion interventions, and Behavioral Threat Assessment teams designed to prevent mass violence. Her methodological expertise spans qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods program evaluation with strong community engagement components. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals intensified focus on suicide prevention in correctional settings, overdose response systems, and law enforcement behavioral health training efficacy. Her work increasingly employs journey mapping and multi-site trial designs to evaluate systemic interventions across rural-urban divides, reflecting evolving priorities in criminal legal health services research. As principal investigator for Center for Behavioral Health and Justice initiatives, Comartin leads community-engaged projects including veteran reentry evaluations and Sequential Intercept Model implementation assessments. Her teaching portfolio encompasses advanced policy analysis, macro practice theory, and program evaluation within Wayne State's social work curriculum.

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Peter N. SalibView profile

Assistant Professor

University of HoustonUnited States

Peter N. Salib is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston Law Center and Associate Faculty in Public Affairs. He serves as Law and Policy Advisor to the Center for AI Safety in San Francisco and co-Director of the Center for Law & AI Risk. University of Houston Law Center Public Affairs Faculty Center for AI Safety Center for Law & AI Risk His research combines constitutional law and economic analysis to address AI governance challenges. Current work focuses on legal frameworks for mitigating catastrophic AI risks through regulatory innovation. Publications appear in top law reviews including University of Chicago Law Review, Virginia Law Review, and Texas Law Review. Recent scholarship trends indicate expertise in: Algorithmic discrimination in health equity Constitutional implications of AI rights Jury nullification theories in abortion cases AI arms race international law Computational law applications As former Climenko Fellow at Harvard Law School and attorney at Sidley Austin LLP, he brings both academic and practical legal experience. Judicial clerkship with Hon. Frank H. Easterbrook informs his constitutional analysis approach.

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Jenny CarrollView profile

Professor

Texas A&M UniversityUnited States

Jenny Carroll is a Professor of Law at Texas A&M University , focusing on criminal justice systems and legal reforms. Her work intersects with Criminal Law & Procedure , Criminal Defense , and Juvenile Justice , with a strong emphasis on equity and civil liberties. Her recent publications (2021–2024) address critical issues in criminal justice, including: Disenfranchisement of convicted individuals in democratic systems, Pretrial detention reforms and risk assessment tools, Protest policing and its implications for free speech, Bail system alternatives and community-based interventions, Academic integration through legal scholarship platforms like law reviews. Her research highlights systemic challenges in post-conviction remedies and advocates for inclusive legal frameworks. Contact her directly at jennycarroll@tamu.edu for collaboration or inquiries.

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Leanne F. AlaridView profile

Professor

University of Texas El PasoUnited States

Dr. Leanne F. Alarid is a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at The University of Texas at El Paso, College of Liberal Arts. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University and focuses on gender and crime, corrections policy, and mental health intersections with the justice system. Research Focus: Gender-specific analysis of criminal behavior, correctional treatment strategies, and mental health policy Current Project: Lead Evaluator for Bureau of Justice Assistance grant on jail-based reentry programs Editorial Roles: Member, Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research , Women and Criminal Justice , and Criminal Justice Policy Review Her recent publications emphasize community corrections , prison reentry , and gender dynamics in criminal justice , with a focus on implementation science and policy evaluation. She has contributed to journals like Justice Quarterly and The Prison Journal , alongside authoring major textbooks such as Community-Based Corrections and Corrections . Scientific Awards: 2011 Founder’s Award, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Dr. Alarid teaches courses including Correctional Systems, Community Corrections, Criminology, and Study Abroad programs in London. She actively evaluates correctional interventions and contributes to public policy discussions on decarceration and mental health diversion.

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Ben K. GrunwaldView profile

Professor

Duke UniversityUnited States

Ben K. Grunwald serves as Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law, where he has been a faculty member since 2017 after completing a Bigelow Fellowship at the University of Chicago Law School. His scholarly work bridges legal theory and empirical analysis to address critical issues in criminal justice systems. JD, PhD in Criminology, AM in Statistics, and BA from the University of Pennsylvania Clerked for the Honorable Thomas Ambro on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Bigelow Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School (2016-2017) Professor Grunwald's research program centers on evidence-based criminal justice reform, with particular emphasis on prosecutorial power dynamics, sentencing fairness, juvenile justice boundaries, and police accountability mechanisms. His methodological approach integrates advanced statistical techniques with legal scholarship to produce actionable insights for policymakers. Current projects examine racial bias in criminal records, optimal decarceration strategies, and the labor market consequences of police discipline. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on translating empirical findings into practical legal reforms, particularly in law enforcement practices and juvenile justice systems. Through interdisciplinary collaborations with criminologists and statisticians, his work challenges conventional wisdom using rigorous data analysis while maintaining strong connections to constitutional principles and procedural justice. Professor Grunwald teaches foundational courses including Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure: Investigation, along with specialized seminars in Criminology and Criminal Procedure that emphasize empirical methodologies. His curriculum development reflects his commitment to training future lawyers in evidence-based legal practice and policy analysis.

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Elsa NotermanView profile

Senior Lecturer

Queen Mary University of LondonUnited Kingdom

Elsa Noterman is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Queen Mary University of London's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, where she serves as Director of the City Centre. She joined QMUL in September 2022 after completing a Junior Research Fellowship at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge (2020-2022), and holds a PhD and MS in Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her educational background includes: PhD in Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison MS in Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison Noterman's research centers on everyday collective struggles over land and housing through critical legal, feminist, decolonial, and antiracist lenses. She examines il/legal geographies of property (e.g., urban vacancy in Philadelphia), housing crisis responses (e.g., limited-equity cooperatives), land justice reparations (e.g., UK land reparations workshops), and feminist pedagogical spaces . Her work bridges social sciences and humanities using qualitative, participatory, and critical cartographic methods to challenge normative power regimes while centering community-driven outcomes. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on property contestation across urban, legal, and carceral contexts. Key trends include decolonial approaches to land reparations (2023-2025), feminist reinterpretations of 'safe space' in academia (2021), and critical examinations of vacancy as both site of dispossession and resistance (2020-2023). Disciplinary intersections span legal geography, urban studies, and critical race theory with methodological emphasis on participatory action research. Her academic supervision includes: Current PhD: Isadora Bellati (LAHP-funded, Brazil land disputes) Former PhD: Jacob Stringer (ESRC-funded, renters' unions in Barcelona/London) Noterman actively collaborates with community groups including Shared Assets, Seeding Reparations, and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign on projects ranging from gender-inclusive green space design in Tower Hamlets to the East London Atlas profiling student research. She directs the City Centre and co-developed an open-source land justice curriculum through participatory student internships in Cambridge.

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Timothy C. BrownView profile

Associate Professor

San Diego State UniversityUnited States

Timothy C. Brown is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at San Diego State University's College of Arts and Letters. He holds a PhD in Sociology from Louisiana State University. His research examines how social, individual, and environmental inequalities influence criminality, victimization, and criminal justice experiences, with a focus on marginalized communities. Key research areas include rural Southern gangs, female law enforcement experiences, and racial disparities in justice systems. Dr. Brown's research explores: Crime impacts on minority groups Contextual inequality's role in violence Community-gang dynamics in rural settings His publications frequently analyze violence patterns, correctional system challenges, and policing environments. He has received awards including the UALR Bright Spot Award and Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Advising includes supervision of 15+ graduate students on topics ranging from bumblebee habitats to prison financial literacy. Grant funding exceeds $120,000 from agencies including FINRA and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Dr. Brown leads research collaborations on rural gang dynamics and correctional education, serving on editorial boards for Deviant Behavior and American Journal of Criminal Justice .

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Nazia H. KaziView profile

Associate Professor

Stockton UniversityUnited States

Dr. Nazia H. Kazi is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Stockton University in New Jersey. Her research focuses on intersections of Islamophobia, racism, and U.S. foreign policy, emphasizing how these forces shape global politics and domestic surveillance. Kazi has lived in Dubai, New York City, and the Chicagoland area, bringing diverse perspectives to her work. She holds a Ph.D. and teaches courses on race, ethnicity, immigration, and Islam in the U.S. Affiliated with the Rutgers Center for Security, Race, and Rights, her scholarship critiques U.S. imperial policies and their racialized impacts. Her book Islamophobia, Race, and Global Politics (Rowman & Littlefield) explores redefining Islamophobia through an imperial lens. Recent articles analyze how the War on Terror obscures U.S. alliances with right-wing actors, the erasure of 'war on terror' history in education, and the surveillance state's entanglement with military aggression. These works highlight systemic linkages between racialized foreign policy and domestic oppression. Kazi's speaking engagements include discussions on decarceration, campus policing, and the Movement for Black Lives. Though no formal grants or awards are listed here, her extensive media contributions and academic outreach demonstrate significant professional engagement.

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