Dallas Augustine

Dallas Augustine serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice Studies within San Jose State University's College of Social Sciences, focusing on punishment, law, and structural inequality through empirical research on prisons, reentry systems, and employment barriers.

Her academic training includes a PhD in Criminology, Law & Society from the University of California, Irvine, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF.

• PhD in Criminology, Law & Society, University of California, Irvine

Dr. Augustine investigates how intersecting vulnerabilities—particularly homelessness, substance use disorders, and mental illness—compound risks within carceral systems. Her community-engaged methodology centers marginalized voices to expose systemic failures in prisoner reentry and correctional healthcare. She critically examines racialized gang labeling practices, coerced labor during parole supervision, and housing instability among justice-involved populations.

Her recent publications (2021-2025) reveal three dominant research trajectories: solitary confinement's physical/psychological impacts (12 publications), overdose prevention among homeless populations with substance use (7 publications), and employment barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals (9 publications). These studies consistently employ mixed-methods approaches across California, New York, and Washington State correctional facilities.

No scientific awards are documented in available sources.

Dr. Augustine maintains deep community partnerships through prior leadership as President of the Orange County Needle Exchange Program Board and volunteer Reentry Advisor at San Quentin State Prison. While specific grant details remain unpublicized, her postdoctoral work with UCSF's Benioff initiative indicates major funding for homelessness and health equity research. She actively mentors students through justice-focused fieldwork opportunities.

Her research collaborations span the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (UCSF), harm reduction networks in Orange County, and multi-site prison reform coalitions focused on solitary confinement abolition. Current projects address CARE Court implementation in San Francisco and overdose response protocols for co-using populations experiencing homelessness.