Elizabeth Allen

Dr. Elizabeth Allen serves as Assistant Professor of Social Work in the Department of Education, Health and Social Work within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) since 2022. She concurrently maintains a private practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Therapist in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), leveraging 20 years of clinical experience at Connecticut's York Correctional Institution (1995-2015).

Her educational credentials include:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work, University of Connecticut
• Master of Social Work, University of Connecticut
• Bachelor of Science in Interpersonal Communication with Psychology minor, Central Connecticut State University

Dr. Allen's research critically examines trauma, racial/gender disparities in criminal legal systems, and desistance processes for justice-involved populations. She investigates abolition of oppressive systems, behavioral health in corrections, smart decarceration, and photovoice methodologies with urban youth experiencing parental incarceration. Her work applies critical theory to micro-practice interventions while analyzing historical intersections between social work and law enforcement.

Her publication trajectory reveals consistent focus on justice-involved women's experiences across historical and contemporary contexts. The 2024 co-authored study analyzes carceral feminism's roots in progressive-era policing, while her 2018 solo works pioneered narrative approaches to reentry and empowerment group methodologies. Collectively, her research bridges archival analysis with community-based interventions centered on identity reconstruction and systemic change.

Dr. Allen teaches advanced courses including Social Welfare Policy, Human Rights and Mass Incarceration, Trauma and Its Impact, and specialized reentry curricula. Her service includes membership on UDC's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee (2024-present) and Unlock the Box advocacy organization, alongside frequent invited presentations on trauma neurobiology for UDC's Law School Immigration Clinic.