Institute for Justice Research & Development

The Institute for Justice Research and Development’s team of experts is housed in the College of Social Work at Florida State University and is led by Dr. Carrie Pettus-Davis, one of the nation’s leading experts in behavioral health and criminal justice.

IJRD is a team of passionate innovators and social scientists. Through creativity and research, we are re-envisioning a country with a dramatically reduced need for the criminal justice system. Whether you find us in prison, on the Senate floor, or researching in the community, you will find us confronting challenges and offering data-driven solutions to make a difference in the lives of others. We are the translators who convert research into actionable toolkits. We stand against quick fixes and empty promises that do not result in enduring change. We are the thought leaders that bring together the greatest minds across the sciences to build equitable solutions that elevate the capacity of individuals and communities to thrive.

IJRD DRIVES CHANGE BY:

• Researching ways to achieve equity across the criminal justice system from an individual’s first contact with law enforcement to their release from incarceration.

• Collaborating with national networks of criminal justice professionals including law enforcement, corrections, prosecutors, community providers, and justice-system impacted individuals.

• Rapidly disseminating research findings to policymakers, criminal justice stakeholders, and the public to ensure that our data-driven solutions change policy and practice in real-time.

• Creating and delivering state-of-the-art and scalable service and treatment models in criminal justice and community-based settings.

• Training current and future professionals.