The Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice administered by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York is undertaking a three-year study, funded by the Laura John Arnold Foundation to examine police enforcement of low-level criminal offenses. Six universities have been selected as partners in the research effort. They are historically Black North Carolina Central University, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Toledo, Seattle University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
The university partners will be conducting research in their local communities on arrests and resolutions of criminal charges on offenses such as shoplifting, fraud, petty theft, forgery, and drug possession. The research will examine the degree to which law enforcement trends impact perception of public safety, law enforcement budget, and community/police relations.
Lorraine Taylor, executive director of the Juvenile Justice Institute at North Carolina Central University, said that “for Durham to be selected as one of six sites from around the country for this research network is quite an honor. This opportunity highlights our strong community partnerships and underscores the high quality research that is now underway in the behavioral and social sciences here.”
Dr. Taylor is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Virginia.
