CURRENT RESEARCH

As an interdisciplinary scholar, my research intersects cultural studies, sociology, data analysis, and social impact. I explore the connections between legal systems and society through advanced data methodologies to create better policies and more informed decision-making. My methods include extensive historical data analysis, legal and social mapping, and community-rooted research.

One of the critical challenges I address is data fragmentation in U.S. governing systems, where uniform data related to the legal system is often lacking, leading to limited transparency in legal funding structures. My research seeks to overcome these issues and advocate for more just policies and systems by opening up lines of inquiry to drive positive system change.

Home to Texas (h2TX) - Citizen Science Research on Judicial Decision-Making:

  • This project explores judicial decision-making across Texas through a citizen science research approach with nearly 70 students.

  • Key Highlights: An innovative mixed-methods project that engages students in the research process through qualitative interviews with community members and judges throughout the state.

Current PROJECTS

H2TX Students 2023

Mapping Historic Fines and Fees - Uncovering Changing Legal Landscape:

  • This project traces the evolution of fines and fees across the U.S., expanding on the Harvard Criminal Justice Data Initiative dataset, and illuminating funding patterns over time. The goal is to be a resource for researchers and policymakers to create better funding infrastructure.

  • Key Highlights: A first-of-its-kind comprehensive dataset tracing fines, fees, and other monetary sanctions historically at the state level across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The Forgotten Genealogy -FROM THE Poorhouse/WORKHOUSE to Mass Incarceration:

  • This project analyzes the lasting cultural, social, and legal impacts of the Elizabethan Poor Laws and the influence of the poorhouse/workhouse on modern carceral processes and institutions.

  • With student researchers, we are amassing the largest mapping of the movement of poorhouses and workhouses to their modern institutions.

  • Key Highlights: An unveiling of the stories from a forgotten era of U.S. history, presenting the historical legal structures that still reverberate in present-day social systems, drawing connections between the past and current issues.

MULTINATIONAL CAPITAL and Carceral Industries - A Global Mapping:

  • This project employs legal and social mapping to trace adjacent global capital industries that benefit from various sectors, including prison commissaries and red light cameras.

  • Key Highlights: Creates a better understanding of global financial connections, revealing complex networks and incentivization for expansion.