| Department: | Psychology |
| Insitution: | Drexel University |
| Philadelphia, PA |
Dr. Goldstein’s Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab seeks to improve juvenile justice policy and practice to produce better outcomes for youth and communities. For nearly 20 years, this interdisciplinary lab has worked to promote best practices in the juvenile justice system by more closely aligning juvenile justice policies and procedures with adolescents’ developmental capacities.
To accomplish this goal, the lab develops, implements, and evaluates juvenile justice programming that is informed by research findings on adolescent development and best practices. The lab also drafts legal briefs and policy recommendations to stimulate scientifically based legislative reform to protect the rights and well-being of youth involved with the justice system while also enhancing community safety.
All of the lab’s work is conducted in collaboration with community partners-with courts and probation departments, police departments, school districts, human services agencies, treatment providers, offices of the district attorney and public defender, state agencies, and legal advocacy organizations. The reach of the lab’s work spans from local to global, with ongoing research and reform work performed at local, state, national, and international levels.