A introduction letter from CRJ co-directors Carlos Cuevas and Natasha Frost
Welcome to the Center on Crime, Race, and Justice (CRJ). The CRJ began with the goal of bringing together the various research and mentoring endeavors within the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
The mission of the CRJ is to produce research and scholarship that inform efforts to understand how diverse communities are differentially impacted by crime and violence. In addition, the CRJ works to address the impact of inequities within the criminal justice system, and develop reforms to the justice system that improve community safety and security.
The five labs within CRJ conduct research on a wide range of topics centrally connected to questions on how to make the criminal justice system more equitable and just. The CRJ is currently comprised of five research labs: the Corrections and Reentry Lab (CRL), the Crime Prevention Lab (CPL) the Northeastern University Public Evaluation Lab (NU-PEL), Race and Justice Lab (RJL), and the Violence and Justice Research (VJRL). Through their work the labs explore ways to make race and diversity a central focus in understanding the experience of crime, responses to crime, and the functioning of the various agencies within the criminal justice system.
The CRJ and its labs are guided by three key principles that transcend the work of all CRJ’s initiatives, creating a dynamic and community-oriented research center. The first is the promotion of transdisciplinary research and engaged local partnerships.
The second is the connection and engagement with the Community Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB is comprised of prestigious local community practitioners who have expertise in various areas of community practice, including criminal justice, education, workforce development, advocacy and youth development. The CAB meets monthly with members of CRJ’s research teams, providing advisory input on creating a research agenda that is relevant and useful to local communities.
The third guiding principle is the cultivation of multigenerational research experiences for students across Northeastern. Central to the work of the labs is the mentoring model of students which aims to promote research careers among students of all levels and help develop future scholars of the field.
As the CRJ continues to grow and develop, we look forward to collaborative work that advances the central principle of creating a more equitable criminal justice system through research, mentoring, and community engagement.
Sincerely,
Carlos Cuevas, PhD
Co-Director of the Center on Crime, Race, and Justice
Co-Director of the Violence and Justice Research Lab
Natasha Frost, PhD
Co-Director of the Center on Crime, Race, and Justice
Director of Corrections and Reentry Lab
