Community Engagement
The intersection between scholarship and community.
Bridging the gap between research, practice, and public discourse.
Drawing from both lived experience and scholarly expertise, I engage with courts, communities, and the broader public to inform policy, challenge misconceptions, and foster more nuanced understandings of gangs, violence, and the justice system.
Public Speaking
I deliver keynote addresses and invited talks that combine personal narrative with empirical research. These talks aim to dispel myths about gang life, illuminate the structural factors that shape it, and encourage evidence-based approaches to violence prevention and justice reform.
Keynote address. 2024. (November)
Expert Witness Work
I serve as an expert witness in gang-related criminal cases, offering insight into how individuals are labeled as gang members and the consequences of that designation. I regularly testify on topics such as the misuse of gang stereotypes, the limitations of common gang indicators (like clothing, tattoos, or social media use), and how gang disengagement reduces criminal activity and recidivism.
Op-eds and Public Writing
To reach audiences beyond academia, I write op-eds that translate research into timely public commentary.
“Why Deportation by Race, Ethnicity, or National Origin Never Works” (Newsweek, 2025, with James A. Densley)
“States That Impose Severe Prison Sentences Accomplish the Opposite of What They Say They Want” (The Conversation, 2025)
Across courtrooms, classrooms, and communities, my goal is to make research actionable and to bring lived experience into spaces where it is too often missing.