Keisha April

Dr. April’s research, situated at the intersection of psychology and criminal justice, examines factors that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. Specifically, her work seeks to promote a greater understanding of the relationships between communities of color and the police. Using mixed methods approaches, Dr. April examines the attitudes and beliefs of the individuals who interact with and work within the justice system to inform policies and practices to reduce disparities and promote more positive outcomes for justice-involved youth. She utilizes her interdisciplinary training as an applied researcher, clinician, and legal practitioner to devise ecologically sound and community-driven research questions.

Publications:

• The impact of race on predictors of parents’ advice to children regarding Miranda waivers. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/law0000418

• Conceptualizing juvenile justice reform: Integrating the public health, social ecological, and restorative justice models. Children and Youth Services Review, 148, 106887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106887

• A treatment-to-prison-pipeline? Scoping review and multimethod examination of legal consequences of residential treatment among adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 52(3), 376-395. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2023.2178003

Media Appearances/Speaking Engagements:

• New York County Psychiatric Society’s Dismantling Racism series

• Spark Centre for Social Research Innovation at McMaster University (Ontario, CA)

Previous Organizations: 

• New York University

• Yale School of Medicine

• Drexel University

Accomplishments:

• National Institutes of Health - Loan Repayment Program Award for Health Disparities Research

• Arthur Nezu Diversity Dissertation Award - American Board of Professional Psychology

• Drexel Magazine - Forty Under 40

Upcoming Projects:

• Getting “the Talk:” Racial Differences in Messages Young People Receive from Parents about the Police

• Understanding how patterns of early life adversity relate to youth delinquency and legal system involvement.

• Dissecting the Police Talk: A scoping review of the extant literature examining how individuals are prepared for police contact.

My work seeks to examine how systems and institutions (e.g., policing) contribute to racial-ethnic disparities in justice system contact and outcomes, with a particular focus on the experiences of young people of color.