ASU Doctoral Student's Research Examines Juvenile Justice System

Over the last few years, Arizona State University doctoral student Angela Harvey has focused her efforts on advocating for court-involved youth in the state's juvenile justice system. Harvey, who received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Ohio State University and her master's in social work from ASU, decided to pursue a doctoral degree in Justice Studies after working as a therapist and administrator for youth in the juvenile justice system.

"My experience in the therapeutic and administrative realms of the juvenile justice system led me to further my education," says Harvey. "As a social worker, my role is to advocate for social change and equality, not only at the clinical level, but also at the policy level. I was attracted to the interdisciplinary program in Justice and Social
Inquiry at ASU because of the ability to construct a program that combined both my social work and juvenile justice interests.”

Harvey who previously contracted and monitored treatment services statewide for juvenile offenders at the Arizona Supreme Court, is now focusing her dissertation research on how court actors understand and construct youths' competency to stand trial in Arizona juvenile courts, and the impact this early decision has on case processing.

"I use observations, interviews, and statistical models to understand how 'competency to stand trial' decisions are made and the consequences of this decision in juvenile court," she says. "This research will further understanding about the under-studied juvenile court process. In fact, this is the first study to examine the judicial decision of competency to stand trial in juvenile court."

Recently, she was awarded a fellowship from the Graduate College for her scholarly promise and outstanding dissertation research. Harvey also received a dissertation research improvement grant from the National Science Foundation, Law and Social Sciences program to support the direct costs of her research.

Harvey is in the final year of her dissertation research, and she says that these fellowships will make the completion process a bit more manageable. "These awards will allow me to focus all my time and energy on conducting my research and writing my dissertation, so that I can graduate in May," Harvey says.

In addition to her dissertation research, Harvey has a sole-authored paper that examines the influence of mental health issues and substance use on arrest charges for pretrial inmates that was recently awarded the 2006 Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Crime and Juvenile Delinquency Division graduate student paper award. She is also co-author of two forthcoming publications that examine sentencing decisions in juvenile and adult courts.

Harvey sees all of these experiences as steps leading her on a path toward the professoriate. "Eventually, I hope to attain a faculty position at a major research institution where I can fulfill my passion of researching and teaching others to facilitate an increased understanding of the juvenile justice system," she says.


Upper photo: Doctoral student Angela Harvey is researching how court actors understand and construct youths' competency to stand trial in Arizona juvenile courts, and the impact this early decision has on case processing.

Lower photo: Harvey contracted and monitored treatment services statewide for juvenile offenders at the Arizona Supreme Court before deciding to pursue her doctorate degree in justice and social inquiry at ASU.