Bringing together criminal careers research and sentencing research
Prior criminal history is a primary determinant of the case outcome and the sentence that has multiple dimensions. My research takes stock from research on criminal careers, and examines how the nature of criminal records–recency, frequency, type, etc.–help shape the sentence.
A study on the pattern and measurement of criminal specialization, with Jessica Rosenthal (ASU) and Cheyenne Weaver (ASU)
The patterns and sources of extralegal disparities in the sentence
Despite recent reforms and efforts, extralegal disparities in case outcomes, including but not limited to racial and sex disparities, remain extant. My research investigates the potential sources of the disparities with a dynamic focus on previously less-studied factors: judges’ beliefs, the role of sentencing guidelines, and others.
Explaining guilty plea decisions
The overwhelming majority of criminal cases end up as guilty pleas, which makes our criminal justice system today “a system of pleas.” My research investigates the conditions and driving factors behind plea bargaining decisions, with a focus on how the prospect of outcomes both inside and outside of the courtroom fosters defendants’ willingness to accept plea offers.
A study testing a rational-choice plea decision framework, with Theodore Wilson (Albany), Matthew Kijowski (Albany), and Jacob Forston (ASU)
A study testing sentence recommendations and truthful and wrongful guilty pleas, with Miko Wilford (Iowa State) and Patricia Ferreira (Iowa State).
The measurement of risk inside and outside of the criminal justice system
Since its inception, the criminal justice system revolves around the idea of personal risk, which is meanwhile notoriously difficult to measure. My research explores effective ways to represent the heterogeneous levels of risk among individuals with modern mixture modeling techniques, and inquires into the social risk factors from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Shi Yan 