Alissa Pollitz Worden

Alissa Pollitz Worden is a political scientist who studies the decision making processes of criminal justice actors, agencies and networks, as well as the consequences of those decisions. She has investigated police departments' and prosecutors' policies and practices in family violence matters, implementation of mandatory arrest laws in those cases, and public opinion about how society would best respond to this form of offending. She served for ten years as a senior researcher for CrimeSolutions, an NIJ-sponsored evaluation project, for matters involving criminal victimization. Dr. Worden is also engaged in the study of due process protections, with a particular focus on the 6th amendment right to counsel. Following administrative and legislative changes in New York’s pretrial court practices, Dr. Worden is investigating the implementation, at the state and local level, of mandates to ensure the right to counsel at first appearance in court, changes to judges’ discretion in bail and bond decisions, reform of discovery rules and adjustment of arrest practices in misdemeanor and lesser felony arrests.    

Dr. Worden’s research is grounded in collaboration with students, alumni and practitioners, and it largely relies upon field studies and multi-site investigations. Dr. Worden's research has appeared in both criminology/criminal justice outlets as well as justice and policy journals, including Law & Society Review, Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Law and Policy, Criminal Justice Policy review, Justice System Journal and Judicature. Her work has been funded by the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, multiple New York state Agencies, and Arnold Ventures. She places a high priority on working closely with practitioners – public defenders, prosecutors, law enforcement professionals – to inform her questions and interpretations of findings.