Mentor Areas
- Criminal and juvenile justice
- Child Welfare
- Social Work and Social Policy
- Critical Criminology
- Mixed, Qualitative, and Community-engaged research methods (including YouthParticipatory Action Research)
Description:
Our team is conducting mixed methods research examining the impact of holistic public defense teams on young adults' (18-25 year olds) legal and psycho-social outcomes during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. We are looking for an Undergraduate Research Assistant to join our team (Fall 2024-Spring 2025)!
Background
The Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services (public defense agency) has piloted a holistic public defense team program specifically designed for young adults (ages 18-25) with involvement in multiple systems such as the criminal legal and child welfare systems, pairing juvenile public defenders with adult public defenders and social workers to offer comprehensive defense and advocacy services that are sensitive and responsive to the complex needs of this population.
Current Project
The current project draws on multiple modes of qualitative research including content analysis, interviews, and case studies, to 1) comprehensively map the systems impacting multisystem young adults in Massachusetts; 2) examine the role of public defender teams in holistically supporting multisystem young adults; and 3) assess the short-term legal and psycho-social outcomes of young adults represented by public defense teams with expertise in multisystem cases.
Project activities include analyzing participant observations, conducting interviews with public defense team stakeholders, completing literature reviews, participating in a scoping review, and conducting qualitative and quantitative analyses.
We would love for an undergraduate student to join our team for the 2024-2025academic year! Please contact Dr. Noor Toraif at the School of Social Policy and Practice to express interest (ntoraif@upenn.edu).
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience with conducting literature reviews is preferred
- Prior experience with conducting qualitative interviews preferred
- Prior experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods preferred
Details:
Preferred Student Year
Junior, Senior, Second-Year
Academic Term
Fall
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.