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ORS: About - Staff Bios

ORS: About

THE MISSION OF THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND STATISTICS is to apply the highest level of scientific rigor and objectivity in the study of criminal justice policies, programs and practices, and to identify activities that improve the administration of justice. This includes educating policy makers, practitioners, fellow researchers, and the public through the timely dissemination of research findings.

RESEARCH DIRECTOR

Jack Reed is the Research Director of the Office of Research and Statistics within the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice. He joined the Division in 2014 and has been the research director since March 2022. He came to the Division bringing experience in data analysis, research design, and project evaluation of specialty courts, community corrections programs, and jail-based treatment. Jack was originally tasked with analyzing the impacts of marijuana legalization on law enforcement, juveniles, public health, education, impaired driving, and diversion to other markets. He is also an adjunct professor in the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Colorado, Denver. Jack has a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada, Reno and an M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University at Albany, State University of New York. You can contact Jack at ORS Requests.

STAFF BIOS

Erin Crites joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Policy Advisor in 2023, focusing on behavioral health in criminal justice. Her role works at the intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health policy including participation on the Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal Justice System (BHDCJS) task force and Substance Abuse Trends and Response Task Force (SATRTF). Prior to joining ORS, Erin worked as an Analyst in the Judicial Department's Division of Probation Services for nearly 10 years. She has a Master's degree in Justice, Law, and Crime Policy and a Ph.D. in Criminology, Law and Society from George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia. You can contact Erin at ORS Requests.

Alyssa Dalen (they/them/theirs) joined the ORS, OVP, and ODVSOM teams as a Statistical Analyst in the summer of 2023. Also in 2023, they received a Masters of Public Health degree from the Colorado School of Public Health, with a concentration in Population Mental Health and Wellbeing. Alyssa works passionately to prevent sexual violence, support victim services across the state, and utilize data to inform and advocate for increased support and improvements in the field. In their personal life, Alyssa enjoys exploring restaurants and breweries, crafting, music, and spending time with their friends and family. You can contact Alyssa at ORS Requests.

Kaylynn Duncan joined the Office of Research and Statistics in August 2024 as a Program Assistant with 21+ years of prior state service. She transferred from the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) where she served as a Communications Technician, Communications Supervisor, Administrative Assistant, and Evidence Technician. Her years in public service have led to volunteering with different organizations including church and Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) where she has been involved in training both youth and adults to be leaders. When not at work or volunteering, Kaylynn enjoys crafting, reading, and exploring the outdoors as she is able with her husband, two children, and various pets. You can contact Kaylynn at ORS Requests.

Mindy Duong joined the Office of Research & Statistics as a Statistical Analyst in October 2023 with 10+ years of prior law enforcement analysis experience. She transferred from the Division of Youth Services (DYS) where she served as a data analyst for the Data Management & Analysis (DMA) unit for a little over three years. Prior to being a State employee, Mindy served as a crime analyst for the Lakewood Police Department, assigned to the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT), a multijurisdictional investigative unit focusing on organized crimes related to auto thefts and its associated crimes. Mindy received her BA in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in 2013, a certificate in Crime & Intelligence Analysis from CSUF Extension Program in 2014, and her MS in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Crime & Intelligence Analysis from Saint Joseph’s University in 2016. As of September 2023, Mindy is a certified law enforcement analyst (CLEA) through the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA), being one of less than 100 at the time to have this certification worldwide. Mindy actively participates in professional associations, notably the IACA, volunteering on multiple committees including the Elections Committee as its chair, the Analyst Mentoring Program as a mentor, and the Publications Committee as an editor. Mindy was formerly the training coordinator for the Colorado Crime Analysts Association (CCAA) and is the co-creator of the weekly podcast show Analyst Talk with Jason Elder, where law enforcement analysts from all over the world are interviewed about their career and interesting case studies. Mindy has taught crime analysis courses at universities, presented to professional associations domestically and internationally, and is currently teaching an analyst career preparation course through the IACA. You can contact Mindy at ORS Requests.

Kevin L. Ford joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Statistical Analyst in June 2008 bringing extensive experience in research design, data analysis, and information technology. Kevin has been involved in such ORS projects as the validation of the Colorado Actuarial Risk Assessment Scale (CARAS), reporting on the Parole Board Administrative Release Guideline Instrument (PBRGI), and the evaluation of the Youthful Offender System (YOS). Prior work includes teaching statistics, psychometrics, and research methods-related courses at the University of Texas-Tyler (1991-1998) and serving as Technical/Statistical Director in the Department of Psychology at The Colorado College in Colorado Springs (1998-2008). Kevin has a B.A. in business and an M.S. in psychology from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. in experimental (industrial/organization) psychology from the University of Mississippi. You can contact Kevin at ORS Requests.

Alexis Harper joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Criminal Justice Project Manager in 2023. Alexis Doctor of Criminology who graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2016. She has oriented her career around working with academia, government agencies, and various community initiatives and organizations to address crime and correlates of crime to improve citizen lives and community resources and outcomes. While living in Dallas she worked at the Institute for Urban Policy Research with a multitude of community partners to address citizen and community risks and needs relating to education, safety, and health. This spurred Dr. Harper’s passion to dedicate her career and focus in research to evaluating and implementing opportunities to help promote well-being, growth, and prosperity within and across communities. She has always cared deeply about contributing to every community she has called home. In 2016, Dr. Harper moved to South Texas and became an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Texas A&M International University on the border to Mexico in Laredo. She worked with minority students and local and federal law enforcement agencies to strengthen law enforcement and citizen relationships by identifying and working toward common goals within their community. In 2018, she relocated to Colorado to begin a new career and adventure in government work as a researcher and scientist supporting evidence-based criminal justice policies and practices. From 2018-2023 she worked as the Criminal Justice Planner with El Paso County, Colorado, then grew into her current role in 2023 as Criminal Justice Project Manager with the State of Colorado’s Division of Criminal Justice in the Office of Research and Statistics. She also teaches as an Adjunct Professor within the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Dr. Harper loves her work, and she also loves adventure, traveling, learning about new places and different cultures, and living and "Jeeping" in Colorado's great outdoors. You can contact Alexis at ORS Requests.

Linda Harrison has been a Senior Statistical Analyst with the Office of Research and Statistics since 2001. Linda has over 40 years of research experience in the fields of substance use, delinquency and criminal justice. She has been responsible for a variety of assignments including the development of annual adult and juvenile correctional population forecasts. Additional assignments have included the evaluation of programs such as the Youthful Offender System, Community Corrections, and the Department of Corrections: Therapeutic Community for Sex Offenders, as well as the development and validation of sex offender and parole risk assessment instrumentation. Her prior experience includes serving as a consultant and evaluator for numerous programs with the Denver Juvenile Justice Integrated Treatment Network, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, the Criminal Justice Innovation Project with the Denver Police Department, and multiple drug courts in Denver, Tennessee, and New Mexico. Previously, she served as a researcher with the Colorado Department of Health: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division. Linda received her B.A. from the University of Colorado-Boulder and an M.S. in biometrics from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. You can contact Linda at ORS Requests.

Katherine Hernandez joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Statistical Analyst in 2023. You can contact Katherine at ORS Requests.

Morgan Jacobson joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Research Analyst in August 2024. Morgan is responsible for several data collection and analysis projects including Jail Population/Capacity Data, Jail Restrictive Housing, Jail Bonding Compliance, U-Visa Reports, the Race and Ethnicity data for juveniles, and Crime/Policing statistics. In addition, she collaborates with ORS colleagues on the CLEAR Act Report and other legislatively-mandated projects. Before this role, Morgan worked in the records department at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, processing background checks for Colorado citizens and updating criminal records. Morgan received her bachelor’s in criminal justice in 2022 and her master’s in criminal justice with a concentration in crime analysis in 2024 from the University of Colorado- Denver. You can contact Morgan at ORS Requests.

Laurence Lucero joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Research Analyst in 2011 where she served as a primary staff for the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice prior to its 2023 sunset. Laurence is responsible for conducting several research projects including the Youthful Offender System evaluation and the data collection and report writing related to two legislative mandated projects (House Bill 15-1273 Law enforcement activities on school grounds, and Senate Bill 15-217 Officer-Involved Shootings). Throughout her career at the Division of Criminal Justice, Laurence participated in a variety of activities including the design and implementation of statewide data collection projects, personnel procedures, IT coordination and grant/budget management. Laurence was previously employed with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation as a crime data specialist, working with CCIC (Colorado Crime Information Center) and NCIC (National Crime Information Center) where she updated criminal and civil records with final dispositions, and processed warrant information and sex offender registrations. She also worked for the University of California (San Francisco), IBM, and the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Laurence is fluent in French, English and Spanish. She graduated from the Institut Rue Monsieur in Paris with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and graduated with an International Business degree from the Chambre de Commerce in Paris. You can contact Laurence at ORS Requests.

Michael Phillips, Ph.D. (he/him/his) joined the ORS team as a Statistical Analyst in Summer 2023, bringing experience supporting the SEC, a Fortune 500 company, and a local database management start-up. Michael is primarily tasked with producing the annual CLEAR Act report and assisting the rest of DCJ with their myriad of projects. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and his M.S. in Statistics from the University of Colorado Denver, his M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Montana, and his B.S with Honors from Grand Valley State University. When away from the office, he spends his time in distress over the adorableness of his cats, playing board games with his partner and friends, and trying not to fall off bouldering walls. You can contact Michael at ORS Requests.

Dana Reegen joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Research Analyst in September 2024. In collaboration with law enforcement agencies statewide, Dana is responsible for collecting and analyzing data surrounding law enforcement contacts and use of force. Dana received her BA in Psychology and Criminology from the University of Denver in 2018 and her Dual Masters’ in Criminal Justice and Public Administration, with a concentration in Crime Analysis, from the University of Colorado-Denver in 2022. Her passion lies within the intersection of her two fields as she strives to further research and data collection in the field of criminal justice and utilize it to help inform and effectuate sustainable policy and legislative reform. You can contact Dana at ORS Requests.

Rita Rochelle joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Statistical Analyst in 2023 where she maintains a legislative mandate to evaluate impaired driving trends on an annual basis. This involves linking DUI citations with drug and alcohol testing to capture outcomes associated with substance affected drivers. Rita also participates on the Colorado Task Force on Drunk and Impaired Driving. Previously Rita was a research analyst for Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization, and holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. You can contact Rita at ORS Requests.

Allison Rosenthal joined the Office of Research and Statistics as a Statistical Analyst in 2019. Allison is responsible for monitoring the public health and safety impacts of marijuana, including impaired driving. She specializes in substance use epidemiology and evaluation, and previously worked in drug overdose prevention and as a SAMHSA/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College and her master’s in public health from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a member of Delta Omega honor society. She currently sits on the Colorado Task Force on Drunk and Impaired Driving and has previously served on the Colorado Public Health Association board and as a co-chair of the State Epidemiology Outcomes Workgroup. You can contact Allison at ORS Requests.