Meet The Team

Stephanie Kennedy leads research and policy initiatives at the Council on Criminal Justice, where she works to improve public safety and advance evidence-based reforms. She has contributed to several of the Council’s major initiatives, including the Women’s Justice Commission,  the Veterans Justice Commission, the Pushing Toward Parity project, the Task Force on Long Sentences, and the Crime Trends Working Group. Kennedy’s work focuses on translating complex data into accessible, actionable insights that support the Council’s task forces, working groups, and commissions as they develop policy recommendations. She plays a central role in making research usable for decision-makers, members of the media, and the public.

Before joining CCJ, Kennedy served as director of research dissemination at the Institute for Justice Research and Development at Florida State University (FSU), where she led efforts to translate research findings into accessible materials for policymakers, researchers, and justice system stakeholders. Her work supported large-scale, multi-site studies focused on behavioral health, reentry, and system-involved populations, including individuals returning from incarceration, correctional officers, and law enforcement personnel. Kennedy previously served on the faculty at the University of Connecticut, and her research across both institutions has resulted in more than two dozen peer-reviewed publications examining the connections between early life adversity, mental health, substance use, and justice system involvement. Her work also addresses stigma, reentry, and disparities in system outcomes. Kennedy is the recipient of several awards for research and teaching, including Instructor of the Year from FSU’s College of Social Work.

Kennedy holds a Ph.D. and Master of Social Work from FSU. Her dissertation explored how exposure to multiple forms of childhood victimization increased risk for subsequent intimate partner violence victimization, mental health and substance use disorders, and other adverse outcomes for incarcerated women.