Bridging the Research and Policy Gap in Criminal Justice

Published Date February 04, 2026
News Type College News

Assistant Professor Victor St. John, second from left, participates with, from left, PhD candidate Brandon Frye and Professors Jill Clark and Stephanie Moulton in a workshop to find ways to accelerate research that delivers impact to the public. The event, held last fall, was co-hosted by the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance.

By Joan Slattery Wall

At a basic level, said Assistant Professor Victor St. John, his motivation for a career in criminal justice comes from his faith.

“I believe people in need should be treated well, with empathy and care, as human beings,” said St. John, who worked in corrections prior to joining academia. “When it comes to the criminal justice system, I am passionate about efforts to improve it because, at its best, the system can bring victims a sense of closure; and at its worst, it can harm its own citizenry. 

"I’ve seen that happen firsthand, and those experiences are where my passion comes from,” he said.

His experiences have shown him the gap that exists between research and policy — how long it takes to generate research and to what extent decision makers consider the total evidence base that exists.

Leading Change Through Research and Education

Assistant Professor Victor St. John

Early in his career, St. John held roles that enable him to bridge research and practice. He served as director of research and analysis for the New York City Board of Correction, supervised youth detention and placement facilities under the NYC Close to Home initiative, and delivered cognitive‑based interventions with incarcerated youth at the New York City jail complex on Rikers Island as part of the nation’s first social impact bond.

One evening when he was supervising youth detention facilities in New York, an incident led to the physical restraint of a youth. While certain crises in carceral settings require that action, it ended up prompting his move to academia.

“That evening I found myself thinking that having to physically restrain youth and young adults from my community as a part of my week-to-week is probably not the long-term path for me, and I would like to be a part of change in a different way,” he said, adding that a professor encouraged him to take the academic route.

That sweet spot of research, public policy and public administration influences how I teach, mentor, conduct research and look to have a meaningful public impact.

Assistant Professor Victor St. John
John Glenn College of Public Affairs

St. John’s research examines the structural and systemic factors that shape outcomes within criminal justice contexts and intersecting areas of public policy and administration.

Collaborating with colleagues, his research spans the country. Studies include:
•    improving the psychological health and wellbeing of law enforcement officers across the U.S.; 
•    law enforcement coordinated responses to overdoses; 
•    the expungement process for formerly incarcerated individuals; 
•    interventions for strengthening family bonds post-incarceration; 
•    improving civic engagement among justice-impacted individuals;
•    fatalities and disease profiles in carceral settings; and 
•    the link between county budget decisions and incarceration trends.

Guiding Students in Critical Reflection

In the classroom, St. John encourages Glenn College undergraduate and graduate students to connect theory, research, policy and lived experiences in ways that deepen understanding and sharpen critical thinking. 

He teaches courses related to data analysis, statistics and public policy analysis.

My approach to teaching is grounded in creating an atmosphere where students feel empowered to share a range of perspectives. 

Assistant Professor Victor St. John
John Glenn College of Public Affairs

“I work to anticipate and respond to student needs so that learning remains dynamic and student‑centered,” said St. John. “At the same time, I emphasize experiential engagement, weaving in tangible lessons and applied opportunities that help students translate ideas into practice.”

How Policy Changes Can Improve Community Policing

Glenn College faculty members, including Assistant Professor Victor St. John, share their expertise and research on community policing.

In addition to his research and teaching at Ohio State, St. John serves as a research scientist at Child Trends, a nonprofit organization committed to designing, conducting, interpreting and communicating data and research on children, youth and families’ well-being. He supports a project evaluating youth mentoring and credible messenger programming, which provides support to youth in the criminal legal system with mentors who have had similar experiences.

“The purpose of that research is to understand and strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations to mentor at-risk youth within their communities,” said St. John, who is an affiliated faculty member at Ohio State’s Criminal Justice Research Center and Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.

Learn more about Victor St. John.