Have you ever wondered who shapes the future of juvenile justice? Dr. Sally-Ann Ashton, a visionary research scientist at the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center (TJCPC) at Prairie View A&M University, is making significant strides in understanding the complex intersections of juvenile delinquency, crime, policing and community.
From probing studies on the intersections of race, culture and law enforcement to forging transformative community partnerships, Dr. Ashton’s work plays a vital role in the Center's mission to reduce juvenile delinquency and crime in Texas—and beyond—through education, research and service.
“Officers are in a unique position to intervene early or to refer young people who are victims of family violence or exhibiting early offending behaviors to trauma-informed interventions,” said Dr. Ashton. “By working with law enforcement partners, we can inform and support agencies to implement community-focused policing.”
Community engagement shapes Dr. Ashton’s approach to countering juvenile delinquency and crime.
"Writing programs and evaluating their impact is an essential part of this whole-systems approach to tackling community violence. We recently looked at crime data for a community and found that the biggest problem was domestic violence callouts," said Dr. Ashton.
It is essential, therefore, to offer programming and support for the family unit if this is to be successful.
Dr. Sally-Ann Ashton, Senior Research Scientist, Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center
She adopts a trauma-informed approach when working with young people and their families, understanding that a crisis impacting one member affects the entire family. Dr. Ashton also carefully considers the individual within the context of their broader social group.
Dr. Ashton’s research focuses on uncovering the complex reasons behind juvenile involvement in crime and identifying common risk factors. By pinpointing these risks, she aims to develop protective measures and effective trauma-informed programs to address and mitigate them.
“One of the most critical findings is the influence of criminal adults on vulnerable young people,” she said. “The process is the same as that of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This can involve coercion, gifting of items interspersed with violence and conditioning of young people to commit violent income-generating crimes.”
Established in 1997, the TJCPC is housed within the College of Juvenile Justice at PVAMU. Its goal is to understand human behavior and develop practical programs, policies and strategies to address juvenile delinquency, crime and related social issues.
Dr. Kareem Jordan, the Center’s executive director and Dean of the college, indicates that people often have a narrow view of the causes or impact of crime and delinquency.
"Crime and delinquency are extremely complex, impacting families, education, social services, law enforcement, and much more," he said. "Therefore, to reduce crime, we must go beyond the one individual; we must focus on the family, the community, healthy intervention from schools, law enforcement, community groups, etc."
It truly does take a village to raise a child. The ‘village’ can either help to prevent crime and delinquency or be impacted by the result of crime and delinquency.
Dr. Kareem L. Jordan, Dean and Executive Director, Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center
Dr. Ashton’s latest research includes exploring the relationship between military status, psycho-social factors and the use of discretion among 109 officers at a single Texas agency. Her study examined how veteran status, personality and adverse childhood experiences influence policing styles.
“The study has implications for the allocation of policing roles and the support of officer mental wellbeing,” said Dr. Ashton.
Additionally, she is involved in reframing policing for African American communities. The Center, in collaboration with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, is in the early stages of a community policing partnership. This initiative takes a whole-systems approach involving academic researchers, law enforcement and a predominantly African American community.
The project has three stages: analyzing crime patterns and community attitudes, designing a program to enhance safety and police-community relations and evaluating the program.
In May 2024, the TJCPC broadened its impact by establishing its latest site at the MLK, Jr. Community Center in Dallas County through the efforts of Attorney Grady Paris, TJCPC Associate Director. Dr. Ashton, originally from the United Kingdom, spearheads the initiatives in this South Dallas community, bringing a valuable international perspective to the efforts to enhance the juvenile justice system. This project is supported by Natasha Bayaro, a licensed social worker who is working directly with the communities.
In addition to the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Dallas County, other off-site locations include the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Smith County and the PVAMU Haverstock Venture Project in Houston.
Dr. Ashton states that her research is international and can be extremely useful in terms of understanding global responses to share problems worldwide.
“This enables me to think about the most appropriate responses to juvenile crime and violent victimization in Texas by drawing on research and practice overseas,” she said.
TJCPC’s future extends far beyond Prairie View, ensuring that the Center remains at the forefront of juvenile justice reform, driving positive change not only within Texas but also serving as a model for communities nationwide.
Through its dedication to rigorous research, development of innovative programs and unwavering commitment to community engagement, the Center embodies the spirit of "Excellence Lives Here."
This story is a part of the Excellence Lives Here series led by the Office for Marketing and Communications at Prairie View A&M University.
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