Dr. Taylor Reed-Jones is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research and teaching examine how structural racism and trauma are embedded in the collateral consequences of incarceration for Black young adults. Grounded in a life course perspective, her work explores the intersections of inequality, reentry, and violence, with a focus on how policies and structural conditions shape life trajectories. She employs both critical quantitative and qualitative methodologies to investigate reentry challenges, the structural mechanisms driving high recidivism rates, and the role of social policy in perpetuating or alleviating racial disparities. Her current projects include evaluating Fair Chance Housing ordinances, examining the structural roots of community gun violence and efforts to end the violence, and identifying strategies to prevent legal system involvement among Black young people. Across all of her work, Dr. Reed-Jones seeks to inform race-conscious policies and interventions that promote equity, create supportive environments, and disrupt cycles of disadvantage.
Education
PhD - University of California, Los Angeles, 2025 - Social Welfare
MSW - University of California, Los Angeles, 2022 - Social Welfare
BA - New York University, 2018 - Global Public Health/Sociology
Areas of expertise
Juvenile and Criminal Legal Systems
Structural Racism
Community Violence
Reentry
Housing Policy
Collateral Consequences
Areas of interest for mentoring PhD students
Incarceration
Life course perspective
Trauma
Community Violence
Structural racism