Jill Viglione, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Jill Viglione is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on the implementation of evidence-based practices, individual and organizational responses to policy reform, and decision making within correctional agencies. She conducts policy-relevant evaluations of correctional programs and policies. She has studied the implementation of a variety of programs/policies, including risk and needs assessments, correctional curriculums, and motivational interviewing. Dr. Viglione is currently a co-PI on a National Institutes of Health funded study to examine the Stepping Up initiative, which aims to reduce the number of individuals with mental illnesses in jail through improved connection to treatment in the community. In 2019, she was named the American Society of Criminology’s, Division on Corrections and Sentencing Distinguished New Scholar.
Lucas Alward, M.A.
Project Manager
Lucas Alward is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. Luke’s dissertation focuses on examining the relationship between probation officers and the probationers they supervise by examining how three concepts – procedural justice, legitimacy, and the therapeutic alliance impact probationer rule compliance. His primary research interests include procedural justice and legitimacy, reentry and desistance, and the implementation of effective correctional interventions. Luke previously worked on grant-funded research exploring the implementation of correctional curriculums in adult probation settings. His recent research has appeared in Criminal Justice and Behavior, Criminal Justice Studies, and Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research.
Ashley Lockwood, M.A.
Research Assistant
Ashley Lockwood is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. She holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice and recently completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Her clinical experiences include several years of employment at a community mental health/crisis center and she has provided psychotherapy to both adolescents and adults. Ashley’s primary research interests examine the intersections of the criminal justice system, mental health, and disadvantaged groups. Her previous projects examined attitudes toward mental health held by law enforcement officers in the Midwest, perceptions of mental health and trauma in a sample of juvenile correctional staff, and a study examining perceptions of crime and stigma held by law enforcement, mental health professionals, and community corrections staff in rural locations.
Sara Bryson, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Sara L. Bryson received her Ph.D. from the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida in May 2020. Her research focuses on the juvenile justice system, juvenile delinquency, bullying, and race/ethnicity. Her most recent research has been accepted for publication in Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and School Psychology Review. Sara has served as a research assistant on two grants funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), including program evaluation and a focus on school safety and mental health.