Kenya Brumfield Young

About

I am an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the School of Social Work at Saint Louis University. My teaching and research focus on wrongful convictions, juvenile justice, ethics in the criminal justice system, and disparities in criminal justice decision-making.

I am also the founder of Saint Louis University’s Wrongful Conviction Review Course and Internship. Through that work, I teach students how to approach innocence review carefully and systematically, including case review, records analysis, investigation, research, and professional reporting. I am especially interested in helping students understand how the concepts they learn in the classroom connect to actual criminal justice practice.

My research interests include wrongful convictions, juvenile offending and delinquency, criminal justice ethics, and the behavioral and psychosocial factors associated with justice-system involvement. Much of my work is centered on understanding how systems make decisions, where disparities may occur, and how research can be used to improve practice.

I hold a Ph.D., a Master of Legal Studies, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, and bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice. I am also actively involved in university and professional service related to social justice, belonging, student development, and criminal justice education.