Rebecca Balletto is the research director for the Pinkerton Fellowship Initiative at the Research and Evaluation Center. Her previous projects with the Center included a study of a program that promoted cognitive and behavioral change in adolescents detained in New York City. Her study of harm reduction and outreach practices for injection drug users won the Claude Hawley Award for best masters thesis in the graduate program of John Jay College. Rebecca is a graduate of the University of Liverpool (UK) and she holds a masters in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.

Jeffrey A. Butts is the director of the Research and Evaluation Center. His work focuses on policies and programs for youth involved with the justice system. He has 30 years of experience in research, program evaluation, policy analysis, and direct services. Previously, he was a research fellow with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, director of the Program on Youth Justice at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, and senior research associate at the National Center for Juvenile Justice. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and earned the Ph.D. in sociology and social work from the University of Michigan. More information.

Douglas Evans is a research analyst with the Research and Evaluation Center overseeing research on juvenile justice initiatives, including policies that divert management and resources from state institutions to community-based programs. Previously, he was an assistant professor of criminal justice at Sullivan Community College. He is a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University-Bloomington, currently working on his dissertation, which is an exploration of sex offender laws and the impact of registration on offenders. The research is being supported by a grant from the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers.

Desheen Evans is a research assistant in the Research and Evaluation Center and a graduate student in criminal justice policy and administration at John Jay College. She has extensive experience in the field of social services, mainly working with at-risk and disconnected youth. She recently participated in a study abroad program in collaboration with the departments of sociology at John Jay College and the University of Genova in Italy where she studied developments in cultural criminology. Desheen is a graduate of Mercy College (psychology) and she holds a masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University with a concentration in community organizing.

Rhoda Ramdeen is the managing research assistant at the Research and Evaluation Center. Prior to joining the Center staff in 2010, she was an assistant to the director of the Business and Finance Department at John Jay College. Before that, she held positions with the Nassau County (NY) Court, the New York State Assembly, and New York City’s Investigation, Revenue & Enforcement Administration. Ms. Ramdeen holds a BA in forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she is currently pursuing a masters degree in public administration.

Kathleen Tomberg is a research analyst and the IRB Manager (Institutional Review Board) for the Research and Evaluation Center. She has worked on an evaluation of a therapeutic program for incarcerated adolescents, the creation of a youth reentry directory, and the study of sexual abuse of minors within the Catholic Church. Her interests include therapeutic work with juvenile victims and offenders, as well as counseling the severely mentally ill. Ms. Tomberg is a graduate of Furman University and she earned the masters in forensic mental health counseling from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.