Vera Institute of Justice

Lionel is a research associate with Vera’s Center on Sentencing and Corrections. Prior to joining Vera in 2016, he held a variety of social science research roles, including serving as a research assistant at the Center for Drug and Health Studies at the University of Delaware. In this role he provided analytical and reporting assistance on a longitudinal study that assessed patterns of criminal involvement across the life course among a cohort of formerly incarcerated individuals. Lionel is especially interested in how one’s experiences within the criminal justice system may affect the process of criminal desistance.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Lionel received his BA in urban services administration from Cleveland State University, MA in social sciences from the University of California, Irvine, and PhD in criminology from the University of Delaware.