The Berryessa Lab focuses on qualitative and quantitative research that considers how psychological processes, perceptions, attitudes, and social contexts affect the criminal justice system. If you are interested in learning more about our lab, please email colleen.berryessa@rutgers.edu.
PH.D. STUDENTS
Madison Baczuk
Madison Baczuk began as a Ph.D. student at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Fall 2024. She received B.A. degrees in criminology and criminal justice, communication, and philosophy from the University of Northern Colorado.
Madison's research interests include neurocriminology, biopsychosocial criminology, morality and ethics, international justice systems, corrections, and prison culture, adverse childhood experiences, and child welfare systems.
Isabella Polito
Isabella Polito started as a Ph.D. student at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Fall 2023. She received a B.A. in Criminology, Law, & Society and a B.A. in Psychological Science from the University of California, Irvine.
Isabella’s research interests include how the justice system responds to offending and juvenile delinquency–and how these responses sustain racial and economic inequalities as well as impact intergenerational opportunities and mobility. She particularly focuses on psychological factors involved in decisions that contribute to inequities in the legal system.
Highlighted Work
I. Polito and C.M. Berryessa. (Forthcoming). The Neurobiological and Psychological Nature of ‘Adultification’: Implications for Legal Decision-Making in Cases Involving Adolescents. In H.C. Chan & E. Svingen (Eds.), Youth Deviance, Crime, and Justice: The Neuro-Psycho-Criminological Perspective. West Sussex, UK: Wiley. Link
Emily Greberman
Emily Greberman started as a Ph.D. student at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Fall 2022. She received a B.S. from Drexel University in Criminology & Justice Studies and Psychology, and a M.S. in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Emily’s research interests include corrections and carceral relationships, comparative justice, the use of social media by criminal justice institutions, and public health/drug policy.
Highlighted Work
E. Greberman and C.M. Berryessa. (Forthcoming). Drug Policy, Drug War, and Disparate Sentencing. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Link
E. Greberman, E. Kerrison, A. Chalfin, and J.M. Hyatt. (2024). Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy in US Prisons: Perspectives from a Statewide Survey of Incarcerated People. Vaccines, 12(6), 600. Link
Carolina Caliman
Carolina R. Caliman started as a Ph.D. student and Research Assistant at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in the Fall 2021. She received her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil, and she is fluent in Portuguese (native speaker).
Carolina’s research interests focus on courts and sentencing, particularly investigating the perceptions and decision-making processes of courtroom actors. Her research also examines the intersection of law and psychology within different stages of the legal process, especially involving mental health and individuals with substance addiction, and its impacts on sentencing and public opinion.
Highlighted Work
C.R. Caliman and C.M. Berryessa. (Forthcoming). Legal Decision-makers in Criminal Cases involving Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Research and a Call for Action. In B. Bornstein and M.K. Miller, Advances in Psychology and Law (Vol. 7). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. Link
Sandy Xie
Sandy Xie started as a Ph.D. student in the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University in the Fall of 2021. She received her B.A. in Criminology with minors in Neuroscience and Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University and her M.S. in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sandy’s research interests include neurocriminology, neuroethics, biopsychosocial criminology, law and responsibility, morality, bias and stigma, mental health in the criminal justice system, and public perceptions. In her free time, she loves to play tennis, cook/eat, and is obsessed with all things cats (including her cat Sweet Potato).
Highlighted Work
S.S. Xie and C.M. Berryessa. (2024). The Effects of a Defendant’s Childhood Physical Abuse on Lay Support for Sentencing: The Moderating Role of Essentialism. Behavioral Sciences & the Law. DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2686. Link
S.S. Xie, C.M. Berryessa, and F. Focquaert. (2023). The Impact of Neuromorality on Punishment: Retribution or Rehabilitation?. In M. Altman (Ed.), Cham, Switzerland: The Palgrave Handbook on the Philosophy of Punishment (pp. 441-464). London, UK: Palgrave MacMillan. Link
Ashley Balavender
Ashley Balavender started as a Ph.D. student and Part-Time Lecturer at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Fall 2019. She received her B.A. in English Literature and Journalism from Brooklyn College. Prior to her studies, Ashley worked at the Center for Employment Opportunities, partnering with New York parole officers to help returning citizens find employment.
Ashley’s research interests are on community supervision and the perceptions and decision-making of justice system front-line staff. Her current research investigates the perceptions of probation officers regarding remorse in their clients, specifically related to the cognitive and behavioral development of young adults. She teaches undergraduate courses in Research Methods and Corrections.
Highlighted Work
C.M. Berryessa and A. Balavender. (2022). The Value of Remorse as a “Therapeutic Tool” for Probation Officers in Sentencing. In M. Perlin & K. Frailing (Eds.), The Therapeutic Jurisprudence Implications of Judicial Decision-Making by Non-Judicial Officers (pp. 68-80). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. Link
LAB ALUMNI
Dr. Mia Thomaidou
Dr. Mia Thomaidou was a post-doctoral fellow, supervised by Dr. Colleen Berryessa, at Rutgers under a Rubicon Grant awarded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) from Fall 2022 to Fall 2024. This project focused on bridging bio-behavioral and criminal justice and aims to understand how science is being used in criminal courts.
Mia received a BSc in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Westminster, London and Oxford University. She also has an MSc in Neuropsychology and an MSc in Crime and Criminal Justice. She completed her Ph.D. at Leiden University, in which she focused on the cognitive components of physical pain.
She is now a Neuroscience & Society Fellow for the Dana Foundation. Her website is https://www.miathomaidou.com/.
Highlighted Work
M. Thomaidou and C.M. Berryessa. (Forthcoming). Sentencing. In P. Zapf (Ed.), APA Handbook of Forensic Psychology (2nd Ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Link
M. Thomaidou, A. Patel, S. Xie, and C.M. Berryessa. (2024). Machine Learning Analysis of a National Sample of U.S. Case Law Involving Mental Health Evidence. Journal of Criminal Justice. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2024.102266. Link
M. Thomaidou and C.M. Berryessa. (2024). Bio-behavioral Scientific Evidence Alters Judges’ Sentencing Decision-making: A Quantitative Analysis. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.102007. Link
M. Thomaidou and C.M. Berryessa. (2023). Mental Illness as a Sentencing Determinant: A Comparative Case Law Analysis Based on a Machine Learning Approach. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 50(7), 976-995. Link
M. Thomaidou and C.M. Berryessa. (2022). A Jury of Scientists: Formal Education in Biobehavioral Sciences Reduces the Odds of Punitive Criminal Sentencing. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 40(6), 787-817. Link