Duren Banks is the Senior Vice President for the Justice Practice Area at RTI International, which includes research centers focused on applied justice research to promote community safety and resilience, evidence-based first responder and law enforcement approaches, advancing forensic and investigative sciences, and promoting a just criminal legal system. She is an expert on many aspects of the court system in the United States, including school safety, multidisciplinary approaches to advance justice, and the interaction of law enforcement and community groups.
Dr. Banks’ work helps local and state agencies respond to criminal justice concerns. She plays a key role in several ongoing national surveys funded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. She also collaborates with the National Institute of Justice to identify the most pressing needs of the public safety and criminal legal systems, and develop evidence-based solutions to address those needs.
Before joining RTI in 2012, Dr. Banks served as chief of the Prosecution and Adjudication Statistics Unit of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, overseeing multiple, national data-collection projects related to the nation’s court system. She also has been a consultant and analyst focused on performance and accountability in government programs related to justice, substance abuse, and education. She is a member of the American Statistical Association and the American Society of Criminology.
