Duren Banks

Division Vice President, Division for Applied Justice Research (AJR)

Education

  • PhD, Criminology, University of Maryland, College Park MA, Criminology, University of Maryland, College Park BA, Sociology, Wake Forest University

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Expertise

  • United States court system
  • Juvenile justice
  • School safety
  • Law enforcement-community relations

Duren Banks directs the Courts and Corrections Research Program in RTI’s Center for Justice, Safety, and Resilience. She is an expert on many aspects of the court system in the United States, along with related issues of juvenile justice, school safety, 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 surveys, including the Survey of Law Enforcement Personnel in the Arrest-Related Deaths Program. As part of the White House Now is the Time initiative, she is leading the evaluation of school safety programs, including the Project AWARE effort to respond to mental health issues in schools.

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 has also 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.