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Kelly Roberts Freeman
Research Associate I
Former employee

Kelly Roberts Freeman is a research associate for the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, where she conducts research on criminal justice case processing at the local, state, and federal level. Her primary focus is on the courts and sentencing, data-driven decisionmaking, and risk-reduction policies and practices. She is currently working on projects involving risk assessment, federal justice statistics, and state court case processing. She is experienced in administrative justice data, program evaluation, quantitative methods, and technical assistance. Her prior work has examined federal offending, sentencing outcomes, ethnicity and immigration, and public opinion.

Before joining Urban, Freeman was a research analyst and a project coordinator for the Arizona Superior Court in Pima County. During her tenure with the court, she conducted the Judicial Performance Review survey, produced statistical reports on caseloads, case-processing standards, and criminal sentencing, and responded to special data requests. She participated in numerous working groups including the Justice Coordinating Council, Behavioral Health Treatment Court Collaborative, and countywide data committee. She received her PhD in criminology and criminal justice from Florida State University.

Research Areas
Crime, justice, and safety
Immigration