She earned an undergraduate degree in political science as well as a master of criminal justice degree from the University of South Carolina. She holds a doctorate of philosophy in sociology/criminology from Louisiana State University. Her areas of specialization include organized crime, gangs, and the impact of race and ethnicity on crime and the criminal justice system. Her publications include In the Margins: Special Populations and American Justice (Prentice Hall), and she is currently working on a book examining transnational organized crime.