She graduated from the University of Arizona in 1999 with a degree in sociology and has served on the faculties of the University of Nebraska and the University of Cincinnati. She does research on families and crime, gender and crime, child abuse and neglect, and the consequences of incarceration for children, youth and adults. She is a member of the editorial board of Violence and Victims and has published research in outlets such as Justice Quarterly, Social Science Research, Deviant Behavior and the Journal of Criminal Justice. She is the mom to two great girls.