His research is driven by a desire to explore the lived experience of those who have been pushed to margins of society by various social forces, such as inequality and the criminal justice system. He received a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University at Albany in 2014, an M.S. in Justice & Public Policy from American University (2008) and a B.A. in Law & Society from American University (2005). His work has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the American Society of Criminology.