Mari McGilton is a research associate in the Justice Policy Center. She leads projects funded by the National Institute of Justice and New York City and performs mixed-methods research, including participatory and community-engaged methods. Her research topics span mental health, public safety, racial disparities, youth and families, and court case processing. Before joining Urban, McGilton was a research associate for the United States Sentencing Commission, where she worked on interdisciplinary policy teams to amend the federal sentencing guidelines. She previously worked for Multnomah County, Oregon, where she evaluated juvenile justice reform initiatives. As a clinician, McGilton performed neuropsychological assessments and participated in both group and individual therapy with children and adults involved in the criminal and juvenile legal systems. McGilton received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminal justice from Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pacific University.