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Jeanette Hussemann

Pronouns: She/Her

Principal Research Scientist
Jeanette designs and leads evaluations and research to study issues and programs to improve policies, practices, and outcomes for justice-involved individuals and victims of crime.

Jeanette is a principal research scientist in the Economics, Justice & Society department at NORC at the University of Chicago. Her studies incorporate mixed methodologies that integrate qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data on public safety and criminal justice issues, including criminal courts and processes, public defense, and human trafficking. Her research includes local and national survey data collection, evaluability and implementation studies, program evaluation, and qualitative research. Jeanette’s portfolio is built on partnerships with practitioners and local and national organizations who provide services and support to criminal justice actors, justice-involved individuals, and victims of crime. She incorporates trauma informed research methods into her studies to ensure that study findings and policy recommendations are informed by diverse perspectives, including victims of crime, individuals who have been involved in the justice system, and family members and communities who have been affected by public safety and justice issues.  
 
Jeanette has conducted research on behalf of numerous federal agencies, including the National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and Office for Victims of Crime, as well as research on behalf of state and local governments and foundations, including Arnold Ventures and the District Attorney of New York. Most recently, she has co-led studies on the right to legal counsel for youth at arrest and the right to counsel at first appearance in court, human trafficking survivor perceptions of justice and experiences with community-based providers, and evaluations of local and state task force efforts to combat human trafficking. She also co-leads the first BJS-funded Survey of Public Defenders and the Census of Public Defender Offices.

Jeanette has been the lead author on numerous peer-reviewed publications and reports. Prior to joining NORC, she worked as a senior researcher at the Urban Institute where she oversaw a portfolio of research on public defense and human trafficking. She also spent several years working as an Assistant Director for a social service agency in Chicago.

Education

PhD

University of Minnesota

MA

Bowling Green State University

BS

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Project Contributions

Prosecutorial Discretion in Probation Revocations

Exploring the prosecutor’s role in setting supervision conditions and in the decisions made regarding those who violate them

Client:

Arnold Ventures LLC

Access to Justice Design & Testing Program

A new data collection effort measuring and reporting access to justice for civil legal needs

Client:

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Toward Understanding Deradicalization in the U.S.

Evaluating and assessing Parents for Peace, a U.S.-based deradicalization program

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Evaluation of Pennsylvania Community Violence Intervention Programs

Evaluating Pennsylvania’s community efforts to intervene and prevent violence across the state

Client:

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

Multi-Site Evaluation of the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking

The most comprehensive study of federally funded human trafficking task forces

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Twenty Years Later: A National Study of Victim Compensation Programs

Examining trends, challenges, and successes within victim compensation programs

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Youth Defense Delivery Systems and Associated Outcomes

The most rigorous multi-site analysis of youth defense delivery systems to date

Client:

National Institute of Justice

Early Access to Counsel for Youth in Police Custody

The first study in California to provide legal counsel to youth prior to waiving their right to silence

Funder:

Arnold Ventures

Early Access to Counsel for Youth in Police Custody

The first study in California to provide legal counsel to youth prior to waiving their right to silence

Funder:

Arnold Ventures

Publications