Melissa M. Labriola

Photo of Melissa Labriola
Associate Research Department Director, Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department, Senior Behavioral/Social Scientist
Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. in sociology, City College of New York; M.A. in sociology, George Washington University; B.A. in social relations, Michigan State University

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Melissa Labriola is associate research department director, Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department, and a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. Labriola is currently leading several projects studying police and prosecutor-led diversion, including a RCT of prosecutor-led pretrial diversion in San Francisco, CA; an evaluation of early diversion programs in New York City; multi-site evaluation of deflection sites nationally and an evaluation of LA-DOOR. She is currently working on a NIJ-funded project to inventory and assess the impacts of anti-violence strategies in two research sites; an evaluation of NYPD Neigborhood Policing; and a formative evaluation of a family court program. She has over 17 years of experience directing a number of projects related to court responses to intimate partner violence; specialized courts, including drug courts and domestic violence courts; human trafficking, indigent defense, and prosecutor- and police-led diversion. Labriola received her Ph.D. in sociology from the Graduate Center, City University of New York, her M.A. in sociology from The George Washington University and her B.A. in social relations from James Madison College, Michigan State University.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Reducing Violence in Communities: An In-Depth Study of Efforts in Durham, NC and Minneapolis, MN
  • Evaluation of NYPD Neighborhood Policing
  • Evaluation of San Francisco Neighborhood Courts
  • A Law Enforcement Pathway to Treatment: A Multi-Site Evaluation of Self-Referral Deflection Programs
  • Evaluation of Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking Pilot Sites

Selected Publications

Rempel, M, Reich, W, Labriola, M, Davis, R, "A Multi-Site Evaluation of Prosecutor-Led Pretrial Diversion: Effects on Conviction, Incarceration, and Recidivism," Criminal Justice Policy Review, 2021 (forthcoming)

Johnson, K, Davis, R, Labriola, M, Rempel, M. , "An Overview of Prosecutor-Led Diversion Programs: A New Incarnation of an Old Idea”," The Justice System Journal, 41(1), 2019

Clare Stevens, Lynsay Ayer, Melissa Labriola, Sara-Laure Faraji, Elizabeth Ebright, "Detecting and reducing post-traumatic stress among children exposed to domestic violence: A multi-agency early intervention program," Children and Youth Services Review,, 101, 2019

Cissner, A., Labriola, M. and Rempel, M., "Domestic Violence Courts: A Multisite Test of Whether and How they Change Offender Outcomes," Violence Against Women, 2014

Commentary

  • Police vehicles at night, photo by MattGush/Getty Images
    Gun Violence

    Reducing Police Violence: Q&A with Melissa Labriola

    A succession of high-profile police killings has prompted some departments and communities to seek change. But data is sparse, and research is thin. Melissa Labriola helped lead a study of police violence and developed a road map for future research that could move the field forward.

    Sep 1, 2022

Publications