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Stacie St. Louis Assistant Professor Justice, Law & Criminology

Degrees
Ph.D., Criminology and Justice Policy, Northeastern University (2022)
M.S., Criminology and Criminal Justice, Northeastern University (2016)
B.A., Legal Studies and Theater, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2015)

Bio
Dr. Stacie St. Louis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law, Criminology & Security at American University. Her research focuses on the administration of justice, with an emphasis on pretrial justice. Dr. St. Louis founded and leads Research & Innovation on Pretrial Processes & Legal Experiences (RIPPLE). With her team of research assistants, she studies decision-making, jail and court operations, and their impacts on individuals and communities. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Justice Quarterly, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Criminal Justice and Behavior. Dr. St. Louis earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University.
See Also
Explore her work with RIPPLE
Browse her published research
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request. Explore all AU Faculty Experts in our media guide.

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Selected Publications

  • St. Louis, S. & Petersen, N. (2026). Making sense of mixed signals: An experimental analysis of case factors and pretrial decision-making. Journal of Experimental Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-026-09734-8
  • St. Louis, S., Bolton, M., & Petersen, N. (2025). Is there a (pre)trial penalty? The joint impacts of being detained pretrial and convicted via jury trial on punishment outcomes. Crime and Delinquency, 71(11), 3419–3451. https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287251318984
  • Petersen, N. & St. Louis, S. (2024). Decreased bipartisan support for pretrial detention in less serious cases: Evidence from an experimental survey. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 52(5), 810–829. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241297690
  • St. Louis, S. & Petersen, N. (2024). Political ideology and attitudes toward pretrial justice: Exploring the mediating role of racial resentment. Justice Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2024.2361719
  • St. Louis, S. (2023). The pretrial detention penalty: A systematic review and meta-analysis of pretrial detention and case outcomes. Justice Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2023.2193624
  • St. Louis, S., Frost, N. A., Monteiro, C. E., & Migliaccio, J. T. (2023). Occupational hazards in corrections: The impact of violence and suicide exposures on officers’ emotional and mental health. Criminal Justice and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548231177710
  • St. Louis, S., Monteiro, C. E., & Frost, N. A. (2023). Reducing correction officer stress by improving prison climate: The importance of support and safety. The Prison Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/00328855231200636
  • St. Louis, S. (2022). Bail denied or bail too high? Disentangling cumulative disadvantage by pretrial detention type. Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2022.101971
  • St. Louis, S. (2020). Neighborhood context and the pretrial process: Do defendants face adverse outcomes due to their home address? Criminal Justice Policy Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403419890124
  • St. Louis, S., & Greene, J. R. (2020). Social context in police legitimacy: giving meaning to police/community contacts. Policing and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2019.1578768

Research Interests

  • Administration of justice
  • Case processing and cumulative disadvantage
  • Jails and pretrial detention
  • Public opinion and reform