ARS also works with a wide array of subject matter experts across the criminal justice system. Our talent pool is deep and we strive to ensure that every project team includes the right mix of innovative thought leaders, practitioners, and statisticians.
John Speir is a Co-Founder and Principal of ARS. John relies on quantitative methods and data mining to guide criminal justice legislation and policies. John leads the team to build computer simulation models to forecast institutional and community supervision populations to inform sentencing legislation, parole policies, and predict institutional capacity. John has applied these methods in several states, including California, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Canada. More recently, Dr. Speir leads a project to reduce violence in state prisons using data mining methods and predictive analytics. Before co-founding ARS, Dr. Speir was an assistant professor at Georgia State University before serving eight years as a Special Agent with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Dr. Speir has a Ph.D. in criminology from Florida State University.
Dr. Baldwin is a clinical psychologist with a dual emphasis on research and forensics. He has directed federally-funded research projects, authored over a dozen articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has both designed and evaluated substance abuse treatment programs. Dr. Baldwin authored the U.S. DOJ SMART Office’s publication entitled “Sex Offender Risk Assessment” (available for download at: http://www.smart.gov/SOMAPI/sec1/ch6_risk.html). Dr. Baldwin is also Director of Forensic Services at the Highland Institute, an Atlanta outpatient clinic specializing in the assessment and treatment of persons with sexual behavior problems. He performs forensic examinations for state and federal courts and probation/parole authorities, serves as an expert witness in both juvenile and adult courts, and has worked in both inpatient and community-based mental health settings. Dr. Baldwin is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences and has provided training and technical assistance to treatment and court staff in a variety of settings. Dr. Baldwin earned his Ph.D. at Georgia State University, after completing an adult forensic internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Sharon manages and supports a variety of ARS research projects. Recently completed projects include an evaluation of Georgia’s Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative and the largest national study to date of Veteran’s Courts. Sharon focuses on process and implementation research, spending much time in the field collecting data, training, interviewing practitioners, conducting focus groups, and understanding field realities to improve implementation practices. Sharon is a skilled trainer that enjoys making data and research accessible and relatable to practitioners. She is a certified Trauma-Informed Response Trainer through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Prior to joining ARS, Sharon worked in law enforcement. She was a Police Officer for the Morrow Georgia Police Department and a Public Safety Coordinator for the Floyd College Regional Police Academy. She has also worked in legal and marketing research. Sharon has a Master of Science degree in criminal justice from Georgia State University.
Jyotsna serves as the Lead Data Scientist at ARS. She is completing her Ph.D. in Financial Planning, Housing, and Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia (UGA). Jyotsna earned her MS in Statistics and an MS in Applied Economics at UGA, as well as a BA in Economics and Sociology. Jyotsna has extensive experience in a wide range of predictive analytical methods, including different machine learning algorithms. She has published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and the Agricultural Finance Review, applying her statistical and analytical skills to the complex investigation of the impact of housing and living situations on mental health during COVID-19, and unfair lending terms among minorities. Her analytical and economic backgrounds provide our clients with new criminal justice research opportunities.
Becky manages the financial/business operations for ARS. She retired from the State of Georgia with 30 years of creditable service in August 2017. The last position held was Chief Financial Officer for two different departments and for over 8 years combined. Before being appointed CFO, she held several other financial-related positions within several different departments. She has served as President of the Georgia Fiscal Management Council, member of the State Training Advisory Council as well as serving on other boards and project-related panels. Becky holds a Masters of Public Administration degree from Columbus State University
