Ashna Arora
Research Director
Connect
Expertise
Connect
Expertise
Ashna Arora is a Research Director for the Crime Lab. In this role, she works closely with public sector partners and oversees a portfolio of projects focused on improving the criminal justice system; these include evaluations of programs that divert individuals away from the criminal justice system, technology investments in policing, specialized prosecution models, and rehabilitative prisons. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University.
Video about the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program
This video provides an overview of the Crime Lab’s evaluation of the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program, a program implemented by the community behavioral health provider Thresholds.
The Impact of Specialized Prosecution on the Safety of Domestic Violence Victims
10-minute talk about the evaluation
Technical Appendix: Is electronic monitoring contributing to gun violence?
This supplementary technical appendix complements the op-ed titled “Is electronic monitoring contributing to gun violence?”, written by Jens Ludwig and Ashna Arora. Due to limitations in space in the article, numerous details and sensitivity analyses were excluded from the published version. These additional details are provided here for a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Policing Substance Use: Chicago’s Treatment Program for Narcotics Arrests – Working Paper
This working paper sheds light on the effectiveness of diversion programs by showcasing Chicago’s drug diversion program success in reducing drug-related arrests.
CVI Leadership Academy
The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) was established to develop the CVI sector by providing aspiring CVI leaders with the skills necessary to tackle leadership obstacles throughout their careers.
Community Safety Leadership Academies
The Community Safety Leadership Academies, composed of the Policing Leadership Academy and Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy, aim to rigorously train the next generation of policing and community violence intervention leaders.
New Jersey Portfolio
The Crime Lab is partnering with the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to help strengthen reforms to the state’s criminal justice system introduced in 2017, including eliminating cash bail and introducing a risk assessment tool to aid in pretrial release decisions.
Targeted Interventions for High-Risk Domestic Violence Victims
The Crime Lab studied targeted approaches to identify high-risk domestic violence victims, conduct outreach, and provide resources to lower the risk of experiencing future harm.
Latest Updates
Chicago Program That Encourages Drug Treatment Over Arrest Shows Signs of Success, Research Says
The Crime Lab’s evaluation of the Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program, which has demonstrated success in reducing drug-related arrests, is highlighted in this piece by WTTW’s Paris Schutz.
Ashna Arora and Jens Ludwig: Is electronic monitoring contributing to gun violence? Here’s a look at the data.
Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig and Research Director Ashna Arora provide a deep-dive on electronic monitoring data and gun violence in this piece.