As Principal Researcher of Choice Research Associates, Shawn M. Flower, Ph.D. has worked as a Program Evaluator in the field of Criminal Justice Research since 2002 and has a solid foundation working with program administrators, direct service providers, and funding agencies.
A key focus of her work is conducting process and outcome evaluations, often employing a model of researcher-practitioner collaboration called the Program Development Evaluation (PDE) method developed by Drs. Gary and Denise Gottfredson. Shawn uses the PDE method on a variety of programs including the Prepare for Parole and Reentry (PREPARE) program; the Second Chance Act Reentry Program for Adult Offenders with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders Comprehensive Reentry Program (CORP), the Baltimore City Baltimore City Health Department/Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems Drug Treatment Court (DTC) enhancement project, and the Community Mediation Maryland prisoner re‑entry program. In May 2017, the CMM Reentry Project was named a promising practice by Crime Solutions.gov
She also conducts research and consults with community‑based-organizations on data collection systems implementation and performance metrics. Examples of these projects include supporting an agency‑wide case management system for the House of Ruth in Washington, DC; consulting on performance measures and the existing data system utilized by Community Family Life Services of Washington, DC. Other research projects include working with the Network for Victim Recovery of DC on several projects focused on crime victims’ rights, the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners Sexual Assault Services Infrastructure Development Project and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-A) Training Evaluation.
Dr. Flower also provides research services and policy and strategic planning support to state, local, and national criminal justice agencies. She consulted on the National Institute of Corrections Women Offender Initiative in Washington DC, the Montgomery County Maryland Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation in Rockville, and the Salisbury City Police Department. In 2013, she completed a comprehensive data-driven review of the Baltimore City Jail to provide reentry strategies based on evidence-based practices and offender length of stay and risk level, including stakeholder considerations.
Dr. Flower is currently a Senior Research Associate with the University of Maryland Institute for Governmental Service and Research (UMD-IGSR). Shawn was the Project Director and Principal Investigator of the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN) Program Implementation Evaluation, funded by the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services. She was also the Co-Principal Investigator of the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program in Prince George’s County, a Project Safe Neighborhoods grant.
As a Research Associate with the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA), Dr. Flower was the Principal Investigator of the Seeking Alignment between Evidence Based Practices and Jail Based Reentry Services in the District of Columbia; a joint project with The Moss Group. She was also the Principal Investigator for several other projects including two projects focused on victim services – the Victim Legal Network of DC (VLNDC) and the Domestic Violence Housing Evaluation.
Shawn M. Flower, Ph.D. graduated from the University of Maryland, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College Park in August 2007.
