Michael LaForest is a post-doctoral scholar in the Criminal Justice Research Center. In this role, he works closely with the Bureau of Planning, Research & Statistics at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Michael’s research focuses on ways to improve criminal justice and education policy and outcomes. It includes experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of criminal justice and education programs, including evaluations of re-entry forums for recently paroled individuals who had committed a violent crime with a gun, an initiative to reduce anonymity between police officers and neighborhood residents via mailers and in-person outreach, and an individualized math tutoring program for ninth-graders below grade-level. His research uses both structural and non-structural estimation techniques. Michael holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia and a BS in economics & political science from the University of Michigan. Prior to this position, Michael worked as a research director at Crime & Education Lab New York, managing a combination of policy evaluations and technical assistance projects for several New York City government agencies.