Shelby joined Measures for Justice in 2017 as a member of the Data Outreach team. During that time, she visited criminal justice agencies throughout the country to collect data at the county and state levels. In her current role as Director of Research & Data Stewardship, she assists with the development of the organization’s overall system for measuring local criminal justice performance and lends direction to MFJ’s contextual research projects.

Shelby earned an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, where as a research assistant she examined a number of topics, including youth-involved gun violence and institutional responses to police use of force. Her work at MFJ is inspired by a commitment to bridge the gap between research and practice, and in particular, to help create systems that are just and equitable for all people.

Shelby lives in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in her garden and exploring the outdoors with her family.