Data + Donuts // (Mis)understanding the Criminal Legal System through Administrative Data with Felix Owusu

​Felix Owusu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management at the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. His research explores inequality, race, and public policy with a focus on the criminal legal system. Trained as an economist, Felix blends data science, field experiments, and quasi-experimental research designs to understand the application of law and bureaucratic processes in law enforcement agencies and their impacts across race and class.

At this session of Data + Donuts, Felix will balance the value of transparent and high-quality data on what public safety institutions do with the limitations of using administrative data alone to understand people’s lived experiences. His talk will focus primarily on his work measuring racial disparities in the Massachusetts criminal courts, and his experience developing public repositories of police data as a Data Scientist in Washington, DC.

This event will be held in a hybrid format. Please register to receive a link to join via Zoom. In-person attendees can join us in the Library Commons (ground floor of Littauer, to the left of the HKS Library’s main entrance). The Library Commons is wheelchair/scooter accessible, and accessible restrooms are available. In-person attendees must follow HKS’ COVID-19 protocols. Those without an HUID may enter via the Wexner security desk.

Data + Donuts is a learning and discussion group that offers a welcoming space to engage critically with issues of data and society. Every few weeks during the academic year, we invite researchers and practitioners to facilitate conversations around their area of expertise – and share donuts! Find our full list of past speakers on our website. Video recordings and slides are available upon request.

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