Melanie Skemer

Skemer’s research focuses on evaluations of criminal legal policies, systems, and reforms. Currently, Skemer serves as project director of the Intensive Case Management Supervised Release Technical Assistance project, in which MDRC supports New York City’s development of a new model for high-need pretrial supervision clients and Tucson Mental Health Diversion, a study assessing the impact of a 911 dispatch diversion program on the criminal legal system contact of people struggling with acute mental health crises. Skemer is also a member of the research team evaluating Manhattan’s Felony Alternative to Incarceration program, a first-of-its-kind initiative aiming to reduce incarceration, enhance community safety, and decrease recidivism for individuals facing all types of felony charges, including violent offenses. Finally, Skemer directs the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) demonstration, a random assignment study testing the efficacy of incorporating procedural justice principles into child support practices to re-engage parents who have fallen behind in their child support payments rather than relying on a court-led civil contempt process. PJAC also includes an equity study that assesses racial/ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic disparities at various decision points across the child support process, with an emphasis on the use of punitive enforcement measures.

Skemer’s responsibilities include project direction and management; research design; impact analysis; interview and focus group facilitation; writing policy briefs, reports, and commentaries; presenting research findings; and developing new projects. Selected past projects include the Pretrial Justice Collaborative, an Evaluation of New York City’s Pretrial Supervised Release program, and the Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration. Skemer holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in sociology from the University of California-Irvine.

Curriculum Vitae