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Kenya Brumfield-Young, M.L.S., M.S.C.J.

Assistant Professor; Internship Coordinator
Criminology and Criminal Justice

Courses Taught

Intro to Criminology & Criminal Justice; Juvenile Justice and Delinquency; Race, Ethnicity, and the Criminal Justice System; Ethics in the Administration of Justice; Ethics in Criminal Justice; Internship Seminar; Wrongful Conviction Internship

Education

  • Ph.D. Social Work, St. Louis University (In Progress as of 2022)
  • M.L.S., Law, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, 2014
  • M.S., Criminal Justice, Columbia College, 2012
  • B.A., Psychology, Columbia College, 2011
  • B.A., Criminal Justice, Columbia College, 2009

Research Interests

  • Juvenile Delinquency
  • Juvenile Delinquency Prevention
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Risk Dependency in Youth with Chronically Delinquent Behaviors
  • Exposure to Trauma
  • Crime Policy
  • Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality, and the Criminal Justice System
  • Court Systems 
 

Publications and Media Placements

Newspaper Articles

Brumfield-Young, K. (2020, June 30). Black Lives Matter – but Not in Here. The St. Louis American: http://www.stlamerican.com/news/columnists/guest_columnists/black-lives-matter-just-not-in-here/article_732d9f06-bb30-11ea-88de-cb76991bff65.html

Brumfield-Young, K. (2020, August 10). Pandemic Crime Spike Met with Tough-on-Crime-Legislation. The St. Louis American: https://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/pandemic-crime-spike-met-with-tough-on-crime-legislation/article_a392b2a4-db41-11ea-8cff-c76e9a3d2608.html

 

Brumfield-Young, K. (2020, August 21). There's a Reason Why They Call It Juvenile. The Southeast Missourian.

Television

KMOV Channel 4, (2022-June-09) 18-year-old injured while trying to escape from North City youth center: https://www.kmov.com/video/2022/06/10/year-old-injured-while-trying-escape-north-city-youth-center/

KMOV Channel 4, (2022-June-09) 18-year-old injured while trying to escape from North City youth center: https://www.kmov.com/video/2022/06/10/year-old-injured-while-trying-escape-north-city-youth-center/

KSDK Channel 5, (2022-May-31) Teens escaped St. Louis County juvenile detention center through broken window: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/teens-escaped-juvenile-detention-center-broken-window/63-102f3514-25de-4ba3-95b8-4b715432984c

KMOV Channel 4, (2022-January-02) Families Advocating Safe Streets planning new solutions to curb gun violence in St. Louis: (previous link) https://www.kmov.com/news/families-advocating-safe-streets-planning-new-solutions-to-curb-gun-violence-in-st-louis/article_384a19e2-6a92-11ec-b13c-7b75a507fb4f.html 

KSDK Channel 5, (2021-December-15) I-Team: 4 teens who escaped from St. Louis juvenile center still on the run, previous link: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/teens-escaped-st-louis-juvenile-center-on-the-run/63-1d2e7e0e-47a7-4428-9996-37b1993a7e06 

KMOV Channel 4, (2021-November-06). Dutchtown residents don't feel safe despite drop in crime, SLU professor explains: https://www.kmov.com/news/dutchtown-residents-dont-feel-safe-despite-drop-in-crime-slu-professor-explains/article_09ef678a-3f6a-11ec-9873-bb905e3a7804.html

KSDK Channel 5, (2021-November-17). How a new Missouri policy could be leading to more escapes at juvenile facility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTf78rBIOc

KSDK Channel 5, (2021-April-07). Will St. Louis Mayor-elect Tishaura Jones' crime deterrence plan work? The I-Team asks the experts, https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/st-louis-mayor-elect-tishaura-jones-crime-plan-experts/63-91a55f83-8e8b-409d-80ec-8b9c39059a87

KSDK Channel 5. (2021, April 7). Will St. Louis Mayor-elect Tishaura Jones' crime deterrence plan work? The I-Team asks the experts. 5 On Your Side: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/st-louis-mayor-elect-tishaura-jones-crime-plan-experts/63-91a55f83-8e8b-409d-80ec-8b9c39059a87

 

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, member
  • American Society of Criminology, member
  • Criminal Justice Club – Faculty Liaison
  • Gamma Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society – Chapter Advisor
  • Caring for Kids - STL - Vice President - Board of Directors
  • St. Louis County Family Court Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Community Collaborative - Member

Community Work and Service

Professor Brumfield-Young's dedication to the community and the criminal justice system is both vast and impactful. Collaborating closely with community members, as well as local and state policymakers, she has been instrumental in developing trauma-informed strategies and frameworks that address the deeply entrenched social factors contributing to crime, particularly community trauma. She also works alongside legal teams, affected families, and community partners, diving deep into matters of wrongful conviction, juvenile justice policy, and a range of other criminal justice issues.

Professor Brumfield-Young has also participated in collaborative projects for rehabilitation and community safety. One such project is the Community Resource and Needs Screening (CRANS) program at the St. Louis Justice Center. This initiative, a collaboration between the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Saint Louis University's Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and the Integrated Health Network, focuses on screening recently arrested individuals. The primary goal is to guide them toward appropriate community resources to reduce community victimization, re-offending, and jail recidivism.

Furthermore, Professor Brumfield-Young's interest in juvenile justice extends to her partnerships with local non-profit and government agencies. Together, they undertake the meticulous task of analyzing data on juvenile delinquency, understanding the system's responses, and addressing the disproportionate representation of minority groups within the criminal justice system.

Professor Brumfield-Young is currently the Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Caring for Kids, Inc., a registered non-profit organization under section 501(c)3, dedicated to supporting children in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County who have urgent, unmet needs due to abuse, neglect, or being in an at-risk situation.  

She is also a previous board member of Flance Early Childhood Learning Center and the former Northwest Academy of Law's Criminal Justice 2+2 Program. The 2+2 program gave high school students a unique opportunity to earn credits toward their criminal justice degree at a local community college while still in high school. As a board member, Professor Brumfield-Young played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between high school and higher education for many aspiring young students.

Through her varied and significant contributions, Professor Brumfield-Young paints a picture of a holistic approach to criminal justice—one that emphasizes prevention, rehabilitation, and commitment to community collaboration.