Transforming Criminal Justice Through Gender-Responsive Research and Practice
Dr. Emily Salisbury builds evidence-based, healing-centered technology for justice-involved women and men, turning two decades of criminology research into tools that are actually deployed at scale.
Meet Dr. Emily Salisbury
Emily Salisbury, Ph.D. is a professor and criminal justice consultant dedicated to effecting positive change in correctional agencies on behalf of justice-involved women and men. She accomplishes this through person-centered interventions that integrate the voices of both people under supervision and the professionals working alongside them.
Dr. Salisbury is one of the founding scholars of the gender-responsive correctional paradigm which amplifies women's distinct needs.
She co-created the Women's Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) by leading the research team that designed, validated, and published the only peer-reviewed risk/strengths instrument built specifically for justice-involved women resulting in adoption across 100+ correctional agencies globally, 13 published validation studies, and measurable improvements in the lives of over 50,000 women.
She goes further by applying the knowledge gained from gender-responsive scholarship to improving outcomes for system-involved men—for far too long, the criminal justice system has dismissed men’s traumatic experiences.
Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA)
Dr. Salisbury co-created the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) which is the only instrument of its kind developed for system-impacted women. It identifies women’s specific risks, needs, and strengths to inform trauma- and gender-responsive case planning and programming. Endorsed by the United Nations, the WRNA supports human rights afforded to justice-involved women.
Self-Assessment for Fempowerment (SAFE)
The Self-Assessment for Fempowerment (SAFE) is a free mobile health and healing app developed by Dr. Salisbury and Interactive Life, Inc. The app educates and navigates women toward evidence-informed health and wellbeing across eight key areas. SAFE promotes motivation towards self-awareness and healing by offering wellness resources curated by Dr. Salisbury, not an algorithm or an AI. Micro-skill interventions by world renowned experts such as Dr. Stephanie Covington are also available.
The enterprise version of SAFE is linked to a case management system, making it a valuable tool for human service providers to motivate clients between appointments.
In the Spotlight
Advancing Justice for Women
Dr. Emily Salisbury’s work continues to shape national conversations on women and incarceration. From high-profile speaking engagements to policy leadership roles, explore her media appearances and thought leadership that amplify the voices and needs of system-impacted women.