Bio

Allegra holds a PhD in Sociology from Rutgers-New Brunswick and a B.A. in History and Political Science from Swarthmore College. Her research focuses on the impacts of mass incarceration for families and loved ones. She works with support groups across the country to mitigate the stigma of having a loved one incarcerated.

Although her training is as a qualitative sociologist, Allegra’s research crosses into other disciplines like criminology and social work. She is also an advocate for families who have incarcerated loved ones, having served on the board of DC Project Connect and as a member of the Advocacy in Action Coalition as part of Connecting 4 Justice International.

Prior to graduate school, Allegra worked at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, in the Center on Children and Families. While there, she edited three books for publication, planned dozens of public events, was managing editor of the Social Mobility Memos blog and Evidence Speaks paper series, submitted grant reports, and coordinated research efforts among five senior fellows and two research assistants.