Amy E. Lerman received her PhD in 2008 from the University of California at Berkeley.  Her research examines race and income inequality; public opinion; social identity and civil society; and American criminal justice.  She is also interested in the application of survey, field and “natural” experimental research methods. 

In addition to writing and teaching, she has served as Director of the 2006 California Correctional Officer Survey Project (a state-wide survey of custody staff working in the California prison system), Vice President of Policy Studies for the political consulting firm Attention America, and an adjunct faculty member and research consultant of the Prison University Project and the college program at San Quentin State Prison.