Sharon Kelley, JD, PhD

Dr. Kelley is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the ILPPP.  Her primary clinical and research interests involve forensic evaluation and defendants’ legal competencies.  She has published and presented on a range of topics in these areas, including juveniles’ and adults’ Miranda comprehension, disputed confessions, and adjudicative competence.  She is also part of a research team that investigates cognitive bias in forensic science disciplines as part of a larger research program to improve the scientific underpinnings of forensic science.  Prior to working at ILPPP, she completed a clinical internship at University of Massachusetts Medical School and a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at the University of Virginia. She has worked in psychiatric hospitals, juvenile justice facilities, jails, outpatient clinics, and primary care centers. 

Research interests:

  • Miranda comprehension, interrogations, and disputed confessions

  • Police interactions with persons with mental illness

  • Cognitive biases in forensic experts’ decision making

Clinical interests:

  • Miranda comprehension and coerced/disputed confessions

  • Evaluations for sentencing (including capital sentencing) and re-sentencing

  • Threat assessment

Select Publications

Gardner, B. O., Neuman, M., & Kelley, S. (2023).  What types of information can and do latent print examiners review? A survey of practicing examiners.  Forensic Science International, 344, 111598. 

Zelle, H., Kelley, S., Agee, E. R., & Seibert, W. (2022).  Police use of force standards and mental health crises in the United States: Identifying research and policymaking targets.  International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 80, 101750. 

Gardner, B. O., Neuman, M,. & Kelley, S. (2021). Latent print quality in blind proficiency testing: Using quality metrics to examine laboratory performance.  Forensic Science International, 324, 110823. 

Gardner, B. O., Kelley, S., & Neuman, M. (2021).  Latent print comparison and examiner conclusions: A field analysis of case processing in one crime laboratory. Forensic Science International, 319, 110642. 

Kois, L. E., Meaux, L. T., Cox, J., & Kelley, S. (2021). Evaluators’ experiences with combined competence to proceed and mental state evaluations.  Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 27, 387-389. 

See more of Dr. Kelley’s publications by downloading her CV.