Elizabeth K. Drake has nearly 20 years of applied research experience in government examining the effectiveness of programs in the criminal justice system. As a Senior Research Associate at the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, her work has contributed to Washington State’s progress as a national and international leader in evidence-based policy. The Institute conducts rigorous, non-partisan research to answer practical policy questions at the direction of the Washington State Legislature.
Currently, Beth is completing her PhD in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University. She received a Doctoral Candidate Fellowship for the 2018/19 academic year to complete her dissertation, which focuses on examining racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Her policy objective is to remove systematic racial bias from risk assessments, which rely on criminal history records.
Beth received her BS from Bowling Green State University and her MA from Washington State University; her degrees are in Criminal Justice. She began her career as a researcher at the state Department of Corrections. Other research interests include the effectiveness of correctional interventions and crime control policies, program implementation, and quantitative research methods, including outcome evaluation, meta-analysis, and benefit-cost analysis.