Dixin Li is now a doctoral candidate. She earned her M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland in 2023. 

Dixin's research interest is primarily in court and sentencing, law and society, inequalities, and the broader implciations of formal punishment. She examines the criminal justice process within both institutional and socio-political contexts, exploring how these contexts shape decision-making at each stage of the system and, ultimately, the distribution of punishment.

Her dissertation project, chaired by Dr. Brian Johnson,  investigates how an internal prosecutorial reform affects other actors both upstream and downstream in the case processing chain, highlighting the responsiveness and interinstitutional dynamics among criminal justice actors. Using a unique dataset obtained through collaboration with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Dixin assesses the effects of progressive prosecution on incarceration, racial disparities, and the institutional behaviors of police and judges.

Her MA thesis is a study of local sentencing patterns in response to racial protests. Specifically, she investigated the impacts of 2015 Freddie Gray's death and the associated protests on the Maryland Circuit Courts. 

She currently works as a graduate assistant for the Maryland Crime Research and Innovation Center. She has worked with Dr. Robert Stewart, Dr. Brian Johnson, Dr. Bianca Bersani, and Dr. Rod Brunson. 

Dixin currently serves as the Graduate Student Representative of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department. 

Areas of Interest

  • Court and sentencing
  • Law and society
  • Inequalities
  • Social control
CV: Dixin Li's CV114.37 KB

Degrees

  • Degree Type
    M.A.
    Degree Details
    University of Maryland
  • Degree Type
    LL.M.
    Degree Details
    Renmin University of China
  • Degree Type
    LL.B.
    Degree Details
    Renmin University of China

Awards

  • 2025, University of Maryland Kimchi Memorial Graduate Award
  • 2024, University of Maryland Kimchi Memorial Graduate Award
  • 2022, University of Maryland Kimchi Memorial Graduate Award

Conferences

  • 2025, “Controlled Invisibility: Public Narratives of Ex-Offenders in China, 1978– 2024” American Sociology Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
  • 2024, “Living in Turbulence: An Investigation of War Exposure and Crime in the Home for 15 African Countries Over 15 Years.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. (Chair of panel)
  • 2024, “Felony Status and Political Identity.” CSI Conference 2024, “Justice and Injustice,” Yale University. (Co-author)
  • 2023, “Can Violent Protests Change Local Sentencing Patterns? Evidence From 2015 Baltimore Uprising.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
  • 2022, “Violent Protests and Local Sentencing Patterns.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Research

  • Li, Dixin, Brian Johnson, and Greg Midgette. Protests and Punishment: Examining Sentencing Shifts in the Wake of High-Profile Police Violence. Under Review
  • Stewart, Robert, Dixin Li, and Christopher Uggen. Felon Status, Political Identity, and Civic Engagement. R&R at Justice Quarterly
Graduate Student Representative, CCJS Department, University of Maryland
Member, Dean’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee, BSOS, University of Maryland
Dixin Li
Email
ldx [at] umd.edu