Department of Criminal Justice

Professor Sandys received her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Kentucky. She is one of the original and continuing members of the consortium of researchers that comprise the Capital Jury Project (CJP), funded by The National Science Foundation. The primary focus of that work is to understand, from the jurors themselves, why they voted for life or death and whether those decisions are in keeping with the law designed to guide juror decision making in capital cases. Professor Sandys also works with colleagues at the Law School in Indianapolis who run the Wrongful Conviction Clinic that is designed to assist in the release from prison of persons wrongfully convicted. Recently, Professor Sandys received a foundation grant to study Indiana citizens' support for the death penalty for people who are mentally ill. Professor Sandys teaches courses and seminars on such topics as research methods, capital punishment, juries, and innocence.