Sentencing Discretion: Latest Research and Model Policies
🚨 Please note: as of February 2026, all Third Thursday trainings will have individual Zoom links for registration rather than a recurring link, so you will need to register each month.
This training explores emerging research and evolving approaches to sentencing discretion. Professor Eyal Aharoni will share insights from his work examining how information shapes decision-making, followed by a discussion from Oren Gur and Sarah Boyette on efforts within the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to address lengthy sentences. The session will highlight current developments and offer a closer look at how research and practice are intersecting in this space.
Eligible for 1 Hour of General CLE Credit in CA and VA.
Email us regarding credit in other states.
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Speakers
Eyal Aharoni is an Associate Professor of Psychology, Philosophy, and Cognitive Neuroscience at Georgia State University. His research program focuses on moral and legal cognition and behavior including judgment and decision making. He previously conducted policy research at the RAND Corporation, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mind Research Network for Neurodiagnostic Discovery (2009 – 2012), and served as a research fellow for the MacArthur Law & Neuroscience Project (2007 – 2008). Aharoni earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and religious studies and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).
Oren Gur, PhD, serves as Policy Advisor to the Philadelphia District Attorney and is Director of Research and the DATA (District Attorney’s Transparency Analytics) Lab. The DATA Lab uses research and data analytics to inform prosecutorial policy and practice, increase efficiency, transparency, and accountability, and reduce harms through criminal justice reform. Dr. Gur conducts original research, partners with academic institutions and community organizations, and evaluates prosecutorial practices to guide evidence-based reforms. His work bridges academic research and practical implementation, ensuring the District Attorney’s Office operates with transparency while advancing more effective and equitable justice strategies in Philadelphia and beyond.
Oren was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he lives with his wife and two children. Oren’s B.A. (Urban Studies) and M.S. (Criminology) are from the University of Pennsylvania and his Ph.D. (Criminology, Law & Justice) is from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Prior to joining the DAO, he was an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Penn State Abington.
Sarah Boyette, Supervisor of the Alternative Relief Unit (ARU) at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, is a Northeast Philadelphia native and Yale and Harvard Law graduate who came to prosecution by way of public defense. After working as a Brooklyn public defender and later clerking in Camden, she joined the DAO in 2018 inspired by DA Larry Krasner’s reform vision, developing expertise in complex post-conviction matters that formed the foundation of the ARU. There, she focuses on clemency petitions, commutations, parole advocacy for lifers, and compassionate release for the terminally ill, work rooted in her belief that the justice system must create pathways for mercy alongside accountability.