Carmen Dorsey, director of the Maine Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) at the USM Muskie School, is the 2007 recipient of the G. Paul Sylvestre Award from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Dorsey is also Board Chairperson for Volunteers of America Northern New England. This prestigious award is presented each year to a SAC director who has demonstrated outstanding achievement over an extended period of time.  The honor is presented in memory of Paul Sylvestre, the first manager of the BJS Statistical Analysis Center program. The award was presented to Dorsey, the first-ever Maine recipient, at the annual Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) conference on October 11. This year marks the 26th time BJS presented the award.

During Dorsey’s tenure, the Maine SAC research team has conducted research in community policing, gun crime, disproportionate minority contact, juvenile recidivism, sex offenders and prisoner reentry. The recently published ‘2007 Maine Crime Victimization Report: Informing Public Policy for Safer Communities’ garnered extensive state and national attention as a significant contribution for legislative initiatives, outreach and public awareness efforts, and planning.

BJS Director Jeffrey L. Sedgwick said, “It is appropriate that at this annual JRSA conference focusing on how to move ‘from knowledge to practice’, BJS recognizes the Maine SAC for demonstrating how to successfully meet this critical challenge, and in particular, we congratulate Carmen Dorsey for her exemplary leadership of these efforts.”

Sedgwick also remarked “perhaps most significantly, under Ms. Dorsey’s leadership, the SAC has demonstrated the ability to meaningfully collaborate with justice agency partners in the state.” These collaborative partnerships include the Maine Department of Corrections, Maine Department of Public Safety, Maine Criminal Justice Commission, Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, Maine Judicial Branch, and various non-profits and local law enforcement agencies.

June Koegel, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Northern New England added, "We are all very proud of Carmen.  This is a wonderful recognition of her significant accomplishments.  We truly value her leadership within our organization and are grateful for her many contributions to the people we serve."

A 12-year employee of the USM Muskie School, Ms. Dorsey directs the School’s criminal justice program, which includes the SAC and provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to learn and apply research skills outside the classroom. She teaches at USM’s Lewiston Auburn College, and is acting board chair of Volunteers of America Northern New England, a community-based social service non-profit. She has worked in non-profit, government and university settings, concentrating on applied research in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and public welfare. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the University of Maine School of Law. Ms. Dorsey was the recipient of the annual Quality Award, presented by the National Staff Development and Training Association, in 2000.