Crystal M. Hayes, Ph.D., MSW

Dr. Hayes is a social worker, educator and scholar committed to advancing care, equity and human dignity. Her teaching and research explore how social systems—especially those related to health, incarceration and social welfare—shape people’s lives and how they can be reimagined to promote healing and belonging.

Her scholarship focuses on pregnancy, incarceration, and the impact of social policy on families and communities. Her work has been published in journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Women & Criminal Justice and Journal of Social Work. She co-authored “Reproductive Justice Disrupted: Mass Incarceration as a Driver of Reproductive Oppression,” which continues to inform national dialogue about maternal health, equity and justice.

Dr. Hayes is the founder and co-director of the National Collaborative for Reproductive Justice, Innovation and Political Education in Social Work (NCRJI-SW), a partnership with Rutgers University. The Collaborative brings together educators, students and practitioners to exchange ideas, conduct research and develop innovative teaching and practice resources that expand understanding of care, policy and justice in social work. Its national webinars and education series connect scholars and practitioners who share a commitment to strengthening communities and improving the systems that serve them.

At Sacred Heart University, where she teaches in the MSW program and mentors Ph.D. students, Dr. Hayes works to create inclusive and intellectually engaging learning environments. She encourages students to think critically about the profession’s role in advancing fairness and compassion, and to approach their practice with curiosity, humility and care.

Outside of academia, Dr. Hayes has worked as a prison-based doula and childbirth educator, supporting women through pregnancy and birth under some of the most challenging conditions. That experience continues to guide her work and remind her that change begins in relationship—with empathy, respect and shared humanity. When she is not teaching or organizing, she can usually be found either in full glam or on a hiking trail with her Pitbull—sometimes both. A woman of contradictions, she loves red lipstick and fresh air, scholarly debates and pumpkin patches. She finds beauty in the balance between softness and strength, theory and lived experience, glitter and grit.