Staff
Alecia L. Johnson
Executive Staff Assistant, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
304 VPCADMIN
513-556-7310
Alecia joined the staff of the Corrections Institute (UCCI) in October of 2018. Originally from Staten Island, NY, Alecia holds an A.A.S. in Business Administration and has 15 years of experience in the administrative field. As Executive Staff Assistant, she provides administrative support to both business and research staff at the UCCI, as well as a large team of UCCI fellow experts and contract trainers/coaches.
Amanda R. Pompoco
Jr Research Associate, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
308 VPCADMIN
513-556-1865
Amanda Pompoco is originally from Youngstown, Ohio and received her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2013. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati and a Junior Research Associate at the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute. Since the beginning of her assignment at the Corrections Institute in 2011, she has worked on various phases of a statewide study of Ohio’s prison programs. The Prison Study was an evaluation of Ohio’s reentry approved programs to determine their effectiveness in reducing institutional misconduct and recidivism. After the completion of the Prison Study, Amanda transitioned into working on redesign initiatives and training multiple Cognitive Behavioral Interventions. In the past, she has also trained and coached the EPICS model in probation departments and trained graduate students to code EPICS audio submissions to provide feedback to correctional professionals on their use of EPICS. She is currently conducting a study to validate a group observation tool to assist in fidelity monitoring. Her research interests include correctional education, institutional programming, the transfer of knowledge to practitioners and policy-makers, the assessment of correctional programs, and applying the principles of effective intervention to community settings.
Carrie Ann Coen
Senior Research Associate, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
321A VPCADMIN
513-556-2036
Carrie Sullivan, M.A. is a Senior Research Associate in the University of Corrections Institute (UCCI). She received her master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2001. Ms. Sullivan has 20 years of correctional experience and has been a project manager for numerous national, state, and local research and technical assistance projects. These include several multi-site, mixed-method projects including a national evaluation of juvenile drug courts and a state-wide evaluation of the impact of earned-time credit prison programs. In addition to research, she specializes in correctional program evaluations to assist agencies in providing effective correctional interventions and assists agencies in implementing evidence-based practices. She also serves as a trainer on numerous correctional evidence-based practices and is certified to train correctional professionals in many areas including, but not limited to, what works in changing offender behavior, cognitive–behavioral interventions, core correctional practices, behavior management, the Evidence-Based Correctional Program Checklist, and Effective Practices in Community Supervision. Ms. Sullivan regularly presents at academic and practitioner conferences and her recent publications have appeared in Criminal Justice and Behavior, Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research, Criminology and Public Policy, and Justice Quarterly.
Eric J. Willoughby
Jr. Research Associate, UCCI, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
315 VPCADMIN
513-556-0989
Eric Willoughby received his M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2008. He currently serves as a Junior Research Associate for the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute. Eric has over eight years of clinical experience while working at River City Correctional Center (RCCC) in Hamilton County, Ohio. During his tenure at RCCC, Eric provided several treatment services while working individually with inmates applying the Principles of Effective Intervention through individual sessions and group facilitation. Eric has years of experience facilitating various treatment groups which includes Thinking for a Change and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions in Substance Abuse. In his last two years at RCCC, Eric served as the Quality Assurance Coordinator and completed multiple audits through group and individual session observations and file reviews ensuring the staff upheld various ACA and ODRC standards. Eric also served as RCCC’s liaison to the Sex Offender program, a PREA SART team member and as the lead training coordinator for the entire facility.
Eva Kishimoto
Research Associate, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
319 VPCADMIN
Ms. Kishimoto has extensive experience in technology transfer and continuous quality improvement in mental health and corrections. She has experience at the program, agnecy and organizational levels of quality. Additionally, she brings her expertise in the treatment of co-occurring disorders, including serious mental illness, substance abuse and trauma interventions into corrections.
Jaime M. Bonecutter
Jr Research Associate, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
314 VPCADMIN
513-556-0857
Jamie R. Newsome
Research Manager, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
326 VPCADMIN
513-556-4205
Dr. Jamie Newsome received her doctorate in 2013 from the School of Criminal Justice at UC and is currently the Research Coordinator for UCCI. Her professional goals are centered around translating research into practice and collaborating with practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of correctional interventions. Dr. Newsome currently serves as the Principal Investigator for a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of CBI-EMP in two midwestern state prisons (Grant No. 2019-RY-BX-0003), and is collaborating with Weber County, Utah to design, implement, and evaluate the Weber Addictions and Reentry Program (WARP) with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (Grant No. 2019-RW-BX-0004). Her research has been featured in the Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice and Behavior, Development and Psychopathology, and the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Jennifer Lux
Research Associate, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
318 VPCADMIN
513-556-6118
Jennifer Lux is a Research Associate at the Corrections Institute in the School of Criminal Justice at University of Cincinnati. She received her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice in 2016 from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Lux’s research interests include offender classification and assessment, correctional rehabilitation, program implementation and evaluation, and the transfer of knowledge to practitioners, policy-makers, and stakeholders in the field. She has co-authored several publications, presented nationally and internationally on correctional interventions, and served as a project director on a variety correctional projects.
Jennifer Scott
Program Director, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute , CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
302 VPCADMIN
513-556-7765
Jennifer joined the staff of the Corrections Institute (UCCI) in July of 2012. As Program Director, she leads daily operating functions of UCCI business, oversees communication and marketing initiatives, and supports collaboration opportunities with criminal and juvenile justice agencies at local, state and national levels. In addition to serving as Principle Investigator on training grants, Jennifer serves as UCCI liasion to the University’s Office of Innovation, the UC Research Institute (UCRI) and all product automation partnerships with the Information Technology Solution Center (ITSC) in UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology (CECH).
Jodi E. Sleyo
Jodi Sleyo is the Development Coordinator and Senior Research Associate for the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute. Ms. Sleyo has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and has worked in the field of corrections since 1996. She has extensive experience in cognitive-behavioral intervention as well as program redesign and implementation.
Ms. Sleyo manages curriculum development and pilot processes for all new cognitive-behavioral interventions. She has developed curricula, conducted program evaluations and provided training and technical assistance to agencies interested in improving service delivery.
Ms. Sleyo manages curriculum development and pilot processes for all new cognitive-behavioral interventions. She has developed curricula, conducted program evaluations and provided training and technical assistance to agencies interested in improving service delivery.
Kelly A. Pitocco
Sr Research Associate, CECH Criminal Justice
550E Teachers College
513-556-0806
Kelly Pitocco received her M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 1989. She earned her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Kentucky in 1992. She is independently licensed as a social worker and chemical dependency professional in the state of Ohio. Ms. Pitocco has over 30 years experience working in community corrections. She has provided direct service with youth and adult offenders in residential treatment and halfway house settings. She has provided clinical supervision and program management in adult outpatient substance abuse services, Drug Court and jail-based substance abuse and batterers’ intervention program. Ms. Pitocco has provided staff training at a large social service agency (primarily community corrections) and has provided training, technical assistance and coaching at several probation, parole and pretrial departments. Ms. Pitocco is a Sr. Research Associate for the Corrections Institute at the University of Cincinnati, Center for Criminal Justice Research. Ms. Pitocco trains on a variety of topics including cognitive-behavioral interventions, risk assessment and motivational interviewing (MINT member) for the Corrections Institute. She has experience in program implementation and adherence to evidence-based practices.
Margaret E. Schweitzer
Business Manager, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
305 VPCADMIN
513-556-7529
Maggie Schweitzer has been working for UCCI since 2014. First as a contract employee in the role of Training Coordinator for 3 years before becoming a staff member in January, 2017 as a Program Manager. In 2019, Maggie transitioned into her current role as Business Manager. Maggie now handles the financial aspects of the Corrections Institute, mainly by helping to create and manage the budgets on all of our projects. As part of a special project, she served as the Project Manager on our Criminogenic Need and Violent Behavior Program curriculum development project for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO). Maggie earned her Bachelors of Business in Supply Chain Management from Miami University and, prior to working at UCCI, worked as a Material Coordinator in the automotive manufacturing industry.
Megan T. Mueller
Research Manager, CECH Criminal Justice
303 VPCADMIN
513-556-7327
Megan Mueller has been working for UCCI as a student worker and a contract employee since September of 2013 before becoming a staff member in July 2017. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Northern Kentucky University and is also a Licensed Social Worker for the state of Ohio. Megan is transitioning to her new role as one of two UCCI Program Managers, specifically focusing her efforts on the Training Coordination aspect of the business side. She assists UCCI by managing the training schedule, coordinating training logistics with partnering agencies, and co-managing the bi-annual UCCI Training Institutes.
Mindy Schweitzer Smith
Center for Criminal Justice Research and Deputy Director, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
312 VPCADMIN
513-556-0856
Myrinda Schweitzer Smith received her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati and is a Sr. Research Associate and Deputy Director at the Corrections Institute in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Schweitzer's research interests include the assessment of correctional programs, the science of implementation and knowledge transfer, and more generally correctional treatment and rehabilitation. She has co-authored several publications, presented nationally and internationally on correctional interventions, and served as a project director for over 200 correctional projects. Specific topics of research and service include a state-wide correctional treatment program evaluation, the development and implementation of cognitive-behavioral programs for general delinquency, criminality, substance abuse, employment, and sexual offending, as well as recent initiatives to implement effective practices for community supervision and support.
Stephanie N. Spiegel
Sr Research Associate, Targeted RECLAIM Project, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
307 VPCADMIN
513-556-0721
Stephanie Spiegel is a PhD Candidate in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. She has research experience in program implementation and evaluation, evidence-based practices in corrections, qualitative analyses, and disproportionate minority contact (DMC). She currently manages the Targeted RECLAIM (TR) project, one of Ohio’s key initiatives to reduce youth recidivism and custodial placement, funded by the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS). As part of this effort, she provides on-going training, coaching, and implementation support to community agencies across the state. This technical assistance has been especially critical since many corrections professionals continue to experience considerable challenges related to “how to make it work” in their agencies. In addition to her work on TR, Stephanie is working on the Criminogenic Need and Violent Behavior Program curriculum. The goal of this curriculum is to support the Criminal Law Committee and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO) efforts to utilize evidence-based practices in the supervision of federal offenders in order to produce the greatest reduction in recidivism.
Tammy L. Dean
Research Associate, CECH SOCJ Corrections Institute
301 VPCADMIN
513-556-7765
Tammy Dean is the Director of Operations and a Research Associate with the University of Cincinnati’s Corrections Institute. Mrs. Dean has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell and has worked in the field of corrections since 2006.