Zachary Hamilton, Ph.D.
- Professor
- Associate Director, Nebraska Center for Justice Research
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- 218 CPACS | 6001 Dodge Street
- Omaha, NE 68182-0149
Additional Information
Research Interests
Zachary Hamilton, Ph.D. is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Associate Director of the Nebraska Center for Justice Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
His research centers on innovation in risk and needs assessment development. Specifically, Dr. Hamilton works directly with adult corrections and juvenile justice agencies to create assessments that are optimized for their agency’s needs.
These state-of-the art assessment tools are administered in dozens of states, hundreds of times a day, assisting correctional practitioners by guiding the provision of interventions and programming to improve the lives of those incarcerated and in the community.
Specifically, he has developed the Static Risk Offender Needs Guide - Revised (STRONG-R) for adult correctional populations, the Modified Positive Achievement Change Tool (MPACT) for youth, and working with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the federal Bureau of Prison (BOP), he developed the Prisoner Assessment Tool Targeting Estimated Risk and Needs (PATTERN) to be used as part of the First Step Act (FSA) by identifying non-violent individuals eligible for early release.
He has published over 50 journal articles, chapters, and books on risk and needs assessment, evidence-based practices, and correctional program efficacy. His work in developing risk-needs assessments were recently recognized by the American Society of Criminology, awarding him the 2023 Differential Intervention Award.
Additional Information
Research Interests
Zachary Hamilton, Ph.D. is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Associate Director of the Nebraska Center for Justice Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
His research centers on innovation in risk and needs assessment development. Specifically, Dr. Hamilton works directly with adult corrections and juvenile justice agencies to create assessments that are optimized for their agency’s needs.
These state-of-the art assessment tools are administered in dozens of states, hundreds of times a day, assisting correctional practitioners by guiding the provision of interventions and programming to improve the lives of those incarcerated and in the community.
Specifically, he has developed the Static Risk Offender Needs Guide - Revised (STRONG-R) for adult correctional populations, the Modified Positive Achievement Change Tool (MPACT) for youth, and working with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the federal Bureau of Prison (BOP), he developed the Prisoner Assessment Tool Targeting Estimated Risk and Needs (PATTERN) to be used as part of the First Step Act (FSA) by identifying non-violent individuals eligible for early release.
He has published over 50 journal articles, chapters, and books on risk and needs assessment, evidence-based practices, and correctional program efficacy. His work in developing risk-needs assessments were recently recognized by the American Society of Criminology, awarding him the 2023 Differential Intervention Award.