Deborah
Koetzle
Professor
Phone number
212-621-3758
Room number
636.16 Haaren Hall
Education

Ph.D. University of Cincinnati
M.A. Indiana State University
B.S. Indiana State University

Bio

Deborah (Debi) Koetzle is Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice.  She received her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2006 and is a research fellow with the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute. Her research focuses on effective correctional interventions, including the use of risk/need assessments, prison and community-based interventions, and problem-solving courts. Currently, she is the principal investigator on an INL-funded project (S-INLEC21GR3106) designed to survey inmates in Central America on their experience with the rule of law and living in prison. Other funded research activities have included the development and evaluation of a specialized supervision unit in New York City, the evaluation of reentry programs in Nevada, and an INL-funded project in El Salvador to reduce overcrowding in Salvadoran prisons. She has over 20 years of experience designing and delivering training curricula related to correctional interventions for community and prison-based settings and is a certified master trainer on multiple risk/need assessments. She has provided technical assistance to local, state, and federal agencies including the United States Administrative Office of the Courts, the Singapore Prison System, the Nevada Department of Corrections, and the Los Angeles County Department of Probation.  Her research has appeared in Justice Quarterly, the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, and other scholarly outlets.  She is editor of Drug Courts and the Criminal Justice System and author of What Works (and Doesn’t) in Reducing Recidivism, 2nd edition.

JJC Affiliations
Criminal Justice PhD Program; Criminal Justice MA Program
Professional Memberships
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences American Society of Criminology European Society of Criminology International Academy of Law and Mental Health International Corrections & Prisons Association  
Scholarly Work

Latessa, E. J., Listwan, S. J. & Koetzle, D. (2020). What works (and doesn’t) in reducing recidivism, 2nd edition. New York:Routledge.   

Guastaferro, W.P., Koetzle, D.,  Lutgen, L., & Teasdale, B. (2022). Opioid use disorder and criminal justice: Predicting the use of OAT within a justice involved population. Substance Use and Misuse.

Schwalbe, C.S.J. & Koetzle, D. (2021).  What the COVID-19 pandemic teaches about the essential functions of community corrections and supervision. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 48(9), 1300-1316.

Koetzle, D. & Matthews, B. (2020). Social capital: The forgotten responsivity factor. European Journal of Probation, 12(3), 219-237.https://doi.org/10.1177/2066220320976110

Mellow, J., Koetzle, D.  & Vazquez, L.  (2019). Assessing Criminological Technical Teams to reduce overcrowding in Salvadoran prisons.  Revista de la Maestría en Administración Pública, 2, 203-232.

 

 

Honors and Awards
2022 Marguerite Q. Warren and Ted B. Palmer Differential Intervention Award, American Society of Criminology 2020 Visiting Researcher, University of Chile 2019 Honorary Scholar, University of Melbourne 2018 City & State Above and Beyond Award for Outstand Women in Education 

2014 Mid-Career Research Award, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Research Summary

My research interests center around correctional rehabilitation with an emphasis on evaluating and improving program policy and practice to improve the outcomes of individuals under correctional supervision, both in the US and in central and south America. Current projects include:

  • Assessing adherence to the Rule of Law in Central American prisons.  In collaboration with UCA and Rowan University, we are interviewiing individuals living in prison in Central America to determine how closely their lived experiences in prison align with rule of law indicators
  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of domestic violence risk assessments. In contrast to prior meta-analyses, our focus is on considering the utility of these instruments within the context of pre-trial detention.  
  • Remote supervision and community corrections. Building on the Covid-19 Community Corrections Survey (Schwalbe & Koetzle, 2021) we are exploring themes associated with the use of video supervision with probation and parole contexts. 
  • Racial Equity and Community Corrections. Using a sample of 30 probation and parole officers, we are exploring perceptions of racial equity and how this understanding influences correctional practice.
  • Assessing adolescent comprehension and understanding of probation conditions and its impact on compliance. Working with New York City Department of Probation, we are planning an experimental study to test the relationship between comprehenision and short-term compliance, and whether comprehension can be enhanced with specialized interview techniques.