Professional Summary
I am a researcher and program evaluator with a passion for ensuring equal access to the justice system for everyone. I believe our justice system should be equitable, accountable, accessible, transparent, and effective, and I strive to use research, statistics, and business intelligence tools to bring us closer to each of these goals with every project I undertake.
With a Ph.D. in criminal justice, I am well-versed in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research, as well as data analytics. My experience has enabled me to conduct process and outcome evaluations, formative/developmental evaluations, and needs assessments in 13 states, including Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri.
In addition to evaluation work, I provide technical assistance on court program and policy development, training practices, and evidence-based practice communication for stakeholder audiences. My findings have been presented in civil court and have directly influenced legislative funding appropriations, program standards, and the creation of key performance indicators (KPIs) for court personnel.
Notably, I have validated risk assessment instruments (pretrial and post-conviction) and responsivity tools for several state departments of correction, informing their performance overall and by race, gender, and offense type when warranted.
My peer-reviewed research has appeared in leading criminal justice journals, and I serve on the editorial board for Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice.
Education
Ph.D.: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH, 2023 (Criminal Justice)
MA: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH, 2020 (Applied Research Methods)
Graduate Certificate: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH, 2020 (Assessment and Evaluation)
BA: Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL, 2015 (Psychology)
BA: Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL, 2015 (Sociology)
Research and Practice Interests
Program Development and Evaluation; Offender Assessment and Rehabilitation; Race, Gender, and Treatment of At-Risk Youth; Correctional Officer Occupational Coping and Training; Measurement and Scale Construction
Research Support
Toward an understanding of longevity in correctional officer careers: A grounded theory approach. Funded by the Center for Criminal Justice Research Role:Principal Investigator $1,000 Active Type:Grant
Professional judgments VS actuarial risk assessments: An examination of differential predictive validity Role:Principal Investigator $2,800 Completed Type:Grant
The differential contribution of criminal history to risk assessment across gender and race using the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory Role:Principal Investigator $3,000 Completed Type:Grant
The contribution of static and dynamic factors to recidivism prediction in Black and White youth offenders using the Ohio Youth Assessment System—Disposition Tool Role:Principal Investigator $3,000 Completed Type:Grant
An examination of pretrial risk assessments in Michigan: An application of Item Response Theory and Structural Equation Modeling Role:Principal Investigator $6,000 Completed Type:Grant
A validation of the Kentucky parole board assessment Role:Co-Principal Investigator $5,000 Completed Type:Contract
Drug and veterans' treatment court certification processes: An evaluability and process evaluation Role:Principal Investigator $11,000 Active Type:Contract
Publications
Peer Reviewed Publications
Miller, W. T., D'Amato, C. J., Petkus, A. A., Campbell, C. A., & Kiki, E. (2024. ) Examining Risk Factor and Recidivism Rate Differences Between Youth Adjudicated for Sex and Non-Sex Offenses: A Propensity Score Matching Approach.Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, , More Information
Burton, A. L., Harris, M. N., Wilkes, N., Puddy, H. N., & Miller, W. T. (2024. ) Understanding the mental calculus of a victim advisor: A survey experiment in the context of college campus sexual victimization.Psychology, Crime, and Law, , More Information
Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Miller, W. T., & Wang, J. (2023. ) Attitudinal schemas and academy training receptivity: A quasi-experimental study of prison officers.Journal of Experimental Criminology, , More Information
Campbell, C. A., Clark, B. L., Papp, J., Kiki, E., Miller, W. T., Gutierrez, L., Boateng, F., & Crusto, C. (2023. ) Crossover youth and juvenile justice: An examination of criminogenic risk and needs for offenders with child welfare history using the Ohio Youth Assessment System.Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, , More Information
Burton, A. L., Puddy, H. N., Hong, S., Burton, V. S., & Miller, W. T. (2023. ) College students' attitudes toward denying admission to prospective students with criminal records.Journal of School Violence, , More Information
Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Adkins, P. A., Zidar, C., & Miller, W. T. (2023. ) A Pretest-Posttest Evaluation of Academy Training and Fear of Beginning a Correctional Officer Career.Federal Probation, , More Information
Smith, M. S., Miller, W. T., & D'Amato, C. J. (2023. ) Engaging influencers: A model for prosocial support .Journal of Community Justice, ,
Engaging Influencers: A Model for Prosocial Support
Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Petrich, D., & Miller, W. T. (2023. ) Nefarious and disconcerting motivations for choosing a correctional officer position: A deviant case method approach.Criminal Justice and Behavior, , More Information
Miller, W. T., Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Burton, V. S., & Adkins, P. A. (2023. ) A multi-state outcome evaluation of correctional officer training academies: A pretest-posttest design.Justice Evaluation Journal, , More Information
Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., & Miller, W. T. (2023. ) Elevating the rehabilitation orientations of the correctional officer workforce: Implications for recruitment and hiring.Corrections: Policy, Practice, and Research, , More Information
Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Barnes, J. C., Miller, W. T., & Burton, V. S. (2022. ) Training as an opportunity for change: A pretest-posttest study of pre-service correctional officer orientations.Journal of Experimental Criminology, , More Information
Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Miller, W. T., & Cook, R. (2022. ) Likely to stay or bound to leave? Exploring prior work histories of correctional officer recruits .Corrections Today, ,
Likely to stay or bound to leave? Exploring prior work histories of correctional officer recruits
Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Miller, W. T., Petrich D., & Burton, V. S. (2022. ) Understanding who is hired to work in U.S. prisons and why it matters: A call for research.Corrections: Policy, Practice, and Research, , More Information
Miller, W. T., & Sullivan, C. J. (2023. ) An Item-Level Examination of a Youth Assessment: Practical Implications of Alternate Measurement and Analytic Procedures.Journal of Forensic Psychology, Research, and Practice, , More Information
Miller, W. T., Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., & Burton, V. S. (2022. ) The creation of a correctional officer trainee self-efficacy index: An application of item response theory.Journal of Forensic Psychology, Research, and Practice, , More Information
Miller, W. T., Campbell, C. A., Papp, J., & Ruhland, E. (2022. ) The Contribution of Static and Dynamic Factors to Recidivism Prediction for Black and White Youth Offenders.Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, , More Information
D'Amato, C., Campbell, C. A., Papp, J., & Miller, W. T. (2021. ) Profile Analysis and Risk Assessment: Identifying Distinct Patterns of Risks and Needs. More Information
Papp, J., Campbell, C. A., & Miller, W. T. (2020. ) Validation and examination of the Ohio Youth Assessment System with juvenile sex offenders.Criminology and Public Policy, , More Information
Campbell, C. A., Miller, W. T., Papp, J., Barnes, A. R., Onifade, E., & Anderson, V. R. (2018. ) Assessing Intervention Needs of Juvenile Probationers: An Application of Latent Profile Analysis to a Risk-Need-Responsivity Assessment Model.Criminal Justice and Behavior, , More Information
Burton, A.L., Lux, J.L., Cullen, F.T., Miller, W.T., & Burton, V.S. (2018. ) Creating a Model Correctional Officer Training Academy: Implications from a National Survey.Federal Probation, , More Information
Miller, W. T., Campbell, C. A., & Larnell, T. (2021. ) Bias detected? An examination of criminal history using the OYAS-DIS for girls and black youth.Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, , More Information
Published Books
Miller, W.T. (2021. ) Regression discontinuity in criminal justice research .The encyclopedia of research methods in criminology and criminal justice , John Wiley & Sons
Miller, W.T. (2021. ) Risk assessment research: An examination of nomenclature, research questions, and analytic strategies .The encyclopedia of research methods in criminology and criminal justice , John Wiley & Sons
Campbell, C.A., & Miller, W.T. (2018. ) A review of juvenile risk assessments across race/ethnicity .Oxford encyclopedia of criminology , Oxford University Press
Technical Reports
Miller, W.T., & Poppino, N. (2022. ) 2022 judicial recruitment bar survey report and findings .Idaho Supreme Court,
Ruhland, E., Petkus, A. A., Leigh, K., & Miller, W.T. (2022. ) An assessment of COVID-19 responses by probation departments .
Ruhland, E., Petkus, A.A., Miller, W.T., & Leigh, K. (2022. ) Texas state report for Arnold Ventures community corrections fines and fees study .
Miler, W.T. & Ruhland, E. (2021. ) Report on the Kentucky Parole Board Assessment .
Miller, W.T., & Burton, A.L. (2020. ) A process and outcome evaluation of Alabama correctional officer training academies .
Miller, W.T., & Burton, A.L. (2020. ) A process and outcome evaluation of Missouri correctional officer training academies .
Miller, W.T., Burton, A.L., & D'Amato, C. (2019. ) A process and outcome evaluation of Illinois correctional officer training academies .
Other Information
Contact Information
Research - millewt@mail.uc.edu