Nick Powell, PhD

nicholas.powell@dcs.ga.gov

Summary

Dr. Nicholas K. Powell, a distinguished scholar and strategic planner, currently serves as the Director of Strategic Planning & Analysis at the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) while holding the position of Professor of Criminal Justice at Georgia Southern University. With a robust academic background, including a Ph.D. in Sociology with Urban and Health Specializations from Georgia State University, Dr. Powell has dedicated his professional life to unraveling the complexities of crime within societal contexts.

Having transitioned from roles like a Juvenile Probation Officer to his current leadership position, Dr. Powell's expertise lies in understanding the intricate intersections of legal system involvement and contextual factors like addiction, homelessness, and mental health. His tenure at the DCS showcases his commitment to crafting evidence-based strategies, managing the agency's strategic plan, and supervising research, policy, and grant projects, all aimed at enhancing criminal justice outcomes and aligning practices with empirical evidence.

Dr. Powell's career spans impactful roles at various governmental entities, including the Georgia Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice. His dedication to academia is evident through his teaching roles at Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, and Columbus State University's Command College, where he developed and delivered crucial curricula in Criminal Justice, Public Safety Administration, and Strategic Planning & Policy Development.

As an accomplished author and grant recipient, Dr. Powell has contributed significantly to scholarly publications and received grants that have furthered the understanding of mental health supervision within the criminal justice system. His involvement in professional associations, peer review activities, and high-profile presentations, such as keynotes at international symposiums and TEDx talks, underscores his standing as a thought leader in criminal justice reform and strategic forecasting.

Dr. Powell's contributions extend beyond academia, marked by his active participation in advisory councils, federal grant reviews, and collaborative initiatives bridging mental health professionals with law enforcement. His extensive list of presentations and invited talks, coupled with numerous certificates and awards for his leadership and grant writing prowess, solidifies his reputation as a transformative figure in criminal justice innovation. 

Curriculum Vitae

Education

• 2018 - Ph.D. Georgia State University, Sociology with Urban and Health Specializations

• 2012 - M.P.A. Columbus State University, Public Administration with Justice Concentration

• 2009 - B.S. The University of West Georgia, Criminology with Psychology Minor

Professional experience

• Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS):

  • 2018 - present: Director, Office of Strategic Planning & Analysis, Atlanta, GA

  • 2017 - 2018: Data Analyst, Office of Strategic Planning & Research, Atlanta, GA

  • 2016 - 2017: Media Relations Specialist,  Public Affairs, Atlanta, GA

  • 2014 - 2016: Assistant Chief, Atlanta, GA 

• Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC):

  • 2013 - 2014: Mental  HealthProbation Officer Specialist, Columbus, GA

  • 2011 - 2013: Probation Officer I/II, Columbus, GA

• Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ):

  • 2009 - 2011: Juvenile Probation/Parole Specialist II (JPPS II), Columbus, GA

Teaching experience

• 2023 - present: Georgia Southern University - Adjunct Professor, Criminal Systems for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology

• 2022 - 2023: Georgia State University (GSU) - Adjunct Professor, Corrections for the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology

• 2018 - 2022: Columbus State University (CSU) Command College - Adjunct Professor

• 2012 - present: Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) - General Instructor

• 2012 - 2017: Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) - Facilitator, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Atlanta, GA

Publications and grants

• Powell, N. (2023). Person-Centered Supervision: Putting Principles into Practice. Perspectives, 47(1) . American Probation and Parole Association (APPA).

• Lattimore, P. K., Powell, N., Inkpen, C., & Tueller, S. (2023). Building a better risk assessment algorithm: An RTI-Georgia Department of Community Supervision undertaking. Division on Corrections & Sentencing Spring 2023 Newsletter.

• Powell, N., Gunter, A., Roberts, M., & Van Deinse, T. (In Review). “Specialized Mental Health Supervision: Revocations and Risk Composition.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Behavior.

• Powell, N. & Van Deinse, T. (In Review). “Georgia Department of Community Supervision (US).” In Durnescu, Ian, Faye S. Taxman, & James M. Byrne, eds., Handbook on Global Community Corrections (1st ed.). Routledge.

• Powell, N., & Van Deinse, T. (2022). “Enhancing Specialized Mental Health Supervision with a Clinical Case Consultation Model.” Justice Mental Health Collaboration Program. Other Agencies Involved -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). Amount Awarded: $550,000.

• Powell, N. & Gayman, M. (2020). The Mental Health of Community Correctional Officers: Supervising Persons with Serious Mental Illness. Journal of Criminal Justice, 33(2), 135-152.

• Gayman, M., Powell, N., & Bradley, M. (2018). Probation/Parole Officer Psychological Well-Being: The Impact of Supervising Persons with Mental Health Needs. The American Journal of Criminal Justice. 43: 509-529.

• Powell, N. (2017). “Day Reporting Center (DRC) Evaluation and Criminal Justice Reform Data Repository.” Justice Reinvestment Initiative Subaward. Other Agencies Involved -- University of Georgia (UGA), Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC), and the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). Amount Awarded: $497,446.41.

Professional activities and service

• Virtual Academy Advisory Council: Council of StateGovernments (CSG). Virtual Academy for Correctional Analysts, 2023 - present

• Academic Journal Reviewer: Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2018 - present

• Federal Grant Reviewer: Office of Justice Programs (OJP), 2018 - present

• Professional Peer Reviewer: National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Meta-Analysis of the 2022 NIJ Forecasting Challenge Winning Reports, 2023; The PEW Charitable Trusts. Mental Health & Probation Report: 2023

Presentations and invited talks

• 2023: Strategic Collaboration: Transforming Theory into Reality when Making Forecasting Decisions in Criminal Justice. Keynote Speaker. International Symposium on Forecasting (ISF). Charlottesville, VA.

• 2022: Person-Centered Supervision: Forecasting Criminal Justice Outcomes While Reducing Negative Consequences. International Symposium on Forecasting (ISF). Oxford, England.

• 2022: Forecasting Criminal Justice Outcomes While Reducing Negative Consequences. American Society of Criminology (ASC). Atlanta, GA.

• 2022: The Experience of People with Mental Health Needs on Community Supervision in Georgia. National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP). Virtual.

• 2021: Improving Criminal Justice with Four Mindset Shifts. TEDx: Decatur, GA.

• 2020: Leveraging Technology for Quality Supervision. American Probation and Parole Association (APPA): New Orleans, LA.

• 2019: Reentry on My Mind: The Georgia Prisoner Reentry Initiative. The 4th World Congress on Probation: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

• 2018: Trauma with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases. Georgia Commission on Family Violence (GCFV). Jekyll Island, GA.

• 2018: Compassion Fatigue in Community Supervision. Georgia Professional Association of Community Supervision (GPACS): Young Harris, GA.

• 2017: Supervisees with Serious Mental Illness and Officer Psychological Well-Being. American Probation and Parole Association (APPA): Houston, TX.

• 2016: The Mental Health of Officers Supervising Persons with Serious Mental Illness. Georgia State University (GSU): Atlanta, GA.

Certificates and awards

• Implementation Leadership Academy (ACJI) - 2023

• Grant Writing Certificate (UGA) - 2018

• Commissioner’s Leadership Coin (DCS) - 2017

• Outstanding Service Award (DCS) - 2016

• Probation Officer of the Quarter (GDC) - 2013

Memberships and affiliations

Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI), American Society of Criminology (ASC), American Sociological Association (ASA), American Probation and Parole Association (APPA), Georgia Professional Association of Community Supervision (GPACS), and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)