Who We Are
At Core Correctional Solutions (CCS) our goal is to guide the field of corrections and criminal justice through research, training, and innovation. We use the most advanced analytical and statistical methods to produce current and innovative research on “what works” in corrections today. Our mission is to support and empower agencies to utilize the most effective methods available to improve defendant and offender outcomes through decision making, program evaluations, risk assessments, and training. Our comprehensive training plans follow proven implementation methods to ensure fidelity and ongoing sustainability. Whether addressing the need of those at the pretrial, incarcerated, post-conviction, or re-entry stage, we understand the challenges and demands that administrators and staff face in working with this population.
Our Team
Core Correctional Solutions’ staff, sub-contractors and trainers have extensive expertise and experience in working in the criminal justice setting. All our trainers currently hold positions in the field managing caseloads, providing direct client supervision and treatment services, supervising staff, or fulfilling other administrative functions.
Dr. Christopher Lowenkamp, Senior Researcher
Christopher T. Lowenkamp is internationally regarded as an expert in offender risk assessment, supervision practices, and the evaluation of correctional interventions. Christopher received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati (UC). He has served as the director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research and the associate director of The Corrections Institute at UC.
Melanie Lowenkamp, Executive Director
Melanie has worked with agencies across the United States and abroad in training and implementing evidence based practices. She has trained over 2500 corrections professionals in using effective practices to improve communication, target criminogenic needs, and reduce recidivism. In addition to training, Melanie has developed professional materials including several curricula for use with pretrial, probation, parole, correctional officers, and treatment staff. Melanie has also developed instructional materials at the offender level, including offender worksheets to teach skill deficit and address thinking errors. Training and coaching expertise includes executive and supervisor level training, EPICS-II, STARR, IBIS, SAFE-domestic abuse curriculum, Thinking for a Change, Changing Offender Behavior (COB), Transitions, and Motivational enhancement.
Leslie Egen, MPA Director of Training & Implementation
Leslie leads CCS training and implementation teams and provides project management for all implementation efforts. Leslie received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University and earned her Master of Public Administration with a Concentration in Executive Leadership, from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to joining CCS Leslie had over 20 years of experience in the field of criminal justice and community corrections acting as a Deputy Sheriff, Probation & Parole Officer, Grant Writer, and an EBP/Community Corrections Training and Development Coordinator. Leslie assists in developing agency specific training and implementation materials and specializes in providing on-site training and skill coaching for staff at all levels. The bulk of her career was spent in the field as a probation and parole officer which lead her to specializing in assisting staff go from Core Correctional Practice skill acquisition to mastery of those skills through different coaching modalities. She currently directs trainings for line-staff, supervisors, and executives in Core Correctional Practices, EPICS II, IBIS, STARR, Motivational Interviewing basics and several other curriculums.
Brian Colgan, Director of Evidence Based Practices
Brian Colgan has worked as a probation officer since 1988 in both the county and federal systems. He earned a Bachelor degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology from Northern Arizona University. From 2008 to 2017, he was a Supervisory United States Probation Officer. From 2011to 2017, he worked on the implementation of evidence based practices in community corrections settings, both in the federal, state and county jurisdictions. His work has included training officers in Core Correctional Practices; coaching officers and reviewing their contact recordings; coordinating peer coaching groups; and creating curriculum for skill centric booster sessions. He has written about his work in this area in the Federal Probation Journal. He has conducted training in Motivational Interviewing and is certified to use the Motivation Interviewing Treatment Integrity scale. In November 2017, he began a new position as Division Director in Pinal County Adult Probation in Arizona.