Dr. Cheryl Lero Jonson, Ph.D.
Dr. Cheryl Lero Jonson is the Chair and a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Xavier University, where she brings vast academic expertise and a deep passion for student-centered teaching. With nearly 100 published works, Dr. Jonson is a leading voice in the study of corrections, public opinion, and school safety. She is co-author of Correctional Theory: Context and Consequences (2017, 2nd edition, Sage Publications) and co-editor of The American Prison: Imaging a Different Future (2014, Sage Publications) and Downsizing Prisons (Special Issue, Victims & Offenders – vol. 10, issue 4). Her research also appears in the top journals in the field, and she is frequently invited to contribute to national conversations about how to improve our criminal justice system and keep children and the public safe from mass shooting events.
Her current research on correctional officer recruitment, training, and retention directly informs national policy conversations. In 2023, she was invited to Washington, DC to advise correctional leaders from across the country. And beyond the classroom, her work is featured in both scholarly journals and practical outlets like Corrections Today and The Dallas Morning News, bridging the gap between research and real-world change.
At Xavier, she gives students rare, hands-on opportunities to explore the real-world impact of criminal justice policies and practices. As an Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program instructor, Dr. Jonson has led more than 15 innovative courses that bring Xavier students and incarcerated individuals together to learn side-by-side inside correctional facilities. These transformative experiences challenge assumptions, build empathy, and prepare students for careers where they can truly make a difference.
Dr. Jonson also mentors students interested in research, guiding them in exploring big questions about justice, rehabilitation, and public safety. Her leadership in the field includes serving as Executive Counselor for the American Society of Criminology’s Division on Corrections and Sentencing and Chair of the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Public Opinion & Policy.
Outside of Xavier, Dr. Jonson enjoys exploring all that Cincinnati has to offer and traveling overseas.