Rate My Professor Amber Laffin

Dr. Amber Laffin is Chair and Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Bemidji State University, where she has served since joining as an Assistant Professor in 2018. In her leadership role, she oversees departmental operations, including faculty, staff, and student resources such as internships, the Criminal Justice Club, and the Criminal Justice Learning Community. Laffin maintains an active teaching portfolio focused on core areas of the criminal justice system. Her courses include Community Corrections, Principles of Criminal Justice Supervision, Corrections and Penology, Criminal Justice and Domestic Violence, and Criminal Justice Research Methods and Statistics. These classes equip students with practical knowledge and analytical skills essential for careers in corrections, supervision, and related fields.

Before entering academia, Laffin accumulated substantial professional experience in community corrections, working in probation, parole, and intensive supervised release programs in Minnesota and Wyoming. She managed challenging caseloads, including adult felony enhanced supervision, domestic violence cases, and sex offenders. Her educational qualifications support her expertise: a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Dakota, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and completion of all but dissertation requirements for a Doctorate in Criminal Justice from Northcentral University. Laffin contributes to the broader field as a certified reviewer for the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, aiding in the accreditation of criminal justice programs. She has presented scholarly work at national conferences, such as the American Probation and Parole Association on an exploratory analysis of the implementation gap in risk and needs assessments by probation officers—covering tools like the LS/CMI, qualitative interviews, and the eight criminogenic needs—and at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences annual meeting on the state of parole decision-making processes in the United States. Additionally, she has redesigned a course on Criminal Justice and Domestic Violence as part of an Open Educational Resources project showcase.