Rate My Professor James McCafferty

James McCafferty is a Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Kennesaw State University. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati (2013), a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati (2007), and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Lycoming College (2003). His academic interests and research specializations encompass risk assessment instruments in juvenile justice, community corrections, juvenile corrections, offender victimization, correctional classification, campus gun policies, and cybersecurity education. McCafferty serves on the university's Institutional Review Board and contributes to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program as faculty.

McCafferty has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications advancing knowledge in his fields. Key works include 'Professional Discretion and the Predictive Validity of a Juvenile Risk Assessment Instrument: Exploring the Overlooked Principle of Effective Correctional Classification' (Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 2017), 'Unjust Disparities? The Impact of Race on Juvenile Risk Assessment Outcomes' (Criminal Justice Policy Review, 2016), 'Concealed Guns on College Campuses: Examining Support for Campus Carry Among Faculty, Staff, and Students' (Journal of School Violence, 2020, with Jennifer McMahon-Howard and Heidi Scherer), 'Examining the Effects of Passing a Campus Carry Law: Comparing Campus Safety Before and After Georgia’s New Campus Carry Law' (Journal of School Violence, 2021, with Jennifer McMahon-Howard and Heidi L. Scherer), 'Predictive Validity and Measurement Invariance in Juvenile Risk Assessment: Implications for Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice' (Journal of Crime and Justice, 2021, with Christopher J. Sullivan, Jamie Newsome, and Amber Mandalari), and 'Examining the Extent and Predictors of the Negative Impacts of a Campus Carry Law Among Faculty and Students' (Sociological Inquiry, 2022, with Heidi L. Scherer and Jennifer McMahon-Howard). Among his honors, he received the Outstanding Early Career Award and the Outstanding Online Teaching Award. In 2022, McCafferty was named a SunTrust Faculty Fellow for the grant 'Assessing the Needs for Cybercrime Educational Opportunities for Local Law Enforcement Agencies in Metro-Atlanta,' in collaboration with Michael Logan. His scholarship informs policy on risk assessment equity, campus safety, and corrections practices.