Alexandra Walker, PhD

Dr. Alexandra Walker has over 20 years of experience and offers a diverse background in corrections, reentry reform, training/education, implementation science, and substance use and mental health treatment. She has worked with juveniles and adults, law enforcement and victim advocates, at the state and local level. With a Master’s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a PhD from Colorado State University (CSU) she has managed several agency specific and statewide implementation projects involving evidence-based practices and policies and has with several federal, state, and locally funded research projects involving a wide range of criminological topics. Previously she has served as the Vice Chair for the Colorado Board of Parole and is currently a Director and founding member of the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation where she supports effective implementation of evidence-based practices and other reform initiatives in agencies large and small.

Dr. Walker has developed, implemented, and measured fidelity of evidence-based practices and programming within community based and institutional programs across the country. She is well versed in community corrections programming in Colorado and is a published researcher on reentry and justice programming. In addition to her knowledge and expertise of the Colorado justice system, the science of implementation, and fidelity tool development and measurement, Dr. Walker is a skilled facilitator, public speaker, and implementer. She is the primary facilitator of the Implementation Leadership Academy and serves as an organizational coach for leadership teams. Dr. Walker specializes in facilitating small and large group workshops and engagement events to identify and address organizational alignment barriers that impede outcomes.

  1. Evidence based practices in corrections and reentry
  2. Implementation Science
  3. Structured Decision Making Tools
  4. Community based corrections
  5. Organizational alignment
  • Four Pillars of Effective Implementation. Hosted virtual, live webinar. 2021
  • Why Your Why Is Not Enough. American Probation and Parole Association. Boston, MA. 2021
  • Kicking Water Up a Hill: Effecting Real World Change in Complex Systems. Association of Paroling Authorities International Conference. Arlington, TX. 2021
  • Inside the Hearing Decision: Parole Board Hearings as Opportunities for Feedback. Association of Paroling Authorities International Conference. Arlington, TX. 2021
  • Appreciative Thinking in Times of Crisis. Hosted virtual, live webinar. 2020
  • Implementation Science Simplified. Division of Criminal Justice Office of Community Corrections Annual Conference. Lakewood, CO. 2020
  • You Can’t Read the Label from Inside the Jar: 10 Disruptive Truths about Criminology, Implementation Science, and Real World Organizational Change. California Board of Parole. 2019
  • Look Into My Eyes: The necessity of the parole hearing interview process and our accuracy evaluating accountability and remorse. Association of Paroling Authorities International Winter Training Conference. Incline Village, NV. 2018
  • It’s My Job! Social Identity and Explicit Bias in Criminal Justice Decision-making. California Board of Parole. 2018
  • It’s My Job! Social Identity and Explicit Bias in Criminal Justice Decision-making. American Probation and Parole Association Winter Training Conference. Houston, TX. 2018
  • Decisions, Decisions: Bias and the Utility of Structured Decision Making. Colorado Association of Community Corrections Boards. Denver, CO. 2018
  • Unlocking the Black Box of the Parole Board. Colorado Collaborative Justice Conference. Denver, CO. 2017
  • EBP Progress Report with Alexandra Walker and Dr. Evan Crist. Presented at the American Probation and Parole 40thAnnual Training Institute. 2015
  • Implementation Simplified: Using Evidence Based Principles to Breakdown the Implementation Process with Alexandra Walker and Dr. Brad Bogue. Presented at the Colorado Collaborative Justice Conference. 2015
  • Know your IMPACT: Assessing your ability to impact staff and clients with Alexandra Walker and Dr. Evan Crist. Presented at the Colorado Collaborative Justice Conference. 2015
  • EBP Simplified with Alexandra Walker. Presented at the Division of Criminal Justice annual Community Corrections Conference. 2015
  • EBP Simplified with Alexandra Walker. Presented at the Division of Criminal Justice annual Community Corrections Conference. 2014
  • Raising the Bar for Halfway Houses: Assessing Colorado Community Corrections Programs with Alexandra Naday Walker and Valarie Schamper. Presented at the 142nd Annual Meeting of the American Correctional Association, Denver, CO. 2012
  • Understanding the Nature and Extent of Pharmaceutical Robbery and Burglary with Tara Shelley and Alexandra Naday Walker. Paper presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Academy Western Society of Criminology, Vancouver, BC. 2011
  • The Propensity for Change: A Study of Case Manager Attitudes towards Client Supervision with Makenzie Molitor and Alexandra Naday Walker. Paper presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Academy Western Society of Criminology, Vancouver, BC. 2011
  • Unresolved Homicides: A Survey of Local Law Enforcement Agencies with Prabha Unnithan, Alexandra Naday, and Michael Hogan. Paper presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, San Diego, CA. 2010
  • The Elusive Data on Supermax Confinement with Alexandra Naday, Joshua Freilich, & Jeff Mellow. Paper presented at the 59th annual meeting of the American Society of Criminologists (ASC) Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA: November. 2007

Audio and Video Publications

  • Walker, Alexandra. “Episode 83: Our Interview with Dr. Alex Walker of the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation.” The Criminologist Podcast. Podcast audio, November, 2021. 
  • Walker, Alexandra. “Title Pending.” Coffee and Community. Podcast audio, December, 2021. 

Learn More

Alexandra Walker

Dr. Alexandra Walker has over 20 years of corrections experience where she is a published researcher, skilled facilitator, and organizational coach for leadership teams across the country. As a steward of the science of implementation, Dr. Walker works with agencies large and small to leverage their highest impact strategies through organizational alignment and effective implementation practices.

Dr. Walker discusses the Five Dynamics of Effective Implementation

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