Nearly 20 years ago, The Change Companies partnered with a legend to create a cognitive-behavioral curriculum for correctional populations. The legend’s name was Ed Latessa, and at the time he was heading up the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Ed’s research in the field – and the innovative solutions he came up with in response to his findings – had made him a pioneer even then, in 2003. By 2021, Edward J. Latessa was one of the most important names in criminal justice research. His legacy will continue as practices around risk-need-responsivity, evidence-based interventions and effective recidivism reduction strategies grow in the field of criminal justice.
The news of Ed’s death on January 11 has deeply saddened us, and our hearts go out to all who knew him, loved him, and learned from him. We were proud to call him a friend.
Ed, you’ll be deeply missed by our team. Thanks for all you taught us.
