Dr. Cunningham is the recipient of the prestigious 2019 American Correctional Association Peter P. Lejins Research Award. This annual award is the highest honor bestowed by the American Correctional Association upon a corrections researcher. The award honors an “individual who has produced significant research for the correctional community and has demonstrated personal commitment and contribution to improve the profession of corrections.” Dr. Cunningham and his co-investigators have performed research on a number of important issues in departments of corrections in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon, and Texas, as well as in the federal Bureau of Prisons. Dr. Cunningham was honored at an awards luncheon during the 2019 ACA Winter Conference in New Orleans in January.

Download a description of the corrections research projects forming a basis for this award.