Dr. John Watts is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Criminal Justice and Restorative Justice Program at the University of Saint Joseph. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Russell Sage College, where he teaches in the Criminal Justice and Community Corrections Program. Dr. Watts is a retired Chief Probation Officer with 20 years of experience at the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, Court Support Services Division (CSSD).

He is a certified instructor with the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council and a nationally recognized trainer and consultant with Policy Research Associates and the Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP). Dr. Watts is also a certified trauma trainer with the SAMHSA GAINS Center, where he supports trauma-informed care initiatives within correctional and community-based systems.

Dr. Watts earned his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Charter Oak State College, a master’s degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from Albertus Magnus College, and a doctorate in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University.