Since joining the IBR faculty in 1991, Kevin Knight’s career has focused on researching substance-using criminal justice populations. He has served as the Principal Investigator (PI) on several research projects funded by NIDA (the National Institute of Drug Abuse), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the National Institute of Corrections. He has also served as the TCU PI on a major NIDA Cooperative Agreement called Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS); a multisite project spanning over 12 years and focused on testing strategies to improve the implementation of evidence-based practices within a criminal justice setting. He currently serves as one of the Multiple PIs on one of two HEAL projects – the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network or JCOIN project.
EDUCATION
1988-91: Texas Christian University, Fort Worth: Ph.D. (Experimental Psychology)
1985-88: Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX: M.A. (Experimental Psychology)
1981-85: Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX: B.A. (Psychology and Religion)
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Health Policy, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Infectious Diseases, Social Sciences
Age-Friendly Integrative Mobile Services: A 4Ms Pilot for Community-Dwelling Older Adults Kimberly Posey, Gina Alexander, Amanda Sease, Bekki McKintosh, Marcus Zavala, et al. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 2026 Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of Age-Friendly Integrative Mobile Services (AIMS), a community-based model guided by the 4Ms Framework to address complex needs of underserved older adults aging in place. Method: This longitudinal pilot enrolled adults aged ≥65 years who received in-home assessments, a mobile health unit visit, and follow-up encounters at 1 and 3 months. Nurse practitioner–pharmacist collaboration supported medication reviews and personalized care planning. Results: Seven participants enrolled (mean age = 70 years). Frequent needs included transportation, home modifications, food insecurity, and legal aid. Three participants showed possible cognitive impairment and four were at risk for falls. All received social prescriptions aligned with goals. Interprofessional collaboration resulted in deprescribing and tailored education to improve adherence. Follow up showed increased engagement with services. Conclusion: The AIMS pilot demonstrated feasibility and acceptability of a nurse-led, person-centered model. Community-based, age-friendly care may address disparities and promote safe aging in place.
Does Criminal History Predict Pre-Incarceration Substance Use and Substance Use Treatment Need Among People in Prison? Thomas B. Sease, Renee Castillo, Dave Olson, Jennifer Becan, Patrick Carabell, et al. Criminal Justice Review, 2026 This paper investigated the degree to which legally-involved individuals’ criminal history was related to their responses on a validated screener for substance use. Using data from 56,000 people released from the Illinois Department of Corrections, this study examined whether prior arrests, arrests for violent crimes, and arrests for drug-law crimes were associated with substance use prior to prison, the identification of which drug caused the individual the most serious problems, and need for substance use treatment. Most of the relationships between criminal history indicators and self-reported substance use were weak. The exception to this trend was a moderate-to-strong correlation between methamphetamine arrests and methamphetamine use, which may reflect how rural jurisdictions in Illinois are using prison as a response to crime. This paper highlights the importance of drug screening to identify drug use problems and treatment need rather than relying solely on criminal history and drug law violations.
Bridging beauty and wellness: examining beauty professionals’ comfort in discussing sexual health Stephanie Villaire, Savannah Hastings, McKynzie Johnson, Quinceola Reid, Sakina Ghafoor, et al. Frontiers in Reproductive Health, 2026 Background Gaps in sexual health service uptake and education disproportionately effect Black women in the United States. Education is crucial to increasing health service uptake, and new avenues to provide education are continuously being developed. This current study examines beauty professionals’ comfort in discussing important women's health topics with their clients and explores their potential role as community health advocates. Methods A total of 38 beauty professionals in Tarrant and Dallas counties, Texas completed a needs assessment survey. Descriptive statistics, t -tests, and correlation analyses were used to explore levels of comfort and frequency in discussing health topics, factors influencing willingness to engage in these conversations, and perceived barriers within beauty shop settings. Results Beauty professionals reported significantly greater comfort in discussing health topics than the actual frequency with which these conversations occur. Key factors associated with increased engagement included comfort with sharing health information and the perceived importance of clients’ access to healthcare services. Identified barriers included stigma, concerns about privacy, and a lack of confidence or training in providing health information. Conclusions Findings highlight several factors that may inhibit health-related conversations in beauty settings. The results underscore the potential for targeted interventions to support beauty professionals as trusted health messengers within their communities.
A Latent Profile Analysis of Substance Use and Post-Traumatic Stress on Substance Use Treatment Outcomes Among People Involved with the Justice System Thomas B. Sease, Amanda L. Wiese, Kevin Knight Journal of Drug Issues, 2025 This study used latent profile analysis to classify legally-involved persons in substance use treatment into mutually exclusive groups based on their clinical presentation of substance use and post-traumatic stress. Predictors of group membership were tested, and group classification was evaluated as a predictor of engagement in substance use treatment. There was a significant amount of variability in substance use and post-traumatic stress symptomatology at the start of treatment. Clients’ symptoms were classified into four groups: (1) high substance use, low trauma, (2) low substance use high trauma, (3) high substance use, high trauma, and (4) low substance use, low trauma. Psychological distress was the primary predictor of group classification and profile membership was differentially related to treatment engagement. Together, these results can be used to inform screening tools, assessment protocols, and adaptive treatment models to better serve people in the legal system experiencing comorbid substance use and post-traumatic stress.
The Effectiveness of the StaySafe Intervention Using a Paradigm for Predicting Missing Outcome Data George W. Joe, Wayne E. K. Lehman, Yang Yang, Kevin Knight Evaluation and the Health Professions, 2025 Sample attrition is a confounding issue in the analysis of data collected in follow-up studies. The present study uses a regression procedure that includes a propensity score as a predictor in estimating imputed data. The utility of the procedure was addressed by comparing results from this augmented data with those from the original data. Data were from a randomized controlled study testing the utility of a tablet-based intervention designed to improve decision-making with respect to health risk behaviors. Outcomes included self-reported testing for HIV, STD, and hepatitis. Two samples were used (163 in community facilities and 348 in residential facilities). Seventy-eight in the community sample and 238 in the residential sample completed follow-up surveys. Propensity scores based on a stepwise logistic regression were used to make the calibration sample and the missing data sample as close as possible. Multilevel analysis was performed for each outcome and multiple imputation compared estimated mean differences for the augmented and original analyses. The model imputing missing data was effective for the three outcomes and increased power. Least square mean differences between augmented and original data appeared to be essentially the same for most of the outcomes. This protocol has been registered with https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/(NCT02777086).
Substance Use and Justice-Involved Individuals: Improving Practice1 Federal Probation, 2019
Facilitating Self-exploration and Behavioral Change Associated with HIV Risk Reduction: A Qualitative Study of Individuals on Probation and Their Experiences Using a Decision-Making App Federal Probation, 2019
The Validity of TCU Drug Screen 5 for Identifying Substance Use Disorders among Justice-Involved Youth Federal Probation, 2019
Gender Differences in a Disease Risk Reduction Intervention for People in Prison-based Substance Abuse Treatment Federal Probation, 2019
An Evaluation of an In-prison Therapeutic Community: Treatment Needs and Recidivism Federal Probation, 2019
Trauma-informed intervention to reduce substance use and to support community transition [TRUST]: Study protocol for a type 1 effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial to … M Staton, J Annett, P Carey, Y Yang, O Jones, L Bills, TK Logan, M Tillson, ... Trials , 2026 2026
Age-friendly integrative mobile services: A 4Ms pilot for community-dwelling older adults K Posey, G Alexander, A Sease, B McKintosh, M Zavala, F Gentea, ... Journal of Gerontological Nursing 52 (3), 14-20 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of the Substance Use and Health Risk Intervention (SUHRI) for Youth on Probation TB Sease, J Becan, B Preston, R Proffitt, D Knight, K Knight Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Use, 1-12 , 2026 2026
From Referrals to Relationships: Reframing Engagement as an Implementation Strategy and Outcome in Age-Friendly Care AL Sease, K Posey, GK Alexander, FN Gentea, E Olabisi, BD Drenowatz, ... Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 1-16 , 2026 2026
Does Criminal History Predict Pre-Incarceration Substance Use and Substance Use Treatment Need Among People in Prison? TB Sease, R Castillo, D Olson, J Becan, P Carabell, M Malecka, K Knight Criminal Justice Review, 07340168261428823 , 2026 2026
Comprehensive Needs Among Justice-Involved People With Substance Use History With or at Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus JH Choi, S Patil, R Brooks, L Hansen, Z Pulitzer, J Pankow, R Colon, ... Journal of Correctional Health Care 31 (5), 307-317 , 2025 2025
A Latent Profile Analysis of Substance Use and Post-Traumatic Stress on Substance Use Treatment Outcomes Among People Involved With the Justice System TB Sease, AL Wiese, K Knight Journal of Drug Issues 55 (4), 652-671 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
The Effectiveness of the StaySafe Intervention Using a Paradigm for Predicting Missing Outcome Data GW Joe, WEK Lehman, Y Yang, K Knight Evaluation & the Health Professions 48 (3), 374-383 , 2025 2025
Process Assessment of Correctional Treatment (PACT), Final Project Report ML Hiller, K Knight, SR Rao, DD Simpson CrimRxiv , 2025 2025
A qualitative examination of barriers and facilitators to HIV prevention and treatment for people involved with the criminal justice system S Villaire, T Sease, J Pankow, A Bennett, Z Pulitzer, L Hansen, C Frank, ... Health & Justice 13 (1), 37 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Strategies for Improving Police Response Models Involving Opioid Overdoses and Overdose Deaths TB Sease, W Lehman, J Pankow, J Charlier, R Castillo, J Becan, K Knight Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Human Rights and Science 7 (2-8) , 2025 2025
Policy changes to improve service access: Best practices for researchers engaging with criminal justice partners AL Wiese, PD Carey, JE Becan, C Wood, K Knight Journal of Correctional Health Care 31 (1), 11-16 , 2025 2025
Bridging beauty and wellness: examining beauty professionals’ comfort in discussing sexual health S Villaire, S Hastings, MK Johnson, Q Reid, S Ghafoor, PD Carey, ... Frontiers in Reproductive Health 7, 1688125 , 2025 2025
A Comparison of HIV Knowledge, Sex Risk Reduction, HIV Services & Testing, and Risk Reduction Skills in the WaySafe and StaySafe Interventions G Joe, TB Sease, W Lehman, J Pankow, K Knight Journal of Drug Issues 54 (4), 628-640 , 2024 2024
25-Year Evaluation of an In-Person Therapeutic Community Program in the Southwest United States between 1994 and 2019 AL Wiese, TB Sease, K Knight The Prison Journal 104 (4), 428-448 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS ANGER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM EVALUATION Contract# 15BNAS21D00000425 K Knight, W Lehman, A Wiese, T Sease, J Pankow, R Proffitt, Y Yang, ... 2024
The impact of State of Surrender on the relationship between engagement in substance use treatment and meaning in life presence: a pilot study TB Sease, CR Cox, AL Wiese, EK Sandoz, K Knight Frontiers in Psychology 15, 1331756 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
HIV risk and interest in preexposure prophylaxis in justice-involved persons AE Nijhawan, Z Pulitzer, B Torres, N Noreen, A Schultheis, C Frank, ... Emerging Infectious Diseases 30 (Suppl 1), S68 , 2024 2024 Citations: 6
Scales for participant Alliance with Recovery Coach (SPARC): initial development and pilot test A Fallin-Bennett, M Tillson, JM Webster, CB Oser, JE Becan, K Knight, ... Addiction research & theory 32 (1), 20-26 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Strategies for enhancing collaborative practice in criminal-legal (CL) settings J Becan, A Wiese, C Wood, NP Davis, D Olson, D Knight, K Knight 16 th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation , 2023 2023
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Program diversity and treatment retention rates in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS). DD Simpson, GW Joe, KM Broome, ML Hiller, K Knight, GA Rowan-Szal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 11 (4), 279 , 1997 1997 Citations: 399
Prison‐based substance abuse treatment, residential aftercare and recidivism ML Hiller, K Knight, DD Simpson Addiction 94 (6), 833-842 , 1999 1999 Citations: 386
Risk of reincarceration among prisoners with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders J Baillargeon, JV Penn, K Knight, AJ Harzke, G Baillargeon, EA Becker Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services … , 2010 2010 Citations: 364
Three-year reincarceration outcomes for in-prison therapeutic community treatment in Texas K Knight, DD Simpson, ML Hiller The Prison Journal 79 (3), 337-351 , 1999 1999 Citations: 340
Motivation as a predictor of therapeutic engagement in mandated residential substance abuse treatment ML Hiller, K Knight, C Leukefeld, DD Simpson Criminal Justice and Behavior 29 (1), 56-75 , 2002 2002 Citations: 282
An assessment for criminal thinking K Knight, BR Garner, DD Simpson, JT Morey, PM Flynn Crime & Delinquency 52 (1), 159-177 , 2006 2006 Citations: 280
Medication-assisted treatment in criminal justice agencies affiliated with the criminal justice-drug abuse treatment studies (CJ-DATS): availability, barriers, and intentions PD Friedmann, R Hoskinson Jr, M Gordon, R Schwartz, T Kinlock, ... Substance Abuse 33 (1), 9-18 , 2012 2012 Citations: 262
TCU psychosocial functioning and motivation scales: Manual on psychometric properties K Knight, M Holcom, DD Simpson Fort worth: texas christian university, institute of behavioral research, 1-43 , 1994 1994 Citations: 218
Burnout among corrections-based drug treatment staff: Impact of individual and organizational factors BR Garner, K Knight, DD Simpson International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology 51 (5 … , 2007 2007 Citations: 217
Barriers to implementing effective correctional drug treatment programs D Farabee, M Prendergast, J Cartier, H Wexler, K Knight, MD Anglin The Prison Journal 79 (2), 150-162 , 1999 1999 Citations: 213
Risk factors that predict dropout from corrections-based treatment for drug abuse ML Hiller, K Knight, DD Simpson The Prison Journal 79 (4), 411-430 , 1999 1999 Citations: 199
Legal pressure and treatment retention in a national sample of long-term residential programs ML Hiller, K Knight, KM Broome, DD Simpson Criminal Justice and Behavior 25 (4), 463-481 , 1998 1998 Citations: 197
An assessment of prison-based drug treatment: Texas' in-prison therapeutic community program K Knight, SD Dwayne, LR Chatham, LM Camacho Journal of Offender Rehabilitation 24 (3-4), 75-100 , 1997 1997 Citations: 191
Legal pressure, treatment readiness, and engagement in long-term residential programs K Knight, ML Hiller, KM Broome, DD Simpson Journal of Offender Rehabilitation 31 (1-2), 101-115 , 2000 2000 Citations: 167
Drug treatment process indicators for probationers and prediction of recidivism KM Broome, K Knight, ML Hiller, DD Simpson Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 13 (6), 487-491 , 1996 1996 Citations: 164
Peer, family, and motivational influences on drug treatment process and recidivism for probationers KM Broome, DK Knight, K Knight, ML Hiller, DD Simpson Journal of Clinical Psychology 53 (4), 387-397 , 1997 1997 Citations: 155
Screening and referral for substance-abuse treatment in the criminal justice system K Knight, DD Simpson, ML Hiller, C Leukefeld, F Tims, D Farabee Treatment of drug offenders: Policies and issues, 259-272 , 2002 2002 Citations: 138
A cost-effectiveness analysis of in-prison therapeutic community treatment and risk classification JD Griffith, ML Hiller, K Knight, DD Simpson The Prison Journal 79 (3), 352-368 , 1999 1999 Citations: 132
Effect of an organizational linkage intervention on staff perceptions of medication-assisted treatment and referral intentions in community corrections PD Friedmann, D Wilson, HK Knudsen, LJ Ducharme, WN Welsh, ... Journal of substance abuse treatment 50, 50-58 , 2015 2015 Citations: 108
Measuring offender attributes and engagement in treatment using the Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment BR Garner, K Knight, PM Flynn, JT Morey, DD Simpson Criminal Justice and Behavior 34 (9), 1113-1130 , 2007 2007 Citations: 107