Tom O’Connor

Tom teaches in the Criminal Justice Division at Western Oregon University, and is the CEO of Transforming Corrections with the mission to advance a more effective, less costly and more compassionate criminal justice system.

Most recently Tom worked with the Oregon Department of Corrections for two years as a research manager and for eight years as the head chaplain. Tom has published, trained, and coached widely, across the US and internationally, on leading change, organizational development, the contribution of chaplaincy and volunteers, the role of humanistic, spiritual and religious ways of making meaning in the desistance process, and collaborative ways of developing staff and successfully implementing evidence-based practices throughout the criminal justice system.