Christopher Zaleski

Assistant Professor Christopher Zaleski, JD (he/him/his) is a former law enforcement officer and community corrections leader who leads The Chicago School's BA Criminology and BS Criminal Justice programs. In addition, Asst. Professor Zaleski oversees the undergraduate general education curriculum as the director of general education. Asst. Professor Zaleski has ten years of higher education experience leading criminal justice programs at 4-year and 2-year colleges. His focus is on equity-minded and community-engaged learning initiatives that bring real-world experiences to the classroom. He is a retired member of the NJ bar, a certified public manager, a police legal advisor, a mediator, a conflict coach, and a restorative justice facilitator. Christopher has over 25 years of professional experience in criminal justice, including working for the NJ State Parole Board as a parole officer and sergeant, serving as the Chief Probation Officer of Denver County Court, overseeing a restorative justice diversion program for youth, and consulting in offender re-entry.

Asst. Professor Zaleski is a board member for Mile High Behavioral Healthcare, which serves LGBTQ+, justice-involved, and unhoused individuals. In addition, he advocates for and researches criminal justice reform to include technology employed by public agencies to help offenders better engage in treatment and refrain from criminal behavior.