A career in public safety means confronting adversity daily, but it also means knowing the work keeps people safe and helps those who need it most. In such a demanding field, professionals, instructors, and researchers aren’t just looking for tomorrow’s answers, they are working toward a shared goal of a safe and just society.
Dr. Jami Albright-Tolman (Natosii Apaniimstakyakii – Sun that Breaks through the Storm Lady), an instructor in the Centre for Justice and Human Services and a researcher in the Centre for Public Safety Applied Research (CPSAR), is one of those professionals applying her experience to improve the human side of criminal justice and train the next generation of public safety professionals. She began at Coast Mountain College in Prince Rupert, B.C., earning a general studies diploma then a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops in 2002. Her first position after graduation was working as a correctional officer at a medium security men’s federal penitentiary in Abbotsford with Correctional Service Canada (CSC), in addition to being a full-time mom.
“It’s a whole different world, corrections, and as officers we are the first responders to everything: first aid, firefighting, firearms, investigative techniques and conflict resolution,” Albright-Tolman says. “I was in uniform for about a year before becoming a parole officer, first within the institution and later outside in the community. That’s when I felt like I was able to make a difference.”
In 2015, she transferred to Lethbridge with CSC and in 2016, she began teaching sessionally at Lethbridge Polytechnic. In the fall of 2016, a presentation at an industry conference became a turning point. The speaker – a former inmate convicted of gang offences who was pursuing a master’s degree – explained the limits of probation methods, particularly the negative impacts of trying to help people who are not ready to change.
“This individual, who had gone through the criminal justice system and was an example of successful rehabilitation and reintegration after being convicted and serving a sentence, just took control of that room in how they explained that you can’t force someone to change,” she says. “I knew firsthand that parole officers can’t work miracles, but it was there I decided to try and be the change I sought in the criminal justice system, beginning with higher education.”
Shortly after that conference, Albright-Tolman resumed her education at the University of Lethbridge, earning a master of arts degree in cultural, social, and political thought in 2019 and a PhD in population studies in health, with a concentration in diversity, disparities, inequalities, and social determinants of health in 2024.
She now serves in two roles at the polytechnic. In one, teaching a variety of courses including research, criminology and addictions and mental health to Criminal Justice – Corrections, Criminal Justice – Policing diploma and Bachelor of Criminal Justice students. In the other, she designs and conducts research projects ranging from police officer wellness and improving public safety responses for people with perceived mental illnesses, to sexual violence restorative justice programming with local community groups.
One project, in collaboration with the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre, uses anonymous online surveys to measure the prevalence of technology-facilitated gender-based violence among youth aged 14 to 25. Because respondents are more candid with anonymous platforms, Albright-Tolman’s research yields reliable aggregate data, including demographics, methods, trends and patterns, that can improve targeting of prevention programs, interventions and victim supports.
Another project addresses recent federal legislative changes requiring offenders to demonstrate their eligibility for bail. In partnership with one Ontario police agency, the research team aims to develop a Dynamic Operational Risk Assessment (DORA) tool optimized to provide accurate, reliable risk assessments using the limited information available to front-line police officers. DORA aims to strengthen police recommendations to Crown prosecutors and the judiciary and help prioritize unannounced bail compliance checks based on offender risk level rather than chronological order.
“To push for institutional change, you need to push from both inside and outside,” Albright-Tolman explains. “For lots of public safety professionals, it can be difficult for them to wrap their heads around the complexities of the system while being the change they want to see in the industry. I feel like that begins in the classroom, with skills like critical thinking and research.”
“I always tell my students that lifelong education is worth its weight in gold, because careers in public safety are hard; they take a physical and mental toll. Keep learning, keep pursuing education, because that will give you the tools to ensure you succeed at the work you love, which will lead to more positive outcomes for our criminal justice system.”
CPSAR and CARIE directly engage in applied research projects that tackle real-world challenges with immediate and practical impacts. In partnership with public safety, community organizations, researchers and students, CPSAR aims to deliver results that solve today’s problems and drive tomorrow’s innovation.
To learn more about applied research activities and projects at Lethbridge Polytechnic, visit: lethpolytech.ca/CARIE.