Tamara Kang | SIU

Clinical Psychology

Dr. Tamara Kang received her Ph.D. in Legal Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Psychology, and Quantitative Certificate from the University of Texas at El Paso. Prior to coming to SIUC, Dr. Kang completed her postdoctoral fellowship developing and implementing a Youth Needs and Progress Scale (YNPS) on Dr. Robert Prentky’s Department of Justice funded grant at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Broadly, Dr. Kang is interested in psychology and law. Specifically, Dr. Kang’s Barriers to Reducing Crime Lab is committed to: (1) developing innovative strategies to communicate research on how to effectively reduce crime (science communication); (2) effective implementation of evidence-based practices; (3) mental health stigmatization; (4) judgment and decision-making in the criminal justice system; (5) special needs that pose barriers to reducing crime; and (6) assessment and rehabilitation of offenders with a mental disorder.

Research Interests

Mental health, reduction of crime, criminal justice rehabilitation and assessment, decision-making, translation of research into practice

Representative Publications

Kang Balzarini, T. (2023). The Lost Scrolls of the Correctional Bible: Before the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model. In P. Magaletta, M. Ternes, & M. Patry (Eds). The History and Future of Correctional Psychology. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37480-7_8

Kang, T., *Green, A., *Akamani, B., & *Pinkston, K. (2022). Rural residents’ emotions, beliefs, and sources that influenced those beliefs regarding sex offender policies, practice, and the efficacy of treatment. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2562

Kang, T., Lee, A., *Beltrani, A., & Prentky, R. A. (2022). Tracking dynamic intervention needs as a vehicle for mitigating risk among juveniles with sex offenses. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000375

*Adair, R., Kang, T., Eno Louden, J., & Perez, E. (2023). Pathways to crime: The voices of Latina women living on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Psychology, Crime, & Law. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2023.2213383

*Beltrani, A., Kang, T., Lee, A., McGrath, R., & Prentky, R. A. (2023). A classification system to guide treatment needs for juveniles who have engaged in abusive sexual behavior. Criminal Justice and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548231193414

Kang, T., *Beltrani, A., *Manheim, M., *Spriggs, S., *Nishimura, B., *Sinclair, S., *Stachniuk, M., *Pate, E., Righthand, S., Worling, J., & Prentky, R.A. (2019). Development of a risk / treatment needs & progress protocol for juveniles with sex offenses. Translational Issues in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000191