Published on by Global Academic Awards

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai | Criminology | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai | National Chung Cheng University | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai is a distinguished scholar in criminology and criminal justice with extensive academic, research, and professional experience. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, Texas, where his doctoral research focused on public attitudes toward the police across racial and ethnic groups. His academic journey also includes master’s degrees in Security of Management from the University of Houston-Downtown and in Crime Prevention and Correction from Central Police University, Taiwan, where he also completed his bachelor’s degree. Prof. Lai’s research interests span criminology theory, inmate misconduct, workplace violence, police legitimacy, and comparative criminal justice. He has held professorships at Central Police University and National Chung Cheng University, serving in leadership roles such as Chair of Crime Prevention and Corrections and Director of Public Relations. Widely recognized for his funded projects on recidivism, correctional systems, and justice reforms, he continues to shape policy and practice through impactful academic research.

Publication Profile

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Education

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai has built an impressive academic foundation in the field of criminology and criminal justice through rigorous education and research. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, Texas, where his dissertation explored the determinants of public attitudes toward the police across racial and ethnic groups in Houston. Prior to this, he completed a Master of Arts in Security of Management at the University of Houston-Downtown, focusing his thesis on job safety and satisfaction in Taiwan correctional institutes. He also pursued a Master of Arts in Crime Prevention and Correction at Central Police University, Taiwan, with a thesis dedicated to prison-based drug abuse treatment programs, demonstrating his early interest in correctional reforms. His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Arts in Crime Prevention and Correction at Central Police University, establishing a strong foundation that has guided his professional and research pursuits.

Professional Experience

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai has established a distinguished professional career marked by leadership, teaching, and research excellence in criminology and corrections. He currently serves as Professor at National Chung Cheng University, following his tenure as Professor at Central Police University where he also held the role of Chair of Crime Prevention and Corrections. His administrative expertise was further demonstrated during his service as Director of Public Relations at Central Police University. Over the years, he has advanced through academic ranks, beginning as Assistant Professor at both Central Police University and National Taipei University before being promoted to Associate Professor and later full Professor. His international academic contributions include working as a Research Assistant and Doctoral Teaching Fellow at Sam Houston State University in Texas, where he taught criminology and correctional systems. Additionally, he has contributed to specialized training as a Part-time Lecturer in Criminal Psychology at Taiwan Police College, further broadening his impact on the field.

Work Experience

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai has a strong foundation of professional service in the correctional system of Taiwan, where he gained extensive practical experience before entering academia. He began his career as a Custodial Officer at Taichung Prison, which provided him with firsthand exposure to the operations of correctional institutions. He later served as a Document Officer in the Department of Corrections at the Ministry of Justice, developing skills in administrative management and policy implementation. His responsibilities expanded when he was appointed Assistant to the General Director at the Department of Corrections, a role in which he supported leadership and contributed to correctional policy development on a national level. Alongside his studies, he worked as a Classification Officer at Taipei Prison, applying his academic knowledge to offender management and correctional programming. These experiences equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of correctional practices and enriched his academic research in criminology and corrections.

Research Experience

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai has an extensive and impactful research portfolio in criminology, corrections, and police-citizen relations, encompassing both academic and government-funded projects. He has served as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator on numerous studies, including AI-assisted risk assessment systems for recidivism, evaluation of risk factors among drug offenders, trauma-informed care for female substance users, and longitudinal studies on prisoner reintegration and recidivism. His research also explores legitimacy, distributive and procedural justice in prisons, corruption by correctional officers, and crime prevention using big data. Additionally, he has led government-commissioned projects on elderly incarcerated populations, cyber fraud victimization, community-based treatment effectiveness, and the impact of CCTV surveillance on crime prevention. With consistent funding from the Taiwan Ministry of Science & Technology, the Ministry of Justice, and other agencies, Prof. Lai’s work demonstrates methodological rigor, policy relevance, and innovation, significantly contributing to correctional practices, crime prevention strategies, and the advancement of criminal justice research in Taiwan and beyond.

Publication Top Notes

The impact of race/ethnicity, neighborhood context, and police/citizen interaction on residents’ attitudes toward the police
Year: 2010
Citations: 324

Shades of blue: Confidence in the police in the world
Year: 2012
Citations: 138

The impact of political entity on confidence in legal authorities: A comparison between China and Taiwan
Year: 2010
Citations: 119

Public satisfaction with police control of disorder crime: does the public hold police accountable?
Year: 2014
Citations: 77

The impact of prison adjustment among women offenders: A Taiwanese perspective
Year: 2014
Citations: 74

Workplace violence in correctional institutions in Taiwan: A study of correctional officers’ perceptions
Year: 2012
Citations: 50

Conclusion

Prof. Dr. Yung-Lien Lai academic achievements, research leadership, and substantial contributions to correctional and criminological studies position him as a highly suitable candidate for the Research for Best Researcher Award. His ability to merge academic rigor with policy-relevant research underscores his value to both academia and society, making his candidacy compelling and impactful.

 

Yung-Lien Lai | Criminology | Best Researcher Award

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