Nixon Camilien
Consultant, researcher, and Public Speaker in Chicago, Illinois
Bio for Nixon Camilien, PhD
Dr. Nixon Camilien is a consultant offering technical assistance to curb mass incarceration and strengthen communities. He promotes evidence-based solutions throughout the criminal justice system from the first contact with law enforcement to return to the community. This includes criminal justice and community solutions for individuals suffering from substance use disorders and mental health whether they are in front of a police officer, a sheriff, a prosecutor, a judge, a warden, a probation or a parole officer.
With more than 18 years’ experience in criminal justice, Dr. Camilien brings a unique blend of expertise to the design, development and implementation of programs. With the Illinois Department of Corrections, he contributed to reduce recidivism through community supervision of parolees and partnerships with community service providers to address the biggest obstacles to successful reentry: housing, employment, substance abuse disorders and mental health. He also served in three different United Nations peace operations as a corrections advisor to support the restoration of state authority through strategic solutions that strengthen the rule of law.
Nixon holds a PhD in Criminology, Law and Justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has taught criminal justice and sociology courses at several universities in the Chicago area. His research focuses primarily on alternatives to incarceration, particularly on the promise of deflection, diversion, residential substance abuse treatment and the rehabilitation for individuals with substance use disorders and mental health. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Haitian Creole.