Staff
Erin E. Harbinson, PhD, Executive Director
Prior to joining CJRI, Dr. Erin Harbinson was a research scholar for the Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Minnesota Law School where she led projects studying community corrections, authored several technical reports, and secured funding for research. Dr. Harbinson has worked as a policy analyst for the Council of State Governments Justice Center conducting technical assistance for states implementing justice reinvestment legislation. She received her PhD in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati and worked for the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute. While there, she conducted trainings on risk assessment and evaluated correctional programs.
Her research interests include criminal justice policy, risk assessment, and improving the measurement of performance metrics and outcomes in criminal justice. Dr. Harbinson has been invited to speak on evidence-based practices, applied criminal justice research, and cybercrime. She has published research on parole, corrections, risk assessment, white-collar crime, and cybercrime in journals such as Criminal Justice and Behavior, Journal of Crime and Justice, Criminal Justice Studies, and European Journal of Probation.
Aerielle Reynolds, PhD, Research Analyst
Dr. Aerielle Reynolds is a criminologist. She has a PhD in criminal justice with a concentration in criminology from Capella University. Her dissertation focused on pretrial detention, monetary bail, and plea bargaining among Hawai`i’s pretrial population. She has also received her MS in criminal justice administration and her BS in criminology and criminal justice from Chaminade University of Honolulu. Prior to joining CJRI she was a research fellow at Yale University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and at Purdue University’s Summer Research Opportunities Program.
Her research experience includes quantitative analysis exploring the role of prison-based substance abuse treatment programs in preventing post-incarceration substance use among clinic clientele and qualitative analysis exploring the role of gender among community court staff and clients and its impact on compliance rates. Her research interests include pretrial outcomes, plea bargaining, sentencing, rehabilitative programming, and issues related to race and gender in the criminal justice system.
Samuel Choi, PhD, Research Analyst
Dr. Samuel (Sam) Choi is a legal psychologist. He earned his MS and PhD in experimental psychology from the University of Wyoming. At the University of Wyoming, he was a member of the Psychology and Law lab, where he conducted studies on a broad range of criminal justice and psycho-legal topics, such as plea bargaining, jury decision making, policing, and hate crimes.
Sam’s work has been interdisciplinary as he has published research in both criminal justice and psychology journals, including Psychology, Psychiatry, and Law, Journal of Social Psychology, Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Criminal Justice Review, and Race and Justice. In addition, he has orally presented his work at multiple professional conferences across the US.
Mariah A. McCaskill, Secretary
Prior to moving to Hawai’i, Mariah managed an environment exclusively designed for the facilitation of events that helped client teams navigate large-scale complex business challenges at a global consulting firm specializing in technology services and digital transformation.
Mariah is currently a student in Chaminade University of Honolulu’s master of science in criminal justice studies program. She has earned an A.S. in paralegal studies from Kapiolani Community College in 2020 and completed undergraduate studies in administration of justice and political science at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo in 2023. Mariah’s academic experience includes internships with the Hawai`i Innocence Project and the Hawai`i State Legislature.
Cody Bryant, Undergraduate Research Intern
Cody Bryant is a senior at the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu, majoring in social science with a concentration in psychology. His academic interests focus on the intersection of psychology and the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on risk assessment, behavioral analysis, and evidence-based approaches to rehabilitation.
Cody is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and his service has shaped his discipline, leadership, and commitment to community-focused work.
Before and during his internship, Cody has developed professional experience as a Facilities Coordinator at Child & Family Service, where he manages operations across multiple sites and supports organizational safety, logistics, and compliance. Through this role, he has built strong organizational, problem-solving, and systems-based thinking skills.
Cody is also a volunteer with the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT), where he serves on the planning committee. Through this involvement, he supports efforts focused on violence prevention, trauma-informed practices, and community engagement.
His interests include improving the accuracy and fairness of risk assessment tools and understanding how psychological frameworks can support more effective decision-making within the justice system.
He plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical or forensic psychology, with the long-term goal of earning a doctoral degree and contributing to research and practice that improve outcomes within the justice system and local communities in Hawaiʻi.
Board of Directors
Judge Matthew J. Viola, CJRI Board Chair
Judge, First Circuit Criminal Division, Judiciary
Judiciary
Nicole C. Fernandez
Offender Services Section Administrator – WCCC, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Governor’s Office
Representative Mahina Poepoe
Hawai’i State Representative – District 13
House of Representatives
Francis Young
Corrections Program Services Division Administrator, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation