Main Research Areas:
Religion and crime, recidivism, offenders risk assessment and rehabilitation, parole and probation, drug offenders, female criminality
Biography:
I, Mazhar Hussain Bhutta have earned LLB from BZU Multan and PhD degree in Sociology under split program from Punjab University Lahore and University of Saskatchewan, (UOS) Canada. PhD research work is titled “Risk and Need Assessment of Offenders on Probation in Lahore-Pakistan”. I have a number of national and international research publications mostly related to criminal justice, prison management, criminal profiling, and offenders risk assessment and rehabilitation and probation/parole system in Pakistan. As an expert on corrections and rehabilitation of convicts/offenders and under trial prisoners in Pakistan, I have several conducted workshops and seminars for prison administrators/staff, parole/probation officers particularly at National Academy for Prison Administration (NAPA) Lahore, National Police Bureau of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau and various academic institutions. As a teacher of sociology of crime, criminal justice and criminology, I have disseminated knowledge and expertise among officers of criminal justice agencies on modern innovations, intervention programs/strategies for rehabilitation and reclamation of prisoners, probationers and parolees.
Presently, I am working as Assistant Professor of Sociology/Incharge M.Sc. Criminology Program at PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi. He possesses well versed experience of teaching/research and professional contributions for more than 20 years. Being HEC approved PhD research supervisor, I have supervised 30 M. Phil Sociology/M.Sc. Criminology students and 04 PhD scholars (research under process). I have successfully completed two projects funded by HEC Pakistan. At present, as supervisor, am involved in a project on transgender people (doctoral research work). I have conducted a training workshop for administrative staff of the university titled “Indigenous on Campus Training (IOT) Program under Modern University Governance Program” funded by HEC Pakistan. I have also worked as Parliamentary Research Librarian in Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), Islamabad in 2012. I have anchored several programs “Punjab Online” of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Radio) for more than three years 2008-2011.
Selected Works:
Bhutta, M. H., & Wormith, J. S. (2016). An examination of a risk/needs assessment instrument and its relation to religiosity and recidivism among Probationers in a Muslim Culture. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 43(2), 204-229.
Bhutta, M. H., Wormith, J. S., & Zidenberg, A. M. (2019). Assessing the Relationship Between Religiosity and Recidivism Among Adult Probationers in Pakistan. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 63(5), 752-780.
