He received his BA in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1993, an MA in criminal justice from Same Houston State University in 1997, and a PhD in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2001. Dr. Maahs has been on the faculty at the University of Minnesota-Duluth since 2000. His research interests include corrections (probation outcomes, drug courts, prison privatization) and criminological theory, and he has authored numerous articles, book chapters, and agency reports in these areas.