Showing papers in "Journal of Offender Rehabilitation in 2011"
TL;DR: Past parental incarceration was associated with lower family income, parental education, parental socioeconomic status, and parental health, and with higher levels of parental depression, inappropriate and inconsistent discipline, youth problem behaviors and serious delinquency.
Abstract: Over the past several decades, the number of youth with parents in prison in the U.S. has increased substantially. Findings thus far indicate a vulnerable group of children. Using prospective longitudinal data gathered as part of the population-based Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) randomized controlled trial, adolescents who had an incarcerated parent during childhood are compared to those who did not across four key domains: family social advantage, parent health, the parenting strategies of families, and youth externalizing behavior and serious delinquency. Past parental incarceration was associated with lower family income, parental education, parental socioeconomic status, and parental health, and with higher levels of parental depression, inappropriate and inconsistent discipline, youth problem behaviors and serious delinquency. The effect sizes for significant associations were small to moderate.
142 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the effect respondent gender, victim age, and offender treatment programs on public attitudes towards sex offenders and found that no gender difference was found in respondents' attitudes towards offenders, and as predicted, respondents became more negative as victim age decreased and if the depicted perpetrator had not completed relevant treatment.
Abstract: In this study the authors examine the effect respondent gender, victim age, and offender treatment programs have upon public attitudes towards sex offenders. A community sample of 235 participants were asked to read a hypothetical vignette involving the sexual assault of a 10-, 15-, or 20-year-old female by a 35-year-old male who subsequently completed either a sex offender treatment or car maintenance program whilst in prison. Respondents then completed three psychometrically sound measures assessing general attitudes towards sex offenders, their treatment and their rehabilitation. No gender difference was found in respondents’ attitudes towards sex offenders. In contrast, and as predicted, respondents’ attitudes towards offenders became more negative as victim age decreased and if the depicted perpetrator had not completed relevant treatment. Overall, respondents’ attitudes were most negative when the depicted assault was perpetrated against a 10-year-old child and no offender treatment program ensued. ...
57 citations
TL;DR: In this article, qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 100 formerly incarcerated mothers to explore the relationship between attachment to children and desistance from criminal behavior, and found that mothers do believe that children play important roles in their desistance, consistent with the tenets of life course theory.
Abstract: In this study, qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 100 formerly incarcerated mothers to explore the relationship between attachment to children and desistance from criminal behavior. Exploratory data analysis revealed that mothers do believe that children play important roles in their desistance, consistent with the tenets of life course theory. However, children were also described as sources of great stress, which may in turn promote criminal behavior. Women also related desistance to reliance on self and a higher power, and to a desire to avoid future involvement with the criminal justice system. The article concludes with a call for more research on women's desistance, and increased consideration of parent–child relationships in corrections policy decision making.
56 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an evidence-based assessment of the effectiveness of faith-based programs for reducing recidivism is presented, and the results of this study indicate that these programs "work" to reduce crime.
Abstract: Faith-based organizations administer many of the prison-based programs aimed at reducing recidivism. Many of these organizations also manage treatment programs for substance abusers, at-risk juveniles, and ex-offenders. Much of the research on religiosity and delinquency indicates that the two are inversely related. Therefore, it seems plausible that faith-based programs, which are rooted in religious organizations, may be effective tools for reducing deviant and criminal behavior. However, it is unclear whether the empirical evidence supports such a claim. This study is an evidence-based assessment of the effectiveness of faith-based programs for reducing recidivism. The results of this study indicate that faith-based programs “work” to reduce recidivism. Directions for future research are discussed.
53 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared rates of recidivism for drug court participants to rates for a traditionally adjudicated comparison group matched on potentially important characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, and criminal history.
Abstract: Drug treatment courts (DTCs) are widely viewed as effective diversion programs for drug-involved offenders; however, previous studies frequently used flawed comparison groups. In the current study, the author compared rates of recidivism for drug court participants to rates for a traditionally adjudicated comparison group matched on potentially important characteristics. The Wisconsin Circuit Court database was searched for individuals with drug-related charges during the period from 2004–2006. Of the resulting data set, 137 DTC participants were identified. These DTC participants were then matched on age, gender, ethnicity, and criminal history to traditionally adjudicated individuals (non-DTC, n = 274). Kaplan-Meier curves of time to new crime were compared for the two main study groups and for potentially important subgroups. The DTC group demonstrated longer time to new crime (p = 0.028). Reductions in recidivism for DTC versus non-DTC were enhanced for women, older individuals, minorities, and those ...
47 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the risk factors and the impact of a prostitution diversion program on prostitution recidivism using chi-square, t tests, and survival analysis, and found that participants who completed all program requirements were less likely to have been rearrested.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the risk factors and the impact of a prostitution diversion program on prostitution recidivism. Risk factors and recidivism were explored using chi-square, t tests, and survival analysis. Participants were 448 individuals who were arrested for prostitution and attended a prostitution-focused diversion program. Of the sample, 65 were rearrested for prostitution (14.5 %) within the first 12 months after the arrest leading to their involvement in the diversion program. Prior arrest for prostitution, addiction to drugs and/or alcohol, and childhood physical abuse were found to be risk factors for prostitution rearrest. The relationship between program completion and recidivism was found to be significant with the participants who completed all program requirements less likely to have been rearrested. Future studies on risk factors for recidivism and program impact should include separating males and females as well as exploring those who began sex work before age 18 co...
43 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the challenges faced by correctional workers in a work release correctional facility during their transformation into a reentry center and found that staff report a low readiness for change while observational and interview data confirm that staff attitudes and accompanying behaviors undermine efforts to provide a humane environment for reentry.
Abstract: Implementation research is emerging in the field of corrections, but few studies have examined the complexities associated with implementing change among frontline workers embedded in specific organizational cultures. Using a mixed methods approach, the authors examine the challenges faced by correctional workers in a work release correctional facility during their transformation into a reentry center. Findings reveal that staff report a low readiness for change while observational and interview data confirm that staff attitudes and accompanying behaviors undermine efforts to provide a humane environment for reentry. This study illustrates the value of using quantitative and qualitative methods to understand and measure key organizational issues that affect the ability to alter the milieu for delivering services. The authors examine how inertia regarding reforms is not due to the nature of the reform but rather to the culture of the organization and how important it is to address organizational culture. T...
38 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors acknowledge the deleterious effects of even one documented criminal event on an individual's self-concept and status in society, and they cannot avoid being faced with a serious moral dilemma in light of society's prevalent reliance upon electronic criminal records.
Abstract: Crimes are multifaceted events that are not adequately explained with basic descriptors, yet a considerable amount of significance is afforded to relatively few simplistic labels that make up the contemporary “scarlet letter.” Today's criminal records create a lifetime of stigmatization for a person. These public records employ a limited range of information. By acknowledging the deleterious effects of even one documented criminal event on an individual's self-concept and status in society, we cannot avoid being faced with a serious moral dilemma in light of society's prevalent reliance upon electronic criminal records. The electronic brand carried for life poses great challenges to offender rehabilitation and reintegration.
37 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the results of a multi-year evaluation of one state's prison reentry program and its impact on the success of offender participants as measured by certain recidivism outcomes, defined here as yielding a positive urinalysis, returning to prison, and having a new conviction are also presented.
Abstract: This article provides the results of a multi-year evaluation of one state's prison reentry program and its impact on the success of offender participants as measured by certain recidivism outcomes, defined here as yielding a positive urinalysis, returning to prison, and having a new conviction. Using propensity score matching, the recidivism outcomes of an equivalent comparison group are also presented. A discussion of the plausible reasons why reentry program participants returned to prison earlier and in greater numbers is provided, and recommendations for additional evaluation strategies are proposed.
37 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a grounded theory analysis of interviews with 17 children and their 8 mothers anticipating a father's prison release within 12 months is proposed, focused on the child−father aspects of reentry.
Abstract: Utilizing a grounded theory analysis of interviews with 17 children and their 8 mothers anticipating a father's prison release within 12 months, the authors propose a theory of participants' experiences, focused on the child−father aspects of reentry. Among other expectations, all participants wanted fathers to be involved with the children after release. Participants varied in degrees of confidence regarding whether fathers would fulfill their reentry expectations; they responded with self-protecting or confidence-enhancing strategies. Fathers' prison behavior and subtle changes in interactional styles deterred family members' suspicions of “jail talk.” Results suggest that clarifying and negotiating feasible family expectations is key to successful child−father reentry.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined how those wrongfully convicted and punished experience life after exoneration using data from intensive individual, in-person interviews with 55 exonerees, measuring both the short and long-term psychological effects associated with wrongful conviction.
Abstract: This study examines how those wrongfully convicted and punished experience life after exoneration. Using data from intensive individual, in-person interviews with 55 exonerees, we measure both the short- and long-term psychological effects associated with wrongful conviction. The results of this research demonstrate that a substantial portion of the study participants were suffering from clinical anxiety, depression, PTSD or a combination of the three disorders at the time of the interviews. Finally, we call for more integrated approaches for addressing a wide range of often interrelated social, psychological and mental health issues experienced by those who were wrongfully convicted.
TL;DR: A comparison of the characteristics of 337 Canadian adult female gang offenders with a matched sample of women offenders showed that they were more likely to have been sentenced for violent offenses, had a greater number of prior youth and criminal convictions, and served prior terms of incarceration as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: A comparison of the characteristics of 337 Canadian adult female gang offenders with a matched sample of women offenders showed that they were more likely to have been sentenced for violent offenses, had a greater number of prior youth and criminal convictions, and served prior terms of incarceration. Gang members were also assessed as having higher overall needs and risks, lower levels of motivation for change, and a higher risk of recidivism. An important first step in developing rehabilitative programs to respond to their needs is to better understand these attributes. Gang management strategies should also be informed by what the research tells us about these gang members.
TL;DR: In this article, a total of 90 male juvenile detainees participated in a structured interview exploring what factors might mediate race and impact the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument−Version 2 (MAYSI-2) scores for African American participants.
Abstract: Thousands of juveniles with mental health disorders enter the juvenile justice system every year. The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument−Version 2 (MAYSI-2) is often used to assess them. The disproportionate numbers of African American youth in the juvenile justice system and the large numbers of youth with mental health needs necessitate accurate screening across racial groups, but recent evidence indicates that groups may be interpreting MAYSI-2 items differently. A total of 90 male juvenile detainees participated in a structured interview exploring what factors might mediate race and impact MAYSI-2 scores. Results confirmed which factors influence MAYSI-2 scores for African American participants.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the influence of length of participation in a community-based reentry program on the odds of reconviction in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems.
Abstract: In this study the authors examined the influence of length of participation in a community-based reentry program on the odds of reconviction in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. A structured telephone survey of reentry program alumni was conducted with 75 transition-age (18–25 year-old) young men. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that increased length of participation in reentry services decreased the likelihood of new convictions in the juvenile system, but not in the adult system. Lower education attainment, unemployment and older age were all associated with the odds of new convictions in the adult criminal justice system. Implications for reentry services include extended service length and a focus on educational and vocational opportunities.
TL;DR: The authors describe the contingency management component of the treatment and discuss, in detail, issues that arose throughout the course of the study.
Abstract: A cognitive-behaviorally based substance abuse treatment program was implemented within a community supervision setting. This program included a goals group that used a contingency management component and included the probation agent as a part of the treatment. In this article, the authors describe the contingency management component of the treatment and discuss, in detail, issues that arose throughout the course of the study. Possible causes and solutions to the issues are discussed from a contingency management perspective that can result in improved reinforcements to achieve better probationer outcomes.
TL;DR: In this paper, an ordinary least squares regression analysis of survey responses from 272 correctional officers revealed that distributive justice did not impact support for treatment or punishment, however, procedural justice was positively associated with support for treating and negatively associated with punishment.
Abstract: Previous literature exploring the relationship between correctional officer orientations toward treatment and punishment is inconsistent at best. One rarely studied aspect is the influence of distributive and procedural justice on correctional staff support for treatment and punishment. For this study, ordinary least squares regression analysis of survey responses from 272 correctional officers revealed that distributive justice did not impact support for treatment or punishment. Procedural justice, however, was positively associated with support for treatment and negatively associated with support for punishment. Overall, the results of this study suggest further research in this area is needed.
TL;DR: Examination of relationships between parolee time to rearrest, serious mental illnesses, and substance dependency indicated that parolees with serious psychiatric and substance dependence disorders were rearrested faster than nondually diagnosed parolees.
Abstract: An estimated 500,000-plus people are on parole each year, many with serious co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders. Using cross sectional, self-report data this study examined the relationships between parolee time to rearrest, serious mental illnesses, and substance dependency (n = 1,121). Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic and criminal justice variables, parolees with serious psychiatric and substance dependence disorders were rearrested faster than nondually diagnosed parolees (p < .05). An explanation is that compared with parolees without dual diagnoses, parole violations by dually diagnosed parolees are detected and punished more quickly because of closer parole supervision.
TL;DR: In this article, the Juvenile Inventory For Functioning (JIFF) was used to assess the psychosocial functioning of youth in a post-arrest diversion program.
Abstract: Recidivism, costs, and psychosocial outcomes are reported for a post-arrest diversion program in Wayne County (Detroit), MI. Program features included: rapid, standardized assessment of psychosocial functioning with the Juvenile Inventory For Functioning®, an individualized plan for addressing needs, engagement of caregivers, service provision by youth assistance programs in the youth's community, and access to mental health and substance use services as needed. The adjudication rate for new offenses one-year post services was 7.7%, for a program that costs $1,500 per youth. Significant improvement in functioning was observed for youth with an exit assessment. Functioning at entry predicted recidivism.
TL;DR: Mental health symptoms, mental health services use in the past year, and barriers to service access for a sample of individuals on probation and parole (N = 100) were assessed.
Abstract: Prior research with incarcerated populations and individuals on parole or probation suggests that significant rates of mental health problems and histories of traumatic events exist among these groups. However, limited research has explored mental health treatment-seeking and barriers to accessing mental health care for individuals on parole or probation. The current study assessed mental health symptoms, mental health services use in the past year, and barriers to service access for a sample of individuals on probation and parole (N = 100). The most commonly reported concerns were depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Slightly more than half of the sample reported seeking mental health care in the past year. For those who felt they needed care, but did not seek these services, not having health insurance and not being able to afford treatment were the most commonly cited reasons. Implications of these findings are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a specialized pre-release support, reentry, and reintegration service that is offered to long-term prisoners, many of whom have been legally labelled as "dangerous".
Abstract: Successfully reintegrating long-term prisoners back into the community often presents significant challenges for service providers. Ex-prisoners typically experience high levels of social stigma; present with multiple needs; and can struggle to find meaningful employment, stable accommodation, and to maintain supportive relationships. There have, however, been relatively few published evaluations of the outcomes achieved by postrelease services on managing the risk of reoffending and, as such, it is difficult for service providers to meet these multiple and complex levels of need in ways that might be considered to be evidence based. In this article we describe a specialized prerelease support, reentry, and reintegration service that is offered to long-term prisoners, many of whom have been legally labelled as “dangerous.” The current model of service delivery is reviewed and discussed in the context of current theories of offender rehabilitation and reintegration. These are then used to discuss the way i...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a quasi-experimental design, comparing reentry court participants with traditional parolees, and found that participants were found to have fewer reconvictions but increased parole revocations.
Abstract: The reentry court model was created to address the risks and needs of offenders returning to the community during the period immediately following release. While there is growing interest in reentry courts, research to date has been limited. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design, comparing reentry court participants with traditional parolees. Participants were found to have fewer reconvictions but increased parole revocations. Although results indicate a promising court model, higher rates of revocations for technical violations suggest the potential for “supervision effects.” Dissemination of negative program outcomes provided an opportunity for additional training and programmatic elements to limit and/or reverse possible iatrogenic effects.
TL;DR: Findings inform community-wide discussions aimed at enhancing coordination and collaboration between systems with the specific goal of decreasing the high prevalence of jail interface for this population of individuals diagnosed with both substance use and mental health disorders.
Abstract: The presence of a co-occurring substance use disorder increases the risk of incarceration for those with a serious mental illness. To examine the interface between jail and mental health systems, a sample of 1,440 individuals diagnosed with both disorders was followed for 48 months using administrative data. The majority (63%) experienced incarceration with a median length of stay of 14 days. Predictors of incarceration were a more severe substance use diagnosis and younger age. These findings inform community-wide discussions aimed at enhancing coordination and collaboration between systems with the specific goal of decreasing the high prevalence of jail interface for this population.
TL;DR: The authors found that receiving preparation for release significantly supports a successful reintegration and living with a current drug user and initiating regular heroin use at an early age of less than 18 years are major barriers to successful reIntegration.
Abstract: The main objective of this follow-up study is to explore factors influencing the success or failure of women in reintegrating after their release from prison. Female drug users in five European cities were tracked after being released from prison. Out of 234 female prisoners contacted in prisons, 59 were included in the follow-up study. Structured questionnaires were given out and statistical group comparisons were conducted. The authors found that receiving preparation for release significantly supports a successful reintegration. On the other hand, living with a current drug user and initiating regular heroin use at an early age of less than 18 years are major barriers to successful reintegration.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of a Canadian participatory research project conducted in a minimum-medium security provincial prison to understand incarcerated women's perspectives on reasons for their substance use, why they continued to use, and their suggestions for change.
Abstract: The majority of women serving short-term sentences in provincial prisons in Canada are incarcerated for illegal activities involving alcohol and substance use. Although there is a wealth of research on substance use among those serving sentences within the federal prison system, little of that literature addresses the needs and experiences of women prisoners. Additionally, very scant research exists on the experience of women incarcerated in the provincial system for crimes related to drug and alcohol use. The purpose of this article is to present the results of a Canadian participatory research project conducted in a minimum-medium security provincial prison. In conducting this project, our objectives were to understand incarcerated women's perspectives on reasons for their substance use, why they continued to use, the consequences of their use, and their suggestions for change. The data were collected and analyzed by the collaborative efforts of both the peer researchers who were incarcerated women at t...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors determined the extent to which differential disposition and risk determined subsequent recidivism of young offenders in a comparison of crime outcomes for informal probationers and formal probationers of similar risk levels.
Abstract: Given service costs and evidence suggesting mixing young offenders of different risk levels increases recidivism, this study determined the extent to which differential disposition and risk determined subsequent recidivism. Furthermore, this study entailed a comparison of offense outcomes for informal probationers (n = 581) and formal probationers (n = 773) of similar risk levels. Criminogenic risk was assessed using the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory. To control for selection effects, the two groups were matched based on propensity scores. Validation of the measure yielded an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of .67 for informal probationers and .62 for formal probationers. Low-, moderate-, and high-risk probationers were found in both groups of offenders. However, there were no significant differences in recidivism rates between similar risk level youth of the two respective probation groups. Policy and practice implications are offered and discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate the impact that an actuarial approach to assessment has had on both the representation of young people who offend and the way in which their behavior is explained and responded to.
Abstract: Risk factor research dominates explanatory models of youth offending and “evidence-based” policy and practice with young people in the youth justice system in England and Wales. Asset is the product of these actuarial ideas and has put the risk factor prevention paradigm into practice. This article evaluates the impact that an actuarial approach to assessment has had on both the representation of young people who offend and the way in which their behavior is explained and responded to. It describes the factors that led to the introduction of Asset, before briefly summarizing the positive assessments of Asset. It is contended that the “achievement” of actuarialism in youth justice is to render arbitrary and discriminatory practices acceptable, and apparently rational.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on an investigation comparing the recidivism and other variables of two similar offender populations in a western Pennsylvania county, and show that day reporting sentencing not only saved the county incarceration costs, but also yielded a lower recriivism rate to a statistically significant degree.
Abstract: In this study the authors report on an investigation comparing the recidivism and other variables of two similar offender populations in a western Pennsylvania county. The two groups were comparable in offense type, size (N = 63 for each) and other variables such as sex, race and age range. One group represented offenders who received a sentence that included incarceration, whereas the treatment group offenders were sentenced to some form of day reporting and other intermediate punishment measures. In addition, the authors investigated recidivism within 36 months of the sentence, with recidivism qualified as probationary violations as well as rearrests. Results indicate that day reporting sentencing not only saved the county incarceration costs, but also yielded a lower recidivism rate to a statistically significant degree. Additional research is needed to further clarify and test the efficacy of day reporting as an intermediate sentencing option.
TL;DR: The results suggest that increasing the drug court's capacity to adapt treatment for participants in need of a higher level of care was related to positive outcomes.
Abstract: In this study, the authors describe and evaluate the impact of increased access to residential treatment added to traditional drug court services in Orange County, California, with a goal of increasing program retention, successful completion, and graduation rates for a high-risk drug offender population participating in drug court between January 2004 and March 2005. Data were gathered from various sources, including the drug court management information system (MIS) and probation records, and the health care agency that provided case management services to drug court participants. The results suggest that increasing the drug court's capacity to adapt treatment for participants in need of a higher level of care was related to positive outcomes. Limitations of this study include the design that is susceptible to uncontrolled influences of extraneous variables such as changes in policy. This research encourages further examination of these variables in alternate settings to determine the extent to which th...
TL;DR: Investigation of career development and career counseling needs of mothers in the criminal justice system found identified needs included counseling regarding continuing education and vocational training, access to health care, and counseling to recover from work in the sex trade.
Abstract: The past 2 decades have produced a rapid increase in the numbers of incarcerated mothers. This study investigated both career development and the career counseling needs of mothers in the criminal justice system. A mixed-methods design was employed using both qualitative interviews (n = 1,161) and quantitative survey methods (n = 1,170). Identified needs included counseling regarding continuing education and vocational training, access to health care, and counseling to recover from work in the sex trade.
TL;DR: This paper explored world assumptions of prisoners, how these assumptions vary by ethnicity and age, and whether trauma history affects world assumptions, finding that age and ethnicity had significant effects on World Assumption Scale (WAS) scores, whereas trauma history did not impact WAS scores.
Abstract: In this study, the author explores world assumptions of prisoners, how these assumptions vary by ethnicity and age, and whether trauma history affects world assumptions. A random sample of young and old prisoners, matched for prison location, was drawn from the New Jersey Department of Corrections prison population. Age and ethnicity had significant effects on World Assumption Scale (WAS) scores, whereas trauma history did not impact WAS scores. Examining worldviews of prisoners may help determine maladaptive cognitive schemas that fuel possible self-defeating beliefs of themselves and the world, contributing to poor institutional adjustment and community reentry.