The Journal of Health Psychology has recently published a study by Linus Peitz and Marsha Newsome that examines ways to improve mental health in prisons and the positive effects of building social relationships between prisoners. These support networks have been shown to reduce the risks of mental health issues and re-offending. The research specifically focuses on the Twinning Project, an initiative that introduces a structured football (soccer) program into UK-based correctional facilities. The researchers found that the activities of the Twinning Project produced substantial benefits for the participants, including higher levels of wellbeing and satisfaction of psychological … [Read more...] about Summary: Sport-based interventions and health in prisons: The impact of Twinning Project on prisoner wellbeing and attitudes
Student Research Award Winners Preview Their Current Projects
This month we're proud to share a preview of the criminological studies currently being pursued by 2024’s IACFP Student Research Award winners, Cooper Sparks and Charlie Aelick. The Assessment Utility of Project Choices: An E-Health Technology Tool Abstract Cooper Sparks Between 2020 and 2021, approximately 5,444,900 individuals were supervised within United States correctional institutions (Carson & Kluckow, 2023). Within this population are varying mental health concerns and levels of threat to public safety (Alsan et al., 2023). In the leading Risk-Needs-Responsivity model of correctional rehabilitation, treatment focuses on criminogenic needs (i.e., criminal friends, … [Read more...] about Student Research Award Winners Preview Their Current Projects
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Nov/Dec 2024
We've compiled top highlights from recent research, policy, and practice resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for November and December 2024 include IACFP updates; recent research, policy, and practice; and upcoming conferences. 1. IACFP Updates IACFP Board Planning for Future The IACFP Board held their annual in-person meeting 28-30 October 2024 in Salem, Oregon, US. In addition to a business meeting and a facilitated strategic planning discussion to establish future goals, the Board spent a day at the Oregon State Penitentiary learning about the Oregon Way, including their behavioral health programs and staff wellness … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Nov/Dec 2024
Summary: UNODC Global Prison Population and Trends: A Focus on Rehabilitation
Each year the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) administers the United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (UN-CTS) to gather comprehensive information on the global prison population and the processes of correctional systems across all UN member states. The UNODC’s first edition of Prison Matters, which follows the 2021 and 2023 publications of Data Matters on prisons, is their report on this collected and analyzed data. The document is the product of UNODC’s Research and Trend Analysis Branch, supervised by Branch Chief Angela Me and coordinated by Chloe Carpentier, Chief of the UNODC Research and Knowledge Production Section. Analysis … [Read more...] about Summary: UNODC Global Prison Population and Trends: A Focus on Rehabilitation
Summary: Prisoners’ Perceptions and Satisfaction with Telepsychiatry Services
A recently published study within the journal Healthcare (Basel) examines the use of telepsychiatry services to provide mental healthcare for prisoners within the correctional system of Greece. The research was conducted by Evangelia Karachaliou, Phoebe Douzenis, Fotios Chatzinikolaou, Nikos Pantazis, Sophia Martinaki, Panagiota Bali, Konstantinos Tasios, and Athanasios Douzenis, and found several positive effects to adopting telepsychiatry for this specific patient population in comparison to more traditional methods of treatment. Background and Research Purposes Numerous studies in multiple settings have documented the prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders … [Read more...] about Summary: Prisoners’ Perceptions and Satisfaction with Telepsychiatry Services
Improving Staff Wellness: An Interview with Rosemary Ricciardelli
Rosemary Ricciardelli, Ph.D., is the Research Chair in Safety Security & Wellness for the Fisheries & Marine Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She has written extensively about staff wellness in public safety organizations; specifically in corrections. This interview was conducted by IACFP Executive Director Cherie Townsend, and has been edited and condensed. Cherie Townsend: Currently, correctional systems are experiencing significant challenges with recruitment and retention of staff. In the past staff would work in corrections as a lifetime career. From your perspective, what has changed? Rosemary Ricciardelli:The prison population is changing. There's a change in who's … [Read more...] about Improving Staff Wellness: An Interview with Rosemary Ricciardelli
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Sept/Oct 2024
We've compiled top highlights from recent research, policy, and practice resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for September and October, 2024 include IACFP updates; member access to SAGE Journals; recent research, policy, and practice; and upcoming conferences. 1. IACFP Updates IACFP Board at ICPA Conference IACFP board members Diane Williams, Frank Porporino, and Gabriel Ong, as well as IACFP president Melvin Hinton and executive director Cherie Townsend, attended the ICPA annual conference in Singapore this past September. In this photo, the board members are with Dr. Mark Halsey, who delivered the 2024 IACFP Distinguished … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Sept/Oct 2024
Summary: Umbrella review and commentary on an updated evidence synthesis of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model
A review of the evidence base for Risk-Need-Responsivity principles was recently conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Oxford (UK), University of Konstanz (Germany), and Iowa State University (US). The article, “An updated evidence synthesis on the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model: Umbrella review and commentary” was written by Seena Fazel, Connie Hurton, Matthias Burghart, Matt DeLisi, and Rongqin Yu, and published in the Journal of Criminal Justice (Vol. 92, May ー June 2024). The authors indicate that RNR may lack adequate support for its viability, citing mixed-quality evidence that lacks transparency and shows authorship bias, and prior reviews of the evidence being … [Read more...] about Summary: Umbrella review and commentary on an updated evidence synthesis of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model
Discussion: An Expert Panel Responds to the Umbrella Review of the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model by Seena Fazel, et al.
The recently published study “An updated evidence synthesis on the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model: Umbrella review and commentary” by Seena Fazel, Connie Hurton, Matthias Burghart, Matt DeLisi, and Rongqin Yu — summarized within this issue of the IACFP Bulletin — takes a critical look at the RNR model, which has become a widely accepted model for managing justice involved individuals in both custody and community correctional settings throughout the world. Due to the findings expressed by the researchers, IACFP received several inquiries asking for guidance regarding the article’s content. The approach we have taken is three-fold: Summarize the article and its main points. … [Read more...] about Discussion: An Expert Panel Responds to the Umbrella Review of the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model by Seena Fazel, et al.
Beyond Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Creating Rehabilitative Experience
By Frank J. Porporino, Ph.D. Criminal Justice Consultant, Ottawa, Canada This article was originally published in Justice Trends magazine (Edition #12) and is reprinted here with permission. It has been copyedited for error correction and style purposes only. In the last several decades, correctional services around the world have marched steadily towards greater acceptance of evidence-based practice (EBP). The pessimism of “nothing works” has been pretty much abandoned and most correctional jurisdictions would claim that they are at least trying to implement EBP. Of course, there are continuing challenges in some regions of the world where resources are stretched to meet even very basic … [Read more...] about Beyond Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Creating Rehabilitative Experience
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Jul/Aug 2024
We've compiled top highlights from recent research, policy, and practice resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for July and August, 2024 include IACFP updates; recent research, policy, and practice; and upcoming conferences. 1. IACFP Updates IACFP 2024 Distinguished Scholar is Professor Mark Halsey Professor Mark Halsey from Flinders University in Australia will deliver the IACFP 2024 Distinguished Scholar Lecture at the upcoming ICPA annual conference in Singapore. The theme of the conference is “Enabling Desistance: Beyond Recidivism”. Professor Halsey has done significant research on desistance, including the … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Jul/Aug 2024
Considering the Trend of Innovative Technology at TIC 2024
Dr. Gabriel Ong, Principal Psychologist, CNB Psychology Unit – Singapore In the rapidly evolving landscape of corrections, technological advancements have emerged as powerful catalysts for change. As we convene at the forefront of innovative technology, the intersection of technology and corrections promises to reshape traditional paradigms, offering unprecedented opportunities for security enhancement, rehabilitation, and societal reintegration. I didn’t write this. I merely instructed ChatGPT to craft an opening paragraph about a corrections technology conference, and it over-delivered in mere seconds. The technology that we have at our fingertips today is certainly amazing. … [Read more...] about Considering the Trend of Innovative Technology at TIC 2024
