Dr. Orla Gallagher recently received her PhD from University College Dublin and she currently works as a Post-Doctoral Researcher within the Irish Prison Service, focusing on the role of experts by experience and how neurodiversity is responded to within the correctional system. In this article, she discusses the four studies that formed her doctoral thesis, Managing Serious Violence in The Irish Prison Service: Exploring the Experiences of Prisoners and Prison Officers through the Lens of the Power Threat Meaning Framework. Gallagher was a recipient of the 2023 IACFP Student Research Award. In October 2017, I entered uncharted territory as the first PhD candidate to be funded by the Irish … [Read more...] about Examining the Roots of Violence in the Irish Prison Service
Summary: Prevalence of Mental Health and Comorbid Disorders in Scandinavian Prisons
First published in BMC Psychiatry in February of this year, a study by Anne Bukten, Suvi Virtanen, Morten Hesse, Zheng Chang, Timo Lehmann Kvamme, Birgitte Thylstrup, Torill Tverborgvik, Ingeborg Skjærvø & Marianne R. Stavseth examines the decade of 2010-19 among the prison populations in three Scandinavian nations (Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) to examine the pervasiveness of various mental health disorders – including substance use disorders (SUD) – within those incarcerated. The research observed a rising rate of such disorders even within an overall decrease in the number of prisoners, raising questions about what programs or systems may need to be implemented to answer this … [Read more...] about Summary: Prevalence of Mental Health and Comorbid Disorders in Scandinavian Prisons
Summary: Mental Health Needs, Substance Use, and Reincarceration in British Columbia
A new study by Amanda Butler, Tonia L. Nicholls, Hasina Samji, Sheri Fabian, and M. Ruth Lavergne – first published online in Criminal Justice and Behavior – takes a new approach to studying the effects of mental illness and substance use disorder on incarceration and recidivism. Although several prior studies have noted the prevalence of these disorders among incarcerated individuals, researchers have been unable to draw firm conclusions about how they may act as predictors of recidivism. This study has opted to focus on the metric of time between release and reincarceration among prisoners within Canada’s British Columbia (BC) province, providing a new, quantitative data point to … [Read more...] about Summary: Mental Health Needs, Substance Use, and Reincarceration in British Columbia
Interview: Dr. Orla Gallagher on Studying Violence in the Irish Prison System
Dr Orla Gallagher is a Post-Doctoral Researcher employed in the Irish Prison Service. Her primary project explores the implementation of an Expert by Experience role in the Irish Prison Service (IPS). She is also completing a small-scale project in conjunction with Senator Lynn Ruane exploring how neurodiversity is responded to in the IPS and sits on the national Homelessness in the Criminal Justice System Research Steering Group. She completed her PhD (in conjunction with the IPS and University College Dublin) in 2023, with her research focused on the management of serious violence and disruption in Irish Prisons. Prior to this she completed her MSc in Clinical Forensic Psychology at King’s … [Read more...] about Interview: Dr. Orla Gallagher on Studying Violence in the Irish Prison System
Summary: Key Issues for Mental Health in Corrections
In a recent study that builds upon several prior studies, researchers Ryan Coulling, Matthew S. Johnston, and Rosemary Ricciardelli examine the myriad factors that affect the mental health and well-being of workers in the Canadian correctional system. The new study – published in the January 22, 2024 issue of Frontiers in Psychology – takes a qualitative approach to analyzing mental health in corrections by focusing on the comments that participants wrote in response to an open-ended question at the end of a comprehensive mental health survey. Through this data, the researchers identified several themes that provide a more thorough picture of the challenges in correctional … [Read more...] about Summary: Key Issues for Mental Health in Corrections
Summary: Approaches to Effective Correctional Rehabilitation
A new study of correctional rehabilitation programs conducted by Susan Dewey, Brittany VandeBerg, and Susan Roberts–published in Vol. 104 (2) of The Prison Journal earlier this year–provides a distillation of three methods for delivering those services: holistic, pragmatic, and community oriented. Based on observations and interviews with hundreds of non-uniform correctional professionals working in eight different prison systems in the United States, the researchers manage to draw detailed outlines of each strategy, as well as identify both the strengths and weaknesses of each. Background and Research Purposes Non-uniformed staff fulfill several different roles outside of the … [Read more...] about Summary: Approaches to Effective Correctional Rehabilitation
New UNICRI Report Provides Insight and Recommendations on Digital Rehabilitation
The United National Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) published the report Digital Rehabilitation in Prisons in March 2024 (available here). The document was written by Victoria Knight and Stuart Ross, consultants at UNICRI, under the overall guidance and editing of Mana Yamamoto, Matthew Burnett-Stuart, and Alice Roberti. An expert group that included representatives from academia as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations also provided input for the report. I recognized several of the authors and advisors as practitioner leaders in contemporary correctional psychology, rehabilitation, probation, and prisons. The report examines the potential … [Read more...] about New UNICRI Report Provides Insight and Recommendations on Digital Rehabilitation
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Mar/Apr 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 March and April, 2024 include IACFP updates; member access to SAGE Journals; recent research, policy, and practice; and upcoming conferences. 1. IACFP Updates Student Research Award Application Process Open The IACFP believes that rigorous scholarship provides the foundation to continue advancing our understanding of criminology and the justice system. To that end, we invite student researchers to apply for the IACFP Student Research Award, which offers two awards of $2500 each to pursue a relevant … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Mar/Apr 2024
Summary: Analyzing the Effects of Digital Rights in Finnish Prisons
A study by Pia Puolakka and Maarit Suomela–published in Edition #16 - 2023 of Advancing Corrections Journal–takes a look at how the Doris Smart Prison Project has been utilized within the Finnish prison system to increase inmates’ access to digital resources during their incarceration. As many social and professional aspects of modern society have become increasingly digital, deprivation of such access among prisoners is causing greater marginalization. The initiative to provide improved digital rights in Finnish prisons therefore aims to improve prisoners’ basic human rights, supporting their rehabilitation within prison and their reintegration in communities after their sentence has been … [Read more...] about Summary: Analyzing the Effects of Digital Rights in Finnish Prisons
Summary: Study on First Nations Australians in Correctional Treatment
An article by Meaghan Trudgett, Andrew McGrath, and Bianca Spaccavento–published in the January 2024 issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior–describes their recent research study on the experiences of indigenous First Nations Australians in the country’s correctional system, focusing on rehabilitation programs within the state of New South Wales (NSW). The study employed a qualitative approach, engaging in interviews with a small group of First Nations individuals who were either participants or facilitators within these programs. The authors examined the structures and philosophical foundations of such programs through the perspectives of their subjects and distilled these insights into a … [Read more...] about Summary: Study on First Nations Australians in Correctional Treatment
Strategies and Solutions for Organizational Wellbeing
When Benchmark Analytics surveyed officers and leaders in corrections in 2022, they identified recruitment, retention, and burnout and officer wellness as the top issues they were facing in their organizations. As I’ve listened to individuals throughout the world who are working in corrections, behavioral health and rehabilitation, education, and public safety overall, these same issues continue to come up. Many organizations are introducing innovative methods to address these issues; however, most solutions focus on the individual correctional officer. This article focuses on a more comprehensive approach—organizational wellbeing. In January 2024, the Council of Juvenile Justice … [Read more...] about Strategies and Solutions for Organizational Wellbeing
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Jan/Feb 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 January and February, 2024 include recent research; policy updates; considerations for practice; and upcoming conferences. 1. IACFP Updates The IACFP Board has appointed Dr. Kristy Holtfreter to serve a three-year term as editor-in-chief of Criminal Justice and Behavior, beginning January 1, 2024. Dr. Holtfreter has previously contributed to CJB as an Associate Editor, Editorial Board Member, Special Issue Guest Editor (January 2016), author, and active reader of published content. She is the sixth individual–and the … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Jan/Feb 2024
