Previous issues of the IACFP Bulletin included a summary of recent research examining the relationship between solitary confinement of adults and mental illness in corrections and the improvements in policy and treatment that have taken place in the Oregon Department of Corrections. In the article summarizing recent research, readers were invited to answer four questions about their experiences, from the perspective of practitioners. Those questions were:Have you changed your policy on placing incarcerated persons in isolation cells over the last five years?Are you aware of criminal justice systems that have either not allowed mentally ill persons to be placed in isolation cells or that … [Read more...] about Correctional Service of Canada: Responding to Mental Illness in Corrections

Recent research published in Criminal Justice and Behavior has highlighted the prevalence of mental health disorders among correctional staff, building upon existing research indicating adverse mental health outcomes for this population. Based on data from practitioners in the field, the authors identified areas for changes that could mitigate stress, as well as the need for systemic shifts that would prioritize correctional worker mental health. In this article, we provide a summary of key takeaways that may prove useful to practitioners in the correctional field. Research Purpose and Lit Review The study's authors, hailing from Memorial University of Newfoundland, cited mounting … [Read more...] about Research Summary: Correctional Worker Mental Health

Fred Cohen, School of Criminal Justice Founder, Professor Emeritus, and Attorney passed away March 30, 2022, at his home in Tucson, Arizona, just a day short of his 89th birthday.Anyone working in the field of criminal justice should be at least passingly familiar with Professor Cohen’s name and his lasting impact on the field. Professor Cohen was instrumental in helping plan the country’s first Ph.D. program in criminal justice, as well as the core curriculum of SUNY's University at Albany School of Criminal Justice, which started in 1968.Over the years, Professor Cohen became known for his ability to bridge the gap between legal doctrine and the behavioral sciences in keeping with his … [Read more...] about The Passing of Fred Cohen: School of Criminal Justice Founder

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 May and June, 2022 include a report on coping with COVID in prisons, new approaches to engaging justice-involved individuals in meaningful activities, the benefits of probation, statistics on youth violence, strategies for addressing trauma in women's prisons, and upcoming conferences. 1. Research "Coping with COVID in Prisons"Over the last 18 months, User Voice and researchers from Queen's University Belfast were funded by the Economic and Social Research Council to conduct one of the biggest systematic studies of … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for May/Jun 2022

In 2017, IACFP began exploring how it could more effectively work as a partner with other organizations throughout the world. One of the strategies adopted at that time was to be the founder of an NGO organization in Europe. The result was the establishment of IACFP Europe, which was awarded a Royal Decree as a Belgium public interest foundation in 2019. Over the subsequent 18 months, IACFP Europe pursued partnership opportunities that were aligned with its mission to bridge research to practice and support practitioners who serve justice-involved juveniles and adults in secure facilities and the community. It focuses on research, professional development, and training.During 2020, IACFP … [Read more...] about IACFP Europe REEDU Project Focuses on Rehabilitation and Education for Justice-Involved Juveniles

In a recent essay for Criminology & Public Policy, author Alex R. Piquero explored the overlap of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the focus on racial and social justice following the murder of George Floyd in the United States. These two simultaneous events, Piquero suggested, created an environment wherein criminal justice policy could be critically examined and potentially reshaped. In this article, we provide a summary of his essay and key takeaways that may prove useful to practitioners in the correctional field. Impact on Crime and Incarceration One component of research noted by Piquero is the work of criminologists to determine the pandemic's impact on "crime and criminal … [Read more...] about Essay Summary: Improving Criminal Justice Policy in the Wake of COVID

We've compiled top highlights from recent news, research, and resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for March and April, 2022 include research and practice highlights on Ukraine, penal reform, good governance, and COVID-19, as well as upcoming conferences. 1. Research and Practice SAGE PublicationsIACFP has had a long-standing agreement with SAGE publishing which supports both the publication and dissemination of Criminal Justice and Behavior. It also provides many other benefits to IACFP members in terms of access to published research in 56 other journals in criminal justice and psychology. SAGE is also an organization that “walks … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Mar/Apr 2022

This practice commentary continues the first installment published in the October 2021 IACFP Bulletin. This two-part series was launched with an all-important question related to reducing recidivism: “What matters for outcomes?” A multitude of correctional research was reviewed, which has established that outcomes are impacted by both technical and relational aspects.Technical aspects cover the treatment approach used (what you do), yet relational aspects cover the provider’s delivery of those treatment elements (how you do it). A frustration was shared that early work on evidence-based practices focused almost entirely on the technical procedures and methods, while the relationship between … [Read more...] about Adding Relational to Technical Factors for Reducing Recidivism: Provider Effects and Relational Factors Impacting Outcomes (Part 2)

This month, Frank J. Porporino, Ph.D., shares highlights from responses he prepared to interview questions focusing on the efficacy of prison vs. probation. Question 1 In one of your keynote speeches to the World Congress on Probation, you argued that reliance on incarceration is cost-ineffective and that probation can lower the cost of criminal justice. Can you share some of the data on this? What are the economic and cost-efficiency benefits of probation sanctions instead of custodial sanctions?FP: If we look at just basic cost estimates of imprisonment vs. probation …  it’s like comparing the size of a grapefruit vs. a grape … in the U.S., for example, the cost of incarcerating … [Read more...] about Prison vs. Probation…Which Is More Effective?

At the end of 2018, the United States had 4.5 million people in community corrections, which was more than double the number of incarcerated individuals in both jails and prisons. While past research has indicated that over 50% of men incarcerated in jails have experienced at least one traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, very little research has looked at the prevalence of TBI in community corrections (e.g., probation and parole). This article summarizes research recently published in the December 2021 issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior, which examines the impact of TBI on the risk of recidivism in community corrections, as well as accommodations that may improve receptivity and … [Read more...] about Research Summary: TBI’s Impact on Risk of Recidivism in Community Corrections

We've compiled top highlights from recent news, research, and resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for January and February, 2022 include: IACFP updates, emerging research, policy updates, practice highlights, and upcoming conferences. 1. IACFP Updates New Editor-in-Chief for Criminal Justice and BehaviorThe IACFP Board is pleased to announce that they recently selected Mark Olver, Ph.D., as the editor-in-chief of Criminal Justice and Behavior, effective January 1, 2022. Dr. Olver has been an associate editor for CJB the last four years. He is a registered doctoral psychologist with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists and a … [Read more...] about Research and Resources for Jan/Feb 2022

A new report from the Brookings-AEI Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform was published this year as part of its series: "A Better Path Forward for Criminal Justice." The seventh chapter of the series focuses on how to improve prisoner reentry for the over 640,000 people per year who return to their communities following incarceration. In this article, we provide a summary of their findings, including short- and long-term recommendations to increase racial equity and improve the reentry process. The Need for Criminal Justice Reform The report frames prisoner reentry as a racial justice issue that merits a criminal justice reform response. Black Americans are anywhere from five to … [Read more...] about Brookings Institute Report Summary: Recommended Reforms to Improve Prisoner Reentry