Social Workers’ Perspectives on Effective Practice in Criminal Justice Settings

Abstract

Social workers practicing within the field of criminal justice face significant challenges. Through individual interviews, 17 experienced social workers from diverse criminal justice settings share their perspectives about the attributes needed for effective social work practice. Participants describe how they define success in their work and what it takes to be successful. They highlight specific ways of behaving within criminal justice settings, relationship qualities for working with criminal justice clients, and personal traits believed to be critical to effective practice. The participants also reflect on the value of their education and offer a suggestion for prospective criminal justice social workers.