Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1997276
Candence Wills, Kayla Bates, Natasha A. Frost, Carlos E. Monteiro
ABSTRACT Correction officers experience a challenging work environment that increases the risk of encountering violence, physical danger, and traumatic events such as inmate violence and potential assaults by inmates. The demanding work climate can lead to stress and mental health concerns. However, officers are reluctant to seek help for their own mental health concerns and avoid employer provided services, including peer-to-peer support units. This study seeks to explore the underlying institutional barriers to help-seeking for mental health concerns among correction officers. Content analysis is applied to qualitative data from 42 semi-structured interviews with family members and friends of correction officers who died by suicide and 395 interviews with officers working for a state department of corrections answering open-ended questions. Two overarching themes emerged and within these themes were a series of subthemes revealing institutional barriers to help-seeking for mental health concerns. Institutional culture centers around stigma related to mental health and hypermasculinity perpetuated in the work environment. Institutional structure contains institutional organization, confidentiality, and punitive responses as subthemes. Correctional settings could benefit from reducing stigma of mental health related encouraged by hypermasculinity, restructuring organizational hierarchies, enforcing confidentiality, and creating supportive environments for officers to seek help for mental health concerns.
{"title":"Barriers to help-seeking among correction officers: examining the influence of institutional culture and structure","authors":"Candence Wills, Kayla Bates, Natasha A. Frost, Carlos E. Monteiro","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1997276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1997276","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Correction officers experience a challenging work environment that increases the risk of encountering violence, physical danger, and traumatic events such as inmate violence and potential assaults by inmates. The demanding work climate can lead to stress and mental health concerns. However, officers are reluctant to seek help for their own mental health concerns and avoid employer provided services, including peer-to-peer support units. This study seeks to explore the underlying institutional barriers to help-seeking for mental health concerns among correction officers. Content analysis is applied to qualitative data from 42 semi-structured interviews with family members and friends of correction officers who died by suicide and 395 interviews with officers working for a state department of corrections answering open-ended questions. Two overarching themes emerged and within these themes were a series of subthemes revealing institutional barriers to help-seeking for mental health concerns. Institutional culture centers around stigma related to mental health and hypermasculinity perpetuated in the work environment. Institutional structure contains institutional organization, confidentiality, and punitive responses as subthemes. Correctional settings could benefit from reducing stigma of mental health related encouraged by hypermasculinity, restructuring organizational hierarchies, enforcing confidentiality, and creating supportive environments for officers to seek help for mental health concerns.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"34 1","pages":"423 - 440"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43984376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999116
Katie Taylor, K. Swartz
ABSTRACT Developing research demonstrates that correctional officers (CO's) are at a higher risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than the general population, less is known about the relationship between how CO's cope with stress. Most CO's will be exposed to chronic stress and trauma while working in prisons, with approximately one-third of CO's eventually suffering from PTSD. It is important to explore the relationship between coping and PTSD because if certain coping styles are associated with different levels of PTSD, this could be used to inform training and programming for officers. This study examines officer coping and whether they impact the severity of PTSD symptoms among a group of approximately 245 correctional officers across seven adult state institutions from one Southern state. While controlling for exposure to violence and trauma experienced while on the job and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), this study explores whether multiple problem-focused and emotion-focused coping mechanisms are associated with the level of PTSD symptoms experienced by CO's. Results indicated multiple problem- and emotion-focused coping mechanisms were significantly related to PTSD symptoms, even when controlling for exposure to violence and trauma, ACEs, and other controls. Implications these findings have for practice, and directions for future research are discussed.
{"title":"Stress doesn’t kill us, it’s our reaction: exploring the relationship between coping mechanisms and correctional officer PTSD","authors":"Katie Taylor, K. Swartz","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999116","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Developing research demonstrates that correctional officers (CO's) are at a higher risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than the general population, less is known about the relationship between how CO's cope with stress. Most CO's will be exposed to chronic stress and trauma while working in prisons, with approximately one-third of CO's eventually suffering from PTSD. It is important to explore the relationship between coping and PTSD because if certain coping styles are associated with different levels of PTSD, this could be used to inform training and programming for officers. This study examines officer coping and whether they impact the severity of PTSD symptoms among a group of approximately 245 correctional officers across seven adult state institutions from one Southern state. While controlling for exposure to violence and trauma experienced while on the job and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), this study explores whether multiple problem-focused and emotion-focused coping mechanisms are associated with the level of PTSD symptoms experienced by CO's. Results indicated multiple problem- and emotion-focused coping mechanisms were significantly related to PTSD symptoms, even when controlling for exposure to violence and trauma, ACEs, and other controls. Implications these findings have for practice, and directions for future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"34 1","pages":"380 - 396"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48767790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.2001231
Veronica L. Horowitz, Emily R. Greberman, P. E. Nolan, Jordan M. Hyatt, C. Uggen, S. Andersen, Steven L. Chanenson
ABSTRACT Correctional officers in the United States experience severe work-related stressors and are generally physically unwell compared to similar public employees. An innovative and new approach to improving American corrections that is starting to gain momentum stems from looking at the workplace dynamic in alternative international models, such as in Scandinavian prison systems, for models of workplace reform. This study examines the perspectives of staff and leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections who traveled to Scandinavia as part of a correctional exchange. Each day of the trip, correctional staff recorded their qualitative reflections and completed a basic survey about their observations and experiences. This article examines both forms of data to explore correctional officer wellness from the perspective of American correctional officers. Five key themes are discussed: morale, stress, danger, dynamic security, and communication. Survey results corroborate this pattern, as US correctional officers reported somewhat lower stress and more positive interactions during their time in Norway. Key takeaways and implications for policy are discussed.
{"title":"A comparative perspective on officer wellness: american reflections from norwegian prisons","authors":"Veronica L. Horowitz, Emily R. Greberman, P. E. Nolan, Jordan M. Hyatt, C. Uggen, S. Andersen, Steven L. Chanenson","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.2001231","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.2001231","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Correctional officers in the United States experience severe work-related stressors and are generally physically unwell compared to similar public employees. An innovative and new approach to improving American corrections that is starting to gain momentum stems from looking at the workplace dynamic in alternative international models, such as in Scandinavian prison systems, for models of workplace reform. This study examines the perspectives of staff and leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections who traveled to Scandinavia as part of a correctional exchange. Each day of the trip, correctional staff recorded their qualitative reflections and completed a basic survey about their observations and experiences. This article examines both forms of data to explore correctional officer wellness from the perspective of American correctional officers. Five key themes are discussed: morale, stress, danger, dynamic security, and communication. Survey results corroborate this pattern, as US correctional officers reported somewhat lower stress and more positive interactions during their time in Norway. Key takeaways and implications for policy are discussed.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"34 1","pages":"477 - 497"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42615028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999114
A. Clements, G. Kinman
ABSTRACT Prison officers experience a number of occupational and organizational stressors, and are at considerable risk of burnout. There has been limited research examining the processes by which the demands officers experience impact on their burnout risk. Drawing on the job demands-resources model, we tested distributive justice perceptions as a mediator for the relationship between workload and violence with emotional exhaustion. We further tested whether supervisor-focused interactional justice perceptions would be associated with reduced emotional exhaustion via stress culture (i.e. a perceived ability to discuss stress-related problems with managers). UK prison officers (N = 1792) completed an online survey. Findings indicated that, while workload was associated with emotional exhaustion directly and via distributive justice, experiences of violence was only directly linked with emotional exhaustion. Interactional justice was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion via the ability to discuss stress-related problems, but the association was weak. Findings suggest positive manager-subordinate relationships are not sufficient to meaningfully enhance psychological wellbeing. Instead we highlight the need to manage officers’ workload.
{"title":"Job demands, organizational justice, and emotional exhaustion in prison officers","authors":"A. Clements, G. Kinman","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999114","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Prison officers experience a number of occupational and organizational stressors, and are at considerable risk of burnout. There has been limited research examining the processes by which the demands officers experience impact on their burnout risk. Drawing on the job demands-resources model, we tested distributive justice perceptions as a mediator for the relationship between workload and violence with emotional exhaustion. We further tested whether supervisor-focused interactional justice perceptions would be associated with reduced emotional exhaustion via stress culture (i.e. a perceived ability to discuss stress-related problems with managers). UK prison officers (N = 1792) completed an online survey. Findings indicated that, while workload was associated with emotional exhaustion directly and via distributive justice, experiences of violence was only directly linked with emotional exhaustion. Interactional justice was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion via the ability to discuss stress-related problems, but the association was weak. Findings suggest positive manager-subordinate relationships are not sufficient to meaningfully enhance psychological wellbeing. Instead we highlight the need to manage officers’ workload.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"5 5","pages":"441 - 458"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41246557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999115
Logan Lavender, N. Todak
ABSTRACT Previous research has documented high rates of stress, PTSD, and other health and wellness problems in U.S. correctional officers (COs). In some studies, rates of mental health issues among COs surpassed those observed in combat-experienced veteran and police officer samples. Unfortunately, this crisis has not received much empirical attention. Drawing on a survey of COs working in Washington state (N = 420), we test whether facility and shift variables are related to CO stress, PTSD, and quality of life across four domains: physical health, mental health, social relationships, and physical environment. Few organizational factors were significantly related to health and wellness problems in COs. However, PTSD and stress levels were much higher in our sample than has been reported in past studies (e.g. 27% of our sample met the criteria for diagnosable PTSD). Thus, we find that the mental health crisis among COs is both worsening and unaffected by organizational variables like shift, weekly hours, and facility type. Additional research investigating this crisis is needed.
{"title":"Exploring organizational risk factors for health & wellness problems in correctional officers","authors":"Logan Lavender, N. Todak","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999115","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Previous research has documented high rates of stress, PTSD, and other health and wellness problems in U.S. correctional officers (COs). In some studies, rates of mental health issues among COs surpassed those observed in combat-experienced veteran and police officer samples. Unfortunately, this crisis has not received much empirical attention. Drawing on a survey of COs working in Washington state (N = 420), we test whether facility and shift variables are related to CO stress, PTSD, and quality of life across four domains: physical health, mental health, social relationships, and physical environment. Few organizational factors were significantly related to health and wellness problems in COs. However, PTSD and stress levels were much higher in our sample than has been reported in past studies (e.g. 27% of our sample met the criteria for diagnosable PTSD). Thus, we find that the mental health crisis among COs is both worsening and unaffected by organizational variables like shift, weekly hours, and facility type. Additional research investigating this crisis is needed.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"34 1","pages":"361 - 379"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43925301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1997277
R. Ricciardelli, M. S. Cassiano, Michael Adorjan, Meghan M. Mitchell
ABSTRACT Scholars and correctional officials have begun to recognize the association of correctional work with occupational stressors that deteriorate mental health and well-being. Yet, programs and policies to support prison staff as they navigate physical, emotional, and psychological challenges are limited, with scarce empirical evidence supporting their usefulness to employees. We examine the Advanced Mental Strength and Conditioning (AMStrength) program using semi-structured interviews with 70 correctional officers after they completed a year on the job. Among our findings, we highlight that 80% of participants have not used AMStrength since being their training during recruitment. However, AMStrength fulfills a vital role in promoting awareness, including self-awareness of mental health.
{"title":"AMStrength program in Canadian federal correctional services: correctional officers’ views and interpretations","authors":"R. Ricciardelli, M. S. Cassiano, Michael Adorjan, Meghan M. Mitchell","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1997277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1997277","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Scholars and correctional officials have begun to recognize the association of correctional work with occupational stressors that deteriorate mental health and well-being. Yet, programs and policies to support prison staff as they navigate physical, emotional, and psychological challenges are limited, with scarce empirical evidence supporting their usefulness to employees. We examine the Advanced Mental Strength and Conditioning (AMStrength) program using semi-structured interviews with 70 correctional officers after they completed a year on the job. Among our findings, we highlight that 80% of participants have not used AMStrength since being their training during recruitment. However, AMStrength fulfills a vital role in promoting awareness, including self-awareness of mental health.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"34 1","pages":"459 - 476"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49211215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999117
Jessie Harney, Amy E. Lerman
ABSTRACT Correctional officers are at high risk of exposure to workplace violence, and many report experiencing severe mental health symptoms, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Despite growing concern for these issues, however, we do not yet fully understand the coping mechanisms correctional officers employ to manage work-related stress, or how coping mechanisms affect workplace outcomes. To address these questions, we utilize original survey data about California correctional officers. We draw on the Stress Process Paradigm to model the relationship between exposure to violence and mental health, the impact of occupational stress on the development of coping mechanisms, and whether differential coping mechanism utilization impacts officers’ levels of cynicism and desire to leave corrections. Our findings suggest that emotion-focused coping (e.g. having someone to talk to) is associated with lower intention to leave correctional employment, while the opposite is true for avoidant coping (i.e. alcohol abuse). These insights shed light on the problem of officer turnover and retention, and provide potential direction to policymakers and practitioners seeking to create an effective, healthy workforce.
{"title":"Clarifying the role of officer coping on turnover in corrections","authors":"Jessie Harney, Amy E. Lerman","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1999117","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Correctional officers are at high risk of exposure to workplace violence, and many report experiencing severe mental health symptoms, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Despite growing concern for these issues, however, we do not yet fully understand the coping mechanisms correctional officers employ to manage work-related stress, or how coping mechanisms affect workplace outcomes. To address these questions, we utilize original survey data about California correctional officers. We draw on the Stress Process Paradigm to model the relationship between exposure to violence and mental health, the impact of occupational stress on the development of coping mechanisms, and whether differential coping mechanism utilization impacts officers’ levels of cynicism and desire to leave corrections. Our findings suggest that emotion-focused coping (e.g. having someone to talk to) is associated with lower intention to leave correctional employment, while the opposite is true for avoidant coping (i.e. alcohol abuse). These insights shed light on the problem of officer turnover and retention, and provide potential direction to policymakers and practitioners seeking to create an effective, healthy workforce.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"34 1","pages":"397 - 422"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42235689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1996548
Hayden P. Smith
During 2021 the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) approached me to conduct a webinar on the topic of ‘Promoting Wellness and Resiliency in Correctional Staff’. My approach when conducting and presenting research on the health of correctional staff centers on maximizing partnerships between academics and practitioners, with the goal of providing conceptual frameworks that can drive real-world programs and policies (Smith, 2021; Smith, Power, Usher, Sitren, & Slade, 2019; Smith & Ferdik, 2016). As such, it was an easy decision to build on an existing partnership between me (an academic) and a very experienced and knowledgeable practitioner: Ms. Karin Ho (Division Director, Victim Services & CISM Program: Critical Incident Stress Management, South Carolina Department of Corrections). This webinar was initiated and developed by Mr. Scott Richards, Correctional Program Specialist, Prisons Division, and his team at the National Institute of Corrections (NIC). As the webinar date approached the National Institute of Corrections contacted the presenters to inform us that the audience response was unprecedented, and they could not add more participants due to a bandwidth limitations. The webinar was a success, and the day of live broadcast there were over 1,200 participants, from all US states and ranging from academics to practitioners from institutional and community corrections of all ranks and working in diverse settings. Participants continue to view the recorded video posted at the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and email the team with follow-up questions, comments, and seeking more information (Smith & Ho, 2021). The webinar can be found here: https://nicic.gov/promotingwellness-and-resiliency-correctional-staff The experience was very gratifying but also sobering. These practitioners working in our jails, prisons, probation, parole, juvenile detention, and other community settings expressed a strong need for any guidance or information on how to support the wellness and resiliency of correctional staff. While I was honored to provide conceptual and research-based suggestions and Ms. Karin Ho detailed real-world programs for staff wellness, it was clear that we were communicating with an audience who were seeking practical solutions while struggling to work in the midst of a staffing-health crisis. The NIC webinar was the impetus for this special edition on correctional officer wellness and resiliency. The conversation about the health and wellbeing of correctional officers is reflective of recent social changes. While antiquated textbooks focus on the punitive ‘get tough on crime’ incarceration policies that led to overcrowded jails and prisons, a more contemporary perspective recognizes that this narrative is no longer accurate. Two factors in particular, incarceration rates and unemployment, have created a new reality for the criminal justice system. With regard to the former, the United States has experienced declining incarcerat
{"title":"Introduction to the special edition on correctional officer wellness and resiliency","authors":"Hayden P. Smith","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1996548","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1996548","url":null,"abstract":"During 2021 the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) approached me to conduct a webinar on the topic of ‘Promoting Wellness and Resiliency in Correctional Staff’. My approach when conducting and presenting research on the health of correctional staff centers on maximizing partnerships between academics and practitioners, with the goal of providing conceptual frameworks that can drive real-world programs and policies (Smith, 2021; Smith, Power, Usher, Sitren, & Slade, 2019; Smith & Ferdik, 2016). As such, it was an easy decision to build on an existing partnership between me (an academic) and a very experienced and knowledgeable practitioner: Ms. Karin Ho (Division Director, Victim Services & CISM Program: Critical Incident Stress Management, South Carolina Department of Corrections). This webinar was initiated and developed by Mr. Scott Richards, Correctional Program Specialist, Prisons Division, and his team at the National Institute of Corrections (NIC). As the webinar date approached the National Institute of Corrections contacted the presenters to inform us that the audience response was unprecedented, and they could not add more participants due to a bandwidth limitations. The webinar was a success, and the day of live broadcast there were over 1,200 participants, from all US states and ranging from academics to practitioners from institutional and community corrections of all ranks and working in diverse settings. Participants continue to view the recorded video posted at the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and email the team with follow-up questions, comments, and seeking more information (Smith & Ho, 2021). The webinar can be found here: https://nicic.gov/promotingwellness-and-resiliency-correctional-staff The experience was very gratifying but also sobering. These practitioners working in our jails, prisons, probation, parole, juvenile detention, and other community settings expressed a strong need for any guidance or information on how to support the wellness and resiliency of correctional staff. While I was honored to provide conceptual and research-based suggestions and Ms. Karin Ho detailed real-world programs for staff wellness, it was clear that we were communicating with an audience who were seeking practical solutions while struggling to work in the midst of a staffing-health crisis. The NIC webinar was the impetus for this special edition on correctional officer wellness and resiliency. The conversation about the health and wellbeing of correctional officers is reflective of recent social changes. While antiquated textbooks focus on the punitive ‘get tough on crime’ incarceration policies that led to overcrowded jails and prisons, a more contemporary perspective recognizes that this narrative is no longer accurate. Two factors in particular, incarceration rates and unemployment, have created a new reality for the criminal justice system. With regard to the former, the United States has experienced declining incarcerat","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"34 1","pages":"353 - 360"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45817107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-21DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1978992
Alyssa M. Sheeran, Victoria A. Knoche, Tina L. Freiburger
ABSTRACT Adult drug treatment courts provide an alternative to incarceration that focuses on the treatment of substance abuse issues and other psychological dysfunctions. The literature thus far has generally indicated that drug courts are significantly more effective than other criminal justice interventions, yet rates of drug court effectiveness vary substantially across jurisdictions. The current study was able to peek inside the “black box” of drug treatment courts to understand which characteristics might be critical to the success of these courts. An evaluation of the Milwaukee County Adult Drug Treatment Court in Wisconsin revealed that age at intake, race and ethnicity, prior convictions, primary drug of choice, and custody sanctions were all significantly associated with an individual’s likelihood of graduating the drug court. The inclusion of these findings to the literature offers an additional examination of drug court effectiveness and further assists in providing a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that predict drug court graduation. As a result, the health of the individual, the community, and the justice system at large can be significantly improved.
{"title":"Identifying predictors of drug court graduation: findings from an evaluation of the Milwaukee County Adult Drug Treatment Court","authors":"Alyssa M. Sheeran, Victoria A. Knoche, Tina L. Freiburger","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1978992","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1978992","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Adult drug treatment courts provide an alternative to incarceration that focuses on the treatment of substance abuse issues and other psychological dysfunctions. The literature thus far has generally indicated that drug courts are significantly more effective than other criminal justice interventions, yet rates of drug court effectiveness vary substantially across jurisdictions. The current study was able to peek inside the “black box” of drug treatment courts to understand which characteristics might be critical to the success of these courts. An evaluation of the Milwaukee County Adult Drug Treatment Court in Wisconsin revealed that age at intake, race and ethnicity, prior convictions, primary drug of choice, and custody sanctions were all significantly associated with an individual’s likelihood of graduating the drug court. The inclusion of these findings to the literature offers an additional examination of drug court effectiveness and further assists in providing a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that predict drug court graduation. As a result, the health of the individual, the community, and the justice system at large can be significantly improved.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"35 1","pages":"57 - 73"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43596298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-21DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.1981891
Daniel K. Pryce, R. Gainey
ABSTRACT Measuring public opinions about the police is a mainstay of police–community relations because the police need to know how well they are doing in the communities they serve. To understand public attitudes toward the police in the aftermath of George’s Floyd’s killing, we analyze data from residents across seven cities located in Southeast Virginia. We find that, compared to whites and other racial groups, blacks were more likely to report both personal and vicarious experiences and were less trusting of and satisfied with police. In addition, blacks were less likely than whites and other racial groups to support the police’s handling of peaceful protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Other demographic differences are found and presented in light of prior research on public attitudes toward the police. The implications of our findings for improved police–community interactions, policy, and future research are discussed.
{"title":"Race differences in public satisfaction with and trust in the local police in the context of george floyd protests: an analysis of residents’ experiences and attitudes","authors":"Daniel K. Pryce, R. Gainey","doi":"10.1080/1478601X.2021.1981891","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2021.1981891","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Measuring public opinions about the police is a mainstay of police–community relations because the police need to know how well they are doing in the communities they serve. To understand public attitudes toward the police in the aftermath of George’s Floyd’s killing, we analyze data from residents across seven cities located in Southeast Virginia. We find that, compared to whites and other racial groups, blacks were more likely to report both personal and vicarious experiences and were less trusting of and satisfied with police. In addition, blacks were less likely than whites and other racial groups to support the police’s handling of peaceful protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Other demographic differences are found and presented in light of prior research on public attitudes toward the police. The implications of our findings for improved police–community interactions, policy, and future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":45877,"journal":{"name":"CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES","volume":"35 1","pages":"74 - 92"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43215082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：