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The United States is releasing more individuals from prisons than ever before. However, returning citizens face numerous challenges transitioning back into community life and many communities remain ill-equipped in successfully supporting them. This study focuses on transportation as in integral component to the success of returning citizens. Rapid and rigorous qualitative data analysis (RADaR technique) is applied to interviews (n = 15) with individuals having returned to their community about the impact of transportation on their reentry. Analysis resulted in three primary themes; interviewees reinforced existing knowledge of the issues with transportation disadvantage, transportation is an extension of freedom, and transportation is directly connected to reentry success. These findings suggest a tiered structure of transportation freedom for returning citizens. This model of transportation will aid future researchers and policymakers in considering how to better resource returning citizens to maximize their success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation has been identified as one of the major barriers to successful reentry for prisoners released to community in the United States. We foregrounded transportation and mobility in our design consistent with the new mobilities paradigm and investigated the mobility needs of returning citizens from the perspective of service providers and employers in Dallas, Texas. We interviewed 17 participants who directly served returning citizens in their professional roles as part of a conventional content analytic design that focused specifically on transportation and mobility among their clients. The findings include five primary themes: 1) Returning citizens rely primarily on public transit; 2) Access to cars is rare, complicated, but advantageous; 3) Support lays a road to successful reentry; 4) Transportation is critical for successful reentry, and; 5) Returning citizens face a complex network of obligations. We utilized mobilities literature and assemblage thinking to interpret our findings as an expansion of the carceral mobilities literature both conceptually and geo-spatially as a reentry mobility assemblage. The paper concludes with a consideration of the possibilities for social service practice, research, and pedagogy through a mobilities lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug courts have been part of the criminal justice system for over 30 years. A plethora of quantitative quasi-experimental, experimental, and meta-analytic studies have demonstrated their effectiveness at promoting recovery from substance use disorders and reducing criminal recidivism. Qualitative studies, however, are less common and little is known about specific populations that drug courts serve, such as women. To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) of women's experiences in drug court (n = 79). The QIMS resulted in four new, overarching themes related to (1) receiving praise, compassion and encouragement from the judge and counseling staff; (2) promotion of parenting skills and improvement of mother-child relationships; (3) receiving gender-specific services addressing co-occurring mental health and trauma issues; and (4) continuous performance monitoring, including drug testing, which held participants accountable for their conduct while promoting gradual development of intrinsic motivation for change. Implications for drug court practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 600,000 individuals return to United States communities from prison each year. Transportation has been identified as a major barrier to successful reentry. Applying qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis to achieve a deep understanding of reentry transportation obstacles, 11 articles with 362 male and female participants were identified. Two themes emerged from our analysis: (1) "Transportation connects complex obligations," highlighting the critical role that transportation plays in the successful navigation of post-release conditions; and (2) "Transportation deficiencies exacerbate vulnerability," revealing how transportation factors intertwine with structural issues to increase precarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug courts are an alternative to incarceration for individuals who have substance use disorders and nonviolent arrests, and these programs can be an avenue to recovery for those who have opioid use disorders. This qualitative study used a focus group methodology to explore drug court team members' thoughts, opinions, and lived experiences related to how the program treats opioid use disorders and the role of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in programming. The drug court team had favorable views toward MAT and reported that participants who received MAT experienced many positive outcomes. Additionally, members of the drug court team often had to educate participants on MAT, as some participants had inaccurate information and beliefs about MAT that were based on myths. The drug court team also candidly discussed their paradigm shift from not allowing MAT to incorporating MAT into programming. Implications for drug court practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of serious psychological distress among jail inmates (26.4%) is significantly higher than the rate (5%) among the general adult population. The current study is an exploration of the psychosocial impact of an animal assisted intervention (AAI) for men incarcerated in a Texas jail. Participants (N = 17) completed weekly measures of depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-esteem, loneliness, and resilience at Time 1 and Time 2, five weeks later. Dependent sample t-tests were run to test the hypothesis that there are significant differences in participant responses between their first and last week in the AAI program. Analyses revealed significant reductions in PCL-C (t (df = 16), 3.030, p =.008) and CESD (t (df = 16), 1.738, p =.101) scores when comparing the first and last week in the program. An additional dependent samples t-test was run over individuals who had clinically significant scores (moderate to severe) for each measure. These analyses revealed even stronger effects on PCL-C scores (t (df = 8), 4.498, p =.002) and GAD-7 scores (t (df = 8), 2.622, p =.031). Successful completion of the AAI program led to significantly lower symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug courts continue to expand throughout the United States; however, little is known about participants' lived experiences in the program, particularly as it relates to the key components of the drug court model. Fifteen participants of the Monroe County (Indiana) drug court completed surveys where they answered five open-ended questions related to key components of the drug court model. Participants reported mixed feelings related to the quality of counseling they received, and some felt that their individualized treatment needs were not being met. Overall, participants viewed the drug court team as supportive, and they felt that praise from the judge was one of the most helpful incentives they received. Some participants noted that the frequent and random drug testing system deterred them from using drugs and resulted in positive, cognitive changes that supported their recovery. The most common challenges associated with frequent and random drug testing were that some participants thought that it was too expensive and time-consuming which they felt could delay their progress in the program, or even their graduation. The findings are discussed in reference to drug court practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug courts have been an important part of the criminal justice system since 1989. They continue to expand throughout the United States because nearly three decades of research has shown that they are more effective than other interventions, such as traditional probation. There is a pattern, though, in some drug courts where African Americans are less likely to graduate than their Caucasian counterparts. This qualitative study explores this phenomenon by asking African American participants (n = 31) their views on the most helpful aspects of drug court and how drug court could be more helpful in supporting them in graduating the program. Participants felt that the respect and compassion they received from the drug court judge and their case managers, as well as the camaraderie they developed with other participants, was an aspect of drug court that supported them in graduating the program. Next, participants felt that graduation rates would improve if drug court better supported them in gaining employment or sustaining the employment they already had. Implications for drug court practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth experience increased surveillance by and involuntary contact with police officers compared with other age groups. Studies that explore the experiences of youth during these encounters are scant and focus on youth with criminal histories. This research aims to explore the experiences of college-attending youth between 18 and 24 years old in two southern states. The study was designed and conducted according to the tenets of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Twelve Black youth were recruited and interviewed between April 2015 and April 2016. Three superordinate themes (and subthemes) were identified: (1) negative feelings towards the police; (2) precarity of police encounters (subthemes: police as a threat to welfare; it could be me; steps to follow during police encounters; behavior is irrelevant) and; (3) police response is part of structural racism (subthemes: racism is everywhere; media contributes to racism). The importance of these findings for social work practice and research will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses social justice, and conductor Jonathan Palant's Dallas Street Choir (DSC) which debuted on January 25, 2015 at Dallas, Texas. Topics discussed include the use of word of mouth, signage, and broadcasting an attractive incentive program as tools to recruit new singers, providing direct, material relief of community members' needs, inclusion of homeless people through choral performance, and the reportedly postive impact of choir singing on homeless people.

Since 1989, drug courts have provided an alternative to incarceration for arrestees who have a substance use disorder. Previous research has suggested that participants who graduate from the program are less likely to recidivate than those who are terminated from the program. The majority of research on drug courts is quantitative; therefore, the benefits of qualitative methods are not fully seen in the literature. This qualitative study developed an in-depth understanding of participants’ (n = 42) views on the strengths and limitations of a Midwestern drug court. Two themes emerged from the data. First, participants felt that the drug court promoted camaraderie, which enhanced their motivation for change and supported them in graduating from the program. Second, participants felt that the drug court did not adequately treat their mental illnesses, which for some resulted in relapse and was perceived as a barrier to graduating from the program. Recommendations for drug court practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) are designed to offer a rehabilitative approach to criminal justice, focusing on treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. This qualitative study develops an in-depth understanding of a Midwestern VTC by asking participants (n = 15) their views on the most helpful aspects of the program and how the program could be more helpful. Three themes emerged from the data. 1) Military veterans felt that they were treated in a compassionate and caring manner, while also being held accountable for their behaviors. 2) Military veterans felt that they were not labeled by their mental health diagnoses, but that their identities as people and military veterans were more fully recognized. 3) Military veterans were dissatisfied with some of the services they received from the local VA. These findings are discussed in the context of problem-solving courts and military veterans’ experiences of services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Social workers who are active in the area of intimate partner violence (IPV) must understand how to structure their coalitions for maximum effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to examine the communication strategies, organizational structures, and relationships between one IPV coalition and its membership to glean recommendations for the field. The authors purposively sampled ten subjects from one state, including staff from the state IPV advocacy coalition (N= 2) and staff from the state coalition's member agencies (N= 8). After completing phone interviews with the subjects, the authors utilized directed content analysis to derive themes from the data. Study findings point to different perceptions regarding access to the coalition, flow of information to and from the coalition, the shaping of the IPV movement, and coalition structure. These differences occurred between executive versus direct practice staff, and nearby versus distant member agencies. Executives and those in nearby regions were more likely to describe a reciprocal relationship between member agencies and the coalition than were direct practice staff or those working in distant agencies. Future research should address the benefits and drawbacks of coalitions cultivating centralized versus decentralized relationships with member agencies, particularly in terms of impact on member agency social service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Criminal-justice-involved clients often are a complicated population for students to consider through a lens of oppression. Nevertheless, it is critical that they do so given that many will serve clients with criminal records during their careers. An attempt to challenge students’ prejudice toward criminal-justice-involved people was deployed using a teaching technique derived from intergroup contact theory. The authors invited Juan Melendez to share his story of incarceration on death row for more than 17 years for a crime he did not commit. This article is an examination of the impact of Mr. Melendez’s story and the application of intergroup contact theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health courts (MHCs) are a response to the structural violence experienced by people with severe mental illness (SMI) involved in the criminal justice system. My ethnographic research of an MHC in urban Canada serves as the foundation for a discussion of court processes that are an example of biopower. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how strategies for intervention in the name of life and health, truth discourses and forms of self-governance operate among criminal justice-involved individuals with SMI. This study reveals the tensions between the intense forensic gaze and invisibility and between treatment strategies that are beneficial for some people with SMI yet ultimately coercive and oppressive. The governance of this population is discussed, as well as what happens to people who fail or refuse to self-govern as the court compels them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent deaths by police of unarmed minority youth have raised important questions about the nature and outcomes of involuntary minority youth-police encounters. Youth are the most surveilled group of Americans and minority youth frequently live in neighborhoods disproportionately targeted for proactive policing (i.e., using broad police discretion to 'target' those most likely to be engaged in criminal activity before criminal acts become apparent). Understanding the experiences of minority youth who encounter police officers is of critical concern for social workers in many practice and research areas. Social workers must examine how a minority person's perceptions are formed through repeated, frequent, involuntary encounters with the police. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis was to capture these experiences through the voices of minority youth in recounting their contacts with the police. Four themes were identified: dangerous, controlling, prejudiced, and ineffective. Further reduction of these themes resulted in an overarching theme that captures the essences of these youth's experiences: dehumanization. These results enhance understanding of minority youth experience with police officers and, thus, inform social work advocacy efforts around this issue in both practice and research arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug courts are designed to offer treatment in lieu of incarceration for nonviolent offenders who have substance use disorders. Recent evidence has suggested the African American participants are less likely to graduate drug court than their White counterparts. This qualitative study interviewed 38 participants from a midwestern drug court to compare and contrast Whites' (n = 22) and African Americans' (n = 16) lived experiences in the program in order to learn about the factors that may contribute to racial disparities in outcomes. Findings suggest that both White and African American participants felt that the drug court team was supportive and compassionate and wanted them to succeed in the program. White participants found managing the demands of drug court with other obligations they had to be a noticeable challenge, and they also reported continued alcohol use in the program even though the program required total abstinence. African Americans were most critical of the quality of substance abuse treatment they received and felt that they were forced to accept culturally incompetent labels. Findings have implications for drug court practice and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug courts are guided by 10 key components that help ensure fidelity to the treatment model and guide practitioners in effectively treating substance use disorders in criminal justice settings. This qualitative study assessed the effectiveness of certain key components, such as the quality of substance abuse treatment and the importance of frequent contact with the judge, by interviewing drug court participants (N =41). Participants felt that the substance abuse counseling they received could have been improved by offering more individual counseling and by developing a trustworthy therapeutic relationship among the drug court team, participants, and substance abuse counselors. Having frequent contact with the judge and the random drug testing system were viewed as effective interventions in assisting participants with being successful in the program, with the ultimate goal of graduating drug court. Implications for drug court practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug courts have been used in the criminal justice system to treat substance use disorders since 1989. This study evaluates a drug court in Indiana, focusing specifically on the most predictive variables for being terminated from the program and comparing recidivism patterns of drug court and probation participants. Participants were most likely to be terminated from drug court if they did not have a high school diploma or equivalent at admission, were not employed or a student at admission, identified cocaine as a drug of choice, had more positive drug tests, had a violation within the first 30 days of the program, and had a criminal history. Additional findings suggest that drug court is more effective than probation at reducing criminal recidivism rates for offenders with substance use disorders. Implications for drug court practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explores three important and understudied areas of drug court research (e.g., women, opioid use disorder, and medication-assisted treatment [MAT]). The research question for this study is: What are women's thoughts, opinions, and experiences in drug court, in regard to the quality of treatment they received for their opioid use disorders and to the use of MAT in drug court programming to treat opioid use disorders? To answer the research question, data from female drug court participants (n = 14) were collected through a focus group methodology. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Women had more positive views toward the use of extended-release injectable naltrexone, as compared to methadone and buprenorphine; (2) Women reported fears about using MAT to treat their opioid use disorders because they felt it could negatively impact their housing, where they were able to receive substance use disorder and mental health treatment, and their ability to maintain custody of their children; (3) Women reported histories of oppression, mainly trauma, and shared that, in some situations, they were not comfortable disclosing they were using or considering using MAT because of further oppressions they may experience; and (4) Women reported that the use of a non-adversarial approach by the judge, consistent with key component two of the drug court model, helped minimize their concerns related to the use of MAT and gave them a safe place during status hearings to discuss their opioid use disorder treatment and recovery. Implications for drug court practice and criminal justice reform are discussed, such as promoting access to housing and treatment for women who use MAT to treat their opioid use disorders and creating safe, anti-oppressive environments to promote recovery for female participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including climate change, reproductive justice, and antiracism.

This study investigates suicidality and health-risk behaviors among female juvenile detainees and identifies the extent to which suicidal behaviors are correlated with other risky activities. This study also explores 12 health risk behaviors, their prevalence, and relative associations to suicidal behaviors within the sample-population. Researchers collected data from 104 female adolescents, ages 12 to 20, residing in a long-term, detention center in the southeastern region of the United States. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were utilized. Suicidal ideations (40%) and suicide attempts (34%) were highly prevalent among female juvenile detainees. Results also suggest that the persistence of suicidal ideations was significantly influenced by exposure to various forms of interpersonal violence. Despite increased exposure to psychosocial factors strongly correlated to suicidal and high risk behaviors, little attention has been given to this particular population. Research recommendations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There has been growing concern about the quality of health services, including mental health services, within the world’s and prisons. The purpose of the current qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) is to examine the prison environment and how it influences the mental health services delivered to prisoners. It is the hope of these authors that with this QIMS, knowledge improvements and modifications to current policies and practices can begin to take shape. A total of five studies published between 2003 and 2013 were utilized for this QIMS. Participants in all five studies included males and females incarcerated in England, Wales, and the United States. Three overarching themes were identified after analysis: difficulties with accessing services, difficulties with primary staff, and isolation. In each overarching theme, sub-themes are reviewed in detail. These three broad categories are discussed in relation to the person-in-environment system, demonstrating its application in an incarcerated setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For nearly three decades, drug courts have provided a rehabilitative approach within the criminal justice system for individuals who have a substance use disorder. The goal of drug courts is to reduce criminal recidivism, and research has consistently suggested that participants that graduate drug court are less likely to recidivate than those who are terminated from the program. This qualitative study adds to the literature by asking drug court participants (N = 42) their views on the most helpful aspects of the program that support them in graduating and how the program could be more helpful to support them in graduating. Two themes emerged from the data: (1) participants felt that interventions that are common to drug courts, such as drug testing and having frequent contact with the judge, were most helpful in supporting them in graduating the program; (2) participants felt that the agencies that offered treatment for their substance use disorders used punitive tactics and judgmental approaches that compromised the quality of treatment they received, and they felt that this was a barrier to them graduating the program. The findings are discussed in reference to drug court practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of exposure to traumatic events, and face higher rates of suicidal ideation, traumatic brain injury, domestic violence, and sexual assault than the general population. As a result of this trauma prevalence among homeless populations, it is important that human service organizations (HSOs) integrate trauma-informed care (TIC) principles into their service delivery systems. Many HSOs who serve people experiencing homelessness, however, struggle to fully translate TIC principles into administrative practices that are felt as positive at the client level of care. This case study was conducted with focus groups of people experiencing homelessness (n = 13) to investigate the consequences of administrative practice decisions on participants' perceptions of powerlessness and the quality of care they receive from service delivery systems. Study participants repeatedly described their trauma and sense of powerlessness both while experiencing homelessness and while receiving services. Participants' discussion of the service delivery system's staff, policies, processes, and procedures hinged on whether and how they found these service delivery components to make them feel powerless and confused, or not. Study results point towards specific recommendations for how homelessness HSOs ought to implement TIC principles into the homelessness HSO service delivery context, with an emphasis on reducing clients' perceptions of powerlessness within service delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant literature has demonstrated connections between workplace environment and worker stress, as well as between worker stress and direct service provision. Current research on direct service provision to people experiencing homelessness, however, has not established a clear association between the workplace environment and the quality of direct services provided to clients receiving case management. This study extends the existing research by establishing connections between all of these constructs, specifically within the context of case management services to people experiencing homelessness. For this mixed methods study, the authors sampled 16 case managers providing direct services to people experiencing homelessness in one homelessness services organization (HSO) in a large metropolitan area. Through focus group interviews and web-based surveys, the authors collected data on the workplace environment, worker stress, and direct service provision. The authors then analyzed the data using a concurrent nested approach for mixed methods analysis. The results of this study suggest that case managers in homelessness HSOs often experience a stressful workplace environment due to workplace cultural norms, inefficient processes, and high expectations placed upon them by both clients and administrators. The stressful workplace environment can interact with client trauma to produce secondary traumatic stress in direct service providers, which then influences client-case manager rapport development. Study findings point toward specific policies and practices that homelessness HSOs ought to adopt in order to mitigate case managers' workplace stress and secondary traumatic stress, and negative influences of these stressors on rapport development between case managers and clients experiencing homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]