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There is growing recognition internationally of the prevalence and impact of female-perpetrated child sexual abuse (CSA). Prior research has indicated gender-specific offending pathways and motivations for women involved in this crime, bringing into question whether there is a need for tailored offense--specific interventions and whether these would increase treatment efficacy for this population. Using data collected across three Australian jurisdictions, this study used a mixed-methods design to explore the perceptions of correctional practitioners (n = 44) and justice-involved women currently serving a sentence for CSA (n = 18) on accessibility and demand for offense-specific correctional programs, and perceived benefits of such programs. Results indicate substantial support from practitioners (93.18%) and justice-involved women (100%) for the development of offense-specific interventions, despite there currently being few opportunities to access such interventions within correctional settings in Australia. A range of perceived benefits of such programs were indicated by both sample populations, namely, that targeted support would likely reduce the risk of recidivism by promoting greater self-awareness and improvement, peer support, and future-focused planning. Findings highlight a significant practice gap in correctional treatment and underscore the current demand for offense-specific interventions to improve outcomes for women who perpetrate CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the scope of use-of-force incidents in carceral settings, nor the impact of efforts to control it. Correctional agencies have recently begun adopting body-worn cameras (BWCs) to mitigate such incidents and improve institutional management. We conducted a one-year randomized controlled trial of BWCs among the 12 housing units in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center in Virginia. We collected data on the 97 response-to-resistance (RTR) events that occurred during our study period, including deputies' control methods (physical controls, restraints, weapons) and residents' resistance levels (passive, active, aggressive) during these events. Using negative binomial regression, we found a 40% decrease in RTR events in unit-months with BWCs. We also found 37% and 52% reductions in the use of physical controls by deputies and the occurrence of resident active resistance, respectively. We situate these findings in the correctional context and discuss their implications for policy and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated whether corrections can combat climate disinformation. Using a preregistered quota-based online experiment in Germany (N = 1401), we tested how the effectiveness of disinformation correction in reducing climate misperceptions was influenced by correction placement (prebunking or debunking) and correction type (focused on facts, logic, or the combination of both). We investigated how populist radical-right (PRR) attitudes moderate the effect of disinformation correction and whether correction alleviates the negative effects of disinformation on efficacy beliefs to mitigate climate change (EBMCC) through reduced misperceptions. All debunking conditions and the logic-focused prebunking condition significantly reduced climate misperceptions. Prebunking was only effective under the logic-focused correction condition. We found no moderating effect of PRR attitudes on climate misperceptions, suggesting that corrections similarly benefitted all participants. In addition, a significant indirect effect of corrections was observed on EBMCC via climate misperceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that individuals involved in the criminal justice system have higher rates of childhood trauma, including experiences of child sexual abuse (CSA). Studies also suggest that childhood victimization has an impact on the success of mental health treatment for offenders which may contribute to recidivism rates. Accordingly, policymakers and correctional staff can be better informed in choosing appropriate assessments and intervention approaches when they understand the ways in which prior experiences of CSA impact individuals in correctional settings. This special section highlights four novel studies that advance the research examining CSA in incarcerated populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prisons are key institutions for strengthening justice and security and are increasingly targets of international interventions. However, prison reform in conflict-affected settings is understudied. To understand the conditions underpinning successes and pitfalls of international prison reform, this study examines the local conditions under which international prison reform interventions take place. Drawing on unique data from interviews with inmates and staff members in Hargeisa Central Prison and Garowe Prison, we analyse United Nations prison reform cases in Somaliland and Puntland, Somalia. We find that the international prison reform in these contexts not only falls short in delivering on some set objectives but also does not engage with the particularities of local conditions and contexts. Furthermore, existing reform programmes embed a conflict of interest: while the beneficiaries of prison reform are concerned with the mental and physical well-being of inmates, the international actors aim to shape prison practices along international standards and incapacitate a subset of serious offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is the leading cause of death in America's jails and the rate of suicide is nearly three times higher in jails than in prisons or the general public. Fatal suicides represent a small proportion of individuals who threaten or attempt suicide while incarcerated, or otherwise engage in serious self-harm. Yet, there is little research to date on the risk factors for jail detainees engaging in suicidal and/or self-harm behavior while incarcerated. Using logistic regression, we examine the risks factors for attempting and threatening suicide and/or self-harm during incarceration using a mixed-sex sample of 736 individuals incarcerated in a large metropolitan jail in the Midwest using the lens of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (ITS). We found support for ITS, as individuals with higher perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were more likely to attempt and/or threaten suicide and self-harm. Among the measures that proxied the belongingness-burdensomeness construct – mental health issues, drug dependence, direct and indirect victimization in jail, and psychological distress – were all associated with higher odds of threatening or attempting suicide and self-harm. We discuss the need for future research on suicidality and serious self-harm in jail, as well as recommendations for managing those most at-risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk assessment instruments are used to estimate risk of recidivism and aid in decision-making and treatment planning. However, many of these instruments, including the Level of Service/Risk, Need, Responsivity (LS/RNR), are validated on predominantly Western populations, and research has questioned whether the factors included in the LS/RNR adequately capture the experiences and needs of non-Western communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The current study aimed to canvas the opinions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community justice workers as to the suitability of the LS/RNR for use with this population. A general qualitative methodology was adopted to gain in-depth information through the facilitation of a focus group, and data were analysed thematically. Whilst participants agreed that the LS/RNR risk factors are relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders, they reported that the instrument did not adequately capture relevant culturally specific considerations and made suggestions to improve the LS/RNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a primary step towards exploring whether rehabilitation efforts informed by the risk, needs, responsivity approach should be leveraged to decrease gun violence. Through the use of competing risks survival analyses, we assess the gun offense recidivism patterns of people released from prison that do (n = 1,158) and do not (n = 9,868) have gun crime conviction histories. We then explore whether gun offense recidivism increases along with actuarially based risk, how gun offense histories impact the odds of receiving community-based programming during the transition from prison to the community, and, in turn, whether programming impacts gun offending recidivism. Findings indicate that people with a history of gun offense convictions are at more than twice the hazard of committing gun offenses than similarly situated people without such histories. Predicted subhazards of recidivism and magnitudes of differences between offense history groups increase substantially as actuarially assessed risk for recidivism increases. However, predicted probabilities of receipt of community-based programming do not significantly differ between the groups with and without gun offense histories, and recidivism hazards did not meaningfully differ between those that do and do not receive community-based programs despite their gun offending histories. The results illuminate a need to expand reentry-based services towards addressing the criminogenic needs of people previously convicted of gun offenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization declared the deluge of publicly available information about COVID-19 to be an "infodemic," comprising both facts and misinformation. Researchers don't know exactly the degree to which people believe the misinformation they see online, but, in the case of COVID-19, belief in conspiracy theories related to the virus is associated with people being less willing to get vaccinated, potentially putting public health at risk. There's no silver bullet to countering the online misinformation that can lead to these sorts of consequential misperceptions, but the good news is that multiple overlapping misinformation interventions, including correcting false information, can help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social work profession in the US developed alongside and within the professionalization of policing and corrections. Social workers are credited as some of the earliest policewomen, probation officers, and juvenile correctional facility superintendents. Still, our professional relationship to corrections in Progressive Era US history is underexplored and uninterrogated. How does this entangled history escape most narratives of professionalized social work in the US? This integrative literature review explores the stories social work scholars tell about social work's relationship(s) to corrections in the Progressive Era (1890–1930). Surveying 17 peer-reviewed social work articles, I identify themes of how social work remembers and obscures our Progressive Era relationship with corrections. Articles tell a story of delinquency, social control, and progress while obscuring the history of prisonwork, wardenship, and correctional leadership. Social work's professional memory of corrections in the early twentieth century has significant consequences for policy, research, and education today. Macro-level practitioners can learn from progressive reforms, engineered and implemented by early "reformers," that widened the net of carceral control. Further research is needed to explore social work's correctional history, prisonwork in particular. This may be taken up in the form of archival research and oral histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic field of Convict Criminology (CC) started in the mid-1990s. In general, CC argues that the insights and experiences of currently and formerly incarcerated men and women are typically ignored in scholarly research and policy making circles. Since its founding a considerable amount of scholarly activity connected to this school, movement, and network occurred. Although CC scholars have reviewed the CC literature and activities, none have performed a rigorous content analysis of the scholarship in this field. This approach is important to understand who has written this work, their background, the venues where this academic writing has been published, the content of this work, and the impact of this literature. More importantly this type of analysis may provide a better sense of what kinds of future research on CC, or using the CC approach, should be conducted. Specifically, this study presents the results of a content analysis of 79 pieces of scholarship on CC published between 2001 and August 2022. The conclusion points out areas where continued scholarship using the Convict Criminology framework may be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correctional populations with opioid use disorder experience increased health risks during community transition periods. Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) can reduce these risks, but retention is a key challenge. This study addresses a knowledge gap by describing facilitators and barriers to OAT engagement among federal correctional populations released into the community in Ontario, Canada. This article describes results from a longitudinal mixed-methods study examining OAT transition experiences among thirty-five individuals released from federal incarceration in Ontario, Canada. Assessments were completed within one year of participants' release. Data were thematically analyzed. The majority (77%) of participants remained engaged in OAT, however, 69% had their release suspended and 49% returned to custody. Key facilitators for OAT engagement included flexibility, positive staff rapport, and structure. Fragmented OAT transitions, financial OAT coverage, balancing reintegration requirements, logistical challenges, and inaccessibility of 'take-home' OAT medications were common barriers. Post-incarceration transition periods are critical for OAT retention, yet individuals in Ontario experience barriers to OAT engagement that contribute to treatment disruptions and related risks such as relapse and/or re-incarceration. Additional measures to support community OAT transitions are required, including improved discharge planning, amendments to OAT and financial coverage policies, and an expansion of OAT options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2018, the First Step Act of 2018 was signed into law, which required the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to begin using risk and needs assessment to assign programs and provide inmates with required treatment. The Attorney General was tasked to develop an assessment to assess and assign inmates to four possible risk levels. In response, BOP and National Institute of Justice (NIJ) researchers created the Prisoner Assessment Tool Targeting Estimated Risk and Needs (PATTERN). Developed and validated on a large sample (N = 222,970) of inmates released between 2009 and 2015, the PATTERN is a gender-specific instrument and uses static and dynamic items to assess general and violent recidivism. Using a boosted regression procedure, the PATTERN achieved a high level of predictive validity. Tests for bias revealed the PATTERN further reduced racial/ethnic disproportionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing an understanding of how people who have been to prison maintain changes they may have made in a custodial program, successfully (re)integrate upon release to the community and ultimately, desist, is imperative if we want to prevent their return to prison. Reentry and reintegration processes are fraught with challenges for parolees and community support to assist with this process is important. Community maintenance programs are programs that are in theory designed to aid those who have been released from prison to successfully reintegrate, by providing ongoing specialized and professional support in the community. Factors relevant to successful reintegration for those who have offended included a variety of factors beyond program content, which includes therapist characteristics, client's perceptions of their therapists and the therapeutic alliance. This paper examines the therapeutic relationship and proposes that the setting within which a therapeutic relationship takes place needs to be considered as a fourth factor to Bordin's model of therapeutic alliance, which seems particularly relevant to the forensic context. There will be a specific focus on the impact of correctional organizations on therapeutic programs and staff. Implications for practice and future research are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is mixed evidence on whether incarcerated persons with mental illnesses have increased odds of being placed in solitary confinement. This study answered this question using a large system-wide sample and a propensity score matching design that accounted for a wide range of individual and facility confounds. Having a mental illness was associated with an increase of up to 170% in the odds of extended solitary confinement, depending on the diagnosis. A wide range of mental illnesses predicted extended solitary confinement. The association between having a mental illness and being sent to extended solitary confinement was only partially explained by misconduct. The findings suggest that incarcerated persons with mental illness may garner differential responses from the prison system, similar to those seen in studies of arrest and incarceration. Studies are needed that examine how incarcerated persons with mental illnesses are perceived by, interact with, and are sanctioned by prison staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jails serve a valuable role in the American correctional system. Historically, the quick turnover in population and limited resources that plague jails create impediments to the delivery of programming content for inmates. A large Midwestern jail facility has sought to increase inmate exposure to evidence-based cognitive behavioral programming through the use of a facility-wide CCTV system, known as Jail TV. This outcome evaluation discusses the program's effects on the short-term goals of the facility and program administrators. Facility data suggests that the use of Jail TV increases the amount of programming delivered to more inmates, as well as increasing inmate awareness of facility and community resources that are beneficial upon reentry into the community. Finally, researchers discuss the implications Jail TV has for changing the way correctional facilities think about the delivery of treatment and programming options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2020, a new state-wide art therapy in prisons program was established to bring art therapy to youth offenders in four prisons to help mitigate obstacles to their education, such as emotional dysregulation, behavioral issues, and cognitive difficulties. Shortly thereafter COVID-19 halted regular programming. In a system where sequestration is already a normative practice, over-isolation occurred. Art therapists developed strategies to continue providing services, including art-based workbooks and written correspondence. Three case vignettes and overall program feedback illustrate the participants' experiences and responses to the programmatic adjustments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the mid-1990s scholars, practitioners and policy-makers have consistently identified the ban on Pell eligibility for prisoners as the primary cause for the decline of post-secondary education programs in prisons nationwide. In 2015, the Second Chance Pell (SCP) pilot program authorized reinstatement of Pell eligibility for prisoners with the goal of providing post-secondary educational opportunities in prisons. However, SCP programs used fewer than half of the available Pell grants in the first three years of the program. We analyze novel data from a sample of individuals in Pennsylvania prisons to estimate population-level eligibility for SCP. We find demand in excess and uptake far below availability, which is a consequence of multiple barriers to eligibility. In the absence of significant reforms designed to address collateral ineligibility for Pell grants among the population of incarcerated individuals, there will be systematically low utilization of Pell-funded higher education programming in prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the prison officer is complex and challenging. In order to discharge their duties effectively, prison officers require relevant and comprehensive training and education upon recruitment and throughout their working career. The following paper presents the findings of a scoping review of the published literature as it relates to the training and education of prison officers. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, we stratified this literature into three overarching themes; namely entry-level training and education programs, emerging issues and developments in prison officer training, and specialist health and well-being training programs. Findings are discussed with reference to significant current trends in the literature and potential areas of future research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A between-subjects experiment (N = 386) explores the effects of correction features and reader investment on perceptions of online news content. In all, the findings suggest a strong influence of news outlet reputation. Participants paid more attention to the news outlet and the correction when they read from the online-exclusive publication (i.e., Yahoo.com), rather than the online version of the legacy publication (i.e., The New York Times), though they perceived the online-exclusive publication to be less reputable. Correction placement affected credibility and importance perceptions, but this was largely based on news outlet. Findings also suggest that political attitudes and news engagement influence perceptions of correction importance. Recommendations for online corrections practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edward J. Latessa has been driving the evolution of correctional practice for several decades. Academics, practitioners, and policymakers throughout the United States and abroad seek Ed's counsel as a result of his immense and ongoing research agenda, the development of practical tools and curricula, the establishment and growth of the University of Cincinnati's academic programs and research centers, and his countless and accessible talks and presentations. A less visible but nonetheless important part of the aforementioned accomplishments is his mentoring of academics and practitioners. Ultimately, it is any scholar's students who will continue the work of the mentor, and expand their impact on an evolving field. This essay attempts to offer an "inside look" of sorts using my own experiences working under Ed's direction, while also noting other ways Ed has offered education and direction to myself and many others. Many fields, including perhaps especially the academy, rely on the transfer of knowledge from mentor to mentee, and Ed is a highly effective, colorful, and endlessly entertaining mentor. As a result of his tireless efforts, the practice of corrections benefits in innumerable ways, with policy, practice, and programming becoming more humane, just, and effective at evoking long-term behavioral change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ohio corrections has demonstrated an impressive and growing commitment to reform shaped by the extraordinary reach and collaborative efforts of Ed Latessa. Joining the University of Cincinnati as an assistant professor of criminal justice in 1980, Ed went on to grow the program in size and reputation and helped catalyze key rehabilitative ideas, collaborative networks, and research institutions over the next four decades. Through an "Ohio-centric" lens, this paper seeks to highlight Latessa's unwavering devotion to helping correctional agencies adopt and implement evidence-based practices and the lasting imprint of his expansive portfolio of work that started in the Buckeye State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prison incarceration rate in the United States is the highest in the world with 650 people incarcerated per 100,000. Unfortunately, marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are rarely employed in incarcerated settings in which prior research has shown the need for their unique services. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the experiences of three MFTs that have worked in incarcerated settings. Through autoethnographical methodology, MFTs highlight issues of mistrust, family engagement, stigma, hireability, lack of training, and cultural competencies. Strategies for overcoming barriers and future directions for training and research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual minority women are disproportionately incarcerated and more likely to experience structural and interpersonal violence while incarcerated than heterosexual cisgender women. To build knowledge about this population and inform social work practice, theories of embodiment were used to conduct thematic analysis of five interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer masculine-identified people who had been incarcerated in a women's prison. This analysis explicates how participants used bodily practices to construct gender and communicate identity to themselves and others. Uniforms, prison regulations, and physical manifestations of female embodiment complicated these efforts. Participants described the ways in which they monitored and evaluated their own bodies while also managing the constant surveillance of their bodies by others. Taken together, these findings explicate the ways in which participants' bodies were produced both through their actions and the external gaze of others. Implications for social work include exploration of language and masculinity in practice settings and suggestions for correctional policies. Findings encourage inclusion of non-binary frameworks and increased attention to the embodied self in order to expand understandings of human behaviour in the social environment. Interpret with caution any information about gender identity surmised from intake forms and observation of clients' bodily practices. Ask clients to describe their gender identity. Prioritise correctional policies that promote the health and safety of incarcerated people and staff over policies that enforce social norms related to gender and have no implications on security. Encourage re-entry service providers to collaborate with LGBTIQA+ organisations that provide social support to clients who identify as sexual minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prison staff are vital for enforcing order in prisons. However, order is not only maintained by what prison staff do, but also relies on prisoners willingly following the directives of prison staff and complying with prison rules and procedures. This article puts forward the idea that how prison staff treat prisoners can affect the social distancing prisoners put between themselves and prison staff, potentially making defiance and non-compliance more difficult to manage. Social distancing is operationalised in this article as motivational posturing. Using survey responses from 177 Australian prisoners, the article shows a strong association between prisoners' perceptions of procedural justice in prison and their self-reported compliance with prison rules. It also shows for the first time that motivational postures exist in a corrections context, and are associated with both procedural justice perceptions and self-reported compliance behaviour. Postures are also found to mediate the procedural justice/compliance relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illustrates how Little Red Riding Hood has been used in a workshop conducted in prison aimed at a mixed audience of students participating in a Social Work Degree Course and detainees. First of all, it presents concepts at the core of the didactic part of the workshop. Second, the methodological path that has characterized the experiential side of the seminar is illustrated. Finally, one of the results is discussed: a version of Little Red Riding Hood written in a participatory manner by inmates and students together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a commentary on the current status of offender rehabilitation in Australian prisons. Prompted by recent debates concerning the value of rehabilitation programs in reducing rates of re-imprisonment, it considers the current evidence to support the effectiveness of Australian correctional programs highlighting the importance of the prison social climate, the intensity and quality of treatment and the need for psychological treatment to be integrated within broader models of rehabilitation and reintegration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aftermath of a cluster of at least twenty suicides among correction officers working for a state department of correction, we conducted the first extensive mixed-methods study of correction officer suicide. Using a grounded theory approach, we sought to better understand the ways in which personal and occupational factors may have contributed to the suicide deaths of the officers. We conducted comprehensive case studies that involved reviewing each officer's personnel file in its entirety, extracting administrative data to capture work experiences and violence exposures, and conducting interviews with family members and friends of the officers to better understand the personal and professional lives of those officers who had died by suicide. Through inductive analyses of the data collected, we found that the interaction of personal and occupational risk factors with aspects of the occupational work culture best explained suicide among the observed cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growth of female corrections executives, further study regarding their experiences in the upper ranks is needed. This study, based on quantitative and qualitative data through firsthand accounts and survey analysis, examined women's own and others' perceptions of the women's experiences as corrections executives. Participants completed a study-designed questionnaire and individual structured interviews. Despite the field's male dominance, women found acceptance of their leadership positions among corrections staff. Results indicated that despite instances of gender bias, most departments and their staff members were supportive of women leaders and perceived them to be as capable and as effective as their male counterparts. The study raised an important issue for institutional corrections as to whether the presence of higher-ranking women influences lower-ranking women to consider upward mobility in ways they might not if only men held these positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the nature and extent of COVID-19 outbreaks across corrections systems globally, and document the types of front-end, in-prison, and back-end mitigation strategies used to address the COVID-19 problem in the 50 countries with the largest prison systems; these countries house over 90% of the global prison population. For most countries, the reported rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths during the first phase of the pandemic are higher in prisons and jails than in the general community, but similar baseline data on the extent of outbreaks in the community corrections systems of these countries were unavailable. We find that: prison expansion has resulted in prison overcrowding in many large prison systems, making in-prison mitigation strategies harder to implement; large prison systems are characterized by inadequate prison infrastructure and health care services; and the current global prison population includes a significant number of individuals with poor physical and mental health, placing them "at risk" for infection, both in prison and in their home communities. Based on our review of the short-term impact of reforms on inmate and staff health, the size of the prison and jail population, and public safety, we recommend an aggressive three-pronged COVID-19-based corrections research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines country-level variations in the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons and jails across the African region. Differences in the use of front-end, in-prison, and back-end mitigation strategies are identified. We conclude our regional overview by providing a preliminary assessment of the short-term impact of these varied mitigation strategies on inmate and staff health outcomes, including both physical health and mental health. Both the intended and unintended consequences of governmental responses to COVID-19 outbreaks are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents country-level differences in the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks in corrections systems across the European region. Variations in the timing, duration, and intensity of front-end, in-prison, and back-end mitigation strategies are also identified. We conclude by providing a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of these mitigation strategies, particularly in those countries that combined transparency and proactive, early release mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the unique nature of the Oceanic region and its impact on the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks in the Oceanic region, both within correctional and community settings. Mitigation strategies implemented in Australia, New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, and Fiji are identified, and the reasons for the differences we identified in how governments in this region defined the problem, and developed mitigation strategies, are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks in the North American, Central American, and Caribbean regions, and then compares the country-specific COVID-19 mitigation strategies implemented in the largest prison systems in these regions. We offer a preliminary assessment of the short-term impact of the COVID-19 prison mitigation strategies used in these regions, within both correctional and community settings. At this time, it appears that the governments with greater success controlling COVID-19 outbreaks in these regions are the governments adopting early prison and jail population reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights intra-regional variation in the extent of the COVID-19 outbreaks in South America generally and then provides an assessment of the nature and extent of outbreaks in South American prisons. Country-level differences in front-end, within-prison, and back-end early release mechanisms are also described. The article concludes with an assessment of two alternative future directions for prison reform across this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS) formed a national crisis management team on March 12, 2020, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The team, consisting of experts from multiple departments within the SPPS, coordinated efforts within the government agency to support the jails, prisons, probation offices, and national transportation service in managing the pandemic while upholding operational security and the safety of staff and inmates. The SPPS handled the Covid-19 outbreak by taking measures to minimize the risk of contagion spread, consistent with the recommendations of the Public Health Agency in Sweden. These recommendations differ from those introduced in many other countries. For example, Sweden chose to avoid a general lockdown. The SPPS's measures to minimize contagion spread included: canceling all visitation at-and furlough from-jails and prisons, placing inmates with suspected and confirmed Covid-19 infections in isolation, creating digital solutions to minimize travel and in-person meetings, as well as providing protective gear to manage infected inmates and inmates within a risk group. To date, the SPPS has had 143 confirmed inmate cases of Covid-19 and no deaths due to the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychopathy is an essential construct in forensic mental health. While male psychopathy and aggression has been thoroughly studied, less is known about this relationship with female psychopathy. In this article, the relationship between female psychopathy (Psychopathy Checklist-Revised [PCL-R] total, factor, and facet scores) and the Rorschach Aggression indices (Aggressive Movement [AG], Aggressive Content [AgC], Aggressive Past [AgPast], Aggressive Potential [AgPot], Sadomasochistic Aggression [SM]) were examined. Rorschach Aggression indices between female psychopathic (PCL-R total score ≥ 30; N = 84) and non-psychopathic female offenders (PCL-R total score ≤ 24; N = 39) were also compared. PCL-R total score was significantly correlated (p <.05) with AgC, AgPast, AgPot, and SM and there were also significant correlations between the Aggression scores and PCL-R Factor/facet scores. The female psychopaths produced more AgC, AgPast, and AgPot responses than the non-psychopathic females. Rorschach aggression indices supported theory and suggested that the violence in psychopathic women stems from their identification with aggression and pervasive feelings of entitlement. Psychopathic women evidenced higher levels of these variables than the non-psychopathic offenders. The results add to the link between aggression and psychopathy as well as a better understanding of aggression in female offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For millions of children with incarcerated parents worldwide, parent-child visits are suspended because of the worldwide novel coronavirus pandemic. Although child-friendly contact visits with ample opportunities for physical contact are the most meaningful way for young children to connect with their incarcerated parents during times of health, there are other meaningful ways of connecting from a distance. Traditional mediated communication strategies such as phone calls and letters are challenging for very young children because of their limited cognitive, language, and attentional capabilities. New forms of mediated communication, such as in-home video chat, can be accessible and developmentally appropriate for connecting young children with family members who live at a distance, including connecting children with their incarcerated parents. A growing body of international developmental research suggests that video chat may afford children the ability to maintain the benefits of parent-child interactions from a distance, when internet access is available. Thus, in-home video chat between children and their incarcerated parents is a potentially viable option for building relationships during incarceration, especially when opportunities for positive physical contact are limited or non-existent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have identified diverse ways in which get-tough policies adversely affect minorities. An interest has also emerged in privatized corrections and the potential for exploitation of those who experience it. Drawing on these literatures and on focal concerns theory, we hypothesize that some groups of individuals may be more likely to receive private prison placements. We employ regression analyses of official data to examine whether racial or ethnic minorities are more likely to receive private placements and whether such effects are moderated by age and violent history. We find that some Blacks are more likely to receive private placements, while, in some instances, Hispanics are less likely to receive such placements. There was no evidence that younger and violent minorities are more likely to be assigned to private prisons. This study advances scholarship on privatization, punishment, and the potential racial and ethnic divides in the consequences of the punitive era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although exit interviews are common in business and educational contexts, they are utilized less frequently in the criminal justice system. This is unfortunate, however, as exit interviews can alert program staff to issues or areas for improvement, further contextualize and enrich qualitative data collected during program evaluations, and serve as a quality control check on original fieldwork. This study relates findings from an exit interview questionnaire administered to inmates following participation in a Bureau of Justice Assistance-sponsored jail reentry program in Ohio. Results provided support for the risk-needs-responsivity model, offered feedback to program staff, and highlighted the importance of obtaining data from key stakeholders in correctional programming–program participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our society gives certain rights and protections to those who are punished and incarcerated, deeming them a vulnerable group in need of additional protections because they are under state control. Despite these protections, prisoners are still susceptible to mistreatment and abuse. This paper delves into one area in which prisoners are particularly vulnerable—the use of prison labor to fight wildfires in the western United States. In this paper, I first broadly discuss prison labor, before going into the current ethical principles and guidelines in the field of corrections that address the treatment of prisoners and prison labor. I argue that these principles and guidelines should be augmented to help those in corrections to make decisions about what is ethical; suggesting that how researchers evaluate proposed research projects could serve as a model for decision-making. I then introduce prison fire camps, considering whether they are ethical by research ethics principles, and suggesting how they can be changed to better reflect the values professed by our society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing awareness of justice-involved veterans is revealing how little is known about this population, to what extent they have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and how this may relate to institutional behavior, participation in programs, and use of institutional resources. The current study identifies the prevalence of incarcerated veterans in Washington State who have experienced a TBI and how a TBI history may affect their prison experience and use of prison resources. The results of our study show that incarcerated veterans in Washington State with a moderate-to-severe TBI are more likely to use medical services, commit violent infractions, be placed in maximum custody (solitary confinement), and less likely to complete vocational and job skills programs. The importance of these findings to policy and practice is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restrictive housing is sometimes required for the sake of safety and institutional order. However, many observers have argued that this practice is inhumane and leaves inmates at a greater risk of recidivism. This study empirically examined the effect of restrictive housing on recidivism using a cohort of released state prisoners. The results revealed that time spent in restrictive housing increased the risk of supervision revocations up to two years after release, but did not significantly increase the likelihood of rearrest or re-conviction. Thus, rule-breaking behaviors appear to continue into the community, but not necessarily continued criminal offending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a rationale for trauma-informed care (TIC) in correctional services, and challenges readers to think about offending behavior through the lens of trauma. Based on interdisciplinary research and cross-theoretical literature, TIC can help in our quest to develop relevant and successful programs, practices, and policies, and the best methods for delivering them. Using Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)'s core principles of TIC, this article will make suggestions for the implementation of trauma-informed service delivery and practices across correctional settings. The authors translate trauma-informed concepts into practice behaviors through the acronym SHARE (safety, hope, autonomy, respect, empathy), which honors the principles of TIC recommended by SAMHSA and the principles of effective correctional rehabilitation. TIC in corrections may help improve the desired outcomes of successful re-entry and reduced recidivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their small numbers, women in executive level positions in corrections have rarely had an opportunity to discuss their motivations for seeking upward mobility in a male-dominated profession. This article describes whether their career paths were through custodial or non-custodial ranks, and how that influenced later choices and their ability to reach the executive-level. Based on surveys/interviews with members of the Association of Women Executives in Corrections, this study uncovered several factors contributing to their successes. Most notably, correction departments allow both custodial and non-custodial paths to promotion. By coming from the non-custodial ranks and sometimes delaying promotion, particularly for work/life balance, they were able to overcome career/personal challenges to achieve leadership positions in a variety of correction settings/institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment quality is a critical moderator for programs to successfully reduce recidivism. Yet the implementation of any new initiative occurs within an organizational context. This study provides results from a process evaluation measuring implementation capacity to deliver evidence-based practices in the state of Oregon. Using the ImpleMap interview procedure, findings from 10 county-level community corrections agencies demonstrated how systemic, actionable implementation can be facilitated. Aggregate statewide patterns of organizational capacity emerged, as well as individual variation in the strengths and gaps of implementation among each county, revealing that sustainable implementation requires purposeful attention to systemic capacities beyond training and coaching. To advance the science and practice of offender rehabilitation, we need to broaden our focus to organizational process, structure, and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention and intervention research has indicated the malleability of hope in a variety of populations and the positive impact on treatment outcomes in general clinical settings and substance use treatment. However, despite its prospective role in improving well-being, research on hope is not often situated behind bars. Thus, the current project intended to explore the nature of theory-driven hope discussions for women involved in justice systems. The aim was to maintain and enhance hope, activate positivity, and thereby enhance the quality of life. Four weekly focus group sessions were conducted with women detained at a local jail (n = 23), with discussion prompts based on Snyder's theory of hope (goal setting, agency thinking, and pathway thinking). Using interactional delivery methods, we emphasized hope among jailed women by: (1) facilitating the development and maintenance of hopeful thinking; (2) developing concrete goals towards rehabilitation and a positive life; (3) enhancing the capacity for developing enduring, cross-sectional strategies for goal attainment; and (4) facilitating self-analysis on their overall ability to produce workable plans required to reach the goals. Weekly journaling was also included to complement the process. Results from the qualitative analysis suggest hope for these jailed women was constructed as belief in a better future and was also often embedded within a religious worldview. Further, jailed women's perceptions of meeting goals were heavily dependent upon outside sources that would provide structure and discipline. Implications include providing strength-based reentry programs, offering mentorship, emphasizing goal-setting strategies, and reviewing visitation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The over-representation of acquired brain injury (ABI) amongst prisoner and juvenile justice populations is a significant issue across jurisdictions. This article reports on the findings of over 100 interviews conducted in Victoria, Australia with people who have an ABI, as well as key stakeholder groups who work in, or with, the justice system. The study identified systemic problems faced by people with ABI along multiple points of the justice system continuum. Improved identification and diagnosis of ABI, well-resourced support for those with the condition, comprehensive training to improve ABI literacy among all stakeholder groups, and a more appropriate and therapeutic approach to people with ABI in the justice system are all recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-surgical nasal job has been practiced and published with doubtful concerns about efficiency and safety among physicians and aesthetic surgeons. Aim: of the work to share our experiences in non-surgical rhinoplasty using filler, Botox, and thread with presentation of aesthetic and complication outcome. Patient and methods: Retrospective analysis of the aesthetic and complication outcomes and techniques for non-surgical remodeling rhinoplasty using fillers, Botox, and PDO absorbable threads in 332 cases. Results: Non-surgical nasal remodeling provides temporary correction of small nasal deformities with achieved satisfactory aesthetic outcome and very low incidence of complications. Conclusion: Non-surgical nasal remodeling with injection precautions could work efficiently and safely in outpatient clinic with good temporary results up to 6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]