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Article
Publication date: 15 February 2016

John M Majer, Hannah M Chapman and Leonard A Jason

– The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of two types of community-based, residential treatment programs among justice involved persons with dual diagnoses.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of two types of community-based, residential treatment programs among justice involved persons with dual diagnoses.

Design/methodology/approach

A randomized clinical trial examined treatment conditions among justice involved persons with substance use disorders who reported high baseline levels of psychiatric severity indicative of diagnosable psychiatric comorbidity. Participants (n=39) were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions upon discharge from inpatient treatment for substance use disorders: a professionally staffed, integrated residential treatment setting (therapeutic community), a self-run residential setting (Oxford House), or a treatment-specific aftercare referral (usual care). Levels of psychiatric severity, a global estimate of current psychopathological problem severity, were measured at two years as the outcome.

Findings

Participants randomly assigned to residential conditions reported significant reductions in psychiatric severity whereas those assigned to the usual care condition reported significant increases. There were no significant differences in psychiatric severity levels between residential conditions.

Research limitations/implications

Findings suggest that cost-effective, self-run residential settings such as Oxford Houses provide benefits comparable to professionally run residential integrated treatments for justice involved persons who have dual diagnoses.

Social implications

Results support the utilization of low-cost, community-based treatments for a highly marginalized population.

Originality/value

Little is known about residential treatments that reduce psychiatric severity for this population. Results extend the body of knowledge regarding the effects of community-based, residential integrated treatment and the Oxford House model.

Details

Advances in Dual Diagnosis, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-0972

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 April 2019

Rebecca DeGuzman, Rachael Korcha and Douglas Polcin

Persons in the USA who are incarcerated for drug offenses are increasingly being released into the community as a way to decrease prison and jail overcrowding. One challenge is…

Abstract

Purpose

Persons in the USA who are incarcerated for drug offenses are increasingly being released into the community as a way to decrease prison and jail overcrowding. One challenge is finding housing that supports compliance with probation and parole requirements, which often includes abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Sober living houses (SLHs) are alcohol- and drug-free living environments that are increasingly being used as housing options for probationers and parolees. Although a few studies have reported favorable outcomes for residents of SLHs, little is known about resident experiences or the factors that are experienced as helpful or counterproductive. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted qualitative interviews with 28 SLH residents on probation or parole to understand their experiences living in the houses, aspects of the houses that facilitated recovery, ways residence in an SLH affected compliance with probation and parole, and ways the houses addressed HIV risk, a widespread problem among this population. Interviews were audiotaped and coded for dominant themes.

Findings

Study participants identified housing as a critically important need after incarceration. For residents nearing the end of their stay in the SLHs, there was significant concern about where they might live after they left. Residents emphasized that shared experiences and goals, consistent enforcement of rules (especially the requirement of abstinence) and encouragement from probation and parole officers as particularly helpful. There was very little focus in HIV issues, even though risk behaviors were fairly common. For some residents, inconsistent enforcement of house rules was experienced as highly problematic. Research is needed to identify the organizational and operational procedures that enhance factors experienced as helpful.

Research limitations/implications

Data for this study are self-reported views and experiences. Therefore, the study may not tap into a variety of reasons for resident experiences. In addition, the data set was small (n=28) and limited to one city in the USA (Los Angeles), so generalization of results might be limited. However, SLHs represent an important housing option for criminal justice involved persons and knowledge about resident experiences can help guide organization and operation of houses and identify areas for further research.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to document the views and experiences of persons on probation or parole who reside in sober living recovery houses. These data can be used by SLH operators to develop houses that are responsive to factors experienced as helpful and counterproductive. The significance of this paper is evident in the trend toward decreasing incarceration in the USA of persons convicted of drug offenses and the need for alcohol- and drug-free alternative living environments.

Details

Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, vol. 40 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0964-1866

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2018

Kathryn M. Nowotny

This review integrates and builds linkages among existing theoretical and empirical literature from across disciplines to further broaden our understanding of the relationship…

Abstract

This review integrates and builds linkages among existing theoretical and empirical literature from across disciplines to further broaden our understanding of the relationship between inequality, imprisonment, and health for black men. The review examines the health impact of prisons through an ecological theoretical perspective to understand how factors at multiple levels of the social ecology interact with prisons to potentially contribute to deleterious health effects and the exacerbation of race/ethnic health disparities.

This review finds that there are documented health disparities between inmates and non-inmates, but the casual mechanisms explaining this relationship are not well-understood. Prisons may interact with other societal systems – such as the family (microsystem), education, and healthcare systems (meso/exosystems), and systems of racial oppression (macrosystem) – to influence individual and population health.

The review also finds that research needs to move the discussion of the race effects in health and crime/justice disparities beyond the mere documentation of such differences toward a better understanding of their causes and effects at the level of individuals, communities, and other social ecologies.

Details

Inequality, Crime, and Health Among African American Males
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-051-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 August 2021

Emily Anne Tarrant and Alison Torn

This study aims to explore the ways in which young people and prison staff (Prison Officers) within a youth custodial establishment experience empathy. Previous research tends to…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the ways in which young people and prison staff (Prison Officers) within a youth custodial establishment experience empathy. Previous research tends to view empathy as a stable trait and one which people can develop through individual-centred therapy. There has been little consideration of the impact of relationship factors and context in relation to empathy experience and expression. The current study aims to address this by exploring the role of the custodial context in shaping empathy, including the potential impact of relationships, environmental factors and culture.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was used to enable breadth and depth in the exploration of this area. Individual, semi-structured interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of three young people and three Prison Officers. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis informed by the guidelines of Braun and Clarke (2006) and King and Horrocks (2010).

Findings

Constructed themes included “constructions of empathy”, “recipe for empathy”, “institutional investment”, “the value of empathy” and “doing empathy”. Together, they provide detailed insight into the interplay of personal and wider contextual factors influencing the experience of empathy in a custodial setting. The findings suggest that the way in which young people and staff experience empathy in the custodial environment is unique. The findings suggest that empathy takes place within the context of relationships and is influenced by the nature of those relationships, along with the wider social context within which it occurs.

Practical implications

The findings of the current study support a move away from understanding empathy as an individual personality trait and instead viewing it as a dynamic experience that is changeable based upon the relationship and the context within which it occurs. The findings suggest that interventions aiming to develop empathy should look beyond the level of the individual and the relationship and focus upon developing environments that are supportive of empathy.

Originality/value

This study provides unique insights into the subjective experience of empathy in a custodial setting, presenting as one of the first to take a more holistic approach to understand this phenomenon.

Details

Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3841

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 July 2019

Victoria D. Ojeda, Laura Romero and Arisa Ortiz

The purpose of this paper is to describe a sustainable free laser tattoo removal clinic for economically disadvantaged adult probationers.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a sustainable free laser tattoo removal clinic for economically disadvantaged adult probationers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes the partnerships, methods and challenges/lessons learned from the implementation of a free monthly laser tattoo removal program for adult probationers within a medical school setting in California.

Findings

Possible patients are identified via a collaboration with the county’s Probation Department. Founded in 2016, this monthly program has provided tattoo removal services to >37 adult patient probationers, many of whom receive follow-up treatments. Clients seek to remove about four blue/black ink tattoos. Since its inception, 23 dermatology residents have volunteered in the program. Challenges to patients’ ongoing participation primarily pertain to scheduling issues; strategies for overcoming barriers to participation are provided. No safety concerns have emerged.

Social implications

Programs such as this public-private partnership may benefit probationers by eliminating financial barriers associated with tattoo removal. This model supports the training of cohorts of dermatologists seeking community service opportunities related to laser medicine. Others seeking to implement a similar program may also consider expanding treatment days/times to facilitate access for working probationers, providing enrollment options for other health and social services (e.g. public insurance, food stamp programs) and hosting a mobile onsite clinic to address clients’ physical and mental health needs.

Originality/value

This paper describes a unique collaboration between law enforcement and a medical school and it may assist other jurisdictions in establishing free tattoo removal programs for the benefit of probationers. The methods described overcome challenges regarding the implementation of this specialized clinical service.

Article
Publication date: 14 May 2020

Kirk Heilbrun, Sarah Fishel, Claire Lankford and Mina Ratkalkar

The conviction of innocent individuals has emerged as an international concern, resulting in substantial attention to the legal needs that stem from exoneration. However, many…

Abstract

Purpose

The conviction of innocent individuals has emerged as an international concern, resulting in substantial attention to the legal needs that stem from exoneration. However, many other challenges can also arise in the aftermath of an exoneration, including financial, psychosocial and mental health needs. Relatively little has been written about the particular reentry needs of individuals who are exonerated of their charges, and even fewer studies have considered the effectiveness of various treatment approaches. The purpose of this paper is to reviews the available literature, identifies gaps and provides clinical recommendations for the development of treatment interventions for exonerees.

Design/methodology/approach

The research addressing the needs and challenges that arise in the aftermath of exoneration is reviewed and analysed for implications that can guide treatment-planning in this area.

Findings

This paper reviews key finds from the literature and provides recommendations for developing a semi-structured approach to treating exonerees.

Practical implications

Practical applications for the development of effective therapeutic interventions for exonerated individuals are identified and discussed.

Originality/value

Currently, there is very limited literature addressing the specific reentry needs and effective therapeutic interventions for exonerated individuals.

Details

The Journal of Forensic Practice, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-8794

Keywords

Content available

Abstract

Details

Advances in Dual Diagnosis, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-0972

Article
Publication date: 12 February 2018

Adam Vaughan, Kathryn E. Wuschke, Ashley N. Hewitt, Tarah Hodgkinson, Martin A. Andresen, Patricia Brantingham and Simon Verdun-Jones

Investigating the day of week and hour of day temporal patterns of crime typically show that (late) nights and weekends are the prime time for criminal activity. Though…

Abstract

Purpose

Investigating the day of week and hour of day temporal patterns of crime typically show that (late) nights and weekends are the prime time for criminal activity. Though instructive, mental-health-related calls for service are a significant component of police service to the community that have not been a part of this research. The purpose of this paper is to analyze calls for police service that relate to mental health, using intimate partner/domestic related calls for police service for context.

Design/methodology/approach

Approximately 20,000 mental health related and 20,000 intimate partner/domestic related calls for police service are analyzed. Intra-week and intra-day temporal patterns are analyzed using circular statistics.

Findings

Mental-health-related calls for police service have a distinct temporal pattern for both days of the week and hours of the day. Specifically, these calls for police service peak during the middle of the week and in the mid-afternoon.

Originality/value

This is the first analysis regarding the temporal patterns of police calls for service for mental health-related calls. The results have implications for police resourcing and scheduling, especially in the context of special teams for addressing mental health-related calls for police service.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 41 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2023

Ann-Marie Bright, Agnes Higgins and Annmarie Grealish

There has been a move towards the implementation of digital/e-health interventions for some time. Digital/e-health interventions have demonstrable efficacy in increasing…

Abstract

Purpose

There has been a move towards the implementation of digital/e-health interventions for some time. Digital/e-health interventions have demonstrable efficacy in increasing individual empowerment, providing timely access to psychological interventions for those experiencing mental ill-health and improving outcomes for those using them. This study aims to determine the efficacy of digital/e-health interventions for individuals detained in prison who experience mental ill-health.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic search of five academic databases – CINAHL, ASSIA, PsycINFO, Embase and Medline – was completed in December 2020 and updated in February 2022. The review was guided by the Whittemore and Knafl (2005) framework for integrative reviews. A total of 6,255 studies were returned and screened by title and abstract. A full-text screening of nine (n = 9) studies was conducted.

Findings

No study met the inclusion criteria for the clinical efficacy of digital/e-health interventions in a prison setting. Subsequently, a review of the literature that made it to the full-text review stage was conducted, and gaps in the literature were identified to inform policy, practice and future research.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first integrative review conducted on the efficacy of digital/e-health interventions for mental ill-health in prison settings.

Details

International Journal of Prison Health, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2977-0254

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2016

Hattie Catherine Ann Moyes, Joshua James Heath and Lucy Victoria Dean

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on offenders with a dual diagnosis and discuss how prison-based services can improve to better meet the needs of prisoners…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on offenders with a dual diagnosis and discuss how prison-based services can improve to better meet the needs of prisoners with co-occurring substance misuse and mental health disorders.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature search of PsycINFO, JSTOR, PubMed and Google Scholar, reviewing international studies on dual diagnosis amongst offender and community samples spanning the last three decades, supplemented by international policy, guidance papers and reports was conducted to explore how services can be improved.

Findings

It was found that research into dual diagnosis amongst prisoners internationally was scarce. However, from the evidence available, several consistent factors emerged that led to the following recommendations: integrated treatment needs to be coordinated and holistic, staged and gender-responsive; increased availability of “low level”, flexible interventions; transitional support and continuity of care upon release with the utilisation of peer mentors; comprehensive assessments in conducive settings; mandatory dual diagnosis training for staff; and increased funding for female/gender-responsive services.

Practical implications

The recommendations can inform commissioners, funders and service providers of areas where support must be improved to address the needs of prisoners with a dual diagnosis.

Social implications

Improved outcomes for prisoners with a dual diagnosis would likely have a positive effect on society, with improvements in mental health and substance misuse treatment impacting on rates of reoffending.

Originality/value

This paper brings originality and value to the sector because it reviews relevant research on dual diagnosis and translates it into practical implications for policy makers.

Details

Advances in Dual Diagnosis, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-0972

Keywords

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