Although restorative justice has become more regularly utilized in workplace and school settings, its use in the criminal justice system is still often met with criticism. A new study by Masahiro Suzuki, from Central Queensland University, and Xiaoyu Yuan, from Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, seeks to provide empirical evidence for why and how restorative justice works within a criminal justice setting for both offenders and victims. This article provides a summary of their research, which was approved for publication in Criminal Justice and Behavior and published online February 20, 2021. What Is Restorative Justice? Restorative justice is a method of justice … [Read more...] about New Research on the Efficacy of Restorative Justice in Criminal Justice Settings
Archives for April 2021
The Impact of Technological Advancements on Continued Contact During Incarceration: An Exploratory Study on Tablets in Prison
Continued family contact during incarceration has been found to improve in-prison behavior and reintegration upon release. The value of prosocial contacts has been consistently found through empirical work that examined in-person visitation and phone calls. In recent years, computerized tablets have become more commonplace across U.S. prisons, yet little to no research has evaluated how this advancement in communication has altered experiences of incarceration. While prior research has established the importance of continued prosocial contact, we are unaware if having access to video and electronic communication changes the effect of continued contact during incarceration. Project … [Read more...] about The Impact of Technological Advancements on Continued Contact During Incarceration: An Exploratory Study on Tablets in Prison
IACFP’s Mental Health in Community Corrections: International Perspectives Project
The International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology is excited to announce the launch of a new project to advance research: Mental Health in Community Corrections: International Perspectives. This project explores the range of how services are provided, internationally, for people in community corrections who experience mental health challenges, including serious mental illness. The project’s goal is to advance research on how programs and services are provided to a population with high needs, and the extent to which that population can be best served in the community. The Mental Health in Community Corrections project was approved by IACFP’s Board of Directors in June … [Read more...] about IACFP’s Mental Health in Community Corrections: International Perspectives Project
Contextualizing Criminal Justice in America by Understanding America’s Caste System: A Book Review
America’s criminal justice system has been criticized for many things, among them its apparent racial bias. Minority individuals, particularly African Americans, have been incarcerated disproportionately to their percentage in the general population. Race sensitivity training in correctional settings has become more common, and in the umbrella of the Black Lives Matter movement, racism has once again become a topic of public interest, moreso in light of Robin DiAngelo’s popular book White Fragility (DiAngelo, 2018), in which she discusses why it is so difficult for white people to talk about racism; a social structure that emerges “when a racial group’s collective prejudice is backed by the … [Read more...] about Contextualizing Criminal Justice in America by Understanding America’s Caste System: A Book Review
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for March/April 2021
IACFP Board meeting, held virtually on 28 January 2021. L to R: Emma Black Regan, Cherie Townsend, Jim DeGroot, Diane Williams, Melvin Hinton, Frank Porporino, Dick Althouse, Gabriel Ong, Javel Jackson, Maureen Alley, Jeff Pfeifer, Jeff Metzner, Sarah Shelton, Matt Epperson, and Silvia Martinez. We've compiled top highlights from IACFP events, international research, and world news for our March/April IACFP International News summary. Our topics include IACFP Board and leadership updates, notable research relevant to practitioners, and international topics of interest. 1. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CORRECTIONAL AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY UPDATES The IACFP Board met on … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for March/April 2021