A new report from the Brookings-AEI Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform was published this year as part of its series: "A Better Path Forward for Criminal Justice." The seventh chapter of the series focuses on how to improve prisoner reentry for the over 640,000 people per year who return to their communities following incarceration. In this article, we provide a summary of their findings, including short- and long-term recommendations to increase racial equity and improve the reentry process. The Need for Criminal Justice Reform The report frames prisoner reentry as a racial justice issue that merits a criminal justice reform response. Black Americans are anywhere from five to … [Read more...] about Brookings Institute Report Summary: Recommended Reforms to Improve Prisoner Reentry
Archives for December 2021
The Oregon Way: Responding to Mental Illness in Corrections
The last issue of the IACFP Bulletin included a summary of recent research examining the relationship between solitary confinement and mental illness of adults in corrections. Readers were invited to answer four questions about their experiences, from the perspective of practitioners. Those questions were:Have you changed your policy on placing incarcerated persons in isolation cells over the last five years?Are you aware of criminal justice systems that have either not allowed mentally ill persons to be placed in isolation cells or that place an upper limit on their time in this type of confinement?As a practitioner, how do you assess an incarcerated person’s functional impairment? How do … [Read more...] about The Oregon Way: Responding to Mental Illness in Corrections
The Genetic Factor: Understanding No Remorse
The headline was stark: “Black Twitter Reacts: Derek Chauvin, Sentenced to 22.5 Years in Prison, Offers No Remorse to George Floyd’s Family” (Clark, 2021). Prompting the very important question: How do we understand no remorse in the wake of national outrage or tragedy—particularly from a criminal justice context?On November 15, 2021, in his closing prosecutorial arguments, Thomas Binger, Kenosha Wisconsin’s Assistant District Attorney, referred to Kyle Rittenhouse as showing “no remorse” for what he had done (CNN), suggesting that if Mr. Rittenhouse was able to feel remorseful, he would have behaved differently and not killed or wounded those he did. What Is Remorse? The word … [Read more...] about The Genetic Factor: Understanding No Remorse
IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Nov/Dec 2021
We've compiled top highlights from recent news, research, and resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for November and December include emerging research, policy updates, and practice highlights. 1. Research Criminological Highlights, Volume 19, Number 5, September 2021 You can view the September 2021 issue of Criminological Highlights here. This issue of Criminological Highlights addresses the following questions: When police speak to Black and White citizens, how do they communicate different messages even if the words are the same? Can you predict how youths will be processed by the criminal justice system by looking at … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Nov/Dec 2021