Although virtual reality (VR) technology has been successfully utilized for psychological treatment and learning for many years, its use in correctional facilities for the purpose of correctional rehabilitation has been slower to manifest. Here, we summarize research by Bobbie Ticknor exploring the benefits and challenges of using VR for correctional rehabilitation, published in Criminal Justice & Behavior in September 2019. Technology in Correctional Facilities Correctional facilities have long integrated technology into their daily practices for the purposes of supervision and assessment. More recently, additional efforts have been made to begin utilizing technology for … [Read more...]

Trauma-informed care is one framework that can support youth who have been involved in the court system (Epstein & Gonzales, 2017; Kerig, 2012; Saar et al., 2015). This care framework requires a basic realization and understanding of how traumatic experiences might impact individuals and communities (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014). Trauma-informed care aims to recognize this trauma, promote healing, and avoid re-traumatization. Here, we provide an overview of existing practices, current projects, and areas for further research. Trauma-Informed Care The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA] (2014) has played a crucial … [Read more...]

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of social learning theory including its theoretical foundations, explanatory concepts, case examples, and how it applies to a correctional setting as a general theory of crime and deviant behavior. Social Learning Theory: The Basics Social Learning Theory (SLT) reinforces the idea that learning occurs within a social context. People learn from observing others’ behaviors and the outcomes of those behaviors (Astray-Caneda, Busbee, & Fanning, 2011). Albert Bandura, a major contributor to the field of social learning, explains that social learning is a continuous and reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and … [Read more...]

We've compiled top highlights from recent news, research, and resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for May/June include recent features on prison reform and pandemic response, new research, and upcoming conferences. 1. International News “Global Prison Trends 2021” Report Available"Global Prison Trends 2021" was recently co-published by Prison Reform International and the Thailand Institute of Justice. The special focus for this issue is how authorities respond to different crisis situations, how prisons and the people within them are affected, and considerations for what measures authorities can put in place for better crisis … [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

A recent report published by the Brookings Institute focuses on the inadequate and sometimes deadly result of using police as first responders for people in need of immediate mental health response. The report's authors, Stuart M. Butler and Nehath Sheriff, argue that crisis situations wherein individuals may have behavioral or mental health needs require an approach that shifts police away from leading the response and instead uses mental health professionals and community resources to help individuals secure the care they need. The Data The authors cite several high-profile cases wherein police responded with force when encountering individuals with mental health or developmental issues. … [Read more...]

After decades of not just increasing populations in prisons and jails in the United States but unconscionable mass incarceration, several different efforts began to reduce these numbers.  Some efforts looked at policy; some at decision-making, and some looked at the bottom line, (i.e., the costs to continue mass incarceration). Nearly ten years ago the concept of “Smart Decarceration” was introduced. This article provides a summary of new research presented in Criminal Justice and Behavior Special Issue, Volume 48, Number 1, January 2021. What is Smart Decarceration? Decarceration is a descriptive term that is sometimes used to generically describe population reduction in secure … [Read more...]

In a Sept/Oct Newsletter contribution, I suggested that our brains’ reflexive amygdala-powered fear/anger responses to the prevailing views of criminals explained the persistence of America’s increasingly punitive “tough-on-crime” policies. Even with declining national crime rates in the U.S., offenders continue to face legal and social barriers to community reintegration, despite the fact that they had “done the time,” and America grapples with an enduring sociopolitical resistance to proposed criminal justice and prison reform interpreted to reflect a “soft on crime” attitude. In this article, I continue to examine the implications of neuroscience and brain functioning in influencing … [Read more...]