In 2017, IACFP began exploring how it could more effectively work as a partner with other organizations throughout the world. One of the strategies adopted at that time was to be the founder of an NGO organization in Europe. The result was the establishment of IACFP Europe, which was awarded a Royal Decree as a Belgium public interest foundation in 2019. Over the subsequent 18 months, IACFP Europe pursued partnership opportunities that were aligned with its mission to bridge research to practice and support practitioners who serve justice-involved juveniles and adults in secure facilities and the community. It focuses on research, professional development, and training.During 2020, IACFP … [Read more...] about IACFP Europe REEDU Project Focuses on Rehabilitation and Education for Justice-Involved Juveniles

In a recent essay for Criminology & Public Policy, author Alex R. Piquero explored the overlap of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the focus on racial and social justice following the murder of George Floyd in the United States. These two simultaneous events, Piquero suggested, created an environment wherein criminal justice policy could be critically examined and potentially reshaped. In this article, we provide a summary of his essay and key takeaways that may prove useful to practitioners in the correctional field. Impact on Crime and Incarceration One component of research noted by Piquero is the work of criminologists to determine the pandemic's impact on "crime and criminal … [Read more...] about Essay Summary: Improving Criminal Justice Policy in the Wake of COVID

We've compiled top highlights from recent news, research, and resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for March and April, 2022 include research and practice highlights on Ukraine, penal reform, good governance, and COVID-19, as well as upcoming conferences. 1. Research and Practice SAGE PublicationsIACFP has had a long-standing agreement with SAGE publishing which supports both the publication and dissemination of Criminal Justice and Behavior. It also provides many other benefits to IACFP members in terms of access to published research in 56 other journals in criminal justice and psychology. SAGE is also an organization that “walks … [Read more...] about IACFP International News, Research, and Resources for Mar/Apr 2022

This practice commentary continues the first installment published in the October 2021 IACFP Bulletin. This two-part series was launched with an all-important question related to reducing recidivism: “What matters for outcomes?” A multitude of correctional research was reviewed, which has established that outcomes are impacted by both technical and relational aspects.Technical aspects cover the treatment approach used (what you do), yet relational aspects cover the provider’s delivery of those treatment elements (how you do it). A frustration was shared that early work on evidence-based practices focused almost entirely on the technical procedures and methods, while the relationship between … [Read more...] about Adding Relational to Technical Factors for Reducing Recidivism: Provider Effects and Relational Factors Impacting Outcomes (Part 2)

This month, Frank J. Porporino, Ph.D., shares highlights from responses he prepared to interview questions focusing on the efficacy of prison vs. probation. Question 1 In one of your keynote speeches to the World Congress on Probation, you argued that reliance on incarceration is cost-ineffective and that probation can lower the cost of criminal justice. Can you share some of the data on this? What are the economic and cost-efficiency benefits of probation sanctions instead of custodial sanctions?FP: If we look at just basic cost estimates of imprisonment vs. probation …  it’s like comparing the size of a grapefruit vs. a grape … in the U.S., for example, the cost of incarcerating … [Read more...] about Prison vs. Probation…Which Is More Effective?

At the end of 2018, the United States had 4.5 million people in community corrections, which was more than double the number of incarcerated individuals in both jails and prisons. While past research has indicated that over 50% of men incarcerated in jails have experienced at least one traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, very little research has looked at the prevalence of TBI in community corrections (e.g., probation and parole). This article summarizes research recently published in the December 2021 issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior, which examines the impact of TBI on the risk of recidivism in community corrections, as well as accommodations that may improve receptivity and … [Read more...] about Research Summary: TBI’s Impact on Risk of Recidivism in Community Corrections

We've compiled top highlights from recent news, research, and resources across the world for our latest IACFP International News summary. Our topics for January and February, 2022 include: IACFP updates, emerging research, policy updates, practice highlights, and upcoming conferences. 1. IACFP Updates New Editor-in-Chief for Criminal Justice and BehaviorThe IACFP Board is pleased to announce that they recently selected Mark Olver, Ph.D., as the editor-in-chief of Criminal Justice and Behavior, effective January 1, 2022. Dr. Olver has been an associate editor for CJB the last four years. He is a registered doctoral psychologist with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists and a … [Read more...] about Research and Resources for Jan/Feb 2022

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

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 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

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

Looking back just over two decades, criminal justice suffered from a lack of proven methods for reducing recidivism for formerly incarcerated individuals (Andrews & Bonta, 2003). Today, it is almost unimaginable that the field ever operated without practice methods that were studied and empirically validated through rigorous science. Science-based methods for offender work have been propelled by multiple streams of interest, united by evidence-based practices (EBP). This article examines relational and technical factors examined in prior research linked to reducing recidivism and improving outcomes in corrections. Evidence over Ideology Corrections has taken a positive turn. … [Read more...] about Adding Relational to Technical Factors for Reducing Recidivism: Following the Research to Improve Outcomes (Part 1)