This mixed methods study evaluated clinical and criminal justice outcomes of the Florida Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery (JDTR) program that utilized compensated veteran peer mentors. Quantitative results showed veteran participation in JDTR improved clinical outcomes, such as PTSD symptoms, function difficulty and depression scores, but not criminal justice outcomes such as re-arrest rates. Study limitations, however, prevent the drawing of conclusions regarding the potential effectiveness of veteran peer interventions improving criminal justice outcomes. Qualitative results showed participants overwhelmingly viewed their assigned veteran peer mentor as a "peer" and rated them as "very important" to their future success. Improvements in avoidance and numbing and depression symptoms also suggest peer interventions may be effective in improving responsivity to evidence-based criminal justice interventions. Overall, findings were consistent with the RNR model that views mental illness as a responsivity factor, not a criminogenic need. They were also consistent with research on "first generation" forensic mental health interventions that shows improvements in clinical outcomes do not result in reductions in recidivism. Social workers as well as other mental health clinicians and policy makers should be familiar with evidenced-based criminal justice strategies, such as RNR, that focus on reducing recidivism and should incorporate these strategies into the development, implementation and evaluation of "second generation" interventions. Future research should evaluate the fidelity of implementation of such interventions as well as the role of peer mentors and importance of the recovery model and therapeutic alliance in improving criminal justice outcomes and responsivity.

Illegal substance use in the United States is a growing problem, and a western state has a higher than average rate of drug offenders. Many courts, including misdemeanor courts, have limited to no budget for drug treatment programs outside of the drug court treatment programs. As such, many court-ordered drug treatment programs, when drug counseling is ordered in exchange for a reduction in charges, are outsourced to privately owned companies. The drug counseling entails a single 8-hour outsourced drug counseling course, which includes either in-person, online, or correspondence-based counseling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the three modalities of the lower level drug counseling course. Effectiveness was measured by comparing recidivism rates of offenders completing each of the three modalities of the program. A second goal of the study was to investigate whether relationships exist in recidivism rates as a function of modality of program delivery, type of drug used by offenders, risk of re-offense, or an interaction between the three. Archival data (N = 395) were collected from a misdemeanor court, and the results of an ordinal logistic regression indicated a statistically significant relationship between recidivism, risk, and modalities of counseling. The modality that was most effective was the online modality of counseling, for offenders who had no risk, and reduced the potential for recidivism by 79%. The results of this study could assist the local government in determining the effectiveness of each of the three modalities of the abbreviated drug counseling program and assist in future decisions regarding development of drug counseling programs and necessary funding for those programs, providing potential for positive social change.

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The U. S. criminal justice system has used risk assessment tools in an effort to reduce recidivism and risk assessment tools are now commonplace. Correctional organizations, however, have struggled with officers' resistance to these tools in spite of the evidence for their utility. There is limited research that explores the impact of resistance to organizational change within the context of correctional agencies. To address that gap, this correlational study used organizational change theory to examine officers' resistance to the use of risk assessment tools based on officers' opinions of the risk assessment tool being used in North Carolina. Data were collected through an online survey of 109 North Carolina probation and parole officers. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the statistical relationship between officer use of risk assessment tools and the dependent variables which included officers' opinions of the risk assessment tool, knowledge of risk assessments, training for use of risk assessments, risk assessments in the sentencing process, and officers' length of time employed. Findings indicated that opinions of the risk assessment tool and training to use the tool statistically impact officers' use of the tool in daily supervision of offenders. Organizational change theory predicted these findings as officers' resistance to policy change was manifested in their opinions of that policy. Implications for positive social change include recommendations for corrections agencies to refine training regarding risk assessments in efforts to minimize officer resistance of properly applying risk assessment tools in daily job duties with the intended outcome of reducing recidivism, and therefore preventing future harms to the community.

Most studies in South Africa focus on male offenders as they make up the majority of the offending population. With female offenders being in the minority, they receive less of the research attention. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the subjective experience of finding employment with a criminal record from the perspectives of six female former offenders who participated in the study. Participants were asked to share their accounts during semi-structured interviews. The transcripts were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. A total of nine themes were identified, namely; confronting the labour market; it affected my life not my chances; experiences of vocational skills and labour in corrections; current financial status versus previous financial status; those left behind: the impact of incarceration on the family. I am Human too, entering and adjusting in the correctional system, finding God and oneself, and rehabilitation and reintegration programmes. The findings showed that the experience of incarceration cannot be separated from the experience of adjusting back into society and finding employment. Employment and unemployment had an effect on participants’ financial status but also affected self-esteem and the relationship with family. The findings illustrated how participants used different coping methods to deal with not being able to find employment, dealing with the stigma attached to being a former offender as well as adjusting back into the community. The analyses from the interviews were compared to existing literature, thus creating a rich discussion. An overview of the discussion and some recommendations were provided and the limitations of the study were also taken into account. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)