The numbers are the problem for Associate Professor of Social Work Carrie Pettus at Florida State University. More than 12,000 people are released from state and federal prisons each week, and 77% of formerly incarcerated individuals return to prison within five years. “If you can imagine going to a doctor and they say here’s this medical intervention that works 23 percent of the time, would we continue to use that intervention? No,” Carrie Pettus, founding executive director of IJRD, said.
Pettus leads is leading a team of 70 researchers and practitioners dedicated to using science to create data-driven solutions to drive down reliance on the criminal justice system. IJRD creates models for correctional systems to assist formerly incarcerated individuals struggling to re-enter society. They train law enforcement officers on identifying and addressing post-traumatic stress disorder among their colleagues. They address trauma among men in prisons. It’s a whole-system approach to the criminal justice system.