Incarcerated Women’s Experiences and Perceptions of Participating in Research

Incarcerated Women’s Experiences and Perceptions of Participating in Research

Published: | Author: Lisa Schelbe, Amanda Hardwick, Ashley N. Wilfong, Cynthia E. Hanifin, Stephen Tripodi, Carrie Pettus-Davis

The research process within prisons has largely considered researchers’ perspectives. Only one known study explicitly examined incarcerated persons’ perceptions and no known studies have explored incarcerated persons’ experiences with research on sensitive topics. This study examines incarcerated women’s experiences with participating in research on victimization. A thematic analysis was conducted on responses to open-ended questions about participating in a research study from 227 women in two prisons who participated in a study about victimization.

Category: Incarcerated Women, Trauma
Smart Decarceration: Achieving Criminal Justice Transformation in the 21st Century

Smart Decarceration: Achieving Criminal Justice Transformation in the 21st Century

Published: | Author: Matthew Epperson, Carrie Pettus-Davis

Smart Decarceration is a forward-thinking, practical volume that provides innovative concepts and concrete strategies for ushering in an era of decarceration -- a proactive and effective undoing of the era of mass incarceration. The text grapples with tough questions and takes up the challenge of transforming America's approach to criminal justice in the 21st century.

Category: Smart Decarceration
Deterioration of Postincarceration Social Support for Emerging Adults

Deterioration of Postincarceration Social Support for Emerging Adults

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Elaine Eggleston Doherty, Christopher Veeh, Christina Drymon

More than 2.5 million emerging adults (ages 18-25) are incarcerated annually and most do poorly after release. Social support after an individual’s release from incarceration is a critical protective factor against recidivism for emerging adults. However, little is known about the stability of support for emerging adults post incarceration. This study uses hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine whether social support declines over time after incarceration and how change in support may vary by incarceration length. 

Category: Reentry, Social Support, Emerging Adults
Gender differences in experiences of social support among men and women releasing from prison

Gender differences in experiences of social support among men and women releasing from prison

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Christopher Veeh, Maxine Davis, Stephen Tripodi

Positive social support is critically important to postprison well-being outcomes. However, researchers and program developers are still trying to understand how to best promote stable and sustainable social support for formerly incarcerated individuals during reentry to the community. We sought to add to the body of knowledge on social support and prisoner reentry by comparing men and women releasing from prison on the quality (e.g., positive or negative) and amount of informal social support.

Category: Reentry, Incarcerated Women, Gender Differences
Enhancing Social Support Postincarceration: Results From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Enhancing Social Support Postincarceration: Results From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Allison Dunnigan, Christopher Veeh, Matthew Owen Howard, Anna M. Scheyett, Amelia Roberts‐Lewis

Over 50% of released prisoners are reincarcerated within 3 years. Social support from loved ones postincarceration significantly reduces the likelihood of reincarceration. Increasingly, intervention developers aim to implement interventions that will enhance the stability of support available. This study responds to gaps in knowledge.

Category: Reentry, Social Support
reverse civic legal exclusions

Reverse Civic and Legal Exclusions for Persons with Criminal Charges and Convictions

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Epperson, Annie Grier

Civil disability policies entangle persons with criminal convictions in a web of civic and legal exclusions
that revoke or restrict their rights and limit access to services needed for an individual’s successful
community reintegration. These policies—also known as collateral consequences—extend the reach of
criminal justice punishment long after contact with the formal system has ended. There are now an
estimated 40,000 civil disability policies nationwide—policies that affect the daily lives of individuals,

Category: Collateral Consequences of Incarceration, Smart Decarceration
REVERSE CIVIC AND LEGAL EXCLUSIONS FOR PERSONS WITH CRIMINAL CHARGES AND CONVICTIONS

REVERSE CIVIC AND LEGAL EXCLUSIONS FOR PERSONS WITH CRIMINAL CHARGES AND CONVICTIONS

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Epperson, Annie Grier

Civil disability policies entangle persons with criminal convictions in a web of civic and legal exclusions
that revoke or restrict their rights and limit access to services needed for an individual’s successful
community reintegration. These policies—also known as collateral consequences—extend the reach of
criminal justice punishment long after contact with the formal system has ended. There are now an
estimated 40,000 civil disability policies nationwide—policies that affect the daily lives of individuals,

Category: Collateral Consequences of Incarceration, Smart Decarceration
economic burden of incarceration

The Economic Burden of Incarceration in the U.S.

Published: | Author: Michael McLaughlin, Carrie Pettus-Davis, Derek Brown, Christopher Veeh, Tanya Renn

This study estimates the annual economic burden of incarceration in the US. The $80 billion spent annually on corrections is frequently cited as the cost of incarceration, but this figure ignores important social costs including costs to incarcerated persons, families, children, and communities. This study draws on a burgeoning area of scholarship to assign monetary values to 23 different costs, which yield an aggregate burden of $1 Trillion.

Category: Cost of Incarceration
policy recs for smart decarceration

Policy Recommendations for Meeting the Grand Challenge to Promote Smart Decarceration

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Epperson

What lies before us is a historic opportunity to promote smart decarceration by building social capacity to reduce incarceration rates in ways that are effective, sustainable, and socially just. To succeed, smart decarceration requires policy innovations that substantially reduce the use of incarceration, redress existing disparities in the criminal justice system, and maximize public safety and well-being.

Category: Grand Challenges, Smart Decarceration
Economic burden of incarceration in the united states

THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF INCARCERATION IN THE U.S.

Published: | Author: Michael McLaughlin, Carrie Pettus-Davis, Derek Brown, Christopher Veeh, Tanya Renn

This study estimates the annual economic burden of incarceration in the US. The $80 billion spent annually on corrections is frequently cited as the cost of incarceration, but this figure ignores important social costs including costs to incarcerated persons, families, children, and communities. This study draws on a burgeoning area of scholarship to assign monetary values to 23 different costs, which yield an aggregate burden of $1 Trillion.

Category: Cost of Incarceration
Examining Dose–Response Relationships Between Childhood Victimization, Depression, Symptoms of Psychosis, and Substance Misuse for Incarcerated Women

Examining Dose–Response Relationships Between Childhood Victimization, Depression, Symptoms of Psychosis, and Substance Misuse for Incarcerated Women

Published: | Author: Stephanie Kennedy, Stephen Tripodi, Carrie Pettus-Davis, Jaime Ayers

The current study uses the dose–response model to examine the relationships between childhood victimization events and subsequent depression, symptoms of psychosis, and substance misuse in a sample of 230 randomly selected incarcerated women in the United States. Results on the frequency of victimization were mixed. In this sample, both frequency of physical abuse and frequency of sexual abuse significantly predicted current symptoms of psychosis, but only frequency of physical abuse significantly predicted substance misuse.

Category: Trauma, Mental Health, Substance Use
A Longitudinal Outcome Evaluation of a Prison-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program

A Longitudinal Outcome Evaluation of a Prison-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program

Published: | Author: Melissa D. Grady, Daniel Edwards, Carrie Pettus-Davis

Sex offender outcome studies continue to produce mixed results. A common critique of these studies is their lack of methodological rigor. This study attempts to address this critique by adhering to the standards established by the Collaborative Outcome Data Committee (CODC) aimed at increasing the quality and confidence in outcome studies. We examined recidivism outcomes for a sample of formerly incarcerated sex offenders who participated in a state prison-based cognitive-behavioral-skills-based treatment program.

Category: Reentry, Sex Offenders, Recidivism
Using Randomized Controlled Trials to Evaluate Interventions for Releasing Prisoners

Using Randomized Controlled Trials to Evaluate Interventions for Releasing Prisoners

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Owen Howard, Allison Dunnigan, Anna M. Scheyett, Amelia Roberts-Lewis

We focus on factors related to sampling frame, participant eligibility, sample size, engagement, and attrition. We conclude with general recommendations related to project delays, compromised research sites, and retention. This article provides guidance based on lessons learned from an RCT of a social support intervention with releasing prisoners and their loved ones. Barriers discussed and recommendations presented here will help interventionists develop and implement RCTs in prison to community contexts.

Category: In-Prison Intervention
from mass incarceration to smart decarceration

From Mass Incarceration to Smart Decarceration

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Epperson

The Grand Challenges for Social Work are designed to focus a world of thought and action on the most compelling and critical social issues of our day. Each grand challenge is a broad but discrete concept where social work expertise and leadership can be brought to bear on bold new ideas, scientific exploration and surprising innovations.

Category: Grand Challenges, Smart Decarceration
Acceptability of a Social Support Intervention for Re-entering Prisoners

Acceptability of a Social Support Intervention for Re-entering Prisoners

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Matthew Owen Howard, Vithya Murugan, Amelia Roberts-Lewis, Anna M. Scheyett, Claire Botnick, Michelle Vance

A relatively unexplored area of prisoner reentry programs involves actively engaging the prisoner’s naturally occurring social support in the reentry interventions. Most reentering prisoners rely on loved ones for social support, but that support is often fragile. Interventions that strengthen the sustainability of social support are crucial to a successful reentry. This study evaluates the acceptability of a social support intervention for male prisoners with substance-use disorders who are reentering the community. 

Category: Reentry, Social Support, Substance Use