Enacting lived experiences: Peer specialists with criminal justice histories.

It is widely acknowledged that ‘good policy’ should be informed by the people it most directly affects. In Australia, the value of drawing on lived experiences in the development and delivery of services has recently been noted in health areas, such as disability and mental health. However, learning from people with lived experiences in the criminal justice sector, such as people who have served time in prison, has received little attention. This article discusses the significance of and challenges related to capturing the voices of people who are currently serving time or have served time in prison. We argue that formalising the perspectives of these individuals into policymaking through co-design processes may be an important method for enhancing program responses to rising incarceration and reincarceration rates.

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The Importance of Incorporating Lived Experience in Efforts to Reduce Australian Reincarceration Rates

International Journal for Crime Justice and Social Democracy ◽

10.5204/ijcjsd.1942 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Caroline Doyle ◽

Karen Gardner ◽

Karen Wells

Keyword(s):

Criminal Justice ◽

Literature Review ◽

Lived Experience ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Design Processes ◽

Important Method ◽

Corrected Version ◽

The People ◽

Good Policy

It is widely acknowledged that ‘good policy’ should be informed by the people it most directly affects. However, learning from people with lived experiences in the criminal justice sector, such as people who have served time in prison, has received little attention. This article discusses the significance of and challenges related to capturing the voices of people who are currently serving time or have served time in prison. We argue that formalising the perspectives of these individuals into policymaking through co-design processes may be an important method for enhancing program responses to rising incarceration and reincarceration rates. *This is a corrected version of the original article published ‘Online First’ on February 17, 2021. Some text in the literature review was unintentionally missing attribution. The Correction Notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.5204/ijcjsd.1941

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What’s law got to do with it? Comparing the failure to deter or convict rapists in the United Kingdom and South Africa

International Review of Victimology ◽

10.1177/0269758019886510 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 212-233

Author(s):

Maggie Wykes ◽

Lillian Artz

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

United Kingdom ◽

Criminal Justice ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Justice System ◽

Similar Process ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Willingness To Change ◽

The Law ◽

The Uk

The journey from reporting rape to convicting rapists is complex, leading to high attrition and non-conviction rates. After wide consultation, the law in England and Wales was revised in 2003 to try to secure more convictions. In South Africa, a similar process occurred to produce a new law in 2007. Nonetheless, reported rapes have risen and conviction rates have fallen in both jurisdictions and it has been suggested that the failure of the criminal justice system to deal with ‘rape…encapsulates the sheer inadequacy of the law’ (Wykes and Welsh, 2009: 111) and offers little hope of justice to victims and little deterrence to perpetrators. In South Africa little has changed, except more is known about ‘the lived experiences of sexual violence’ (Artz and Smythe, 2007: 17) and more support is offered to victims after the event. This article explores the part played by law in dealing with rape, through a comparison of the UK and South Africa. Critical gendered analysis of their respective rape laws leads to the conclusion that that law cannot work effectively to deter or convict rapists: only men’s willingness to change can stop rape.

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Lived Experiences of Repeat Offenders: A Phenomenological Untold Stories

Qubahan Academic Journal ◽

10.48161/qaj.v1n4a84 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 14-24

Author(s):

Jayson A. Dela Fuente

Keyword(s):

Criminal Justice ◽

Criminal Justice System ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Justice System ◽

Monitoring And Evaluation ◽

Phenomenological Approach ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Repeat Offenders ◽

Qualitative Research Design ◽

The Mind

Recidivism is an offense committed by a person who at the time of his trial for one crime has been previously convicted by a final judgment of another crime. From this perspective, the researchers are interested to explore the lived experiences and untold stories of repeat offenders. The study focuses on three parts; the informants’ experiences in the pillars of the criminal justice system; the impacts of incarceration on the lives of the offender; and the reasons for reoffending. A qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach was used in the conduct of the study through an in-depth interview with the informants. The sample informants which comprises of ten recidivists and inmates of selected city jails Negros Occidental, Philippines participated in the interview through purposive sampling using the inclusion criteria set by the researchers. The data was collected using audiotaping of interviews. Audiotapes were then transcribed where data from transcriptions were analyzed to describe the richness of the informants’ experiences. Out of the transcribed and analyzed data, six major themes emerged. The Cry of the Suspect, Light within the Darkness, You Reap what you Sow, Blessing in Disguise, Many are Bad Associates But Few are Good Mentors, and Corruption of the Mind. Key findings from the study suggest coordination and cooperation among the pillars of the criminal justice system come up with a very comprehensive and sustainable rehabilitation program with proper and effective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Thereby, recommendations for change are provided in the emerging themes to address the phenomenon.

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Investigating Humor Within a Context of Death and Tragedy: The Narratives of Contrasting Realities

The Qualitative Report ◽

10.46743/2160-3715/2013.1428 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Brian Vivona

Keyword(s):

Criminal Justice ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Meaning Making ◽

Research Question ◽

Organizational Outcomes ◽

Crime Scene ◽

Work Experiences ◽

Work Settings ◽

Crime Scene Investigators ◽

Construct Meaning

Crime scene investigators (CSIs) are subjected to many complexities of working in a context of death, trauma and tragedy. They experience this context in a more intimate manner than any other member of the criminal justice community. Within these challenging work settings in which human lives have ended, humor can emerge as crime scene investigators attend to their tasks. The research question this study addressed is “How is humor used to negotiate work experiences and make meaning from working in a context that includes death, trauma and tragedy?” CSIs were interviewed and provided narratives from their lived experiences regarding humor during their challenging work. Humans often use storytelling to frame and construct meaning of their lived experiences. For the CSI, the telling and retelling of stories of laughter and stories of tears has several individual and organizational outcomes, including group socialization, negotiating the stresses of the work and meaning making.

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Book Review of “Addiction Counseling Today: Substance and Addictive Behaviors”

Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy ◽

10.47634/cjcp.v55i1.70863 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 188-191

Author(s):

Murray Anderson

Keyword(s):

Criminal Justice ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Social Care ◽

Addictive Behaviors ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Addiction Counseling ◽

Behavioural Addictions

The issue of addictions and treatment has been increasingly prioritized by policy-makers in recent years, yet the meaning of the concept remains ambiguous. Throughout the 22 chapters of his book Addiction Counseling Today, Kevin G. Alderson weaves together the most salient theories, research, and therapies from the field of addiction and from contemporary developments in policy and practice. The book examines what the tenets of recovery and treatment mean in terms of not only the professional involved in providing treatment but also what recovery looks like for each client. Chapters cover the influence of ethics in treatment, theories of addiction, the neurosciences, and the recognition of behavioural addictions, including the controversies attached to the use of particular labels. A notable strength involves the author’s inclusion of the lived experiences of those who have dealt with various addictions. This book will be essential reading for practitioners, researchers, policy-makers, and students in the fields of addiction, social care, psychology, and criminal justice.

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