The early identification of people with personality disorder in the criminal justice system

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-300
Author(s):  
Laura Craster ◽  
Andrew Forrester
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Police Custody ◽  
Future Care ◽  
Time Limitations ◽  
Very High

The prevalence of personality disorder is very high among criminal justice (correctional) populations, yet our understanding of this condition as it arises in police custody is presently limited. Although healthcare screening has a well-described role within criminal justice settings, including police custody, specific screening for personality disorders has hardly been considered. Yet such screening is broadly in keeping with the aims of liaison and diversion services and the general healthcare principle of early identification, has the potential to inform future care pathways and ameliorate risk and could in some cases inform future sentencing arrangements including community alternatives. Therefore, there is a need for research to consider the design and implementation of a suitable screening tool for application as early as possible in the criminal justice pathway, either as a stand-alone instrument, or as part of a wider package of healthcare screens. It will be important to consider the feasibility of any such design, given environmental and time limitations within police custody and the high levels of substance misuse, with issues relating to intoxication and withdrawal.

A Conceptual Model of Crime Prevention

1976 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Brantingham ◽  
Frederic L. Faust
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Secondary Prevention ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Or Groups

Crime prevention is the professed mission o f every agency found within the American criminal justice system. In prac tice, the term "prevention" seems to be applied confusingly to a wide array of contradictory activities. This confusion can be avoided through the use of a conceptual model that defines three levels of prevention: (1) primary prevention, directed at modification of criminogenic conditions in the physical and social environment at large; (2) secondary prevention, directed at early identification and intervention in the lives of individuals or groups in criminogenic circumstances; and (3) tertiary prevention, directed at prevention of recidivism. The use of such a conceptual model helps to clarify current crime prevention efforts, suggests fruitful directions for future research by identifying current lacunae in practice and in the research literature, and may ultimately prove helpful in ad dressing the seemingly endless debate between advocates of "punishment " and advocates of "treatment."

Are We There Yet? Screening Processes for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Jail Settings

2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Scheyett ◽  
Jennie Vaughn ◽  
Melissa Taylor ◽  
Susan Parish
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
To Receive

Abstract Early identification of intellectual and developmental disabilities in persons in the criminal justice system is essential to protect their rights during arrest and trial, ensure safety when incarcerated, and maximize the opportunities to receive services while incarcerated and postrelease. Using telephone interviews of jail administrators (N = 80) in 1 state, this study examined how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were identified in jails. Findings indicated that administrators varied widely in awareness of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their jails. Few jails (6%) used formal screening instruments for intellectual and developmental disabilities, others relied on officer observation and self-report (53%), and some provided no screening at all; in addition, officers received little training in this regard. Findings suggest that few jails are operationalizing best-practice screening processes for intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Chemical Castration of Child Molesters – Right or Wrong?!

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vedije Ratkoceri
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Child Molesters ◽  
Recidivism Rates ◽  
Chemical Castration ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Very High

Studies have shown that recidivism rates among child sexual offenders are very high. Therefore, the number of children victimized by paedophiles is also very high. In most of the cases, offenders committing these crimes suffer from paraphilia – categorized as a mental disorder by the psychological sciences. Thus, imprisonment for this category of child abusers obviously is not the answer. That’s why a lot of states have tried to incorporate in their legislations a medical treatment useful to prevent recidivism of paedophiles and to protect the children. Chemical castration is merely a type of hormone therapy that takes away the offender’s sexual desire. There can be some unpleasant side effects, but they are mostly reversible and this paper tries to argue that this procedure is humane and necessary to prevent child molesters. The first part of this paper examines paedophilia, chemical castration procedure and will show data from studies made mostly in USA to see the efficiency of this procedure. The second part of this paper examines the growing trend by legislators towards favoring castration as a sentencing alternative and explains the reasons for this trend. This part finds that this trend is a necessary response to a failing criminal justice system.

scholarly journals ‘Giving back and getting on with my life’: Peer mentoring, desistance and recovery of ex-offenders

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Nixon
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Peer Mentoring ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Identity Transformation ◽  
Peer Mentors ◽  
Relational Support ◽  
Transformative Potential

Peer work and peer mentoring are dynamic social processes that have reciprocal benefits for both mentor and mentee in tackling issues around reoffending and substance misuse. Narratives of peer mentors and desistance were collected from probation peer mentors, Criminal Justice Drugs Team mentors and health trainers, to explore identity transformation and how the criminal justice system supports ex-offenders in desistance. Criminal justice practitioners were also interviewed to explore the importance of relational support networks. Themes that emerged from the research include the transformative potential of peer work and how peer workers can become role models for other offenders. Peer workers are ‘experts by experience’, using personal narratives of desistance to inspire hope in others. Influential criminal justice personnel are key to this process. Peer work can be the start of building a desisting identity, acting as a ‘hook for change’. Peer workers are given spaces within criminal justice organisations to work, which fosters a sense of purpose, belonging, trust and responsibility. Seeing ex-offenders from a strengths-based perspective is integral to supporting ex-offender transition. However, peer workers are inconsistently validated by criminal justice personnel, which can impede their desistance, placing them in a liminal position.

Group interventions for trauma and substance misuse available for women in criminal justice services: a systematic review of the literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-249
Author(s):  
Ashley Henderson ◽  
Biza Stenfert Kroese
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Group Interventions ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Content Type

Purpose In recent years, group interventions have been designed to simultaneously treat the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance misuse. This study aims to explore the research literature available regarding these interventions, for women who are involved in the criminal justice system. Design/methodology/approach Five electronic databases were searched. The review included primary research papers which reported quantitative outcomes for group interventions for female offenders. The quality of each paper was assessed using the framework developed by Kmet et al. (2004). Findings A total of 13 research papers met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this review. The papers indicated promising results for the treatment of PTSD and substance misuse in this population group. Practical implications This area of research is in early development. Studies adopted different research designs and used different outcome measures to assess effectiveness. The quality assessment indicated that future research should adopt standardised assessment measures, blind researchers to reduce bias and implement randomised controlled trials to produce more robust findings. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this systematic review is the first to explore the effectiveness of these interventions, specifically for women in the criminal justice system. The authors consider the existing evidence base for this population group and propose measures for future research.

scholarly journals When two measures of drug dependency do not accord: prevalence, correlates, and implications for treatment in the criminal justice context

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Leslie Payne ◽  
Cameron Thomas Langfield
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Clinical Screening ◽  
Dsm V ◽  
Drug Treatments ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Drug Dependent

Reducing the volume of drug-related crime has long been a challenge for criminal justice system practitioners and policymakers worldwide. In Australia, this challenge has been tackled using a continuum of early intervention, diversion, and intensive treatment, with drug courts operating as a final alternative to imprisonment for the most serious and frequent drug-dependent offenders. In this study, we explore self-reported dependency and its concordance with the outcomes of a clinical screening tool designed to indicate DSM-V drug dependence in criminal justice populations. We find that not all offenders who self-report their dependency are clinically assessed as dependent. Similarly, not all those who are clinically assessed as dependent identify as such. We also show that these results vary by the frequency, type and longevity of drug use and argue that this discordance has clear implications for the fidelity and success of the drug treatments that are a mandated part of different criminal justice sanctions.

Conceptualising ‘success’ among Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentenced offenders with personality-related difficulties

2021 ◽  
pp. 026455052098451
Author(s):  
Nicole King ◽  
Bryony Crisp
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Internal Factors

This paper explores conceptualisations of ‘ success’ by men on Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence licence screened into the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway. ‘ Success’ was defined as a process of having ‘ survived’ the perceived injustices associated with the IPP sentence. Participants’ discussed ‘ internal factors’ enabling them to make use of ‘ external facilitators’ of self-change; ‘ success’ was embedded in the development of interpersonal relationships with professionals. We propose a model of reciprocal anxiety existing within the criminal justice system in relation to the management of individuals on IPP sentence.

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