A psychological and educational intervention program for incarcerated youth

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the results of a deliberate psychological and educational intervention with at-risk youth (placed in a detention center) that have been identified as having the potential to benefit from a behavioral program. Design/methodology/approach The program provided systemic behavioral health assessments using trauma-informed care guidelines and then linked the participants to mental health and substance services to increase the children’s access to key health services and reduce the risk of recidivism. The program also provided psychoeducational resources to stakeholders including parents, judges and corrections officers. Comparisons were made between participants receiving the intervention to determine pre and post results. Findings Recidivism rates were also examined. Study participants included 395 at-risk youth between the ages of 13 and 17. In summary, the findings supported the use of this multi-pronged program with juveniles residing in detention centers. Originality/value All work on this research project was completed by the listed authors.

Transcanal Endoscopic Ear Surgery for Congenital Cholesteatoma: A Multi-institutional Series

Objective To assess outcomes of transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) for congenital cholesteatoma. Study Design Case series with chart review of children who underwent TEES for congenital cholesteatoma over a 10-year period. Setting Three tertiary referral centers. Methods Cholesteatoma extent was classified according to Potsic stage; cases with mastoid extension (Potsic IV) were excluded. Disease characteristics, surgical approach, and outcomes were compared among stages. Outcomes measures included residual or recurrent cholesteatoma and audiometric data. Results Sixty-five cases of congenital cholesteatoma were included. The mean age was 6.5 years (range, 1.2-16), and the mean follow-up was 3.9 years (range, 0.75-9.1). There were 19 cases (29%) of Potsic stage I disease, 10 (15%) stage II, and 36 (55%) stage III. Overall, 24 (37%) patients underwent a second-stage procedure, including 1 with Potsic stage II disease (10%) and 21 (58%) with Potsic stage III disease. Eight cases (12%) of residual cholesteatoma occurred. One patient (2%) developed retraction-type (“recurrent”) cholesteatoma. Recidivism occurred only among Potsic stage III cases. Postoperative air conduction hearing thresholds were normal (<25 dB HL) in 93% of Potsic stage I, 88% of stage II, and 36% of stage III cases. Conclusion TEES is feasible and effective for removal of congenital cholesteatoma not extending into the mastoid. Recidivism rates were lower with the TEES approach in this large series than in previously reported studies. Advanced-stage disease was the primary risk factor for recidivism and worse hearing result. As minimally invasive TEES is possible in the youngest cases, children benefit from early identification and intervention.

Inter-transitional Architecture: New Spatial Models for Prisoner Reintegration in New Zealand

<p>The aim of this research was to explore the design of transitional housing for newly released prisoners from the New Zealand prison environment. This was achieved through the development of an architecture that provides a dynamic, vibrant, beautiful and connective environment for those using the space. Reconnecting released prisoners with society requires careful consideration. The use of architecture may aid released prisoner’s societal habilitation and wellbeing by creating informed dynamic interior spaces. The issues released prisoners face when trying to reintegrate back into society were analysed. This research focused on how these issues can be addressed through the built environment. Current issues include the lack of supportive accommodation available to released prisoners, the lack of successful mental health interventions, the disproportionate representation of the population in New Zealand prisons and the absence of healing environments for released prisoners. The research provides evidence that a family and community based model for transitional housing could be successful in New Zealand. It also discussed how released prisoners can improve their personal view of themselves when they are adequately supported by their family and have a strong connection to their site, culture and context. It is argued that released prisoner’s positive sense of self may improve their mental health and recidivism rates. An improvement of recidivism rates is valuable to wider society’s safety. The research suggests that an ambient, healing and calm atmosphere might be achieved through material texture and tactility and natural lighting in a family and cultural based model. The proposed design was aimed at a small focus group of three released prisoners and their family members. The purpose was to reconnect and support the family through the reintegration of the released prisoner. There are three main blocks in the design: a reflection space, a communal block, and three private blocks for each family. The design of the walls aimed to visually connect the users to the context of the building and to act as a prompt to establish a relationship with their cultural background. The proposed design uses materiality, lighting and symbolism as techniques to improve the therapeutic atmosphere of the interior. The design research process and the proposed design was critically analysed and reflected on. The research is related back to a global context and collectively a contribution to the existing body of knowledge was made.</p>

Inter-transitional Architecture: New Spatial Models for Prisoner Reintegration in New Zealand

<p>The aim of this research was to explore the design of transitional housing for newly released prisoners from the New Zealand prison environment. This was achieved through the development of an architecture that provides a dynamic, vibrant, beautiful and connective environment for those using the space. Reconnecting released prisoners with society requires careful consideration. The use of architecture may aid released prisoner’s societal habilitation and wellbeing by creating informed dynamic interior spaces. The issues released prisoners face when trying to reintegrate back into society were analysed. This research focused on how these issues can be addressed through the built environment. Current issues include the lack of supportive accommodation available to released prisoners, the lack of successful mental health interventions, the disproportionate representation of the population in New Zealand prisons and the absence of healing environments for released prisoners. The research provides evidence that a family and community based model for transitional housing could be successful in New Zealand. It also discussed how released prisoners can improve their personal view of themselves when they are adequately supported by their family and have a strong connection to their site, culture and context. It is argued that released prisoner’s positive sense of self may improve their mental health and recidivism rates. An improvement of recidivism rates is valuable to wider society’s safety. The research suggests that an ambient, healing and calm atmosphere might be achieved through material texture and tactility and natural lighting in a family and cultural based model. The proposed design was aimed at a small focus group of three released prisoners and their family members. The purpose was to reconnect and support the family through the reintegration of the released prisoner. There are three main blocks in the design: a reflection space, a communal block, and three private blocks for each family. The design of the walls aimed to visually connect the users to the context of the building and to act as a prompt to establish a relationship with their cultural background. The proposed design uses materiality, lighting and symbolism as techniques to improve the therapeutic atmosphere of the interior. The design research process and the proposed design was critically analysed and reflected on. The research is related back to a global context and collectively a contribution to the existing body of knowledge was made.</p>

Reducing Recidivism Not Rights: Rethinking Interior Architecture as a solution for New Zealand's failing prisons

<p>This thesis argues that the design of the built environment of a prison can have a huge impact on lowering recidivism rates of prisoners in New Zealand. It proposes that this can be achieved through the development of a new health model/framework that facilitates positive relationships between families, prison staff and other inmates; supports spiritual, mental and physical health; equips inmates for participation to society upon release; and gives them a sense of identity. It further argues that this framework can then be applied to the design process to create a new precedent for prison design that effectively rehabilitates and reintegrates its inmates into society. The work of key architects, and theorists such as Hohensinn Architektur and Dominique Moran, have been analysed to help translate their successful designs and theories into a New Zealand model of correctional facility. Prisons are institutions of deprivation and isolation. Marginalised by and separated from community, they are maintained by physical and psychological structures designed only to isolate. Imprisonment results in individuals embittered and hardened by the experience, who are likely to reoffend, and become lifelong participants in the criminal justice system. New Zealand’s prison population has been substantially increasing since the 1980s. The current imprisonment rate per population is the second highest in the Western World, second only to the United States. This increase is due to a combination of changes in political economy, an attitude of exclusion of minority groups by the criminal justice system and a rise in penal populism. New Zealand currently imprisons 212 people for every 100,000, and has a recidivism rate of 50 percent. Māori represent over 50 percent of our prison population, whilst only 15 percent of the overall New Zealand population. These statistics are self-evident; our prisons aren’t working. They are not successfully rehabilitating and reintegrating inmates into society. This design-led research investigation offers a new process for prison design: one that strives to design for humans, humans of intrinsic moral worth. This is based on the premise that all people are capable of change and improvement; creating impactful change through design to the extremely high recidivism rates of inmates in New Zealand.</p>

Reducing Recidivism Not Rights: Rethinking Interior Architecture as a solution for New Zealand's failing prisons

<p>This thesis argues that the design of the built environment of a prison can have a huge impact on lowering recidivism rates of prisoners in New Zealand. It proposes that this can be achieved through the development of a new health model/framework that facilitates positive relationships between families, prison staff and other inmates; supports spiritual, mental and physical health; equips inmates for participation to society upon release; and gives them a sense of identity. It further argues that this framework can then be applied to the design process to create a new precedent for prison design that effectively rehabilitates and reintegrates its inmates into society. The work of key architects, and theorists such as Hohensinn Architektur and Dominique Moran, have been analysed to help translate their successful designs and theories into a New Zealand model of correctional facility. Prisons are institutions of deprivation and isolation. Marginalised by and separated from community, they are maintained by physical and psychological structures designed only to isolate. Imprisonment results in individuals embittered and hardened by the experience, who are likely to reoffend, and become lifelong participants in the criminal justice system. New Zealand’s prison population has been substantially increasing since the 1980s. The current imprisonment rate per population is the second highest in the Western World, second only to the United States. This increase is due to a combination of changes in political economy, an attitude of exclusion of minority groups by the criminal justice system and a rise in penal populism. New Zealand currently imprisons 212 people for every 100,000, and has a recidivism rate of 50 percent. Māori represent over 50 percent of our prison population, whilst only 15 percent of the overall New Zealand population. These statistics are self-evident; our prisons aren’t working. They are not successfully rehabilitating and reintegrating inmates into society. This design-led research investigation offers a new process for prison design: one that strives to design for humans, humans of intrinsic moral worth. This is based on the premise that all people are capable of change and improvement; creating impactful change through design to the extremely high recidivism rates of inmates in New Zealand.</p>

The Role of Release Planning in the Reintegration Experiences of High-Risk, Violent Offenders

<p>High-risk offenders face a variety of challenges when reintegrating back into the community, such as difficulty finding stable accommodation, obtaining employment, and accessing positive support networks. These reintegration challenges are a contributing factor to the high recidivism rates of this offender group and therefore necessitate dedicated attention to helping prepare high-risk offenders for such challenges. One method of aiding the transition from prison into the community is release planning, which simply involves helping an offender to plan for the fundamentals of life in the community. Release plan quality has been found to predict recidivism, suggesting that release plans are an appropriate target for intervention. The aim of the current thesis is to explore how release plans aid the transition from prison into the community and result in reduced recidivism rates. Study one explored the assumption that good quality release plans help offenders to have better experiences in the community after release (the ‘external’ pathway). Whilst the results suggested that better quality plans are related to better external experiences in general, a strong plan in a particular area (e.g., for accommodation) did not always translate into a good experience in that area. Additionally, experiences on parole only partially mediated the relationship between release plans and recidivism. Study two explored an alternative possibility: that good quality release plans have a psychological effect, resulting in higher levels of motivation to desist, self-efficacy, and prosocial identity (the ‘internal’ pathway). The results indicated that motivation to desist was the only variable mediating the relationship between release plans and recidivism (again, only partially). Study three, therefore, explored together the relative contributions of the external and internal pathways and found support for the external pathway, with external experiences fully mediating the relationship between release plans and recidivism. These external experiences also predicted levels of motivation to desist in the community. Finally, Study three also explored the role that Self-Determination Theory (SDT) may play in the role of release planning, with the aim of identifying contextual factors that help to improve the quality of release plans. After developing two measures to assess the specific SDT variables in the context of release planning, I found that the more offenders endorsed items indicating that they felt autonomous during release planning, the more intrinsically motivated they felt to create release plans, and the better quality their release plans were. The three studies together indicate that good quality release plans are related to offenders having better external experiences in the community, which in turn are related to reduced rates of reoffending. These positive external experiences are related to increased levels of motivation to desist in the community. There were measurement issues with the internal factors, suggesting that further research is required to better understand the role of psychological factors in the role of release planning. SDT has utility in the release planning process; the context in which offenders make release plans impacts on the quality of their plans. This thesis provides a strong argument for additional assistance in release planning being provided for offenders coming up for release.</p>

The Role of Release Planning in the Reintegration Experiences of High-Risk, Violent Offenders

<p>High-risk offenders face a variety of challenges when reintegrating back into the community, such as difficulty finding stable accommodation, obtaining employment, and accessing positive support networks. These reintegration challenges are a contributing factor to the high recidivism rates of this offender group and therefore necessitate dedicated attention to helping prepare high-risk offenders for such challenges. One method of aiding the transition from prison into the community is release planning, which simply involves helping an offender to plan for the fundamentals of life in the community. Release plan quality has been found to predict recidivism, suggesting that release plans are an appropriate target for intervention. The aim of the current thesis is to explore how release plans aid the transition from prison into the community and result in reduced recidivism rates. Study one explored the assumption that good quality release plans help offenders to have better experiences in the community after release (the ‘external’ pathway). Whilst the results suggested that better quality plans are related to better external experiences in general, a strong plan in a particular area (e.g., for accommodation) did not always translate into a good experience in that area. Additionally, experiences on parole only partially mediated the relationship between release plans and recidivism. Study two explored an alternative possibility: that good quality release plans have a psychological effect, resulting in higher levels of motivation to desist, self-efficacy, and prosocial identity (the ‘internal’ pathway). The results indicated that motivation to desist was the only variable mediating the relationship between release plans and recidivism (again, only partially). Study three, therefore, explored together the relative contributions of the external and internal pathways and found support for the external pathway, with external experiences fully mediating the relationship between release plans and recidivism. These external experiences also predicted levels of motivation to desist in the community. Finally, Study three also explored the role that Self-Determination Theory (SDT) may play in the role of release planning, with the aim of identifying contextual factors that help to improve the quality of release plans. After developing two measures to assess the specific SDT variables in the context of release planning, I found that the more offenders endorsed items indicating that they felt autonomous during release planning, the more intrinsically motivated they felt to create release plans, and the better quality their release plans were. The three studies together indicate that good quality release plans are related to offenders having better external experiences in the community, which in turn are related to reduced rates of reoffending. These positive external experiences are related to increased levels of motivation to desist in the community. There were measurement issues with the internal factors, suggesting that further research is required to better understand the role of psychological factors in the role of release planning. SDT has utility in the release planning process; the context in which offenders make release plans impacts on the quality of their plans. This thesis provides a strong argument for additional assistance in release planning being provided for offenders coming up for release.</p>

Services for Juveniles With Emotional Disturbances in Secure-Care Settings: An Exploratory Analysis of Racial Disparities and Recidivism

This study examines associations between recidivism rates and groups/programs for legally mandated education, behavioral, and mental health services that court-ordered juvenile youth (“juveniles”) with identified Emotional Disturbance or related conditions receive in secure-care juvenile facilities. Using statewide agency data in Minnesota, this exploratory analysis investigates whether there are racial/ethnic and county disparities in residential placements or secure-care settings via programs and groups for court-ordered juveniles ( n = 1,092). The study also considers whether program and group placements contribute to racial/ethnic patterns of recidivism. This study finds that recidivism rate differences by program/group level are largely attributed to differences in racial/ethnic compositions. Findings suggest placements lack strong effects on recidivism, and assignments may perpetuate inequalities. In addition, from this exploratory analysis examination, this article offers considerations for future research-to-practice partnerships to strengthen legally and policy-mandated program and service delivery with practices that increase training to juvenile justice system professionals, access to secure-care setting services, and transition services for juveniles.

Implementation of programming for survivors of violence-related trauma at a level 1 trauma center

BackgroundPrior investigation of violence intervention programs has been limited. This study will describe resources offered by Victims of Crime Advocacy and Recovery Program (VOCARP), their utilization, and effect on recidivism.MethodsVOCARP was established in 2017 at our center, and all patients who engaged with programming (n=1019) were prospectively recorded. Patients are offered services in the emergency department, on inpatient floors and at outpatient clinic visits. Two control groups (patients sustaining violent injuries without VOCARP use (n=212) and patients with non-violent trauma (n=201)) were similarly aggregated.ResultsDuring 22 months, 96% of patients accepted education materials, 31% received financial compensation, 27% requested referrals, and 22% had crisis interventions. All other resources were used by <20% of patients. Patients who used VOCARP resources were substantially different from those who declined services; they were less often male (56% vs. 71%), more often single (79% vs. 51%), had greater unemployment (63% vs. 51%) and were less frequently shot (gunshot wound: 26% vs. 37%), all p<0.05. Overall recidivism rate was 9.4%, with no difference between groups. Use of mental health services was linked to lower recidivism rates (4.4% vs. 11.7%, p=0.016). While sexual assault survivors who used VOCARP resources had lower associated recidivism (2.4% vs. 12%, p=0.14), this was not statistically significant.DiscussionThis represents the largest violence intervention cohort reported to date to our knowledge. Despite substantial engagement, efficacy in terms of lower recidivism appears limited to specific subgroups or resource utilization.Level of evidenceLevel II. Therapeutic.