Service learning in custodial settings in South Africa

This study describes the findings of a community engaged service learning program in which nine female and three male students ranging between 22 and 31 years of age from a large South African university participated in a study conducted in two metropolitan areas of South Africa. They were all senior level students registered for Criminological Evaluation and Assessment, a practically-oriented module aimed at equipping students with the required knowledge and skills to conduct criminological assessments. The students voluntarily assisted correctional centres with the assessment of sentenced offenders and in the compilation of individualized Correctional Sentence Plans (CSP) to inform the rehabilitation process of offenders. Students reported their reflections on their service learning experiences using on-line interviews and with question prompts. Extracts from the thematic data analysis suggest students perceived themselves to be instrumental to the Department of Correctional Services in the fulfilment of its goals, while they benefitted from enhanced learning and social responsibility.     

The Effects of Repeated Exposure to the ARRAY Program With Offenders With Mental Illness

In an A‐B‐A‐B‐A single‐case research study of 3 incarcerated offenders with mental illness, repeated exposure to the pilot Adult Recidivism Reduction Alternatives (ARRAY) group counseling intervention was an effective or very effective treatment for anxiety, depression, and associated somatic symptoms.     

Counseling psychologists and correctional settings: Opportunities between profession and setting

Counseling psychologists are working in correctional settings; yet, research on how the profession and setting interact to achieve successful solutions for corrections is lacking. This paper provides a conceptual starting point for such research by describing three core themes of counseling psychology: strengths-based approaches, person and environment interaction, and developmental approach across the lifespan. Each core theme is applied to various correctional setting needs (e.g. multiculturalism, violence prevention and rehabilitative treatments, developmentally appropriate vocational services across the lifespan) illustrate the unique fit and ability of counseling psychology to produce successful solutions within this non-traditional counseling setting. Describing the solutions generated by the profession of counseling psychology in the correctional setting may encourage more counseling psychologists to consider applying their knowledge skills and abilities to this important and diverse area of public service and professional work.     

Prisoners on the Fireline: The Application of Ethical Principles and Guidelines to Prison Fire Camps

Our society gives certain rights and protections to those who are punished and incarcerated, deeming them a vulnerable group in need of additional protections because they are under state control. Despite these protections, prisoners are still susceptible to mistreatment and abuse. This paper delves into one area in which prisoners are particularly vulnerable—the use of prison labor to fight wildfires in the western United States. In this paper, I first broadly discuss prison labor, before going into the current ethical principles and guidelines in the field of corrections that address the treatment of prisoners and prison labor. I argue that these principles and guidelines should be augmented to help those in corrections to make decisions about what is ethical; suggesting that how researchers evaluate proposed research projects could serve as a model for decision-making. I then introduce prison fire camps, considering whether they are ethical by research ethics principles, and suggesting how they can be changed to better reflect the values professed by our society.     

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care in Correctional Treatment and Supervision

ABSTRACT

This article provides a rationale for trauma-informed care (TIC) in correctional services, and challenges readers to think about offending behavior through the lens of trauma. Based on interdisciplinary research and cross-theoretical literature, TIC can help in our quest to develop relevant and successful programs, practices, and policies, and the best methods for delivering them. Using Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s core principles of TIC, this article will make suggestions for the implementation of trauma-informed service delivery and practices across correctional settings. The authors translate trauma-informed concepts into practice behaviors through the acronym SHARE (safety, hope, autonomy, respect, empathy), which honors the principles of TIC recommended by SAMHSA and the principles of effective correctional rehabilitation. TIC in corrections may help improve the desired outcomes of successful re-entry and reduced recidivism.     

Review Section

No abstract available for this article.