tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74438800094492568372024-02-20T00:24:48.750-06:00Correctional Management Institute of TexasThe Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) was created in 1994 and became responsible for developing and delivering professional development training programs for personnel in juvenile and adult institutional and community corrections agencies. The Institute also provides technical assistance to criminal justice agencies and serves as a host to a number of conferences, training initiatives and meetings of agencies and professional organizations.Angela Semarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590683416152860085noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-75531426647165576302017-10-03T13:59:00.000-05:002017-10-06T16:47:55.110-05:00New CMIT Research Director Focuses on Partnerships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jhu4muVnYAwP2PZxYyh4E9W3JnWLnjweL9d6IwEuIWecE23IhM7_HdwVpLSzNo-A1iROGC0AdQ-FpdqFuA9EeABlR5DXUYOmHpa2e-5IQj2JY5LqF5fLtVQS2PGfv3hFFgdsjyIs/s1600/CMIT_Header3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jhu4muVnYAwP2PZxYyh4E9W3JnWLnjweL9d6IwEuIWecE23IhM7_HdwVpLSzNo-A1iROGC0AdQ-FpdqFuA9EeABlR5DXUYOmHpa2e-5IQj2JY5LqF5fLtVQS2PGfv3hFFgdsjyIs/s400/CMIT_Header3.jpg" width="400" height="156" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="350" /></a></div><p>
As the new Research Director at the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT), Erin Orrick wants to serve as a resource for correctional agencies in Texas and across the country.<a name='more'></a>
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“CMIT serves a valuable role in assisting the College of Criminal Justice fulfill its mandate for providing technical assistance to agencies and the community, through its work with corrections agencies and as a resource for best practices,” said Orrick, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. “My goal for the Research Division is to continue promoting the research of our faculty to agency partners, to encourage mutual working relationships with agencies to develop evidence-based practices, and be a key resource for disseminating this knowledge to inform policy and practice.”
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The College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University has built a strong program to assist agencies in community and institutional programs. The faculty at College are actively involved in studies on key issues in the field and are ready to partner with agencies to answer critical questions to improve practices.
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“We are excited that Dr. Erin Orrick has accepted to serve as our Research Director,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of CMIT. “She brings exceptional credentials, a passion for research-informed practice, and strong initiative to enhance our relationships with the corrections professionals we serve and the faculty of our College of Criminal Justice. CMIT works across the broad spectrum of corrections and the criminal justice arena within the state of Texas, as well as nationally and internationally, and is active in facilitating research interests and needs serving as a conduit between practitioners and research faculty.”
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Among the expertise available at the College are:<ul>
<li><strong>Assistant Professor Brandy L. Blasko </strong>specializes in institutional and community corrections, the administration of justice, and the intersection of psychology and criminal justice. Most recently, her research includes projects on the conditions of confinement, the exercise of the discretion in decision-making by prison staff and wardens, prisoners suicides, and the therapeutic alliance in the context of sexual offender treatment</li>
<li><strong>Assistant Professor H. Daniel Butler </strong>studies institutional and community corrections. His most recent work focuses on the use and implementation of restrictive housing and factors related to correctional officer stress, exhaustion and burnout</li>
<li><strong>Associate Professor Travis Franklin </strong>focuses on the prosecution and sentencing of state and federal offenders. His recent research examines the influence of race, ethnicity, national origin and other extralegal factors on charging and sentencing outcomes in US district courts</li>
<li><strong>Associate Professor Lisa Muftić </strong>evaluates the effectiveness of correctional programs. Most recently, she serves as research partner on a Bureau of Justice Assistance-funded smart prosecution program for individuals charged with misdemeanor prostitution (sellers) in Harris County. In addition to her work with specialty courts, she has also examined the effectiveness of residential substance abuse treatment in Georgia and alternative sanctions for low-level offenders in North Dakota</li>
<li><strong>Assistant Professor Erin Orrick </strong>specializes in the field of corrections, focusing on contemporary issues, such as prisoner reentry and recidivism as well as criminal careers and criminal justice policy. Her recent work focuses on examining the impact of reentry experience on recidivism and the influence of incarceration on criminal careers over the life course </li>
<li><strong>Assistant Professor Melinda Tasca </strong>focuses on corrections and the consequences of incarceration for children, inmates, and families as well as disparities in the criminal justice system. She has extensive experience in collaborating with correctional agencies and in studying vulnerable and diverse family systems</li>
<li><strong>Assistant Professor Elisa Toman </strong>studies theories of punishment, trends in criminal sentencing, and inmates' experiences with the corrections system</li>
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In addition to faculty, the College employs graduate research assistants to aid on projects and one Ph.D. student, Nicole Niebuhr, is dedicated to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to pursue issues of importance to that agency. The College also offers the Corrections System Research Lab, which exposes graduate and undergraduate students to research practices and trains young scholars for the field. The lab currently works with the Montgomery County Jail and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections on such diverse issues as mental health, suicide, and substance abuse.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-62929375210823104612017-09-11T14:45:00.001-05:002017-09-11T14:45:05.820-05:00Effects of Supermax Confinement on Postrelease Recidivism and Employment <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxfPSZseGUi3QwMTEfvy396avMnQOXRljLdL0oNpU2upnfs4fzde4bn01HS2sgbzCe9lp4LMEeJR6477r-L0KL6MfmZYJoRC4mkBQ1k6HoX80uEULZgVH3Gfz_PKJKAKk6mXWmxrO/s1600/Butler_header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxfPSZseGUi3QwMTEfvy396avMnQOXRljLdL0oNpU2upnfs4fzde4bn01HS2sgbzCe9lp4LMEeJR6477r-L0KL6MfmZYJoRC4mkBQ1k6HoX80uEULZgVH3Gfz_PKJKAKk6mXWmxrO/s400/Butler_header.jpg" width="400" height="156" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="350" alt="photo of H. Daniel Butler and shadows of prison bars" /></a></div><p>A study led by H. Daniel Butler found confinement in supermax prisons have little effect on recidivism, employment and completion of post-release treatment programs.
Despite higher costs, confinement in supermax prisons appears to have a limited effect on postrelease recidivism, employment, or completion of community-based treatment programs, according to a published study.<a name='more'></a>
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The study, “Assessing the Effects of Exposure to Supermax Confinement on Offender Postrelease Behaviors,” found that exposure to supermax confinement did not influence postrelease outcomes, such as being rearrested, facing reincarceration, securing employment, or completing treatment programming. The study, led by H. Daniel Butler, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University, was published in The Prison Journal.
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“Our analyses revealed no evidence that exposure to supermax confinement affected offenders’ odds of recidivism or other postrelease outcomes,” said Butler. “The findings pertaining to recidivism are generally consistent with those observed in other studies, although we also observed that the null effects on recidivism persisted seven years after offenders were released from prison.”
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With prison populations increasing between 1970 and 2003, supermax facilities began to appear in the 1980s to house violent or disruptive inmates, manage gangs, and increase public and institutional safety. These highly restrictive units enforce single cell confinement for up to 23 hours a day with limited opportunities for socialization or program participation. Confinement to these units was believed to deter future criminal behavior, and 44 states report having these types of facilities.
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“If supermax confinement is not effective in achieving its goals, then the costs versus the benefits should be examined,” said Butler. “The costs of operating a supermax facility far surpass the costs of operating a typical maximum security prison. With shrinking state budgets, many states are hesitant to invest in programs that are not evidence-based or functional. The null effect of exposure to supermax confinement we observed here would not lend support to the continued use of supermax confinement because cheaper and more efficient alternatives exist to incapacitate or control violent and predatory inmates.”
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The study, by Butler, Benjamin Steiner, Matthew D. Mararios and Lawrence F. Travis III, is available from the <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0032885517703925"> The Prison Journal</a>. bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-78426253370146633722017-07-20T15:56:00.000-05:002017-07-20T15:56:02.892-05:00Intern Shadows Parole Officers in the Field<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKrTOft_nwnKCbej_XmNFwcoeGtVzcI-luGAsdL_5n6dVIsE6GiYVqn9ZhakKZPvPRaNO5IIHSkyO2014n1v1jz99Zs5IyxK05DQt8huLQPlm_cKhBUBOnAIR7mmJ3XScuhnySWF5/s1600/kaitlyn_header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKrTOft_nwnKCbej_XmNFwcoeGtVzcI-luGAsdL_5n6dVIsE6GiYVqn9ZhakKZPvPRaNO5IIHSkyO2014n1v1jz99Zs5IyxK05DQt8huLQPlm_cKhBUBOnAIR7mmJ3XScuhnySWF5/s400/kaitlyn_header.jpg" width="400" height="156" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="350" alt="Photo of Kaitlin Ehrhart at the TDCJ Parole Office in Huntsville."/></a></div><p>
This summer, Kaitlin Ehrhart shadowed parole officers as they visited with clients returning from prison to their communities in Grimes, Leon, Madison, Polk, Trinity, Walker and parts of Houston counties in Texas.<a name='more'></a>
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“It is one of the career options I was looking at, but I didn’t know much about it,” said Ehrhart. “I knew the clients had to go see their parole officers, but I didn’t know much more. I found out they do a lot of paperwork, and they attend hearings. There is a lot more things involved.”
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During her internship with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Parole Division in Huntsville, Ehrhart witnessed the life of parole officers first-hand by tagging along on office and home visits, attending hearings, answering calls in the office, and indexing records. She discovered that although each officer had his or her own way of handling the job, they all brought respect for their clients to the position.
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“Every parole officer is different,” said Ehrhart. “Some are laid back, and some are more strict, but everyone had the same respect for the clients, addressed them “Yes, sir” or “No, sir.” They usually don’t have many problems with their clients.”
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Each caseload varies on the number of clients, which includes regular parolees, sex offenders, special needs offenders, those with electronic monitoring, super intensive parolees, those assigned to a therapeutic community and those with substance abuse issues. Each client had to follow his or her own parole conditions, which dictate how often they had to report, test for substance abuse, or attend required classes. During office visits, parole officers checked on compliance with those rules, such as whether clients had contact with police, whether they were using illegal substances, or how things were going at home.
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Parole officers also visited clients at home to verify they were living at the approved residence. While at the residence, parole officers also kept a sharp eye on the surroundings to ensure there were no signs of drug or alcohol use and that the residence was in good general order. Parole officers also went to the home to install and activate electronic monitors, which are attached to a phone, and to explain to the client how to use it. Officers checked for violations daily, calling the clients if they failed to comply with curfews or conditions.
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Ehrhart also attended parole violation hearings at the Walker County Jail. In a little room in the jail, separated from the client by a glass window, the hearing officer laid out the case, while the parole officer verified or discussed the charges.
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After spending several weeks with parole officers, Ehrhart said she could see herself joining the team.
“I really liked the people I worked with,” Ehrhart said. “It’s calm and quiet in the Huntsville office. I didn’t know what to expect, but I think I would like to work here.”
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Ehrhart said that internships help “you put your foot in the door,” especially if you are starting a criminal justice career with little or no experience. Sam Houston State University offered classes that provided the background for careers in the field, but internships provided the professional experience to help you land a job.
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“I really was unsure about doing an internship,” Ehrhart said. “If you don’t have any experience in the field, shadowing people is a good way to see if you would really want to do a job if you are unsure of it.”
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-57325303172237142842017-07-17T16:24:00.001-05:002017-07-17T16:24:53.972-05:00National Jail Academy Graduates 25th Class<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuxbtKAvAA5XT7fF9MMXGJhbRNX7igApZTzyFZZ2jAfCujS47_7C0XfmtZfHenLgPRjxh5UTDyFUg7P4kQ3upmguP09gILemNRGrPGMkPHWROlTjNw_UhWSLJPe6HFuHaX7Zw54QL/s1600/DSC_5182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuxbtKAvAA5XT7fF9MMXGJhbRNX7igApZTzyFZZ2jAfCujS47_7C0XfmtZfHenLgPRjxh5UTDyFUg7P4kQ3upmguP09gILemNRGrPGMkPHWROlTjNw_UhWSLJPe6HFuHaX7Zw54QL/s400/DSC_5182.JPG" width="400" height="267" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1069" alt="25th Class of the National Jail Leadership Command Academy" /></a></div><p>The National Jail Leadership Command Academy (NJLCA) is now 1,000 members strong.<a name='more'></a>
</p><p>The program, a visionary initiative of the leadership of the American Jail Association, which invited the Correctional Management Institute to serve as a collaborative partner in the development and delivery of the NJLCA, was created in 2009 to train middle managers at jails across the country in an effort to provide succession planning for future leaders. Class #25, consisting of 37 managers from facilities in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Colorado, graduated from the six-day program on June 16.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFliuEctKvLc7BT7UN3lmHSzQm842XLFYhu5GgugEuTkKSe9FsULQ_0jrnjefL7y5UX5Th5q5Vw91VtR_wqN1J_J5qdG6BR98VRygRjz_PeMGT-yylL_kuKmRwf4zclg-WUj2XAcHw/s1600/DSC_5330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFliuEctKvLc7BT7UN3lmHSzQm842XLFYhu5GgugEuTkKSe9FsULQ_0jrnjefL7y5UX5Th5q5Vw91VtR_wqN1J_J5qdG6BR98VRygRjz_PeMGT-yylL_kuKmRwf4zclg-WUj2XAcHw/s320/DSC_5330.JPG" width="214" height="320" data-original-width="1069" data-original-height="1600" alt="The 1,000th graduate was Jesus “Manny” Estrada, director of Corrections Health Services for Jackson Health Services in Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department"/></a></div></p><p>The 1,000th graduate was Jesus “Manny” Estrada, director of Corrections Health Services for Jackson Health Services in Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department.
</p><p>“We are training the next generation of leaders in the industry,” said Robert J. Kasabian, Executive Director of the AJA. “It has been tremendously successful not only for the students but for the industry. This is a profession and not a job. It adds to the professionalism and makes the whole system better.”
</p><p>Lt. James Stephenson of the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said the program was a “transforming” week of education, leadership and professional reflection. For many, the best part of the week was interacting with peers from across the country who face the same challenges in their local jails and develop diverse solutions to their problems.
</p><p>“I think this class focused specifically on the key issues we are suffering,” said Class President Captain Christopher Hayes of Western Virginia Regional Jail. “We realized we all share the same issues, and we focused on working together to learn new ways of addressing these issues. We also built relationships with other leaders from across of the country. When we return to our departments we will have our classmates that we can reach out to and lean on for assistance. I think we really added new tools to our tool belts that we can take back to our departments and make a difference with.”
</p><p>During the week, each participant selected a pressing problem at their jail and together they came up with solutions. Among the topics addressed were management of offenders with mental health issues, communication and teamwork, retention of employees, intergenerational work conflicts, leadership development/succession planning, and internal agency culture.
</p><p>“I have been to numerous training classes throughout the years, and it is among the two top, if not the top one,” said Robert Bowman, Administrative Lt. for the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina. “All the information is relevant. The instructors have a vast amount of knowledge, and the topics were well prepared.”
</p><p>In addition to addressing broad-reaching challenges, participants also worked on their individual leadership skills in handling daily task such as policies, job descriptions, budgets, unions, and staff training. They also got to know a lot about themselves and their leadership styles.
</p><p>“It crystalizes what is means to be a corrections professional,” said Chief John Johnson of Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, a graduate of Class #17 and president of the AJA. ”It forces you to examine yourself as well as the emerging trends in the industry. You also get to talk to others in the field.”
</p><p>Bob Patterson, former president of the AJA and the Texas Jail Association, was a part of the executive leadership that insured their vision for the program came to fruition through the partnership of CMIT and the AJA.
He urged graduates to participate in AJA to help mold the future of the discipline. “We need you, we need your leadership, and we need your vision,” Patterson.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-86539086395664185562017-06-26T13:01:00.001-05:002017-06-26T13:01:18.378-05:00Study Examines Disciplinary Segregation across State Prisons <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd26YIjRFrvxL570_SvOfVJe4tsdc51rDBLSvp6o-GucDoQl3s4t6rlTP6_ZaGlc6Ir7nD0s7VmqJ3MCyUg6lQ5mBj3KZwLGx-XJZN8t2eXfOHNRISnKmvq1EjzLsoagTFtp0xpdea/s1600/solitary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd26YIjRFrvxL570_SvOfVJe4tsdc51rDBLSvp6o-GucDoQl3s4t6rlTP6_ZaGlc6Ir7nD0s7VmqJ3MCyUg6lQ5mBj3KZwLGx-XJZN8t2eXfOHNRISnKmvq1EjzLsoagTFtp0xpdea/s320/solitary.jpg" width="320" height="124" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="350" alt="Inmate hands' stickout out of the bars of jail." /></a></div>Nearly one-third of offenders who violated institutional rules and regulations across state prisons received a sanction of disciplinary segregation, which prison officials based on legal and extralegal factors, according to a recent study. <a name='more'></a>
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Disciplinary segregation, a type of restrictive housing often referred to as a prison within prison, is a punishment reserved for inmates found guilty of violating institutional rules. In “Examining the Use of Disciplinary Segregation within and across Prisons,” authors H. Daniel Butler of Sam Houston State University and Benjamin Steiner of the University of Nebraska, Omaha examined how legal factors, such as the type of rule violation, and extralegal factors, such as race, age, and gender, influence prison officials’ decision making process. The article, was published in <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07418825.2016.1162319"><em>Justice Quarterly</em></a>.
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The study, based on self-report data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, included more than 6,000 offenders from 242 state prisons who were found guilty of institutional rule violations. The authors found that the decision-making process by prison officials is based not on the rule violation, but rather on a history of misconduct and other factors, such as age, gender, criminal history, prison work, visitations, and time served.
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Among the inmates more likely to receive a sanction of disciplinary segregation were those who were young, male, previously incarcerated, and serving longer sentences. Among the factors less likely to lead to sanctions of disciplinary segregation were being female, serving time as a sex offender, receiving visits, and working more hours at a prison job. The study also examined the use of disciplinary segregation as a punishment across state prisons. Although the use of the practice varies from state to state and facility to facility, some common elements were found. Those prisons with a greater density of low risk inmates or those that that relied more heavily on prison work by inmates were less like to use disciplinary segregation.
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“Our findings revealed that both legal and extralegal factors influence whether inmates are placed in disciplinary segregation,” said Butler, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. “Regarding extralegal factors, however, prison officials appear to make decisions based on factors that are linked to an inmate’s prospects for reform (e.g. criminal history, involvement in conventional activities). Additionally, our findings suggest that a greater use of remunerative controls may reduce the need for disciplinary segregation because inmates are participating in work, programing, and other prosocial activities.”
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-11779222349154710072017-06-22T16:44:00.001-05:002017-06-22T16:44:33.085-05:00Alumnus Elevated to Warden in Missouri Prison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbSD3UhYMndXtVVKg42azMwD5yETkTn1M3gIdioSa1uDrOTMu8dKXLzyxPaPRuw8WL_ZlVODCUzXnFedWEBDi7B13mwylR1WrkNC_iNgg8yjkinLT8XjsCKQoyAnmcblCStTMji6h/s1600/AlumnusWarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbSD3UhYMndXtVVKg42azMwD5yETkTn1M3gIdioSa1uDrOTMu8dKXLzyxPaPRuw8WL_ZlVODCUzXnFedWEBDi7B13mwylR1WrkNC_iNgg8yjkinLT8XjsCKQoyAnmcblCStTMji6h/s400/AlumnusWarden.jpg" width="400" height="156" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="350" alt="Photo SHSU Alumnus Kelly Morris" /></a></div><p>
Alumnus Kelly Morriss is in the business of second chances.<a name='more'></a>
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As the newly appointed Warden of the Algoa Correctional Facility in Jefferson City, MO., Morriss oversees reentry for more than 1,500 male offenders making the transition from prison to the community. “We are geared to getting the resources they need to function out in the community,” said Morriss.
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Among the programs offered at the minimum security facility are assistance in getting employment, obtaining health and mental health care, and participating in restorative justice programs. These efforts begin in the prison before inmates are released.
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“I am in the business of second chances,” Morriss said. “They have broken the law, and they are paying their dues for breaking the law. They have served their time, and we hope they will be better citizens when they are released.”
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Morriss began his career in the Missouri Department of Corrections after graduating from the College of Criminal Justice in 1990.
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“I was born in Missouri, but raised in Texas,” Morriss said. “I had family in Missouri. Like many new graduates, I put my feelers out, and this was the first agency to hire me. I went to Sam Houston with an eye toward law enforcement and police science. As a younger man, that’s what I wanted to do. But it appears to me I made the right choice. Corrections has been a good field for me.”
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Morriss started as a corrections officer at the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, MO, a medium security prison, where he later became a case manager and a functional unit manager at the facility. In 1998, he was promoted to Algoa Correctional Center, where he served as Assistant Warden until 2002 then was promoted to Deputy Warden of Operations at Algoa. In 2007 he was selected as Deputy Warden of the Year by the United States Deputy Wardens’ Association.
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Morriss also served for seven years as the Deputy Warden for Offender Management at the Jefferson City Correctional Center, a maximum level facility also located in the state’s capital. In May, he was promoted and returned to Algoa as the new warden.
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Morriss credits his education at Sam Houston State University with forming the foundation for his career. It is the only college he ever wanted to go to, and he said that the instructors were “top notch,” sharing their experience in the classroom and from the field. He said professors were willing to work with students one-on-one and to get to know them as a person.
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“My mother always said, “Education is something that no one can ever take away from you,’” said Morriss. “Education is a valuable tool and lays the foundation for your career.”
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As a Deputy Warden, Morriss was selected to attend the Warden Peer Interaction Program at the Correctional Management Institute of Texas and to return to Huntsville for the class. He was able to interact with instructors and fellow correctional leaders from across the country, learning how they addresses challenges in their agencies.
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“It was such a honor t to go back to Sam Houston where I graduated and to interact with the instructors,” said Morriss. “It is a quality program. When you interact with other administrators from across the country, you realize that Sam Houston is known as the best criminal justice program in the country.”
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Education continues to be important to Morriss and in 2002 he earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia College. He also shares his expertise with other agencies after being certified as an auditor by the U.S. Department of Justice three years ago. He had worked with prisons in Louisiana and Missouri on audits of their facilities.
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Morriss encourages students to look at corrections for career opportunities.
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“It’s a broad field, and they are always hiring,” Morriss said. “I encourage people who don’t know what they want to do after graduation to give corrections a chance.”
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<p>
Warden Morriss and his wife Mandie reside in Jefferson City, Missouri with their two sons Kamron and Konnor.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-2832258993839086522017-04-14T11:58:00.000-05:002017-04-14T11:58:16.927-05:00Leighton Iles of Tarrant County Adult Probation Named Defensor Pacem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpfkji3ECgA4veQjHqRwtDsJHvjrU0HxVY9EgEB8wYR-HcOuh-W_d5_ouPjYLcHuexHYsD7fB-a1c4272TOlK2TSYF7Xa-jYmJNBOA2DQKRoUweKtsb4I6Pir3gB643cO7IdXBh3e/s1600/Honors_day_header2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpfkji3ECgA4veQjHqRwtDsJHvjrU0HxVY9EgEB8wYR-HcOuh-W_d5_ouPjYLcHuexHYsD7fB-a1c4272TOlK2TSYF7Xa-jYmJNBOA2DQKRoUweKtsb4I6Pir3gB643cO7IdXBh3e/s400/Honors_day_header2.jpg" width="400" height="156" /></a></div><p>
Each spring, the College of Criminal Justice sets aside a day of celebration to honor students, alumni, and friends and to memorialize professionals who have lost their lives in the line of duty. <a name='more'></a>
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<p>
Honors Day includes a Leadership Luncheon, which recognizes a Distinguished Alumna, a Defensor Pacem, student organizations, and graduate students; the Sundial Ceremony, which pays tribute to the fallen; and a Honors Convocation, which awards scholarships and identifies exceptional students.
</p>
<p>
““Honors Day is the most important day of our academic year,” said Phillip Lyons, Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Director of the Criminal Justice Center. “Despite that it’s our busiest time, we pause and reflect on those who have given so much of themselves to make our criminal justice system and our communities better.”
</p>
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This year at the Honors Convocation, 107 students will receive scholarships from the College of Criminal Justice, and 177 students will be recognized for their outstanding achievements for earning a 3.67 grade point average in the fall semester, taking at least 12 credit hours of classes in the spring and fall, and completing at least 24 credit hours of instruction at SHSU.
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At the Leadership Luncheon, the College will recognize this year’s Distinguished Alumna, Laura J. Moriarty, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Monmouth University in New Jersey, and Defensor Pacem Leighton Iles, Director of Tarrant County Community Supervision and Correction Department. The College also will pay tribute to the College’s 10 student organizations, including Alpha Phi Sigma, Crime Victim Services Alliance, Graduate Student Organization, Kats for CASA, Lambda Alpha Epsilon, National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice, Order of the Sword and Shield, Phi Alpha Delta, and the Society of Forensic Science.
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<p>
Moriarty, a 1988 Ph.D. graduate from the College of Criminal Justice, has a long and esteemed career in the academic field. Since 2014, she has been the chief academic officer at Monmouth University, a private college with m ore than 6,300 students. Before joining the University, Moriarty worked at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she served as a tenured Professor, Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Associate Dean of Humanities and Sciences, and finally as Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs.
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Moriarty is also an academic leader in criminal justice, specializing in victims’ issues. She is the author or co-author of eight books and numerous peer-reviewed academic articles. She served as President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences from 2005-2006, one of the largest academic associations in the field, and was presented a Founders Award from the organization in recognition of her contributions to criminal justice education.
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The Defensor Pacem, which stands for "defender of peace," will be presented to Iles, a prominent leader in Texas probation. Iles has served as the lead instructor for the New Probation Chiefs program at the Correctional Management Institute of Texas for nine years. He also was instrumental in the creation of the Criminal Research Information Management and Evaluation System (CRIMES) -- Community Service, a comprehensive records management system for probation and police developed by the Police Research Center at Sam Houston State University.
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<p>
“Leighton Iles is the driving force behind efforts to ascertain the most effective interventions for use by Texas probation agencies,” said Dr. Larry Hoover, Director of the Police Research Center. “Successful management of probation agencies requires commitment, energy, innovation, patience, understanding, persistence, resolve, and even empathy. Leighton has all of these attributes and more.”
</p>
<p>
Iles leads the Tarrant County Probation Office with a staff of 350 employees and a $21 million annual budget. The office offers a variety of programs and services to help rehabilitate offenders, which specialize in assessment, bond supervision, restitution, domestic violence, employment services, enhanced supervision, felony alcohol convictions, high risk youthful offenders, mental health issues, mentally impaired offenders, probation education, prostitution, sex offenders, substance abuse programs, treatment options, veterans court, and victim services. He also has worked in the Fort Bend and Travis county probation departments and at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Community Justice Assistance Division.
</p>
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The Sundial Ceremony, held at the flagpole outside the entrance of the Criminal Justice Center, is a solemn ceremony to remember criminal justice professionals lost in the line of duty. This year, the College will pay special tribute to Steve Young, a professor and co-founder of the Security Studies Department at Sam Houston State University, who passed away on March 9. All are encouraged to attend as a tribute to these brave men and women.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-91517880579313369672017-04-13T11:32:00.000-05:002017-04-13T11:34:07.145-05:00Texas Sheriffs Learn Best Practices in Jail Administration & Management<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPr1eo0Y5TYz5h5mUDaZNoW2358TVDQ9hFNmsAuCWO_PKwu5jrACTVEpUB0W2rm58v9Q_QHMbIwswhS-K7FbpiXowQWppaGACQXCH9twrcQmiB_gB1yuQrhWKz8rFWEeWp4PzFD7v/s1600/CMIT_header2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPr1eo0Y5TYz5h5mUDaZNoW2358TVDQ9hFNmsAuCWO_PKwu5jrACTVEpUB0W2rm58v9Q_QHMbIwswhS-K7FbpiXowQWppaGACQXCH9twrcQmiB_gB1yuQrhWKz8rFWEeWp4PzFD7v/s400/CMIT_header2.jpg" width="400" height="156" /></a></div>
<p>
New sheriffs from across Texas received a primer on best practices for managing their jails at the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT).<a name='more'></a>
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“It is a tremendous honor for the Correctional Management Institute of Texas at Sam Houston State University to provide this training to our Newly Elected Sheriffs focusing on their incredible responsibility on the administration and management of the jails under their supervision and authority,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of CMIT. “This program is a significant collaboration with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, The Sheriffs Association of Texas, The Texas Association of Counties and the Texas Jail Association and provides a comprehensive overview of jail management and responsibilities. Our Sheriffs across the state represent committed, passionate, and dedicated law enforcement professionals and their participation in this training highlights their focus on enhancing public safety within their communities”
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<p>
The Newly Elected Sheriffs' Session on Jail Administration Management & Operations is designed to arm sheriffs who have less than a year on the job with critical information regarding the administration of their jails, include risk management, jail standards, policies and procedures, staffing, and inmate supervision. The five-day course was attended by about 40 sheriffs.
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“The information they provide will be invaluable for implementing different programs and policies to cover the county and the rights of the inmates,” said Sheriff Rusty Stewart of Anderson County, one of the participants.
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Among the counties represented at the training were: Anderson, Andrews, Blanco, Brown, Coleman, Falls, Frio, Hamilton, Grayson, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jim Wells, Kaufman, Lampasas, Lipscomb, Lynn, McCulloch, Montague, Montgomery, Ramsey, Robertson, Sherman, Travis, Wharton, Wise, and Wood.
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<p>
“There are about 26,000 jailers in the state of Texas, and jails represent the largest liability and the biggest drain on the county budget,” said Brent Phillips of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, President of the TJA.
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The program was created in 2008 in an effort to train sheriffs on their roles and responsibilities in jails, and this is the third time it is being offered. The program will be provided again in the fall for Sheriffs and Chief Deputies and will be delivered at least twice annually for newly appointed jail administrators across the state. The sessions, taught by those in the profession, included such topics as the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, legal issues, fiscal issues, duties of a jail administrator, staff training, custodial death, policy, wellness, leadership legacy and sheriff survival. “Every Sheriff should attend,” said one participant.
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Some of the sessions focused on legal liabilities ad emerging issues involving jails, such as custodial deaths, communication, policy, and administration. It helped jail administrators to prepare for the challenges ahead.
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“The liabilities are scary,” said Sheriff Scott Williams of Coryell County. “A lot of the thigs we are already doing, but I did pick up a few operational tips that we can use. There are a lot of resources out there that we can reach out to.”
</p>
<p>
Mental health issues among offenders is another major dilemma facing jail administrators, and Sheriff Dennis Wilson of Limestone County, president of the Sheriffs Association of Texas, outlined a plan under development to offer mandatory training for jailers on mental health issues, such as the use of screening instruments, resources available to staff, and de-escalation techniques for jailers.
</p>
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Thomas Marshall, the new Sheriff of Montague County, said he wants continue to improve his county’s jail. “I got a lot of good tips on the things I can do,” said Marshall
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The Texas Commission on Jail Standards provided an overview of the requirements for operating a jail in Texas, as well as the annual inspection process. Among the top problems the commission sees are life safety code violations, overcrowding, and staffing issues. Although the Commission is a regulatory agency, it also can serve as a resource before an issue becomes a problem.
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Participants also received a brief on the process used by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to transfer offenders to the state prison system. Topping off the session was training on leadership skills., led by Randy Garner, Ph.D. of Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice.
</p>
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“(This is) a very capable program that will impact a Sheriff’s life, ability, and future to insure a competent, fair, knowledgeable, and strong working environment within his/her jail,” said another participant.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-47219355995190564442017-03-03T10:39:00.001-06:002017-03-03T10:43:33.608-06:00Countering Radicalization in Terrorism, Hate Groups, Gangs in Communities, Prisons and Jails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6jdY5Loy_iOdXVapTe4q1wdThNYcxtLdlDcZ_n4tJpGObjKqhDsiRK_gdEqlvKrsBLPL6R6RLE6SyUShrdoX_9zHl9wtSESU-Xz2p-hPMkif2KuFv8498GfkOKzpkE72eb-gLX2a/s1600/radicalization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6jdY5Loy_iOdXVapTe4q1wdThNYcxtLdlDcZ_n4tJpGObjKqhDsiRK_gdEqlvKrsBLPL6R6RLE6SyUShrdoX_9zHl9wtSESU-Xz2p-hPMkif2KuFv8498GfkOKzpkE72eb-gLX2a/s400/radicalization.jpg" width="309" height="400" /></a></div><p>The Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) and the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) are teaming up to share information on the radicalization of terrorists, hate groups, and gangs in an effort to build networks to combat the problem in Texas and beyond.<a name='more'></a>
</p><p>“Countering Radicalization,” a three-day conference scheduled for March 29-31 at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, is designed to help law enforcement, intelligence, corrections, probation, and parole agencies understand the radicalization threat and to share information to counter issues at the local and regional levels. The conference will feature experts in the field from international, national and state perspectives in law enforcement and corrections.
</p><p>“The reason to come together is not only to understand the radicalization process, but how law enforcement, corrections, and the intelligence communities can combat activities in and outside of the country,” said James Senegal, Director of Professional Development at LEMIT.
</p><p>The conference will highlight the origin, development, and impact of radicalization as well as strategies and interventions used by different agencies to combat the problem. The conference will help create networks of professionals in the criminal justice system to share information and to stop the growth of terroristic groups in their own communities.
</p><p>“Our focus is on bringing law enforcement, intelligence and correction officials together to become informed about the lessons learned from the speakers and to discuss initiatives and efforts from the federal level as well the state level,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of CMIT. “We become better informed which leads to enhanced and improved intelligence and networking to minimize radicalization in our communities and in the criminal justice system.”
</p><p>Participants can earn up to 16.5 hours of credit from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The registration deadline is March 15, and the cost of the program is $250. Among the speakers scheduled to attend are: <ul>
<li><strong>Nadav Morag</strong>, Chair, Department of Security Studies, Sam Houston State University, “Global Trends in the Growth of Radical Extremism”</li>
<li><strong>Andrew Bringuel II</strong>, Counter Violent Extremism, Federal Bureau of Investigation, “Radical Extremism – Emerging Trends in the U.S.”</li>
<li><strong>Lt. Col. Jeffrey F. Addicott </strong>(U.S. Army, Ret.), Director and Professor, Law Center for Terrorism Law, St. Mary’s University School of Law, “Terrorism Law”</li>
<li><strong>Rupali Jeswal</strong>, Terrorism and Intelligence Analyst, Operational Psychologist and Clinical Hypnotherapist, “Radicalization Process, Pathways, Various Roles after Radicalization, Recruitment Process” and “Global Connection of Crime Cartels, Narco Terrorism, Hybrid Gangs in the U.S.”</li>
<li><strong>Allen Beard</strong>, Administrator, Counter Terrorist Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons, “Countering Inmate Terrorism”</li>
<li><strong>Supervisory Special Agent Steve Carter</strong>, Correctional Intelligence Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation; <strong>Supervisory Special Agent Dave Fernandez</strong>, Correctional Intelligence Task Force, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, “Radical Extremism – Emerging Trends in the Correctional Environment”</li>
<li><strong>Supervisory Special Agent Hesham Elgamiel</strong>, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Houston, “Homegrown Violent Extremist, Mobilization Indicators”</li>
<li><strong>Capt. Sharon Jones</strong>, Texas Department of Public Safety, “Proactive Prevention of Emerging Trends”</li>
<li><strong>Pedro das Neves</strong>, Chief Executive Officer, Innovative Prions Systems; <strong>Dorin Muresan</strong>, Board Member, International Corrections and Prison Association, “Radicalization Prevention in Prisons – R2PRIS Program”</li></ul>
</p><p>The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion to address issues on how to counter radicalism at the agency level and share information across departments.
</p><p>For more information or to register, visit <a href="http://www.cmitonline.org/cal/?mode=view&item=928">Countering Radicalization</a>. bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-28650674814973339622017-03-01T16:31:00.001-06:002017-03-01T16:31:32.593-06:00Study Explores Public Support for Death Penalty in Mexico<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC4ARMkryztuQG0nVJPh5odLWd1lAMaex_Q8djWcxHTjrts8enC15etKSch5_5VhCtdxqCJdOW9-FbLl4t5qczg-XAIecJpgvRxk9_cuPN-O4oQ7YzbJ5iaOyjRL36eElFs359xxf/s1600/DeathPenalty_header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC4ARMkryztuQG0nVJPh5odLWd1lAMaex_Q8djWcxHTjrts8enC15etKSch5_5VhCtdxqCJdOW9-FbLl4t5qczg-XAIecJpgvRxk9_cuPN-O4oQ7YzbJ5iaOyjRL36eElFs359xxf/s320/DeathPenalty_header.jpg" width="320" height="124" alt="A judge's gavel and death penalty sign imposed on the Mexican flag." /></a></div><p>
In sharp contrast to previous studies of public support for the death penalty conducted in the U.S., Catholics in Mexico were found to be more likely to support capital punishment, whereas older Mexicans and those living in states that bordered the U.S. were less likely to support the death penalty, according to researchers at Sam Houston State University.<a name='more'></a> </p>
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The study, “State- and Individual-level Predictors of Mexican Death Penalty Support,” by Ph.D. Student Alexander H. Updegrove and Erin A. Orrick, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University, was recently published by Crime & Delinquency. It sheds new light on Mexican citizens’ attitudes toward the death penalty, which could affect support for the death penalty in Texas as the Latino population continues to grow through immigration. </p>
<p>
“Understanding Mexican death penalty support is important because Mexico exerts a unique influence on Texas,” Updegrove and Orrick said. “The simple act of crossing borders does little to erase the influence of one’s native country, and it may be that an increased Mexican presence in Texas will further undermine already weakened support for capital punishment.” </p>
<p>
There are currently 9.5 million Latinos living Texas, with nearly nine out of 10 possessing Mexican heritage, and the ethnic group is projected to be the largest single racial or ethnic population in the state by 2020. By 2042, Latinos are expected to represent the majority of the state’s residents. Mexico has a strong history of opposing capital punishment on human rights grounds, but neighboring Texas is known as the “Death Penalty Capital of the World” because of the historical frequency of its executions. </p>
<p>
The study was based on 1,328 responses from the Mexican Panel Study, a major research project conducted before and after the country’s 2012 general presidential election. Based on the sample, 67 percent of Mexicans support the death penalty compared to 61 percent of Americans who support capital punishment nationally. These numbers are artificially inflated, though, because the survey did not ask whether participants favored the death penalty over life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (LWOP). Studies in the U.S. that have examined death penalty support compared to LWOP generally find a level of death penalty support below 50%. </p>
<p>
The study found that, contrary to research conducted in the U.S., younger Mexican Catholics are more likely to support the death penalty than older, non-Catholic Mexicans. A geographical variation in death penalty support was also found, with Mexicans from states that bordered the U.S. less likely to support the death penalty (despite living in states with a higher average homicide rate and general unrest) than Mexicans living in states that did not border the U.S. In previous U.S. studies, those in areas with higher homicide rates were more likely to support capital punishment. </p>
In addition, the study found Catholics in Mexico are more likely to support the death penalty. Previous research has shown that Catholics in the U.S. are less likely to support capital punishment. With a full 85 percent of Mexicans identifying as Catholics, this may translate into greater initial support for the death penalty upon immigration to the U.S., although that support is likely to decrease as immigrants become more assimilated. Finally, the study found younger Mexicans are more likely to support capital punishment. </p>
<p>
“Culture appears to affect both the significance and direction of relationships between death penalty support and common U.S. predictors,” Updegrove and Orrick said. “In light of the present findings, researchers should not take for granted the generalizability of these predictors, but rather focus on identifying culture-specific predictors…this study [also] provides additional evidence that public attitudes toward capital punishment are more complex than initially thought.” <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0011128716686394">“State- and Individual-level Predictors of Mexican Death Penalty Support,”</a> is available at <em>Crime & Delinquency</em>. bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-48861067746138272342017-03-01T16:23:00.004-06:002017-03-01T16:23:26.484-06:00College Expands International Initiatives in Corrections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvtZPxbO6IbL-cGuRsrMq5HuIDm03K3M9QcfX21YXEak8Uu_CzGHgvs92aGPUBbdJDqMjSJJYxRu_vaCwME5I0tQ0CmZFn-AzKBp7r2QFr4UHcFBkAJSWE3rszggjKKUwYMtJ5gWpyNqG/s1600/DSC_1611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvtZPxbO6IbL-cGuRsrMq5HuIDm03K3M9QcfX21YXEak8Uu_CzGHgvs92aGPUBbdJDqMjSJJYxRu_vaCwME5I0tQ0CmZFn-AzKBp7r2QFr4UHcFBkAJSWE3rszggjKKUwYMtJ5gWpyNqG/s320/DSC_1611.JPG" width="320" height="214" alt="Staff from CMIT and the College pose with corrections representatives from Poland." /></a></div><p>
The Office of International Programs at the College of Criminal Justices continues to forge new relationships across the globe for research and practice in the criminal justice field.<a name='more'></a>
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One of its most recent endeavors is a multi-national research project examining multicultural societies and its effect on prisons in the U.S., Poland and Germany. In addition to joint research with the Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poland, the project includes several conferences as well as a graduate student exchange program.
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<p>
Many European nations have experienced an influx of immigrants from Eastern European countries and Africa in recent years. Jurg Gerber, director of the College’s international programs, and Ph.D. Student Kate Angulski in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology are working on the study and already have produced two articles for Polish criminal justice journals on international prisoners in Texas and the U.S. as well as prisoners and work. Angulski will spend two weeks in Poland this spring on a research project, and she plans to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to study corrections, international and comparative criminology, and drug polices for a year in the country.
</p>
<p>
The project is being led by Andezj Szwarc, director of the German-Polish Research Institute in the Joint Institute of the University of Adam Mickiewicz University and the European University Viadriana in Frankfurt—Oder. The institute conducts scientific research programs and projects in the field of European integration, border regions, and international and intercultural aspects from a comparative perspective. Gerber and Angulski are teamed up with Piotr Stepniak at AMU on a project to investigate prisons.
</p>
<p>
Gerber and Angulski will travel to Poland in April to present at conferences on multiculturalism.
In addition to his work in Poland, Gerber is serving as president of the Asian Association of Police Studies, an international association that advances scientific, practical, and professional knowledge concerning policing and crime control.
</p>
<p>
Established in 2000, the worldwide association is involved in the evaluation and development of police systems and activities, legislation and the practice of criminal law as well as law enforcement, judicial and corrections system.
</p>
,p>Sam Houston State University hosted the AAPS annual conference over the summer, which drew scholars and practitioners from China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the U.S., and Thailand, including several Ph.D. students and graduates from Sam Houston State University (SHSU). The two-day conference featured the latest research on policing issues in Asian communities and the U.S.
</p>
<p>
The Office of International Programs also serves as a host for criminal justice professionals from several countries in conjunction with the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas and the Correctional Management Institute of Texas. These visits, included:<ul>
<li>Forensic Science visit by Tadeusz Tomaszewski from the University of Warsaw, Poland</li>
<li>Seminars for Centrum Szkolenia Kuratorów Sądowych (Polish Probation Officers Academy)</li>
<li>A tour and visit with Taiwanese prison officials</li>
<li>A tour and visit with the Czech Republic Prison Service delegation</li>
</ul>
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-40969067929628943552017-02-01T17:03:00.000-06:002017-02-02T10:17:44.762-06:00Officials Design Model Mental Health Training for Detention Officers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYOznKEO23osAL-i89uSIghllxXhBqa7pywKLJ4iICsPPlbEYHpmesVjTF4BAps80WWXJ34_xurKNpAqODf0hcV5wZ4t5YO6ISyPO0JMOVQFGT3hnKZP9rxip7TT-6zFfcMVrx0_N/s1600/27662500_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYOznKEO23osAL-i89uSIghllxXhBqa7pywKLJ4iICsPPlbEYHpmesVjTF4BAps80WWXJ34_xurKNpAqODf0hcV5wZ4t5YO6ISyPO0JMOVQFGT3hnKZP9rxip7TT-6zFfcMVrx0_N/s400/27662500_l.jpg" width="400" height="354" alt="Photo of hands on a frosted, paneled background"/></a></div><p>The Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) hosted a group representing county jails, mental health professionals, and federal partners to develop a model training initiative for jail detention officers in the State of Texas to address better mental health issues in their facilities.<a name='more'></a>
</p><p>“County jails have become the largest mental health facilities in the country and that is just wrong,” said Sheriff Dennis Wilson of Limestone County, who serves as the president of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas (SAT). “The professional individuals of the corrections profession are united in our interest to change the way we deal with people who have mental health issues and are wrongly detained in the criminal justice system.”
</p><p>The Texas Mental Health Training Initiative for Jails, facilitated by Mary Alice Conroy, a psychology professor and director of SHSU’s clinical psychology doctoral program, is developing expanded curriculum that will be mandated for all new local detention officers in Texas as well as an optional mental health officer certification, including a crisis intervention trainer (CIT). The trainers will deliver the courses to new and existing jailers in their regions, especially in rural areas of the state. The new curriculum will expand the jailer certificate issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) from 96 to 120 hours, and the CIT would be an optional 40-hour course to develop local expertise and deliver training to jail professionals serving in facilities across the state’s 254 counties.
</p><p>“This is ground zero,” said Stephen Amos, Chief of the Jails Division for the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), U.S. Department of Justice. “The Sheriff’s Association of Texas, jail administrators, and (CMIT at) Sam Houston State University has pledged to create unprecedented training across the State of Texas in support of this critical need. It’s an incredible collaborative with national implications.”
</p><p>The NIC has designated CMIT at SHSU as a Center of Innovation (COI) for its sponsorship and support of the Texas Mental Health Initiative for Jails.
</p><p>“We are very proud of this designation,” said Phillip Lyons, Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Director of the Criminal Justice Center. “It is an endorsement of our efforts at infusing the latest research into practice.”
</p><p>This is the first COI designation to be awarded by NIC. The COI designation is reserved for highly select agencies that serve as laboratories for promising practices; develop and disseminate promising and evidence-based information that enhances the field of corrections; provide specialized technical assistance and training; conducts evaluation research; and coordinates with NIC networks to promote promising and evidence-based correctional practices consistent with the needs of the field.
</p><p>“This initiative is a tremendous collaboration with federal, state, and local partners who are all focused on providing our jail professionals with the level of training to increase their effectiveness in carrying out their enormous responsibilities in jails across the state,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of CMIT. “We are honored to receive the designation by the National Institute of Corrections as a Center of Innovation and continue to look forward to serving as a resource for jail professionals across the state.”
</p><p>The NIC, which is facilitating the program development, hopes to implement this model across the country. In addition to leaders in Texas, the focus group included representatives from Santa Barbara, CA; Broward County, FL; Dane County, WI; Douglas County, NE and Franklin County, OH, who contributed to the development of the training and want to implement a COI train the trainer program in their representative jurisdictions.
</p><p>The training will provide 24 hours of instruction on mental health issues, including the use of screening instruments, resources available to staff, and de-escalation techniques to help those in crisis or with mental health issues. The CIT trainer certification, which is based on a program offered by the NIC, would build crisis intervention teams in local facilities and provide trainers for other jails around the state.
</p><p>The initiative provides a proactive approach to addressing the prominent issue in American society, where criminal justice agencies are frequently the last resort for individuals suffering from mental illness. To help develop the curriculum for Texas, the focus group included representatives from the US Department of Justice’s NIC and Bureau of Justice Assistance, the U.S. Marshal Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CMIT, the Texas A & M Engineering Extension Service, TCOLE, the Texas Veterans Commission, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments, SAT, the American Jail Association, and the Texas Jail Association.
</p><p>Among the topics that will be addressed in the curriculum through instruction and hands-on demonstrations are:<ul>
<li>Screening for suicide risk and prevention of suicide incident</li>
<li>Identifying factors, signs, and symptoms of potential suicides</li>
<li>Learning how to handle suicidal inmates</li>
<li>Understanding components of the facilities mental disabilities and suicide prevention plan</li>
<li>Recognizing the five most prominent categories of mental illness among detainees</li>
<li>Addressing psychosis and relating to the needs of the inmate</li>
<li>Demonstrating a communicative approach an officer can use during a psychotic episode</li>
<li>Learning basic interaction techniques to utilize with people with mental illness</li></ul>
</p><p>Kim Howell, Assistant Chief Deputy for Detention at the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, spearheaded the group after attending a networking session at NIC. She said the new curriculum will provide an increased knowledge, awareness and skillset for detention officers and allow for improved recognition and care of inmates with mental health issues.
</p><p>“For officers, it provides more resources in their toolbelt to deal with mental health situations,” said Howell. “For inmates, it will increase professional care and awareness, decrease the use of force, increase the use of de-escalation techniques, and potentially decrease the length of stay in jail.”
</p><p>Dretke said the initiative would not have been possible without the leadership of many individuals and the support of their organizations.
</p><p>“I want to recognize the leadership of Sheriff Dennis Wilson, president of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas, Sheriff Kelly Rowe, chair of the Jail Advisory Committee of SAT, Kim Howell of the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office and Stephen Amos of the National Institute of Corrections for their significant initiative to enhance the training of jail professionals,” Dretke said.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-61682084609588840362017-01-20T14:12:00.000-06:002017-01-26T11:00:39.594-06:00 CJ College #1 for Online Graduate Education<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgSno8dxfrEwoJFSrNtw8AB6jLS4tyIOzqcOnDxI0bDFIQXQcaLFFta5_M5vN7Gkm4LzJmG0wILhaX-KrCdALNPW08qQli_pFneSJwnyWGVkhTIc8LnHGHffEakPYrmBCxONE0AsP/s1600/SHSU_onlineProgram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgSno8dxfrEwoJFSrNtw8AB6jLS4tyIOzqcOnDxI0bDFIQXQcaLFFta5_M5vN7Gkm4LzJmG0wILhaX-KrCdALNPW08qQli_pFneSJwnyWGVkhTIc8LnHGHffEakPYrmBCxONE0AsP/s400/SHSU_onlineProgram.jpg" width="400" height="156" /></a></div>
<p>
Sam Houston State University offers the best online criminal justice program for graduate education in the nation, according to the 2017 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report (USNWR).<a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
The College of Criminal Justice earned the #1 position among 60 universities across the country offering online graduate programs in criminal justice. The ranking is based on student engagement, faculty credentials, student services and technology, admissions selectivity, and peer reputation.
</p>
<p>
“I am very pleased with our USNWR rankings for our online programs,” said Phillip Lyons, Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Director of the Criminal Justice Center. “Our mission is to improve the practice of criminal justice through research, teaching, and service. Our faculty, who were recently ranked #1 in research productivity, can reach farther and increase our scope of influence through the online medium. I am thrilled that we are doing it so well.”
</p>
<p>
Sam Houston State University offers four online masters’ programs in criminal justice, which specialize in practitioner pursuits in criminal justice, victim studies, and security studies. They include:<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.shsu.edu/programs/master-of-science-in-criminal-justice-leadership-and-management-online/index.html"> The Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management</strong></a> is designed for professionals in mid-management positions seeking promotion in the criminal justice field</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.shsu.edu/programs/master-of-science-in-criminal-justice/">The Master of Science in Criminal Justice</a></strong> is geared toward working professionals pursuing career advancement in law enforcement, corrections, security, or social services</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.shsu.edu/programs/master-of-science-in-victim-services-management/">The Master of Science in Victim Services Management </a></strong>prepares graduates to work in victim services, organizational management, or social policy development</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.shsu.edu/programs/master-of-science-in-homeland-security-studies/index.html"> The Master of Science in Homeland Security Studies</a></strong> assists students to meet the needs of the homeland security enterprise at all levels of government as well as the private sector</li>
</ul>
</p>
<p>
The College of Criminal Justice has consistently ranked among the top criminal justice programs in the country for value and quality by U.S. News & World Report and other college ranking sites. In 2016, the College was recognized as the most productive in research in criminal justice by the Journal of Criminal Justice Education, a scholarly publication that monitor trends in teaching in the discipline.
</p>
<p>
“We are continuously striving to be the best in the country in online graduate education,” said Danielle Boisvert, Graduate Program Director for the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. “For us, that means using the latest technology and best practices in online education coupled with highly qualified faculty to provide an enriched educational experience to students who are going to make a difference in the field of criminal justice.”
</p>
<p>
The U.S. News & World Report ranking took into account many key factors in online education programs, including graduation rates, class size, retention rates, tenured faculty, technical staff, and support services. It also measured admissions standards based on experience, acceptance rates and undergraduate grade point average as well the reputation of the program among top college administrators and faculty in criminal justice and criminology.
</p>
<p>
“We strive to ensure that our academic programs and course content provide students with a strategic-level understanding of legal, institutional, and policy-related aspects in areas of criminal justice and homeland security,” said Nadav Morag, Chair of the Department of Security Studies. “Our goal is to better prepare non-practitioner students for careers within the field and to help existing practitioner students develop their analytical and critical thinking skills so that they can excel and advance within their respective fields. At the same time, we are committed to scholarship and our faculty provide students with the benefit of a combination of scholarly focus and experience in the practitioner world of government agencies, the private sector, and policy-focused think tanks.
</p>
<p>
In addition to its online offerings, the College offers face-to-face graduate programs in <strong><a href="http://www.shsu.edu/programs/master-of-arts-in-criminal-justice-and-criminology/index-new.html">Criminal Justice and Criminology and Criminal Justice Leadership and Management</strong></a>. It also features one of the oldest <strong><a href="http://www.shsu.edu/programs/doctorate-of-philosophy-in-criminal-justice/index-new.html">Ph.D. programs in criminal justice</a></strong>, a <strong><a href="http://forensics.shsu.edu/home/documents/MSFS%20Factsheet%2002-12-14.pdf">Master of Science in Forensic Science</strong></a> and the first multi-disciplinary <strong><a href="http://www.shsu.edu/programs/doctorate-of-philosophy-in-forensic-science/.">Ph.D. degree in Forensic Science</a></strong>. The College boasts one of the largest faculty in the country to meet the growing need for criminal justice professionals across the globe.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-86205890351913452832017-01-19T15:41:00.002-06:002017-01-19T15:41:46.742-06:00Study Examines Race in Access to Early Release Credits in Federal Prisons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXOcmUyjJvUpnsZwhNsV_MY5kdRUVgQ_hq4dGQlFz17-0mOcvjA4ilpXhKBiW0joDwvQlIm68WlAjsaEdVrN2pqkaOkDLeKoG6TElci32gULm64Gm47VOaSqKbPPwfbxrqDw0ogHQ/s1600/scales+of+justice51562080_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXOcmUyjJvUpnsZwhNsV_MY5kdRUVgQ_hq4dGQlFz17-0mOcvjA4ilpXhKBiW0joDwvQlIm68WlAjsaEdVrN2pqkaOkDLeKoG6TElci32gULm64Gm47VOaSqKbPPwfbxrqDw0ogHQ/s400/scales+of+justice51562080_l.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div><p>
Latinos and Native Americans were more likely to be denied access to “good time” benefits during their incarcerations in federal prisons when compared with White and African American offenders, and Asian inmates fared better than all groups in obtaining access to these benefits, according to a study by researchers at Sam Houston State University.<a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
In federal prisons, inmates statutorily are barred from receiving good time credit for early release unless their sentence is more than one year in length. When judges sentence offenders to one year, they usually add one additional day to their sentence to ensure their eligibly for good time credit. Judges, however, choose not to append this additional day in about 20 percent of cases, which effectively bars some groups from good time.
</p>
<p>
“These findings corroborate race patterns found not only in prior research on federal sentencing but also in the broader literature examining state court sentencing,” said Travis Franklin, Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University.
</p>
<p>
The study, by Franklin and Tri Keah Henry, was based on a review of 4,589 inmate files from the U.S. Sentencing Commission between 2010 and 2012. Good time credit typically is based on good behavior behind bars or offered for participating in education or rehabilitative programs. The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 allows federal inmates to earn up to 54 days a year, an average of a 15 percent reduction in sentencing length.
</p>
<p>
Based on the study, Native Americans were 80 percent more likely to be denied access to good time credit and Latinos were 35 percent more likely to be denied the benefit than Whites or African Americans. On the other hand, Asian offenders were 45 percent more likely than Whites or African Americans to gain access to good time.
</p>
<p>
In addition to corroborating patterns found in federal and state courts, these findings suggest that prevalent race-based stereotypes may influence courts’ assessment of an offender’s dangerousness or blameworthiness.
</p>
<p>
“Although federal law clearly defines which offenders are eligible to receive access to good time, there is no guidance for determining which of these offenders should actually receive this access, among those who fall at the threshold of eligibility (i.e., those selected for 1-year sentences),” Franklin said. “When operating in these gaps, it is plausible that perceptual shorthands or biases of courtroom workers may play a more pronounced role in the decision-making process.”
</p>
<p>
One of the surprises in the study was the parity between Whites and African Americans on the issue of “good time” access. The authors suggest that given the high-profile history of racial bias, judges may have developed cognitive skills to avoid implicit bias.
</p>
<p>
<a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0011128716682227">“One Day Makes All the Difference Denying Federal Offenders Access to 'Good Time' Through Sentencing”</a> was published in <em>Crime and Delinquency</em>.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-53778049238271107732017-01-19T15:26:00.001-06:002017-01-19T15:29:52.454-06:0023/7: Pelican Bay Prison and the Rise of Long-Term Solitary Confinement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tQKjPkMRXsXdY7cqAular1O-hup3p0YoqHjdaPCycctNUDG2it3yT1-maWjxJ4vyda8yOVp3etpug9vGTKiB2Vo-d52nR0-pGbloWr7fk7B_4ipGN5RqNnR2nhyphenhyphenlc3MUYSgMQsEM/s1600/23-7_cover_1111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tQKjPkMRXsXdY7cqAular1O-hup3p0YoqHjdaPCycctNUDG2it3yT1-maWjxJ4vyda8yOVp3etpug9vGTKiB2Vo-d52nR0-pGbloWr7fk7B_4ipGN5RqNnR2nhyphenhyphenlc3MUYSgMQsEM/s320/23-7_cover_1111.jpg" width="211" height="320" alt="Book cover for 23/7: Pelican Bay Prison and the Rise of Long-Term Solitary Confinement" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>
<strong>Mon, Feb 6, 2017</strong>
<br>9:00am
<br>Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom
</p>
<p>
Pelican Bay Prison in California was designed as one of the first “supermax” facilities in response to a perceived risk of black radicalism in the 1970s. Extreme conditions sparked statewide hunger strikes in 2011 and 2013 involving up to 30,000 inmates, which led to a rise in the use of solitary confinement.<a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
Keramet Reiter, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society and at the School of Law at the University of California, Irvine, explores the experience of solitary confinement in her new book, <em>23/7: Pelican Bay Prison and the Rise of Long-Term Solitary Confinement</em>. Prisoners in solitary spend 23 hours a day in featureless cells, with no visitors or human contact. Originally designed to be brief and exceptional, solitary confinement has become a long-term and common practice throughout the United States. Reiter will discuss her research and new book in the Criminal Justice Center and students, faculty, criminal justice practitioners, and community members are invited to attend.
</p>
<p>
Using stories of gang bosses, small-time parolees, and others at Pelican Bay, Reiter describes the manner in which prisoners are chosen for solitary confinement, held for years, and routinely released directly to the streets. She also investigates the social costs and mental havoc left behind by years of isolation.
</p>
<p>
Reiter’s book is the compilation of 15 years of research in and about prisons. She studies prisons, prisoners’ rights, and the impact of prison and punishment policy on individuals, communities, and legal systems. She uses a variety of methods in her work — including interviewing, archival and legal analysis, and quantitative data analysis — in order to understand both the history and impact of criminal justice policies, from medical experimentation on prisoners and record clearing programs to the use of long-term solitary confinement in the United States.
</p>
<p>
Reiter has worked as an associate at Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit, nongovernmental human rights organization which operates across the globe, and has testified about the impacts of solitary confinement before state and federal legislators.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-67901753501362675942016-08-22T17:02:00.000-05:002016-08-22T17:02:00.315-05:00Prison Visitation Linked to Lower Recidivism, Study Shows<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hq328cmFu2yyw6T9vQtWOnWn6_BA0_PqYtUq0ADZVrm4_8TKSq20Fepzbf5SSqhzirTQ2zTap1ajFVEQ8SoSFw9c4zOjTvf8IL-02JqZyoXHsYDkAr0d-5PUv9ZkweYi5wSXnN3D/s1600/prisonvisitation22136185_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hq328cmFu2yyw6T9vQtWOnWn6_BA0_PqYtUq0ADZVrm4_8TKSq20Fepzbf5SSqhzirTQ2zTap1ajFVEQ8SoSFw9c4zOjTvf8IL-02JqZyoXHsYDkAr0d-5PUv9ZkweYi5wSXnN3D/s400/prisonvisitation22136185_l.jpg" width="360" height="400" /></a></div>Inmates who received prison visitation were less likely to re-offend after release when compared to offenders who did not receive visits, according to a meta-analysis study by researchers at Sam Houston State University.<a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfH9S2LAImaKaxHHIYJ-xzPYan_RwOvPz3sEkv6fzRofsVMeqvoMq3kihyErscB8A7UVFv5vdsoJ-OzZMeoXJFqXHpB694_KkfRiWEDP-1dBYLL5sK6DTjRcpOrwNqdf35sg9Bh87R/s1600/Meghan+Mitchell-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfH9S2LAImaKaxHHIYJ-xzPYan_RwOvPz3sEkv6fzRofsVMeqvoMq3kihyErscB8A7UVFv5vdsoJ-OzZMeoXJFqXHpB694_KkfRiWEDP-1dBYLL5sK6DTjRcpOrwNqdf35sg9Bh87R/s200/Meghan+Mitchell-crop.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>“Prison visitation is associated with modest reductions in post-release offending, which is moderated by gender, visitation types, time at risk, and the type of recidivism measured,” said Meghan M. Mitchell, a Ph.D. student in the College of Criminal Justice and lead author of the study. “In light of these findings, policy implications are put forth to make visitation more accessible to all inmates.”
</p>
<p>
Prison visitation was related to a 26 percent reduction in recidivism rates among offenders who were visited in prison, with the greatest relationship seen among inmates granted furloughs or conjugal visits. Only a few states offer this option, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, and Washington.
</p>
<p>
The study found that prison visitations were linked to reductions in re-incarceration and new convictions, but were not significantly related to new arrests, which may be the result of parole conditions that are challenging to meet or a labelling effect that targets former offenders for crimes. The study also indicated that any effect from prison visitation may decrease over time with a non-significant effect on recidivism five years after release.
</p>
<p>
The research was based on studies that included more than 76,000 inmates who had visits in prisons. As of 2014, there were 2.2 million people incarcerated in correctional institutions and an overwhelming majority are released after their incarceration. Half of all inmates return to institutions within three years and less than half of all inmates receive visitors while incarcerated.
</p>
<p>
Because of the relationship between visitation and reductions in subsequent offending, the study suggests several ways that correctional institutions can better facilitate the practice. These include:<ul>
<li>Posting visiting hours on the building or the institution’s web site</li>
<li>Reducing or eliminating visitation fees</li>
<li>Improving amenities</li>
<li>Developing a more child-friendly environment</li>
<li>Constructing facilities for extended stays by family members</li>
<li>Providing free or inexpensive transportation options for families through collaborative efforts among community, state governments, prisons, and non-profit organizations</li>
<li>Placing inmates in facilities closer to family and friends</li>
</ul>
</p>
<p>
“The implementation of these policy implications will take a great deal of time, organization, and resources from the prison officials, especially when dealing with offenders with a history of violence or abuse against family members,” said Mitchell. “Despite these challenges, the benefits of prison visitations appear to outweigh the costs.”
</p>
<p>
“The effect of prison visitation on reentry success: A meta-analysis,” by Mitchell, Kallee Spooner, Di Jia and Dr. Yang Zhang at Sam Houston State University, is available from the <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235216300575"><em>The Journal of Criminal Justice</em></a>
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-76995960234710737802016-08-09T16:55:00.001-05:002016-08-09T16:55:54.196-05:00Immigration Status May Act as Protective Factor in Sentencing<p>
<img src="http://www.cjcenter.org/images/blogger/Orrick.jpg" style="display:block;float:left;margin-right:20px;margin-top:5px;padding:5px;border:solid 1px #ccc" alt="Photo of Justin Amundson">Offenders with federal immigration detainers received significantly shorter sentences in state courts than those that did not face deportation, except in cases involving life or death sentences, researchers found.<a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
Offenders facing deportation received 11 percent shorter sentences than other convicted criminals sentenced to prison in a study of a large southern state with a significant immigrant population. The study, by Dr. Erin A. Orrick and Kiersten Compofelice of Sam Houston State University and Dr. Alex R. Piquero of the University of Texas at Dallas, found an average one-year difference in sentence lengths between deportable and non-deportable offenders.
</p>
<p>
“Much of the existing discussion surrounding the immigration–crime link has been influenced by public perceptions of the criminality of illegal immigrants,” said Dr. Orrick. “Recent empirical studies, however, suggest that immigrant status may instead operate as a protective factor, in that first generation immigrants are less likely to engage in (serious) criminal offending.”
</p>
<p>
However, the study did not find any significant difference in the likelihood of receiving life or death sentences based on deportation status.
</p>
<p>
“The results of this study suggest that deportable inmates receive a slight advantage with respect to sentence length when compared to a group of non-deportable inmates, when matched on a number of important criteria,” the authors noted. “These findings would seem to cast some doubt on both the minority threat and focal concerns perspectives – at least with respect to these data, while providing some support for the idea that judges may sentence non-citizens to shorter sentences with the notion that doing so would not use up additional prison resources, especially when overcrowding is an issue, by reducing the perceived time until deportation.”
</p>
<p>
The study was based on 23,556 inmates incarcerated between 2008 and June 2009 in a large southern state. The sample included 1.465 deportable offenders aa well as 334 inmates who were sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty. The sample was controlled for important legal and extralegal factors, such as whether the offender was convicted of a property, drug or other offense; the severity of the offense; prior incarcerations; guilty or no contest pleas; mandatory sentencing; sex offender status; age, race, ethnicity, marital status and IQ.
</p>
<p>
The study, <a href=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0735648X.2015.1087142">“Assessing the impact of deportable status on sentencing outcomes in a sample of state prisoners” </a>was published in the <em>Journal of Crime and Justice</em>. bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-60678141554683003572016-07-28T11:15:00.000-05:002016-07-28T11:15:31.869-05:00Research Reveals Restorative Justice Reduces Recidivism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pTyUR-GIueijqxFrmodbk4qGS_9GNv_jWLFB3hOSxidjtFPTj8CIIRjX26E3bkz5Br4gDVKINbiT3to21t1zD5BkyM3jgnSarim3lsfT-bp-U0AL34PleWOvxyyj6VmSiSXm1baO/s1600/43050302_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pTyUR-GIueijqxFrmodbk4qGS_9GNv_jWLFB3hOSxidjtFPTj8CIIRjX26E3bkz5Br4gDVKINbiT3to21t1zD5BkyM3jgnSarim3lsfT-bp-U0AL34PleWOvxyyj6VmSiSXm1baO/s400/43050302_l.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a></div><p>
Restorative justice programs, such victim-offender mediation and community impact panels, are more effective in reducing recidivism rates among juvenile offenders than traditional court processing, a study by researchers at Sam Houston State University found.<a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR98eJrp8cnLJrQaBOQBzWNUA-johHfLAxcn4PqvaxYy6zshGDxhWSZFdS2I1db7lC5-lHX_eOW-bWFrn_jiIQ1jjpc7CsfuY1r4MM7Rh4EYo2fnEdwyj89IJXxeYsKTolHxOdtWSY/s1600/jeffrey_b_DSC_0008-good-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR98eJrp8cnLJrQaBOQBzWNUA-johHfLAxcn4PqvaxYy6zshGDxhWSZFdS2I1db7lC5-lHX_eOW-bWFrn_jiIQ1jjpc7CsfuY1r4MM7Rh4EYo2fnEdwyj89IJXxeYsKTolHxOdtWSY/s200/jeffrey_b_DSC_0008-good-crop.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>“Our results generally not only support the effectiveness of RJ (restorative justice) programming as compared to traditional juvenile court processing but also suggest that each type of RJ intervention, even those that are minimally involved, reduces recidivism risk relative to juvenile court proceedings,” said Dr. Jeffrey Bouffard, a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and Research Director for the Correctional Management Institute of Texas at Sam Houston State University. “This pattern of results would suggest that in many cases, it may be possible to use less intensive RJ approaches and still receive promising results.”
</p>
<p>
The study, published in <em>Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice</em>, examined four types of restorative justice programs for juvenile offenders in a small, mostly rural area in the upper Midwest. These interventions include face-to-face mediation between victims and offenders, indirect communication between victims and offenders, community panels who stand in for the victim, and even minimal RJ interventions that simply educate offenders about the restorative justice process.
</p>
<p>
The study, based on 551 youth who were assigned to restorative justice or traditional court proceedings between 2000 and 2005, found that 40 percent of the juveniles committed a new offense within the average 3.5-year study period. Youth processed through juvenile courts re-offended nearly 50 percent of the time, whereas those in a minimal restorative justice educational program committed new offenses only 31 percent of the time. More intensive restorative justice programs also had fewer new offenses than juvenile court cases, including 24 percent for community panels, 27 percent for indirect mediation, and 33 percent for direct mediation.
</p>
<p>
The youth in the study averaged about 15 years old and were involved in such offenses as property crimes, curfew violations, alcohol and tobacco charges, drug possession, traffic offenses, disorderly conduct, and even some violent crimes. The study suggested that juveniles could be screened for risk factors, with less serious offenders assigned to minimal restorative justice programs, such as writing a letter to the victim, while repeat offender would be required to participate in more intense face-to-face mediation with victims.
</p>
<p>
“The Effectiveness of Various Restorative Justice Interventions on Recidivism Outcomes Among Juvenile Offender,” by Bouffard and Maisha Cooper of SHSU and Kathleen Bergseth of North Dakota State University, is available from <a href="http://yvj.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/05/03/1541204016647428.full.pdf+html">
<em>Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice</em></a>.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-16957874084244989572016-07-13T13:08:00.003-05:002016-07-13T13:08:52.085-05:00Education is Key to Success in Jails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiov2n8eBfgTHX3u8bcI59o09GqZ-GbzbIwZdVmeuXUcjabTsWHcFBYzUxicsHw4g6zb2SMqPguotIOeN15Tvh23zl0q6DMNvh58Bayphoe7ux0hSAtLYYfEkXlTV4uoozb3MwPyD1f/s1600/Wayne+Dickey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiov2n8eBfgTHX3u8bcI59o09GqZ-GbzbIwZdVmeuXUcjabTsWHcFBYzUxicsHw4g6zb2SMqPguotIOeN15Tvh23zl0q6DMNvh58Bayphoe7ux0hSAtLYYfEkXlTV4uoozb3MwPyD1f/s320/Wayne+Dickey.jpg" width="213" height="320" /></a></div><p>As the new President of the American Jail Association, Alumnus Wayne Dicky continues to stress the importance of ongoing education for jail professionals.<a name='more'></a>
</p><p>“The education of leaders operating our nation’s jails is vital to our success,” said Dicky. “The American Jail Association has a long history of providing high quality educational programs to people working in jails.”
</p><p>Dicky, who serves as jail administrator for the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, has actively pursued training and education opportunities throughout his 30-year career. As the head of the 3,800-member national organization, Dicky plans to dedicate his administration to new initiatives for reentry as well to reduce mortality in jail. As President of the Texas Jail Association in 2004, he oversaw regional training programs on suicide prevention, classification, and a Texas Commission on Jail Standards program called “The Basics,” which provided a review of the standards for jails.
</p><p>“My overarching mission is education,” said Dicky. “Training is available on a broad array of topics to help operate safer jails.”
</p><p>For reentry, Dicky said gone are the days of releasing inmates into the community with $200 and a bus ticket. Successful reintegration into society requires a good foundation, including mental health and medical care, housing, employment, transportation, and life skills. The first issue of American Jails during Dicky’s tenure is dedicated to the reentry of offenders with special needs, and the organization is offering several workshops on the topic.
</p><p>Dicky also is concerned with suicides in jails and the toll it takes not only on the friends and family of the deceased, but also the trauma faced by officers and staff at the facility. The AJA is working with stakeholders and experts to identify factors that impact mortality rates in jails and strategies to reduce the number of fatalities in custody.
</p><p>Dicky also serves as an instructor for the National Jail Leadership Command Academy, an organization co-sponsored by the AJA and the Correctional Management of Texas, that provides succession planning and the development of leadership skills for employees transitioning into senior level leadership. Dicky teaches a half-day course on fiscal management, jail budgets, and strategic planning.
<?p><p>Dicky credits education and training with helping him transform his jail from a linear, intermittent style of supervision to a direct supervision model. In 2010, Brazos County opened a new 1088-bed, dormitory-style jail where detention officers are posted in the units and provide direct supervision of inmates using behavior modification practices.
</p><p>“For many years, I said I would never operate a direct supervision jail,” said Dicky. “As I saw more facilities adopt it, and I talked with more people about the benefits, I eventually came to the conclusion that it was a better way to operate a jail. It’s that kind of enlightenment you get from education. You learn from other people… The facility is now cleaner, quieter and safer.”
</p><p>Following trainings at the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT), where he earned credits toward a degree, Dicky was encouraged by staff to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Sam Houston State University. The program helped him better understand the benefits of using evidence-based practices in jails. He credits Christie Davidson’s course on Correctional Strategies for shaping his national agenda on reentry.
</p><p>“Wayne Dicky is an exemplary correctional professional and will do an outstanding job in his leadership position with the American Jail Association,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of CMIT. “He represents the very best with a sharp focus on professionalism and a passion towards improving correctional outcomes through reducing recidivism. CMIT has had the honor of working very closely with President Dicky with many of our CMIT programs and look forward to supporting him in his national role representing the thousands of jail professionals across our country.”
</p><p>Dicky encourages jail personnel to join corrections organization and to seek leadership position in the field. Among the organization available are the AJA, the American Correctional Association, Texas Jail Association, American Probation and Parole Association, the National Association of Counties, the National Association of Pretrial Service Agencies, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents.
</p><p>“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve you—the corrections professionals from whom I have learned so much and whom I admire,” said Dicky. “The leaders of the AJA and those in our field have established a high standard for success and I am dedicated to meeting your expectations.”
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-26236209379464858472016-07-13T13:06:00.001-05:002016-07-13T13:06:40.837-05:00CMIT Launches Decision Points Training for Probation Officers <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_v1g1KN0iS-f-ncHyZ8F4tKYCuSQUbHKNf3uNJJHnbWNPsn2NBvHHigmtyIRzCJr5NvQKI1g23_n5D4NuzEtYtXysEZ350hMrJoIzbDNuDx_aQ7SzJrLsrzzqZeTDyTvHfQ65fC_/s1600/DSC_0066interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_v1g1KN0iS-f-ncHyZ8F4tKYCuSQUbHKNf3uNJJHnbWNPsn2NBvHHigmtyIRzCJr5NvQKI1g23_n5D4NuzEtYtXysEZ350hMrJoIzbDNuDx_aQ7SzJrLsrzzqZeTDyTvHfQ65fC_/s320/DSC_0066interview.jpg" width="320" height="171" alt="Participants in the Decision Points program practice their interviewing skills." /></a></div><p>The Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) is offering adult and juvenile institutional and probation officers a new approach to help offenders stay out of trouble.
</p><p>Called Decision Points, the program features intensive training for correctional staff to implement a cognitive-behavioral intervention to break the cycle of trouble. It teaches offenders to examine their thoughts and feelings, to think about who cares what they do, to identify choices, and to pinpoint a motivating thought to do their best to succeed.<a name='more'></a>
</p><p>“This can help lead them out of the trouble cycle,” said Steve Swisher, who led the training session. “This can apply to every situation in life, so it can apply to all.”
</p><p>The program is especially useful for probationers because it has open entry and exit, instead of set dates or timetables to fulfill. Offered in small group sessions, it gives offenders the opportunity to work through the steps to develop a positive outcome. The group is led by two facilitators and typically is held twice a week. The group goes through structured learning processes using common scenarios, role playing, feedback, and homework to help them transfer decision points into their own lives.
</p><p>The trouble cycle includes a risk situation, thoughts and feeling, actions, and others’ responses. To break that cycle, Decision Points offers four steps:<ul>
<li><strong>Identify my thoughts and feelings, such as what am I thinking and feeling</strong>. What are these thoughts and feelings leading me to do?</li>
<li><strong>Think about others who care what I do</strong>. Who else cares about what I may do? What would they want me to do?</li>
<li><strong>Think about choices</strong>. What are my brainstormed choices? What choices will lead me away from trouble? What choices do I feel OK about doing?</li>
<li><strong>Identify a motivating thought</strong>. What is a thought that can motivate me to do my best?</lui></ul>
</p><p>Among the agencies that participated in inaugural program were Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and Brazoria County Community Supervision and Corrections Department and Juvenile Justice; Coryell County CSCD, Dallas CSCD, Hidalgo County CSCD; Lubbock County Sheriff Detention; Lubbock-Crosby CSCD, Matagorda County CSCD, Nueces County CSCD, Titus County Juvenile Probation, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Rehabilitation Programs.
In addition to the training, Sam Houston State University plans to do an evaluation of the programs to determine their effectiveness.
</p><p>“CMIT is very excited about this partnership with the authors of Decision Points to provide a significant cognitive based program to correctional professionals in Texas to continue to help improve correctional outcomes to make our communities safer,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas.
Jarvis Anderson, Director of the Bexar County CSCD, has been searching for a new cognitive program to work with his offenders. He is anxious to give Decision Points a try.
</p><p>“I like how they take thinking errors and break them down so they can identify the problem and develop individualized solutions,” said Anderson.
</p><p>The next session of Decision Points will be held in November and a Train-the-Trainer program is in development. For more information on the program, contact Michaelanne Teeters at mteeters@shsu.edu or call (936) 294-1705.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-41696588953610923892016-06-29T16:28:00.001-05:002016-06-29T16:29:22.356-05:00TDCJ Scholarship Winners Plan Future with State Agency<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvKYhuYjJNiphEKQi31RZxwmsJCFOKK5mKwLMhCZk3tqSuaMMEcEQbFTgHXVcYnjdBJSTRL9R4ALGCA-IQOlbEJ8ESzWHrfi3jkrlVE3FtOSeIwRbZYBtK1ArPaDp08h19e-IN2hw/s1600/Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvKYhuYjJNiphEKQi31RZxwmsJCFOKK5mKwLMhCZk3tqSuaMMEcEQbFTgHXVcYnjdBJSTRL9R4ALGCA-IQOlbEJ8ESzWHrfi3jkrlVE3FtOSeIwRbZYBtK1ArPaDp08h19e-IN2hw/s320/Awards.jpg" /></a></div></p>
<p>
Misty Dowdell eventually would like to become a Warden or Director with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), while Adrienne Bailey hopes to improve her leadership skills, promote at the State Counsel for Offenders, and explore different areas of the agency.<a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
The two women plan to advance their careers in TDCJ with the help of an agency scholarship with the Correctional Management Institute of Texas to pursue a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management at Sam Houston State University. Dowdell currently serves as the Operational Review Sergeant at the Holliday Unit in Huntsville. Bailey is the Legal Assistant Support Supervisor with the State Counsel for Offenders.
</p>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeVnGjqTzA_6n2qqvI89iIGgst7hX1YuLtZUQhZHNHAcWsrea2nddsc5Kg7jN7wVzEhO_XwZIGW77A4s6EzPWxznvoBOG33pGPFcG-6oHA26lROZyrRApk8fMJ6bXDURjEhk0zirx/s1600/20160627_101625small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeVnGjqTzA_6n2qqvI89iIGgst7hX1YuLtZUQhZHNHAcWsrea2nddsc5Kg7jN7wVzEhO_XwZIGW77A4s6EzPWxznvoBOG33pGPFcG-6oHA26lROZyrRApk8fMJ6bXDURjEhk0zirx/s200/20160627_101625small.jpg" /></a></div>“I am very proud to represent my agency and to do the best I can to make the agency proud of me,” said Dowdell.
Bailey hopes the degree will help open up new avenues for her career at TDCJ.
</p>
<p>
“I enjoy the different departments and how they work together,” said Bailey.
Dowdell has been with TDCJ for 14-1/2 years, starting her career at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston in security after her husband lost his job. She also worked in the Plane and Henley units. The mother of four rose through the ranks to Lieutenant before moving to the Parole Division for three years so she could take care of her sick child. In November, she took the job at the Holliday Unit, where she helps audit operations to ensure that each area complies with policies and procedures. Each area on the unit is reviewed twice a year.
</p>
<p>
“We do it because we want to make sure the public is safe, and the offenders are safe as well,” Dowdell said.
Dowdell is also an avid supporter of Special Olympics and in charge of fundraising and activities for TDCJ in her area. She also represented her area in the organization’s Law Enforcement Torch Run.
</p><p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAyGFtsfIDrzj-tjCnP3zWQq0RnO5Z21iSxnPL5UwpdD99PC0cD7bpxnsSu7t7qmZ5m5dfEjfy6QPegRod96XaPi8AdY6IaVGeo0Cxy_BYrlKHL8-LQggGoDll_KcA-5OMpwyWVpL/s1600/Photo_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAyGFtsfIDrzj-tjCnP3zWQq0RnO5Z21iSxnPL5UwpdD99PC0cD7bpxnsSu7t7qmZ5m5dfEjfy6QPegRod96XaPi8AdY6IaVGeo0Cxy_BYrlKHL8-LQggGoDll_KcA-5OMpwyWVpL/s200/Photo_edit.jpg" /></a></div>Bailey is a supervision in the Legal Services section at the State Counsel for Offenders, which represents indigent offenders with legal issues. She oversees nine legal assistants who aid offenders with general legal issues, such as child support, divorce, and lawsuits; time-related issues; biennial reviews for civil commitment; and immigration matters.
</p>
<p>
“We serve indigent offenders who are physically incarcerated in TDCJ,” said Bailey. “Our section processes over 1,000 pieces of mail a month.”
</p>
<p>
Bailey, a graduate of Sam Houston State University, worked several jobs in the Huntsville area, including in real estate and as an eighth grade math teacher before joining TDCJ. She worked in the Classifications and Record Divisions, handling open records requests, and served in the Offender Time Management Section that monitors time served by offenders. She joined the State Counsel’s Office in August 2014 as a legal assistant and has risen through the ranks to become a supervisor.
“</p>
<p>
I am a Bearkat, and I loved the Huntsville area so much, I stayed,” said Bailey. “I’m hoping to improve my leadership skills in my office, and I would love to learn different areas of TDCJ. I really enjoy investigating time issues.”
</p>
<p>
Both women plan to continue their careers with TDCJ.
</p>
<p>
“We’re a family,” said Dowdell. “We support each other and make sure that the public is safe. When something happens to one of our own, we step up and help.”bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-85978030134880920122016-01-29T13:19:00.000-06:002016-01-29T13:21:05.594-06:00Can Prison Visitation Reduce Recidivism?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIlg-QHco4H-9uenyQzsks2Id5cyYTTRrwzxpRPW117OnCo3DNkdMvYw1y05f58jTSI4pejYEKOF0yrX0u4rNqLWD2KHi75mv2cL56Krsnd-iVRKpkRuQS-dL9EY5orMsNyQTWdLs/s1600/47381537_lvistorroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIlg-QHco4H-9uenyQzsks2Id5cyYTTRrwzxpRPW117OnCo3DNkdMvYw1y05f58jTSI4pejYEKOF0yrX0u4rNqLWD2KHi75mv2cL56Krsnd-iVRKpkRuQS-dL9EY5orMsNyQTWdLs/s320/47381537_lvistorroom.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
A study funded by the National Science Foundation will explore if prison visitation can help reduce recidivism rates and whether there are gender, racial, and ethnic differences in these patterns. <a name='more'></a>
</p>
<p>
Dr. Melinda Tasca of Sam Houston State University and colleagues from Arizona State University and Florida State University will collaborate on the study, which is based on all inmates released from the Arizona Department of Corrections between Fiscal Year 2011 and 2013 as well as interviews with a sample of offenders from all levels of custody.
</p>
<p>
“Prison visitation has emerged as a promising tool to protect against the potential criminogenic effects of imprisonment,” said Dr. Melinda Tasca, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at SHSU. “In particular, visitation may serve to create, mend or maintain the social ties that are critical for successful offender reentry into the community.”
</p>
<p>
The study will examine levels of support received in prison and whether support varies by inmates’ gender and race/ethnicity. The study will result in recommendations for policy and practice on prison visitation.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were 1,561,400 men and women incarcerated in federal and state prisons at the end of 2014.
</p>
<p>
Dr. Tasca serves as principal investigator for the Arizona Prison Visitation Project (APVP), a mixed-method study aimed at advancing knowledge on prison visitation and its effects on recidivism, misconduct, and self-harm. Her dissertation, funded by the National Institute of Justice, examined the emotional and behavioral responses of children who visited their parents in prison.
</p>
<p>
Dr. Tasca, who recently was elected as a member of the American Society of Criminology Division of Corrections and Sentencing Executive Board, specializes in the consequences of incarceration for prisoners, children and families, correctional policy, and the intersection of race and gender within these contexts. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals as <em>Criminal Justice and Behavior, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Violence Against Women</em>, and <em>Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice</em>.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-84059933556348892872015-07-24T17:26:00.001-05:002015-07-24T21:52:04.559-05:00Motivational Interviewing Training Academy<p><strong style="font-size:12px"><em>A Collaborative Effort with Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) & members of Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), bring you</em></strong>
</p><p style="font-size:16px; padding:10px 0px 10px 0px">
<img src="http://www.cjcenter.org/images/blogger/cmit-mita.jpg" style="float:left; margin-top:5px; margin-right:10px;" ><strong style="font-size:24px; color:#264367;">MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING<br>
TRAINING ACADEMY</strong><br>
<em>An Intense Two-Phase Training for Juvenile and Adult Probation Officers and Parole Officers</em>
</p><p>
The Correctional Management Institute of Texas in collaboration with members of Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (<strong>MINT</strong>), is pleased to announce the upcoming Motivational Interview Training Academy (<strong>MITA</strong>), which will begin September 2015.
</p><p>
MITA, previously a three-phase training for juvenile and adult probation officers, is now offered as an intense two-phase training (three days each with a three month intersession) delivered by three MINT Certified Instructors, Greg Sumpter (Tarrant County Juvenile Services), Susan Orendac (Harris County Juvenile Services) and Mark Asteris (Jefferson County CSCD). This is an incredible training opportunity and value for staff and jurisdictions interested in implementing, strengthening, and sustaining motivational interviewing. Participants who complete MITA are able to provide training within their jurisdiction with the implementation of motivational interviewing.
</p><p>
Both Phase One and Phase Two are scheduled at the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center at Sam Houston State University. During the three month intersession, participants will be have the ability to submit four Motivational Interviewing tapes for coding and coaching feedback.
</p><p>
The three month intersession will include the ability for participants to submit four Motivational Interviewing tapes for coding and coaching feedback. The three month intersession will include submission of four Motivational Interviewing tapes for coding and coaching feedback.
</p><p>
<strong style="font-size:18px; text-decoration:underline; color:#264367;">PROGRAM DATES</strong><br>
<strong>Phase One:</strong> September 14 - 16, 2015 | <strong>Phase Two:</strong> January 20 - 22, 2016<br>
Intersession will include the ability to send in 4 audio tapes for coding, feedback, and coaching.
</p><p>
<strong>Fee:</strong> $850 - includes all training, materials, feedback and coaching.<br>
Lunches are included during the two residential phases.
</p><p>
For more information about MITA or to view upcoming training opportunities,<br>
please visit <a href="http://www.cmitonline.org/">www.cmitonline.org</a>.
</p><p style="font-size:12px">
<strong>Program Contact:</strong> Michaelanne Teeters (mteeters@shsu.edu) or call (936) 294-1701.<br>
Interested individuals can apply at <a href="http://www.cmitonline.org/">www.cmitonline.org</a>.<br>
Deadline for applications is November 10, 2014.
</p>
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-74997714838353206292015-07-09T16:48:00.000-05:002015-07-09T16:48:16.199-05:00Networking Wardens and Staff at CMIT<p align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxik4zrS84z55cTymL59axPfPevBAvrWgy5nz9iCdqkRuBISq1J96V0OqTzU-rjKyxZnazx9bP9OyHs35zLKAZ7i6H2dK2KGlRWw8JhnxftMUiI_3-U_6A3FM5xGqDB3eeWIZfGK72/s400/DSC_0004.JPG" /><p>After almost six years with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Ashley Koonce has found her way into program coordination at the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT), serving wardens, senior level staff, the Association of Paroling Authorities International (APAI), and the Annual Gangs Conference.<a name='more'></a>
</p><p>“I love it,” said Koonce of her new role as Project Coordinator. “I love learning new things and I feel like being able to provide training to others is my niche. I like to learn, and I like to see other people learn. It’s great to be able to take part and facilitate that.”
</p><p>Before joining CMIT, she served in the Rehabilitation Programs Division at the TDCJ, coordinating volunteer efforts to assist with the rehabilitation of offenders and multiple special programs and projects. In her role, she managed and addressed a wide variety of issues, including a Divisional Business Risk Assessment, Incident Command Procedures, and policies and procedure writing and oversight of multiple programs, such as the Darrington Unit Seminary College. During her tenure, she helped coordinate several projects across multiple divisions and agencies, a skill that will come in handy in juggling training programs.
</p><p>“After six years in the (Texas Department of) Criminal Justice, I hope I can help provide continuing education and training to other criminal justice professionals,” Koonce said.
</p><p>Koonce will oversee the Wardens Peer Interaction Program, which is cosponsored by the North American Association of Wardens & Superintendents (NAAWS). This program is designed for wardens and superintendents, including deputy or assistant wardens and superintendents. It provides an excellent opportunity for participants to interact with their peers to discuss current management and direction for prison/jail operations and programs as well as time to explore best practices and prepare strategies for handling critical correctional challenges. She also handles the Senior Level Correctional Leadership Development Program, which aims to equip selected participants with the necessary correctional knowledge from an academic research standpoint and with the necessary leadership skills from a practitioner perspective that are required for senior level corrections leaders.
</p><p>Koonce is also responsible for the Annual Gangs Conference, which shares information on the latest trends and information available on gangs with corrections personnel, law enforcement officers, district attorneys’ offices and schools.
</p><p>Koonce also serves as the Secretariat to APAI, a global organization dedicated to public safety and successful offender reentry through training, education, promotion of best practices, technical assistance and support.
</p><p>“We are excited that Ashley has joined our CMIT team,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of CMIT. “She has significant experience and background from her tenure with the Rehabilitation and Programs Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and has a passion for professional development within our profession. She definitely increases and enhances our ability to serve the correctional profession through service, training, and professional development programming."
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443880009449256837.post-3334354466629662722015-06-30T09:55:00.000-05:002015-06-30T10:06:37.836-05:00Professor Investigates Parent-Child Visitation in Prison<p align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqQlAnif1w6lcZn8pemRteQ9oAKOxE239uwQk8AA63uNunBODwcOBBO5OLdzKKfvtLLM9x-dKjm-DyRIvSvKmyjC_-8ON3cABysjRNsDTLXx12838sZSAgDjlW-4oBl-jjaxtt1qW/s320/37048550childprisonbars_l.jpg" alt="Young boys looks out from behind prison bars."/><p>It’s not “cupcakes and lollipops” for most children who visit a parent in prison, with two-thirds reported to have negative experiences including fear, anger, anxiety, and related reactions, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Justice by Dr. Melinda Tasca of Sam Houston State University.
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<p><span style="width:200px;margin:5px 15px 0px 0px;float:right;font-size:10px;"><img src="http://www.cjcenter.org/images/blogger/tasca.jpg" style="display: block; float: right; margin: 10px 0px 0px 25px;" alt="Dr. Melinda Tasca"/><br/>Dr. Melinda Tasca</span>The study, “’It’s Not All Cupcakes and Lollipops:’” An Investigation of the Predictors and Effects of Prison Visitation for Children during Maternal and Paternal Incarceration,” found that 65 percent of children reacted negatively to prison visitation, resulting in crying, emotional outbursts, depressive symptoms, poor attitudes, acting out, and developmental regression, according to interviews with caregivers of 40 children who have a parent incarcerated in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
</p><p>One-third of children were reported to have had a positive experience, which included excitement, improved attitudes and behaviors.
</p><p>“In-prison visitation may be considered a ‘reset’ button for prisoners, caregivers, and children as they attempt to settle the past, discuss the present and plan for the future,” said Dr. Tasca. “At the same time, however, prison visitation can be an arduous undertaking emotionally, physically, and economically for children and caregivers.”
</p><p>Two primary factors shaped how children responded to visits with an incarcerated mother or father: the institutional environment and the parent-child relationship. “The punitive nature of corrections often extends to the family, including intrusive search procedures, poor treatment by staff and visiting rooms not conducive to family interactions,” Dr. Tasca said. “Levels of parental attachment also were in issue, with some highly strained because of limited prior involvement and criminal activities.”
</p><p>According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2013 there were about two million children with an incarcerated parent, predominately from poor, minority families. About one-quarter to two-thirds of children visit a parent in prison.
</p><p>In addition to examining the impact of prison visitation on children, the study also examined factors associated with the likelihood of parent-child prison visitation. For incarcerated mothers, children were accompanied most frequently by a grandmother; for incarcerated fathers, it was the child’s mother who often escorted the child to prison.
<img src="http://www.cjcenter.org/images/blogger/tasca-sign.jpg" style="display: block; float: left; margin: 10px 25px 0px 0px;" alt="Prison sign that says No Contact During Visit" /> Most families of prisoners are fiscally and emotionally overburdened, the study found. More than half of the caretakers of the children of imprisoned parents were on public assistance and lived more than 100 miles from the facility where prisoners were housed. Many of the inmates suffered from mental health or substance abuse problems, and many families faced economic hardships or family instability.
</p><p> “A major highlight of this study is the investment many overly burdened mother and grandmother caregivers make into prisoners through their facilitation of parent-child prison visits and the largely negative impacts on children that results from such efforts,” according to a press release from the National Institute of Justice. “In light of strained familial relationships and in the absence of treatment resources, the likelihood that the investment of time, energy, and money that prison visitation requires will pay off is slim.”
</p><p>This study can help the criminal justice system identify family members most embedded in prisoners’ lives to better inform reentry processes. This study also underscores the need for family-centric interventions. In addition, this author calls for more child-friendly visitation areas, where inmates and their children can better interact.
This study was Dr. Tasca’s dissertation which was funded under the National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship Program. It is available through NIJ at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248650.pdf.
<p></p>Dr. Tasca completed her Ph.D. from Arizona State University in the spring of 2014 and joined the faculty in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University that fall.
bethkuhleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447068093419218378noreply@blogger.com0