Corrections_Today_November_December_2022_Vol.84_No.6

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Corrections November/December 2022

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American Correctional Association Corrections Today November/December 2022 Vol. 84, No. 6

Features 18

Pandemic behind bars COVID-19 impact on mental health and suicide prevention By Gary Junker, Deborah Schult and Dean Aufderheide

32 152 nd Congress of Correction Recap

The Big Easy proves a welcome destination for corrections

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professionals By Kirk Raymond

Agitated to elevated A transformational class in prisons By Leah Gooch

Cover background: istock/Liliboas; Beads: istock/mihmihmal Conference photos courtesy © Lovestruck Images

2 — November/December 2022 Corrections Today

CHAPTERS AND AFFILIATES

Alabama Council on Crime and Delinquency—Albany Criminal Justice Association—Alston Wilkes Society—American Catholic Correctional Ministries—American Correctional Health Services Association—American Institute of Architects—American Jail Association—American Probation and Parole Association—Appalachian State University Student Chapter—Arizona Probation, Parole and Corrections Association—Arizona State University ACA Student Chapter—Association for Correctional Research and Information Management—Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates— Association of Paroling Authorities International—Association of State Correctional Administrators—Association of Programs for Female Offenders—Association of Women Executives in Corrections—Bellmont High School Student Chapter—Brown Mackie College ACA Student Chapter—California Probation, Parole and Correctional Association— Caribbean Correctional Association—Champlain Valley Educational Services—Clayton State University Justice Society—Colorado Criminal Justice Association—Columbia-Greene Community College—Criminal Justice Club Student Chapter—Concordia University Sociology of Law & Justice Club—Connecticut Criminal Justice Association—Correctional Accreditation Managers Association—Correctional Association of Massachusetts—Correctional Education Association—Correctional Healthcare Providers of the United States—Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators—District of Columbia Criminal Justice Association—Eastern Kentucky University Corrections and Juvenile Justice Student Association—Family and Corrections Network—Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency—Harrison College Criminal Justice Association Student Chapter—Hawaii Criminal Justice Association—Historical Association for Corrections—Illinois Correctional Association—Indiana Criminal Justice Association—Integrated Correctional Association of the Philippines (ICAP) Inc.—International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology—International Association of Correctional Training Personnel—International Correctional Arts Network—International Corrections and Prisons Association—International Community Corrections Association—Iowa Corrections Association—Jamaica Federation of Corrections—ITT Technical Institute ACA Student Chapter—Ivy Tech Community College Terre Haute Branch ACA Student Chapter—Juvenile Justice Trainers Association—Kansas Correctional Association—Kentucky Council on

Crime and Delinquency Inc.—Louisiana Correctional Association—Martin University Student Chapter—Maryland Criminal Justice Association— Michigan Corrections Association—Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association—Minnesota Corrections Association—Missouri Corrections Association—Missouri Western University Student Chapter—Moraine Park Technical College Corrections Club—National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice—National Association of Correctional Record Administrators and Supervisors—National Association of Juvenile Correctional Agencies— National Association of Probation Executives—National Association of Adult and Juvenile State Corrections Mental Health Directors—National Correctional Industries Association Inc.—National Council on Crime and Delinquency—National Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators— National Juvenile Detention Association—National Major Gang Task Force—National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice—National Partnership for Juvenile Services—Nebraska Correctional Association— Nevada Corrections Association—New Jersey Chapter Association—New Mexico Criminal Justice Association—New York Corrections and Youth Services Association—North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents—North Carolina Correctional Association—Northern Illinois University Academic Justice Association—Ohio Correctional and Court Services Association—Oklahoma Correctional Association— Oregon Criminal Justice Association—Parole and Probation Compact Administrators Association—Pennsylvania Association of Probation, Parole and Corrections—Pierce College Criminal Justice Club—Prison Fellowship—Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Association—Richmond Community College Student Chapter—St. Augustine’s College ACA Student Chapter—Salvation Army—South Carolina Correctional Association—Southern States Correctional Association—State University of New York–Albany—Tennessee Corrections Association— Texas Corrections Association—University of Central Missouri Student Chapter—University of Illinois/Chicago Criminal Justice Society—Utah Correctional Association—Virginia Correctional Association—Volunteers of America Inc.—Washburn University ACA Student Chapter—Washington Correctional Association—Western Illinois University Corrections Club— Western Correctional Association—Westwood College Angels—Wisconsin Correctional Association—WITC New Richmond Criminal Justice Club— Wyoming Correctional Association

OFFICERS PRESIDENT

Tony C. Parker, Tennessee IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Gary C. Mohr, Ohio VICE PRESIDENT Tony M. Wilkes, Tennessee PRESIDENT-ELECT Denise M. Robinson, Ohio TREASURER Harbans S. Deol, Ph.D., Nebraska BOARD OF GOVERNORS REPRESENTATIVES Elizabeth F. “Beth” Arthur Derrick D. Schofield, Ph.D. SECRETARY James A. Gondles Jr., CAE, Virginia EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James A. Gondles Jr., CAE MANAGING EDITOR Kirk Raymond GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION STAFF GRAPHIC DESIGNER Carla DeCarlo COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Mary Seidel ADVERTISING AND MARKETING STAFF DIRECTOR, CONVENTIONS, ADVERTISING AND CORPORATE RELATIONS Kelli McAfee PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Mary Misisco

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Statements contained in Corrections Today are the personal views of the authors and do not constitute ACA policy unless so indicated. ACA does not assume responsibility for the content of Corrections Today as submitted by contributors, reserves the right to edit all articles and, if necessary, condense them. The publication of any advertisement by ACA is neither an endorsement of the advertiser nor of the products or services advertised. ACA is not responsible for any claims made in advertisements. MISSION STATEMENT: The American Correctional Association provides a professional organization for all individuals and groups, both public and private, that share a common goal of improving the justice system. Corrections Today (ISSN 0190-2563, USPS 019-640) is published six times a year in January/ February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December by the American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-224-0000. Send any changes to Corrections Today, Attn: Membership Department, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. Subscriptions are included in annual membership dues. Nonmember subscription rates are $25 per year for Corrections Today ($36 value) or $6 per issue. Printed in USA. Vol. 84, No. 6. Copyright 2022 by the American Correctional Association.

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CONVENTIONS, ADVERTISING AND CORPORATE RELATIONS DIRECTOR Kelli McAfee FINANCIAL SERVICES AND HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR William Lake MEMBERSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTOR Roberta Gibson OFFICE OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH DIRECTORS Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Mike Miskell, MPH, CHES ® — Director Dr. Dean Aufderheide — Director of Mental Health STANDARDS AND ACCREDITATION DIRECTOR David Haasenritter PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Dee Whitaker — Director INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACTING DIRECTOR Jeffrey Washington INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES DIRECTOR Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Director

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Corrections Today November/December 2022— 3

6 News&Views 6 In Memoriam 8 Correctional Chaplain Perspectives 14 NIJ Update 51 ACA Featured

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Departments 52 Welcome New Members 54 Certification List 56 Bookshelf 59 E.R. Cass Award Form 62 Accreditation Byline 68 Corrections Calendar 70 Index to Advertisers/ Product Index

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Statement of Ownership U.S. Postal Service STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION (required by Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code), (1) Title of Publication: CORRECTIONS TODAY. (2) Publication No.: 019-640. (3) Date of Filing: September 23, 2022. (4) Frequency of Issue: 6 times per year. (5) No. of Issues Published Annually: 6. (6) Annual Subscription Price: $35 (7) and (8) Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication/ Headquarters of Publisher: 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. (9) Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher and Editor. Publisher: James A. Gondles Jr. Editor: Kirk Raymond. American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. (10) Name and Complete Mailing Address of Owner: American Correctional Association, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. (11) Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding One Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: Sandy Springs Bank 17801 Georgia Ave. Olney, MD 20832. (12) The Purpose, Function, and Nonprofit Status of This Organization and the Exempt Status for Federal Income Tax Purposes: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. (13) Publication name: CORRECTIONS TODAY. (14) Issue date for circulation data: September/October 2022. (15) Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months and Actual No. of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: (a) Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 0. (b) Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (1) Paid and/or requested mail subscriptions: 0. (3) Other classes mailed through USPS: 0. (c) Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (sum of (15b1) and (15b3): 0. (d3) Free Distribution by Mail (Samples; Complimentary; and other Free): 0. (d4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means): 0. (e) Total Free Distribution (sum of (15d3) and (15d4)): 0 (f) Total Distribution (sum of (15c) and (15e)): 0. (g) Copies Not Distributed: 0. (h) Total (sum of (15f) and (15g)): 0. (i) Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c/15f x 100): 0 percent. (16) Electronic Copy Circulation Average No. of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months and Actual No. of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: (a) Paid Electronic Copies: 7,670. (b) Total Paid Print Copies Plus Paid Electronic Copies: 0. (c) Total Print Distribution Plus Paid Electronic Copies: 0. Percent Paid (Both Print and Electronic Copies: 100. (17) This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the November/December 2022 issue of this publication. (18) I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete: Kirk Raymond, director, Communications and Publications.

4 — November/December 2022 Corrections Today

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For more information, email healthcare@aca.org

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NEWS&VIEWS

IN MEMORIAM

Gary Hill Sept. 29, 1939 — Sept. 18, 2022

W e are saddened to report the passing of long time ACA member Gary Hill. Gary served on the Commission on Accreditation, was a past member of the Delegate Assembly and various committees, an E.R. Cass awardee and a member of ACA for 56 years, who virtually never missed a Congress of Correction. His long-time wife Cece preceded him in passing. Gary was a charter member of ICPA and was known as “Mr. UN” at the United Nations’ Crime Congress. Please see the link below for Gary’s obituary. ♦

https://www.bmlfh.com/obituary/gary-hill

Enjoy 6 issues of Corrections Today for FREE as one of the many benefits of ACA membership!

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6 — November/December 2022 Corrections Today

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Contact Dee Whitaker today to receive a customized proposal for your agency — Dee Whitaker, Director, Professional Development at 703.224.0167 or dwhitaker@aca.org

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NEWS&VIEWS

CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAIN PERSPECTIVES

The Global Leadership Summit and community engagement in corrections By Eric Anderson C orrectional chaplains are continually challenged to introduce the incarcerated

population to high-quality, pro-social influences. Volunteers and volunteer led programming are essential to the rehabilitative mission of corrections. “Truly transforming correc tions is not going to be an activity that is solely the func tion of government. It is also going to take us leveraging partnerships with the for-profit and non-profit communities outside of the department that have additional resources that we otherwise would not be able to access.” — Solomon Graves, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections The Global Leadership Sum mit (GLS) is an excellent tool for chaplains to deepen community and faith-based organizational en gagement, while at the same time driving personal transformation and culture change inside correctional institutions.

istock/stellalevi

Each year for close to three decades the Global Leadership Net work (GLN) has brought together the world’s smartest voices on leadership and influence for a two-day Summit in early August. In addition to the faith community, teaching fac ulty bring experience and inspiring insights from business, education, politics, and entertainment. Past

speakers have included Bishop T.D. Jakes, Andy Stanley, Bryan Steven son (Just Mercy) , Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Melinda Gates, author Malcolm Gladwell, and filmmaker Ron Howard. Translated into 55+ languages, several hundred thousand people participate at 1300+ sites worldwide in 110+ countries. The Summit has

8 — November/December 2022 Corrections Today

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

two-day event, asking questions and discussing messages during breaks, and sharing meals. In partnership with the Global Leadership Network, and as part of our community engagement initia tives in Tennessee, Fourth Purpose asked three organizations to host the GLS across the state. Faith Promise, a multi-campus church in Knoxville, has been hosting the GLS for years. They also have a thriving prison min istry led by Campus Pastor Lisa Cole. The Church partners with God Behind Bars, a national faith-based non-profit, to stream their Sunday worship experi ence into Bledsoe and Morgan County Correctional Complexes in East Tennessee. Along with the services, Faith Promise volunteers lead small groups and classes inside the facilities, support Tennessee Department of Cor rections (TDOC) chaplains and staff, and provide support to citizens return ing to the community and families impacted by incarceration. “I’ve attended the

The Summit has demonstrated the ability to influence culture change over time as participants assimilate content into new pro-social ways to identify and live in the context of sentence and circumstance.

“Being a chaplain and in charge of introducing inmates to various avenues of hope feels like I am holding a flash light directly on someone that has been stuck in the dark for the better part of their life—but now they can find a way to hope. Given the right opportunity, those individu als create their own light and shine, giving proof to what programs like the GLS can achieve inside institutions.” — Chaplain Dwight Burch, Franklin Correctional Institute Several State Departments of Correction also use the Summit for leadership training purposes with their staff. The most successful and impact ing Summit experiences in prisons are hosted by community and/or faith-based organizations, often a local church. This model brings volunteers into the facility that are already known to the population. Volunteers and mentors can interact with participants throughout the

been hosted in 200 prison and jail facilities since 2014; over 15,000 incarcerated men and women have participated. For inmates, Summit speakers and messages are positive, pro-social, and inspiring. “It was an amazing blessing on its own to be in the presence of such great leaders. I obtained many jewels that made a great impact in my life and gave me that drive I needed to continue to want to do better. This world needs more positive leaders that are going to stand for some thing, not for our own self gain, but for the better of this world.” — Luis, Century Correction Institute The Summit has demonstrated the ability to influence culture change over time as participants assimilate content into new pro social ways to identify and live in the context of sentence and circumstance.

Global Leadership Summit for years at church. Last year, there was a story of a prison hosting it. I was inundated with texts asking why we didn’t have it inside one of our [prison] cam puses. I was thrilled when Fourth Purpose asked if we would be willing to help. Our first hosting experience at Bledsoe was amazing! The participants really enjoyed it, they took notes and are still talking about it a month later.” — Lisa Cole

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NEWS&VIEWS

“The Summit is igniting trans formation and planting hope in the hearts of those that often feel un valued,” said Melanie Griffin, the director of the prison program for the GLN. GLN donors, inspired by the impact the Summit is having in the correctional environment, make the event available at no cost, and signing up is simple: all you need is a point person and the enabling tech nology (the GLS is a live-streamed event — the GLN tech team is avail able to assist and provide support to the IT department). Looking forward to future Summits, and a larger number of participating organizations and cor rectional facilities, we are grateful to have the generous support of the TDOC and the GLN. I have hosted the Summit several times at the Louisiana State Peniten tiary at Angola. Sitting in the prison chapel, sharing conversation with transformed men living with mean ing and purpose; I’ve personally witnessed the power of the event to both inspire and change lives. For more information about hosting the Summit in your facility, go to: https://globalleadership.org/prison.

outside sponsoring organization is not required, many Summit events are hosted by facility chaplains.) The GEO Group, a private correc tions and community reentry services provider, has hosted the Summit in 15 facilities since 2015 making the GLS available to over 1,200 persons in custody. This year, they broadcast the event via closed-circuit televi sion, opening the opportunity to view the two-day event to over 4,000 residents.

“Unlike many virtual broad cast programs, the Summit provides “workbooks” that engage the inmate partici pants on an entirely different level. With workbook and pens in hand, they can fol low outlines of the speakers, and as questions that come to mind in the process, they can write them down and ask, discuss, and otherwise explore the topics that reso nated with them during the breaks. From my perspective, this on-the-spot interaction precludes the tendency to passively watch and supplies a space to not just hear, but to think, digest, and find pos sible ways to implement the subject matter in their own lives. I am able to report that inmates, staff and volunteers alike have been profoundly impacted by what they saw and heard via the Summit.”

2022 Global Leadership Summit at Bledsoe County Correctional Complex, Hosted by Faith Promise Church. Photo courtesy The Global Leadership Summit

On day two, Faith Promise brought in boxed Chick-fil-A lunches for Summit participants and the staff assigned to the event. As a follow-up, the church purchased books authored by 2022 GLS faculty for participants (125+) – each participant got to choose which one they wanted and the church also resourced the Chap lain’s library with all of the books from this year’s Summit Guide. Two other community-based organizations hosted the GLS in Tennessee. Nashville based, transi tional housing provider, Men of Valor hosted the event at the Turney Center Industrial Complex; and Memphis area education and job services pro vider, HopeWorks hosted at the Mark Luttrell Transition Center. (Note: an

Eric Anderson works on community engagement initiatives at the Fourth Purpose Foundation in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Foundation’s mission is to make prison a place of Transformation.

— Richard Glau, Manager of Faith Based Services, The GEO Group, Inc.

10 — November/December 2022 Corrections Today

Performance-Based Expected Practices for Adult Correctional Institutions, Fifth Edition AVAILABLE NOW! Updated in March 2021 and now available in your choice of print or digital format!

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Correctional Nurse Manager Training and Certification Program

The CCN/M First Edition Study Guide NOW AVAILABLE!

• The CCN/M certification cate gory includes individuals who work as nurse managers in a correctional environment. • They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation and have authority over staff nurses.

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For more information, please email healthcare@aca.org or call 703-224-0049

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Correctional Nurse Manager Training and Certification Curriculum

Module 1 — Health Care in Corrections Section 1A – Appropriate and Necessary Health Care Section 1B – Access to Care Section 1C – Total Quality Management Section 1D – Prevention of Contagion Module 2 — Legal Issues in Corrections Section 2A – History of Correctional Law Section 2B – Inmate Rights v. Inmate Privileges Section 2C – Landmark Court Cases Section 2D – Inmate Grievances Section 2E – Confidentiality Module 3 — Behavioral Health Section 3A – Basics of Mental Illness Section 3B – Mental Health Assessments Section 3C – Crisis Intervention Section 3D – Suicide Prevention Section 3E – Trauma Informed Care Section 3F – The Multidisciplinary Service Team and Multidisciplinary Treatment Team Section 3G – Managing Disruptive Inmates Section 4A – Scope and Nature of Correctional Nursing Section 4B – Understanding the Standards of Correctional Nurse Practice Section 4C – Understanding the Standards of Professional Performance Section 4D – Ethics Section 4E – Accreditation Module 4 — Nursing Practice and Accreditation

Module 5 — Security Section 5A – Equipment/Supplies Accountability Section 5B – Inspections and Investigations Section 5C – Problem Inmates Section 5D – Emergencies Module 6 — General and Inmate Management Section 6A – Special Needs Inmates Section 6B – Policy and Procedures Section 6C – Communication Section 6D – Classification Section 6E – Health Education Programs Module 7 — Conflict Management Section 7A – Staff Conflict Management Section 7B – Inmate Conflict Management Section 7C – Mediation Section 7D – Staff Grievances Module 8 — Human Resource Management Section 8A – Staff Management Section 8B – Recruitment and Retention Section 8C – Staff Development

Eligibility Requirements: Certified Correctional Nurse Manager (CCN/M)

• RN license in good standing with corresponding state nursing board

• 2 years of correctional nurse management experience; supervises other medical personnel and administrative staff

• Associate, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Master of Science (M.S.) in Nursing or completion of an accredited nursing program

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NEWS&VIEWS

NIJ UPDATE

Getting the most out of research partnerships Inviting inclusive research that shares program implementation findings and informs improvements in correctional climates By Nancy La Vigne, Ph.D., Director, National Institute of Justice

composed of a mix of people who live and work there, just like com munities “on the outside.” Prisons and jails house not only people who are sentenced to serve time or are awaiting court disposition, but also correctional officers, healthcare workers, educators, volunteers, and all manner of facility staff. These individuals all perform a role within the prison setting, and impact the climate and safety of the institution, whether positively or negatively. The role of NIJ in correctional research Roughly 30 years later, I carry observations from my first prison visit, along with years of subsequent correctional research, with me in my role as the director of the Na tional Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research, development, and evalua tion agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ convenes criminal justice practitioners and stakeholders to help craft a research agenda and distill which research investments would most benefit them, awards grants to conduct that research, and communicates research findings to inform improvements in policies

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T he first time I ever entered a correctional facility was in the early 1990s. I was the research director for the Texas sentencing commission, touring what was then a brand-new prison unit with a collection of staff and com missioners. As the warden proudly guided us through the facility, I mar veled at the level of cleanliness, the ample natural light, and the court yards that were partially landscaped

(albeit modestly). A prosecutor on our tour questioned the warden about why the prison had to be so nice — aren’t people sent to prison to be punished ? The warden explained that prisons are also populated by the people who work at them. Shouldn’t they have a reasonable work environment ? To an outsider, it can be difficult to think of correctional facilities as communities. However, they are

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NIJ Update

and practices in the field. My role as NIJ director affords me the op portunity to oversee critical and impactful research on corrections and to influence how the findings are disseminated to the correctional lead ers and practitioners who need them. As illustrated in past Corrections Today articles, NIJ has invested in a wide swath of corrections research, including studies on reentry, desis tance from crime, and the impact of COVID-19 on corrections, to name a few. 1 Having conducted many studies of reentry programs and technolo gies myself, I have pondered several persistent challenges. Why do some agencies open their doors to research while others are resistant? Why do seemingly identical programs work better in some facilities than in oth ers? To what degree do correctional departments use research findings to guide decision-making? If so, how? Many of the answers to these questions are embedded in the “Aha!” moment I had during my very first correctional facility visit: Most researchers are not conducting their studies with the understand ing that prisons are communities . Approaching research with that recognition front of mind could lead them to pose more relevant research questions and generate more action able findings — and would likely improve the policies and practices that result from them. Let’s face it: Inviting research ers into your facilities isn’t easy. It’s disruptive and adds another degree of complexity to your efforts to en sure a safe and secure environment. That makes it essential that your research partnerships yield a return

on investment. Those returns could be improved considerably if cor rectional leaders invited researchers that (1) employ inclusive methods, (2) measure and routinely report on program implementation fidelity, and (3) include an assessment of the underlying facility climate. Most researchers are not conducting their studies with the understanding that prisons are communities . while also producing strong and effective correctional programs? I think the answer lies in “inclusive research.” Originally established in the context of research on people with learning and intellectual dis abilities, inclusive research happens when researchers engage those who are affected by the issue, problem, or intervention under study and incor porate the knowledge that comes from their lived experiences. 2 At a minimum, inclusive research demands that research findings be shared with the people who helped generate them. Doing so can aid in the interpretation of findings and help in developing actionable steps to make improvements informed by them. And when researchers engage Invite inclusive research studies How do we measure climate

the entire prison community, cor rectional staff are more likely to perceive changes in policies as valid and thus will be more invested in their faithful implementation. 3 Inclusive research could be full on participatory research, which engages with stakeholders as equal partners in all facets of the research process, or it could be more limited, such as soliciting their participation in the crafting of survey questions. 4 Who better to enlist in developing survey questions on institutional safety than the people who work and When I first entered the field of criminology, the most common research studies in corrections were those for which researchers peti tioned a department of corrections to gain access to data on incarcerated populations for projects related to their own research interests. Rare was the case when researchers shared their findings with corrections lead ership (much less institutional staff or people who were incarcerated); instead, they prioritized publication in academic journals. By contrast, the program evalu ations of today hold promise for being highly relevant. But far too often, we unknowingly set those studies up for failure through lack of attention to program fidelity. To avoid this pitfall, researchers need to answer fundamental questions about program implementation, such as: Were the right people enrolled in the program (e.g., based on assessed risk or need)? Were they exposed to the intended number of program hours reside in the facility? Require feedback on program fidelity

Corrections Today November/December 2022 — 15

NEWS&VIEWS

and full degree of program content? To what degree did transfers and lockdowns interfere with program delivery and completion? Not all studies of correctional programs document implementation as thoroughly as they should, with some simply foregoing it altogether. That is a disservice because, ab sent an implementation evaluation, even the most rigorous design in the world won’t tell you that your program didn’t work because it wasn’t implemented as intended. I would argue that implementation evaluations are as important as im pact evaluations — if not more so. What’s the point of measuring some thing that you aren’t even confident will work? We need to invest more resources in ensuring that programs are implemented with fidelity. Yet even among evaluators who attend to implementation fidelity, relatively few share what they are learning as they are learning it . In stead of summarizing those findings in a final report after the evaluation has concluded, researchers should document and share implementa tion challenges routinely throughout the course of an evaluation. Termed “action research,” researchers

should feed this information back to program implementers and prison officials in real time. 5 Doing so enables improve ments in program delivery, increasing the likelihood that program partici pants benefit from the program and

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experience a successful reintegration into their communities when they leave prison. Welcome studies that measure climate Implementation fidelity is im portant, but documentation of the context of program delivery should not stop there. Program evalua tors also need to make note of the prison climate. I’ve spent years reading, reviewing, and synthesiz ing reentry program evaluations and have not unearthed a single study that documented program partici pants’ victimization experiences or degree of access to basic needs in the context of describing program effectiveness. Yet if you are in

constant fear for your personal safety or don’t have routine access to your prescribed medication, it is unlikely that you will absorb and make good use of program content, regardless of how evidence-based or well-deliv ered the program was. Prison climate affects staff as well. Staff who feel overworked and underappreciated, and who don’t embrace the goal of rehabilitation, have little incentive to ensure that people get to their classrooms. I’ve conducted research in prisons where correctional officers embrace their role as professionals whose job is not just to ensure the safe and secure custody of the people housed there but also to help promote positive change in those people’s lives. I’ve also been in facilities where cor rectional officers feel that the people in their care are treated better than they are, where officers are being promoted based on favoritism rather than merit, and where staffing is so low officers on duty don’t drink liq uids during the day because calling for backup to take a bathroom break is a futile endeavor. It is unrealistic to believe that an identical prison program will yield the same result in these two very different climates.

…absent an implementation evaluation, even the most rigorous design in the world won’t tell you that your program didn’t work because it wasn’t implemented as intended.

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NIJ Update

2 James Charlton, Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000). 3 Jan Walmsley, Iva Strnadová, and Kelley Johnson, “The added value of inclusive research,” Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 31 no. 5 (2018): 751-759. 4 Budd Hall, “Participatory research, popular knowledge and power: A personal reflection,” Convergence 14 no. 3 (1981): 6. 5 Kurt Lewin, “Action research and minority problems,” Journal of Social Issues 2 no. 4 (1946): 34-46.

Be discerning consumers of research

prison community. By being dis cerning consumers of research and demanding that studies be relevant and inclusive, you can increase the odds that the findings will make for healthier and more rehabilitative prison communities and improve the quality of life for all who reside and work in your institutions. ENDNOTES 1 Vivian Aranda-Hughes, George Pesta, and Daniel Mears, “TRANSITIONING: incarcerated individuals out of extended restrictive housing,” Corrections Today 84 no. 3 (2022): 44–49; Benjamin Adams, M. Applegarth, and M. Garcia. 2022. Desistance from crime: On the frontier of criminal justice research. Corrections Today, 84(1): 14–19; Marie Garcia, D.M. Applegarth, E. Martin, B. Adams, and M. Durose. 2021. Using Data and Science to Understand the Impact of Covid-19 on Corrections. Corrections Today, 83(5): 12–16.

Correctional research is at a pivotal moment. Program evaluation has become the norm, and yet the share of programs that yield statisti cally significant impacts remains lower than any of us would like. By making research more relevant and inclusive, we can improve that suc cess rate. But much depends on the en gagement of correctional leaders. This isn’t about opening your doors to any researcher who aspires to conduct a study. Be discerning. Inter rogate prospective research teams on their goals, their methods, and their strategies for engaging with the

Nancy La Vigne, Ph.D., is the director of the National Institute of Justice and is an expert on corrections policy and practice and a researcher in the field.

Happy Holidays!

ACA extends our deepest gratitude for your dedication to the correctional profession. We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season.

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Corrections Today November/December 2022 — 17

■ MENTAL HEALTH

Pandemic behind bars: COVID-19 impact on mental health and suicide prevention

BY GARY JUNKER, DEBORAH SCHULT AND DEAN AUFDERHEIDE

A s the world transitions from a pandemic that should be captured to inform future practices. This is especially true in the congregate living environment of our nation’s jails and prisons where staff are tasked with among other duties, managing, mitigating, and treating the physical and behavioral health needs of the incarcerated population. While the whole world was challenged by COVID-19, incarcerated individuals, already vulnerable due to poor health, mental illness, substance misuse and difficulty coping were impacted in unique ways. These pre-existing vulnerabilities coupled with dramatic change in daily routine pushed some incarcerated persons into crisis to include risk of suicide. While the mission of corrections did not change during this pandemic, overseeing the health and safety of the incarcerated individuals took on a whole new dimension of challenge. As COVID-19 spread across the country and into correctional facilities, resultant changes occurred in correctional operations including reductions in intakes, increases in early releases to the community, development of strategies for quarantine, physical distancing, wearing masks and enhancing hygiene practices. Modification or suspension of programming and technological shifts to include virtual visitation in facilities and virtual meetings (e.g., court, healthcare appointments) further altered the landscape for incarcerated individuals and staff. (Garcia, Applegarth, Martin, Adams, & Durose, 2021). emergency response to a “new normal” there are many lessons learned across multiple domains

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Suicide risk among the incarcerated Since the onset of COVID-19, there has been signifi cant literature published regarding how the pandemic has affected the mental health of people throughout our society. However, there is little empirical literature found regarding the mental health of persons under supervision in prisons and jails. (Johnson, Gutridge, Parkes, Roy, & Plugge, 2021). Research does show that incarcerated individuals are at elevated risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (Hayes, 1999). Suicide rates among the incarcerated have been variously noted to be anywhere between 3 to 9 times higher than the general population (Harrison and Rogers, 2007) and are known to be the leading cause of death in jails; and rank third as the reason for death in prisons. Given the known increased risk of suicide in the incarcerated population, it is important to investigate how COVID-19 has impacted typical stressors and suicide prevention strategies. Many incarcerated individuals who attempt suicide lack relationships inside prisons, spend much of their time alone, have difficulties with their peers, have fewer visits, and less correspondence with family and friends. Many incarcerated individuals who attempt suicide lack relationships inside prisons, spend much of their time alone, have difficulties with their peers, have fewer visits, and less correspondence with family and friends. (Stoliker, 2018). A recent meta-analysis of predictors of self-harm among the incarcerated indicated that poor social support, a lack of social connection and a lack of visitation are linked to an increased risk of self-harm

(Favril, Yu, Hawton, & Fazel, 2020). In review of psy chological autopsies, Way, Miraglia, Sawyer, Beer, & Eddy (2005) found that about 50% of prisoners who died by suicide experienced conflicts with other incarcerated individuals, 42% had recent disciplinary infractions, 40% were fearful of physical harm, and 65% had recently received negative news from friends or family in the com munity. Way, et. al., (2005) suggest that these findings emphasize the importance of incarcerated persons main taining positive social ties in both external and internal communities. Impact of COVID-19 on suicide risk While the research base is sparce, there is some evi dence suggesting greater attention be paid to the risk of suicide during a prolonged crisis event and particularly within a carceral setting. For example, Gétaz, Wolff, Go lay, Heller, & Baggio (2021) observing a Swiss pre-trial population identified a statistically significant increase in the relative risk of suicide attempts and an increase of other self-harm events from the two years proceed ing COVID; and the first year of COVID. Others note that while data gathered during the COVID pandemic related to suicidal behavior in jails and prisons does not evidence overall upticks, previous similar crises suggest that suicidal risk increases AFTER the crisis wanes. As Banerjee, Kosagisharaf, & Sathyanarayana Rao (2021) note “Pandemics like COVID-19 will not inevitably lead to increase in suicides, but the myriad of socio-economic and psychological factors might lead to a sustained and chronic increase in risk.” Similarly, Sher (2020) con cluded that a higher probability exists for an increase in suicides following the COVID-19 crisis. This is particu larly evident for individuals with pre-existing psychiatric conditions such as mood, psychotic and substance use disorders. For incarcerated populations, the pandemic has added a new dimension of stress and anxiety related to self-risk and risk to loved ones of contracting or dying from CO VID-19. This stress is often exacerbated by an awareness of vulnerabilities in health (Johnson, et al., 2021) and concerns about adequately protecting oneself from the virus in crowded congregate conditions. It appears that a lack of control over exposure risk, and the uncertainties of the pandemic may contribute to an exacerbation of

Graphic illustration opposite page: istock/arvitalya; Covid-19: istock/erhui1979

Corrections Today November/December 2022— 19

■ M ENTAL HEALTH

behavioral health concerns, to include anger, depression, self- harm and possibly suicide. A higher rate of mental illness among incarcerated individuals indicates that this population may be particu larly vulnerable to COVID-19 related stressors (Mitchell, La Rosa, Cary, & Sparks, 2021). Those with mental illness and those at risk of suicide often lack effective coping skills. Incarcerated individuals are often impulsive and fail to evaluate the consequences of their actions. This relative lack of effective coping strategies could increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors as these individuals try to manage their stress reactions. (Dexter & Towl, 1995). Lack of relationships Negative news from family and friends in

often mimicked conditions of confinement known as restrictive housing or segregation. It has been well documented that increased social isolation, feeling disconnected from others, and restrictive confinement is linked to increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behav iors (Favril et al., 2020; Bonner, 2006; Stoliker, 2018). Although “lock-down” measures may help reduce the likelihood of a COVID-19 outbreak within a congregate setting, the unintended consequences produced by these restrictive conditions were real. Haney (2003) suggested that restrictive prison environments increase a host of negative affect and attitudes, to include self-mutilation, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts.

Reduced opportunities to engage in programming Pre-pandemic levels of structured program ming that were effective in helping the incarcerated manage their confinement were suddenly and quite dramatically taken away. The reduction of these mental health protective activities such as indi vidual or group therapy, education, recreation, and religious activities, likely exacerbated the detrimen tal effects of the pandemic. Efforts to provide in-cell

the community has been linked to increased suicide risk among the incarcer ated (Way et al., 2005). During the COVID- era, in addition to the myriad types of “bad news” one might receive while incar cerated, was the additional source of learning of the ill health or death of a loved one from COVID-19. Relatedly, positive interactions and finan cial support from family

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or on-unit self-help alternatives such as exercise, mind fulness, video programming, and social interaction were often sporadic at best, and typically inadequate to miti

is associated with positive adjustment in prison (Aday, 1994; Pratt and Foster, 2020). The incarcerated often rely on these forms of support as a lifeline. With travel restrictions, visiting prohibitions and financial uncertain ties related to COVID-19, family members have been less able to provide support. One might speculate that a pullback of these supports could result in reduced posi tive adjustment and increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior for incarcerated persons. Environment factors The prison environment itself is an important con sideration for suicide risk. During COVID-19, infection control strategies of medical isolation and quarantine

gate negative pandemic effects. Lack of access to outside world

Many incarcerated individuals found themselves with reduced access to information or outside contact due to sus pended community medical appointments, court hearings, furloughs, work release and other opportunities outside of the correctional environment which likely added to emotional distress. Increased social isolation and feelings of not belonging are risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempts. Incarcerated persons were especially impacted

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