Corrections_Today_September_October_2020_Vol.82_No.5

ACA Wins an APEX Award! p. 24

Corrections September/October 2020

Today

Former ACA President Norm Carlson

ends ‘his journey on earth’ p. 8

News & Views AND more

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American Correctional Association Corrections Today September/October 2020 Vol. 82, No. 5

Features

24 The Man in Black helps Corrections Today win

an APEX Award By Alexander Carrigan

26

32

The story of corrections begins at the National Law Enforcement Museum Reeshemah Taylor, ‘the heart, the soul and the spine’ of corrections officers By Floyd Nelson Jr.

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison Looking back over the last 40 years of Corrections Today, the issues and proposals Cash addressed are still as relevant today as they were then. By Molly Law, M.A.

38

Finding and keeping a job Advice from formerly

incarcerated employees By Araceli Ochoa, M.A. and Rachel Deckard, B.A.

Cover background photo: istock/dpenn

2 — September/October 2020 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 Gary C. Mohr, Ohio IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Lannette C. Linthicum, M.D., FACP, Texas VICE PRESIDENT Tony M. Wilkes, Tennessee PRESIDENT-ELECT Tony C. Parker, Tennessee TREASURER Denise M. Robinson, Ohio 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 Floyd Nelson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alexander Carrigan GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION STAFF GRAPHIC DESIGNER Carla DeCarlo ADVERTISING AND MARKETING STAFF DIRECTOR, CONVENTIONS, ADVERTISING AND CORPORATE RELATIONS Kelli McAfee PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Mary Misisco ACA EXECUTIVE OFFICE AND DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James A. Gondles Jr., CAE DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeffrey Washington EXECUTIVE OFFICE DIRECTOR Debbi Seeger SENIOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT India Vargas ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Vincent Ryan

ARTICLE AND PHOTO SUBMISSIONS: Managing Editor, 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314; email submissions@aca.org. Articles must be in Microsoft Word. Please include all contact information. Unless expressly requested in writing, all photos and artwork submitted become the property of ACA and may be used in future ACA publications. Articles and photos will not be returned unless expressly requested by author. Microfilm: Corrections Today is available for electronic reproduction through ProQuest Information and Learning Co., 300 N. Zeeb Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346; 313-761-4700.

CONNECT WITH US ONLINE

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ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Production coordinator, 800-222-5646 ext. 0019. Written inquiries should be mailed to 206 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA 22314 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address 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. Send change of address notice and a recent mailing label to Membership and Customer Service Department, ACA, 60 days before the actual change of address. ACA will not replace undelivered copies resulting from an address change. Printed in USA. Vol. 82, No. 5. Copyright 2020 by the American Correctional Association.

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COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR Floyd Nelson

CONVENTIONS, ADVERTISING AND CORPORATE RELATIONS DIRECTOR Kelli McAfee FINANCIAL SERVICES AND HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Hok Gao, MBA, CPA, SHRM-SCP MEMBERSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTOR Roberta Gibson INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES DIRECTOR Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director OFFICE OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH DIRECTOR Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Mike Miskell, MPH, CHES ® — Director STANDARDS AND ACCREDITATION DIRECTOR David Haasenritter PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Elizabeth Gondles, Ph.D. — Senior Director Doreen Efeti, MPH, MBA, MCHES ® , DHSc — Director ACTING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Hok Gao, MBA, CPA, SHRM-SCP

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Corrections Today September/October 2020 — 3

News&Views

6

From Jim’s Desk

6

In Memoriam

8

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

10

10

Juvenile Justice News

14

NIJ Update

18

45 ACA Featured Departments

Welcome New Members

46

18

Certification List

48

Bookshelf

50

Professional Development Update

52

Certification Spotlight

54

Recidivism

56

Corrections Calendar

62

Index to Advertisers/ Product Index

64

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The American Correctional Association is fully engaged in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. ACA has taken the lead to provide its members around the world with vital information geared to protecting the health and safety of correctional professionals everywhere. From webinars, produced by ACA’s Office of Correction- al Health, to the latest information that focuses on managing the stress of uncertainty by taking care of you, ACA’s response has been intelligent, knowledgeable and thorough. In an unprecedented display of servant-leadership, ACA has brought together its sponsors, supporters and other correctional organizations to give valuable and much needed resources to those who need it at no charge. To stay abreast of this “emerging, rapidly evolving situation,”we encourage you to visit the ACA website regularly. There you will find online COVID-19 resources, important infor- mation, messages from our leadership and ACA’s “Wall of Honor”which lists chronologically our correctional heroes who gave their last full measure in fighting this insidious virus.

4 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today

American Correctional Association Special Webinars

1245C 286C

M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E A M E R I C A N C O R R E C T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N C O A L I T I O N O F C O R R E C T I O N A L H E A L T H A U T H O R I T I E S

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Sponsored by The Coalition of Correctional Health Authorities (CCHA)

Coronavirus COVID-19: CORRECTIONS

ACA is committed to gathering the most current information regarding Coronavirus COVID-19 and is presenting it for free on our website. These include our ACA webinars on the pandemic and curated information from the CDC and other health organizations. These resources are available so those involved in corrections know how to react and prepare for a pandemic.

Visit www.aca.org to see all of our webinars and resources regarding COVID-19.

Click on the “Coronavirus COVID-19: Corrections” spotlight link.

Continuing Education Credits are available for webinars.

For more information, contact Amanda Miesner at amandam@aca.org or 703-224-0078.

5

From Jim’s Desk nEWS & vIEWS

Vote!

A woman was running for a local office and her best friend was her campaign manager. The election results came back with a decision not in her favor. The candidate was very disappointed but said to her friend and campaign manager: “At least you voted for me, as did many people.” To which her friend did not immediately respond. “You did vote for me, didn’t you?” She asked. “You never asked me to,” replied her friend and campaign manager.

the lesson of never taking anyone’s vote for granted. Always ask! This fall is an important time for our nation and for our association. Both the U.S. and ACA have upcom- ing elections that are important to our future. Sadly, many Americans do not exercise their sacred right at the ballot box. I wish I could say something different for our associa- tion, but I cannot. Fewer than 25% of our members vote in our ACA elections. You hear this every year in national elections: “This is the most important election our country has ever faced!” The fact is every elec- tion is the most important election our country has ever faced! The con- sequences of “nonimportance” in an election is to not have an election. It does not go unnoticed that our nation is divided on many, many issues. Racial issues, the justice sys- tem, our COVID-19 response, taxes, health care, international relations and many other issues have divided us. As one person, I certainly do not have an answer to how to unite us.

istock/lukbar

I can only pray that our president, our Congress, and our state and local governments figure out solutions to our challenges that unite us, not divide us. But the one thing I can say is that if you’re on the sidelines, not voting, it’s pretty hypocritical to criticize when the voting is over and the deci- sions on these issues are being made. So, here’s the deal: VOTE! Vote like your life or at least “way of life” depends upon it. Vote for the USA, and vote for ACA!!

Vote like your life or at least “way of life” depends upon it.

Having been a candidate for pub- lic office three times, and a candidate for association office before, I learned

James A. Gondles Jr., CAE ACA Executive Director

6 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today

Correctional Behavioral Health Training and Certi cation Program

Adult Correctional Officers • Juvenile Justice Professionals Allied Behavioral Health Staff • Community Corrections Officers

This program ensures a candidate’s knowledge of national expected practices and guidelines, legal and ethical principles and relevant security regulations. It also validates the role of correctional professionals associated with the provision of behavioral health services for mentally ill inmates or o enders in correctional settings.

“The CBHC training offered valuable perspectives for custody and health services staff working as a multidisciplinary service team.” —Terri L. Catlett, Deputy Director – Health Services North Carolina Department of Public Safety

“The program is a benchmark that targets specialized training needs for staff interacting with correctional behavioral health populations today. It promotes public safety and safer prisons by increasing the level

of professionalism for our correctional officers as it builds knowledge, skills and abilities tomanage our growing behavioral health populations.” —Tony Parker, Commissioner Tennessee Department of Correction

“The American Correctional Association’s Correctional Behavioral Health Certification helps us reach the goal of successfully training our officers to be better at managing this difficult population.” —Daron Hall, Sheriff Davidson’s County Sheriff’s Office

For more information, email healthcare@aca.org

7

nEWS & vIEWS

In Memoriam

Former ACA President Norm Carlson ends ‘his journey on earth’ By Floyd Nelson Jr.

Norm Carlson Aug. 10, 1933 – Aug. 9, 2020

In 1960, continuing what eventu- ally would be a long and successful career with the government, Mr. Carlson began serving in various positions in BOP’s Central Of- fice. Ten years later, in 1970, he had ascended to the top to become BOP’s fourth “Director of the Bureau” where he served under 11 attorney generals and four U.S. presidents — Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan — until his retirement in 1987. But retirement proved more of a waystation for Mr. Carlson than an ending point. Armed with his master’s degree in criminology from the University of Iowa, Mr. Carlson joined the University of Minnesota’s

Department of Sociology and served as an adjunct professor until 1998. He also served as a director of the Wackenhut Corrections Corporation and its successor, The GEO Group, from 1994 until 2016. Often described as a “very thoughtful, intelligent man who firm- ly believed inmates should be treated humanely and given opportunities to change while in custody,” one of the outstanding policies Mr. Carlson established was one that called for “zero tolerance for prisoner abuse.” “In response to increased judicial involvement in the matters related to conditions of confinement at the local, state and federal levels,” the

Y ou could say, as The New York Times reported, that Norman Albert Carlson began his professional journey in the late 1950s when an inmate advised the 24-year-old corrections officer to leave his job with the Iowa State Penitentiary and get a better one with the U.S. government. Appar- ently, it was good advice, because Mr. Carlson followed it and began working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). His first position was with the U.S. Penitentiary in Leaven- worth, Kansas. Later, he worked for the Federal Correctional Institute in Ashland, Kentucky.

“One of the words that comes to mind when you hear the name Norm Carlson is, ‘character.’ Norm Carlson was a no-nonsense man with strength, integrity, and honor. Quiet and humble, his tall stature and crew cut made him a living embodiment of the true corrections professional. His smile was warm and reassuring. He was a mentor to the ACA leadership. Norm Carlson will live on in the history of the Association.” — Charles J. Kehoe, ACSW, CCE, Chief Operating Officer, Kehoe Correctional Consulting, LLC,

8 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today

In Memoriam

BOP wrote, “the Bureau created the Administrative Remedy Process to address inmate concerns and griev- ances. Many state and international corrections systems would later adopt the Bureau’s Administrative Remedy Process.” From 1978-1980, our orga- nization, ACA, was proud and honored to have Mr. Carlson serve as president. In 1981, he received the prestigious E.R. Cass Award. The Presidential Rank Award as Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service, the Arthur S. Flemming Award, and the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service were just some of Mr. Carl- son’s other awards and honors. Harley Lappin, a former BOP director (2003-2011) and also an E.R. Cass Award recipient (2010), said Mr. Carlson was a pillar of the industry and an all-around great representative. “He was a mentor and a support for me as director.” Mr. Lappin said. “He was such an important role and I learned a great deal from him. I encountered many challenges and he was always there.” Mr. Carlson died in Phoenix on Aug. 9. “A day before his 87 th birthday, my father passed away at Mayo Hospital in Phoenix, with my brother Gary and me at his side,” wrote his daughter, Cindy Gustafson. “It was comforting to know that Dad didn’t suffer and was his strong and calm self as he faced the end of his jour- ney on earth.”

A dedication to the corrections professionals who gave their last full measure. The Wall of Honor

When the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck, lives were upended everywhere. Some lives were lost and, unfortunately, the loss of life continues to rise daily. Most of us know that it is the “first responders” to whom we owe an unpayable debt. And among those brave individuals, standing front and center, are the proud men and women of corrections. It is with heavy hearts that we join grief-stricken families and loved ones to express our heartfelt sympathies for those who have died because of this insidious virus. Visit www.aca,org to view the most current list of names of the corrections professionals who gave their last full measure.

Visit www.aca.org and click on the “Wall of Honor” spotlight link.

Floyd Nelson Jr. is the director of Communications and Publications for the American Correctional Association.

Corrections Today September/October 2020 — 9

nEWS & vIEWS

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

Fourth Purpose: A catalyst to make prison a place of transformation By Dr. Kristi Miller Anderson

H ow many more people with untapped potential are sitting behind bars right now, just waiting for some- one to invest in them?” This question haunts the founder and CEO of 4 th Purpose Foundation, Josh Smith, but it’s also the mo- tivation behind the launch of his foundation in 2019. 4 th Purpose is designed to be a catalyst to make prison a place of authentic and lasting transformation. Without a total transformation in his own life, Smith would not be the suc- cessful businessman he is today. In just over a decade and a half, Smith was able to build a small service company into a $30 million enterprise with more than 150 employees. Interestingly, for a five-year period shortly before launching his company, he was serving a federal prison sentence in Kentucky for his involvement in marijuana and cocaine traffick- ing. He entered prison at age 21 with a background of being an 11 th -grade high school dropout and with no future plans different from his past.

“

Photo courtesy of Kodi Schutte and 4 th Purpose

Josh Smith, CEO of 4 th Purpose Foundation, visits Morgan County Correctional Complex to speak to inmates about the Visitation 2.0 program.

10 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

CEOs and successful lead- ers in various capacities in the business world. Smith began asking them questions about their experiences, and he listened closely to their success and failure stories, as they related to the corporate world. Those encounters, and his newfound faith, were powerful enough to change the entire trajectory of Smith’s life. Upon release, Smith used the principles and knowl- edge he learned from his prison peers to make finan- cial investments and start his own business. He sold that business in 2019 and

The story behind the name Many involved in criminal justice and corrections view incarceration as having the following four basic purposes: deterrence, retribution, incapacitation and rehabilitation. As the 4 th Purpose foundation was being constructed, Smith kept getting hung up on that fourth word: reha- bilitation. To rehabilitate something means “to return it to its former con- dition,” but, as Smith likes to point out, he was never right to begin with. He didn’t need to go back to his old way of life; he needed to be shown there was another way. Growing up with his mother in a single-parent household, living in government housing and being removed from his home at the young age of 11 due to an abusive stepfa- ther, it may not come as a surprise that he had racked up 10 felonies by the time he was 16. This is why transformation has become Smith’s operative word of choice. During his incarceration, Smith found redemp- tion through faith in Jesus Christ. He also happened to be locked up with several highly educated, white-collar criminals. Those men were noted

Photo courtesy of Kodi Schutte and 4 th Purpose

Smith and ACA President-Elect Tony Parker visit a Tennessee facility. Parker is also on the 4 th Purpose Board of Directors.

COVID-19 crisis

invested over $10 million of the proceeds to start 4 th Purpose Foun- dation. Prison turned out to be a place of transformation for Josh, but this isn’t the case for most inmates. 4 th Purpose Foundation seeks to research, develop, support, promote and advocate for evidence-based best practices that positively im- pacts the prison setting so that life transformation is a real possibility for the inmate population.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has required almost every organization, agency and business to reimagine itself. The limited-to-no access to facilities has motivated us to think differently about how to carry out our work in the present pandemic situation. Smith knew firsthand the panic and discouragement that can mount when inmates are locked down even tighter and shut away even further from volunteers, family and friends from the outside world. Smith’s period of incarceration coincided with the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which also resulted in a prolonged shutdown and loss of out- side visits. By putting some of our foundation’s prison reform initiative on hold, we have been able to focus all our efforts on the creation of a “digital visit” to stand in the gap, in a creative way, during the COVID-19 crisis. →

4 th Purpose Foundation seeks to research, develop, support, promote and advocate for evidence-based best practices that positively impacts the prison setting so that life transformation is a real possibility for the inmate population.

Corrections Today September/October 2020 — 11

nEWS & vIEWS

The project, aptly named Visita- tion 2.0, is a five-part digital series, featuring top performing artists and recognized speakers, designed to bring a message of love, hope, sup- port and encouragement specifically to those who are incarcerated and their families during these unprec- edented times. We also created a way (through our website) for anyone in- terested to submit a short “shout-out” video to the incarcerated popula- tion. Many of those clips have been woven into the episodes. For the first time in history, we brought together a broad spectrum of talented individu- als who care about the incarcerated in order to create a single message. This message was created, devel- oped and influenced by, the voices of family members, volunteers, prison ministries, celebrities, athletes, mo- tivational speakers, singers, artists, activists, formerly incarcerated and political leaders.

the inside to make it happen. Most commonly that staff person has been a chaplain. It also requires 4 th Purpose to work with every correc- tional facility individually in order to make Visitation 2.0 available in whatever medium is needed for their specific setting. The willingness of top performers and celebrities to be part of Visitation 2.0 has been surprising and exciting. We’ve enlisted a comprehensive network of organizations to support and help spread the word about Visi- tation 2.0. These entities include: the American Correctional Association, Correctional Leaders Association, American Correctional Chaplains Association, Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association, Global Leadership Network, Prison Fel- lowship, God Behind Bars, Alpha, Kairos, Celebrate Recovery on the Inside, Lifeline Global Ministries, Good News Jails and Prisons, Every Youth Every Facility, and many others. We also gained the coopera- tion of two prison tablet companies, Edovo and APDS, who are stream- ing Visitation 2.0 at no cost to their inmate tablet users.

Praise for Visitation 2.0 The willingness of top perform- ers and celebrities to be part of Visitation 2.0 has been surprising and exciting. The talent lineup has included: Pastors Rick Warren and Albert Tate; hip-hop artists Lecrae, Common, KB and Propaganda; Christian contemporary artists Mi- chael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, Zach Williams and We Are Messengers; Civil Rights icons Ambassador An- drew Young and John Hope Bryant; NFL athletes Sam Acho and Eddie George; comedian Michael Jr.; ac- tors Willie Robertson, Davide and Christina Arquette; and many more. There are also inspiring stories from the formerly incarcerated who are now out and making a differ- ence in the world. Some of the most moving sections of the episodes are the family shout-outs. Having faces of family members affected by incarceration helps emphasize the reality that those behind bars are part of a larger community who loves them and longs for their safe return home. The role of the chaplain in Visitation 2.0 Surprisingly, making a terrific product full of quality entertainment has been the easy part. It’s getting the episodes into the facilities so those in custody have the opportu- nity to watch them that’s been the hard part. Adequate technology is not readily available in most prison and jail settings, and every facility handles content sharing differently. If Visitation 2.0 is going to make it in front of the eyes of more inmates, it’s going to take a staff member on

Photo courtesy of Kodi Schutte and 4 th Purpose Smith and the Visitation 2.0 program observe how communication has changed due to COVID-19.

12 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

can we enhance “visitation” for those situations? These questions are shaping how 4 th Purpose thinks about prison reform. Dr. Kristi Miller Anderson is the research and programs officer for 4 th Purpose Foundation.

and national ministries that came together to support Visitation 2.0 so that quality content can still make it to the prison population when human delivery isn’t possible? And what about family members who can’t visit for other reasons, such as health, cost and distance? How

Future plans

The creation of Visitation 2.0 was a product of the COVID-19 crisis; however, we are coming away with awareness of future work and applications. For example, the nationwide, prolonged shut out of outside visits, both family and volunteers, has alerted us to the need for quality communication avenues when in-person visits are not possible. Shutdowns happen in prisons and jails from time- to-time for a variety of reasons. Could we have a better pipeline of communication with prisons and jails so that life-giving, prosocial interaction can continue? Can we continue to use the incredible network of correctional leaders

Connect with 4 th Purpose Foundation Follow our work at www.4thpurpose.org. To learn

more about how to get the Visitation 2.0 series at your facility, go to https://4thpurpose.org/visitation2/series/playing-in-corrections-facilities/ or email info@4thpurpose.org. We look forward to continuing to work with chaplains, corrections staff and volunteers, as we link arms to make prison a place of authentic, life-enhancing transformation!

Image courtesy www.4thpurpose.org

MEMBERSHIP $35 PER YEAR! Enjoy 6 issues of Corrections Today for FREE as one of the many benefits of ACA membership!

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Corrections Today September/October 2020 — 13

nEWS & vIEWS

Juvenile Justice News

CJJA to develop national standards for physical intervention training and standards for juvenile justice facilities By Michael Dempsey

J

uvenile justice systems throughout the United States have long struggled with find- ing a balance between the use

of force (i.e. physical, mechanical, and chemical restraints) and using al- ternative methods to effectively work with volatile youth. To complicate this issue, the juvenile justice field does not have uniform standards on code of practice that could guide staff and prevent harm and violence within facilities. Earlier this year, the Council of Juvenile Justice Admin- istrators (CJJA) released a position paper in an effort to provide some structured expectations related to the use of force and staff conduct. This position paper serves as a first step to address system-wide deficiencies in this area and, ultimately, aims to create safer facility environments. A link to this resource is provided here for reference. Over the past decade, juvenile justice systems have made great progress in addressing the ever- changing youth population. Systems have made significant changes to accommodate and successfully treat youth with higher needs and

istock/stanciuc

who are at higher risk for self-harm and recidivism. However, as more juveniles are diverted from secure treatment facilities to community- based education and non-secure

community-based programs, we continue to see and hear examples of negative outcomes that result from inappropriate or “excessive force.” These outcomes involve

14 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today

Juvenile Justice News

serious injuries to youth and staff and sometimes even death. These tragic incidents serve as reminders to juvenile justice providers of the importance of a uniform code of practice and within that framework, the importance of providing effective training to staff. Unfortunately, many jurisdictions have not yet devoted the necessary resources to improve their physical intervention training programs. Providing staff with the appropriate tools to more effectively and safely intervene in incidents of violence with this new youth popula- tion (i.e. higher risk and need factors) is a critical next step in this journey. It is important for us to under- stand and remember that the system that we have historically used to respond and train staff to deal with incidents of violence, was adopted from various adult-focused physi- cal intervention training programs. These programs were not designed with youth in mind and therefore, the innate differences that exist for youth are simply not accounted for (i.e. brain development, smaller physical stature, past traumatic experiences, etc.). For example, most physical intervention models lack the neces- sary de-escalation tactics and skill development components that have been proven to be effective when working with juvenile justice youth. Using the adult-focused intervention models has, in many ways, set us up for failure and harm. Providing staff with tools used to safely man- age adults, despite the fact they are working with youth, inevitably will lead to using improper physical in- tervention techniques and, ultimately, increasing the likelihood of harm to youth and staff.

Surprisingly, there are no national standards for crisis intervention, vio- lence and harm prevention or any type of universal behavior intervention response training for juvenile justice facilities. As previously mentioned, training and providing staff with the necessary and appropriate tools to ef- fectively de-escalate and intervene in incidents of violence is critical to our success. Allowing staff to hone their skills in verbal de-escalation and other alternatives will promote a healthy facility culture; provide the founda- tion for a safe environment; and foster overall staff and youth wellness. How staff react to youth behaviors and in crisis situations (i.e. youth behaviors escalating) impacts the overall inci- dents of violence, physical force, and isolation and confinement. encourage juvenile justice systems to unite behind this front and adopt the most appropriate intervention strategies (i.e. alternatives to use of force whenever possible). It is the hope that the Code of Practice will

The development of national standards and a code of practice for such intervention strategies is the next step in transforming juve- nile justice systems and facilities throughout the nation. Recognizing this calling, the CJJA partnered with other organizations and stakeholders to develop a uniform Code of Prac- tice for juvenile justice providers. The purpose of these standards is to cultivate best practices and put forth a shared idea of using interventions that are “least restrictive.” It is the hope that the Code of Practice will encourage juvenile justice systems to unite behind this front and adopt the most appropriate intervention strategies (i.e. alternatives to use of force whenever possible). Do- ing so will help reduce all forms of restraints (i.e. physical, mechanical, and chemical) and reduce or elimi- nate the use of isolation as a safety response technique. The CJJA Code of Practice Position paper can be found here. More specifically, and at a mini- mum, intervention training programs should include the following code of practice standards: –– An atmosphere and culture of safety and care can be created by all juvenile justice service organizations; –– Every effort should be made to structure environments and provide behavioral supports for youth, with a positive orienta- tion to prevent violence or behaviors posing risk, and thus prevent the need for restrictive interventions; –– The consistent delivery of organized, trauma-informed programs that are gender and

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culturally knowledgeable, will enhance safety; –– Developing positive rela- tionships between staff and residents enhances safety; –– Behavior presenting risk of harm to the physical and emo- tional safety of individuals in care, as well as their service providers can be minimized and/or prevented when re- sponded to with humane and relationship enhancing methods; –– Service organizations must actively pursue the reduction of the use of restrictive inter- ventions through a variety of training and skill development programs that focus on aware- ness, early intervention and de-escalation skills/techniques; –– When restrictive interventions are employed, they should only be used to prevent an imminent risk of injury to someone and be discontinued when that risk is diminished, and safety is established; –– When restrictive interventions are necessary, they should be done in the least restrictive manner possible that can ad- dress the presenting dangerous behavior; –– When restrictive interventions are necessary, data and debrief- ing regarding these incidents need the inclusion of restorative practices and focus on prevent- ing their reoccurrence; –– Service organizations are obli- gated to ensure that their staff possess competence in preven- tion and intervention techniques to address behavior that is

dangerous, violent and/or caus- ing harm to self or others; –– Service organizations must provide staff training and super- vision that meets all required legal, ethical and regulatory standards and is youth ori- ented in its development and application; –– Service organizations must provide on-going and recurring training to ensure staff safety and competence that includes de-briefing for growth, learning and maintaining wellness. It is critical that code of prac- tice standards be fully developed and implemented to govern and guide juvenile justice agencies in the development of policies, proce- dures, and training programs. These standards must be applied to the full spectrum of care from education and community-based programs to secure and non-secure residential facilities. It is incumbent upon the juvenile justice providers to develop crisis intervention strategies that reflect the standards outlined in this code of practice. These actions will allow youth and staff to remain safe when threatened or at-risk for serious harm. Ultimately, operationalizing these code of practice standards will allow programs to continue provid- ing effective therapeutic services while ensuring the safety of staff and the youth they serve.

Mark Your Calendars! Join us for future ACA Winter Conferences and Congresses of Correction! 2021 Winter Conference Long Beach, California Feb. 4–9, 2021 151 st Congress of Correction Nashville Aug. 12–17, 2021 2022 Winter Conference Phoenix Jan. 6–11, 2022 152 nd Congress of Correction New Orleans Aug. 4–9, 2022

Michael Dempsey is the executive director of the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators.

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Who knows standards? Who knows accreditation? Who knows certification? Who knows training? Who knows health care? ACA DOES!

NEED HELP? Call the experts!

If you need assistance with standards, accreditation, policies and procedures, security issues, health and treatment issues, employee certification, curriculum development, professional development, and training on a variety of topics, CALL ACA.

David K. Haasenritter Director Standards and Accreditation

703-224-0070 davidh@aca.org

Doreen Efeti, MPH, MBA, MCHES ® , DHSc Director Professional Development 703-224-0120 doreene@aca.org

Mike Miskell, MPH, CHES ® Director Office of Correctional Health 703-224-0048 michaelm@aca.org

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NIJ Update

Randomized controlled trials in correctional settings By Kristofer Bret Bucklen, Ph.D.

P rogram evaluation is essen- tial to ensuring that prison systems adopt effective programs and policies. The “gold standard” method for evaluating outcomes of programs and policies is the randomized controlled trial (RCT), a type of scientific experi- ment featuring random assignment of individuals to either a treatment or control group in order to precisely measure the treatment’s impact. This article presents an overview of the RCT design, as well as its use and importance in a correctional setting. The takeaway from this article is that, while conducting RCT evaluations can be met with skepti- cism and challenges, where feasible RCTs deliver superior, more reliable evaluations of the impact of policies and programs. Causal inference A singular advantage of RCTs, over other evaluation methods, is their ability to reliably establish a causal link between a program or policy and an outcome. When evaluating the impact of a particular program or policy, an evaluator is typically attempting to

Photo illustration: Jail cell: istock/Rawf8; gold medal: istock/BrianAJackson

draw that link between the program or policy (X) and a specific outcome (Y), independent of any other external influences (Z). This is referred to as causal inference. In order to develop a strong causal link between program or policy X and outcome Y, at least three criteria must be satisfied:

1. X must precede Y temporally; 2. X and Y must “covary” together — that is, whenever X changes, Y changes in correlation to X; and 3. There can be no other factor Z that explains the relationship between X and Y.

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As an example, if the impact of a drug treatment program on the rate of drug relapse is being explored, the drug treatment (X) must be provided before the period of time that drug relapse (Y) is measured, there must be a relationship between receiv- ing the drug treatment program (X) and whether or not drug relapse (Y) occurs, and there cannot be varia- tion between those who do and do not receive the drug treatment (X) in other factors that affect drug relapse (Y) — such as a person’s internal motivation to change (Z). Establishing a good comparison group is at the heart of determining the causal impact of a program or policy. The goal is to compare those receiving the treatment program or policy of interest to a comparison group of those who look identi- cal to the treatment group, with the only difference being that one group receives the treatment and the other group does not. While various statistical options exist for establishing a comparison group, the RCT is the strongest design because it best establishes equally comparable groups on all known/measurable and unknown/ unmeasurable factors. It accom- plishes this by assignment of eligible individuals at random either to a treatment group (those who will receive the program or policy) or to a control group (those who will not receive the program or policy). By random assignment, the treatment and control group are essentially identical on all observed and unob- served factors. That is why the RCT design is so appealing, often referred to as the “gold standard” of evalua- tion methods.

complex. Performing these experi- ments correctly, with a reasonable level of credibility, requires a fair amount of statistics knowledge and experience. In other words, it is easy to get things wrong using quasi-ex- perimental methods. Third, it is fairly well documented that quasi-experi- mental methods tend to exaggerate the size of the effects found in criminal justice programs or policies. That distortion produces misleading results on what programs or policies work and by how much. 1 By random assignment, the treatment and control group are essentially identical on all observed and unobserved factors.That is why the RCT design is so appealing, often referred to as the “gold standard” of evaluation methods. It should therefore be suspected that to the degree evaluation research in correctional contexts relies on quasi-experimental designs, it is likely exaggerating the true impact of programs and policies. This may

Why not use a quasi- experimental alternative to the RCT? For evaluating the causal impact of a program or policy, the alterna- tive to an RCT is an observational study, in which the evaluator must rely on a retrospective look at the individuals who have already par- ticipated in the program or policy and try to identify a suitable com- parison group of those who did not participate. This approach is difficult because often program partici- pants self-select into treatment, or treatment is assigned based on prede- termined criteria. Differing outcomes following the treatment may be due to preexisting differences between the groups, as opposed to the treat- ment itself. This phenomenon is often referred to as selection bias. Evaluators can choose from a number of alternative statistical methods for creating comparable groups and addressing selection bias. These methods are referred to as quasi-experimental designs. For several reasons, however, none of these methods can produce estimates of the causal impact of a program or policy that are as unbiased and consistent as the estimates produced by an RCT design. First, quasi-experimental designs only allow the evaluator to address observed selection biases. Only the RCT can also address unobserved biases, such as differences in internal motivation to change. Second, even if very little unobserved selection bias existed, the statistical methods required to address observed biases in high-quality quasi-experimental designs are quite sophisticated and

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lead policymakers to commit too many resources to programs and policies that do not work or that have minimal impacts. A word of caution on evidence-based practices Another strength of random- ized controlled trials is setting a scientifically sound foundation for evidence-based practices (EBPs), a common term in correctional set- tings. It has become popular for policymakers to claim that they are implementing EBPs. In theory, this is a good thing. In practice, however, EBPs are only as good as the qual- ity of the evidence behind them. In some cases, the evidence base for EBPs is thin, exaggerated, or weak. For example, some so-called EBPs are indeed based on dozens of stud- ies documenting their effectiveness. However, a closer look reveals that most of those studies used weaker quasi-experimental designs with all of

the limitations previously mentioned, including exaggerating the true im- pact. A program or policy should not be declared an EBP only on the basis of the number of evaluations finding a positive impact. Rather, programs and policies should be judged based on both the number and the quality of the evaluations. RCTs establish quality to a degree that quasi-experimental designs cannot. Adopting programs or policies that have been labeled as EBPs as a result of research conducted else- where can also be a way to avoid evaluating the impact of a jurisdic- tion’s own programs or policies, as actually implemented in that jurisdic- tion. For instance, prison staff may decide to adopt a specific drug treat- ment program that has received the EBP label due to its positive findings from evaluations in other prisons or jurisdictions, and then claim that there is no need to evaluate it locally because it is already known to be an

EBP. The problem with this logic becomes evident when a program or policy labeled as an EBP does not actually work when it is transplanted to a context different from the one in which it was originally evaluated (e.g., in a different prison or among a different population), or when it is implemented differently. Conversely, programs or policies that are not labeled as EBPs may actually be effective in prisons or other specific environments, or when implemented in a certain way. It is crucially im- portant to evaluate programs locally rather than rely on evaluation results from other jurisdictions. Common objections to conducting RCTs in corrections It is not unusual for the proposed use of an RCT evaluation design in a correctional setting to encounter one or more common objections. The first is that it is unethical to assign par- ticipants to a program or policy on a random basis. Practitioners will often say they are concerned that if an RCT evaluation is conducted, someone in need of a program will be withheld from that program as a result of being randomly selected for the control group. For instance, an inmate soon to be released from prison may be withheld from a new reentry ser- vices program because he or she was randomly assigned to a control group. However, it is important to under- stand that this reasoning assumes that solid evidence already exists estab- lishing the program’s effectiveness in producing its intended impacts. The real impact of a program or policy is often not truly known.

istock/mrPliskin

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