On the role of mental health workers in the criminal justice system.

Comments on D. E. Silber's (see record 1974-28477-001) proposed guidelines for the role of mental health workers in the criminal justice system, questioning several inconsistencies in Silber's argument and making some new recommendations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rehabilitating criminal justice policy and practice.

For over 30 years, criminal justice policy has been dominated by a “get tough” approach to offenders. Increasing punitive measures have failed to reduce criminal recidivism and instead have led to a rapidly growing correctional system that has strained government budgets. The inability of reliance on official punishment to deter crime is understandable within the context of the psychology of human conduct. However, this knowledge was largely ignored in the quest for harsher punishment. A better option for dealing with crime is to place greater effort on the rehabilitation of offenders. In particular, programs that adhere to the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model have been shown to reduce offender recidivism by up to 35%. The model describes: a) who should receive services (moderate and higher risk cases), b) the appropriate targets for rehabilitation services (criminogenic needs), and c) the powerful influence strategies for reducing criminal behavior (cognitive social learning). Although the RNR model is well known in the correctional field it is less well known, but equally relevant, for forensic, clinical, and counseling psychology. The paper summarizes the empirical base to RNR along with implications for research, policy, and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health services in Louisiana school-based health centers post-Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana school-based health centers (SBHCs) were called on to respond to a sharp increase in mental health needs, especially for displaced students coping with grief, loss, trauma, and uncertainty. To assess the impact of the hurricanes on the students and the needs of SBHC mental health providers (MHPs), we surveyed MHPs in each of the SBHCs under the auspices of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health. SBHC practitioners from around the state reported that mental health service utilization rose during the 2005-2006 school year, but utilization of services increased most significantly in schools receiving the majority of displaced students. Anxiety and adjustment problems were noted as increasing the most following the hurricanes. A multitude of other conditions was also reported. By the time of this survey in April 2006, the reported prevalence of most symptoms had declined, but all remained above their pre-hurricane levels. Self-reported needs of SBHC MHPs are also discussed in light of the major natural disasters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children in the criminal justice and secure care systems: how their mental health needs are met

A study was made of the perceptions among relevant service providers of the mental health needs of young people considered for secure placement. Information was obtained in 1996 from 75% of departments of child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, social services children's services, youth justice, probation, secure units and young offender institutions in England and Wales. The findings confirm that highly disturbed young people, who may be a danger to themselves and others, may present to a wide range of services, and that their mental health needs are neither well recognized, widely understood, nor adequately met. Availability of appropriate levels and types of expertise and resource is patchy and strictly limited, within secure settings and in local community services across all agencies.     

People with learning disabilities as offenders or alleged offenders in the UK criminal justice system

Mathers and Schofield, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, review recent studies, including Australian research, on the health effects of unemployment and the mechanisms by which unemployment causes adverse health outcomes. The relationship is complex: ill-health also causes unemployment, and confounding factors include socioeconomic status and lifestyle. However, longitudinal studies with a range of designs provide reasonably good evidence that unemployment itself is detrimental to health and has an impact on health outcomes--increasing mortality rates, causing physical and mental ill-health and greater use of health services.     

Mental health correlates of criminal victimization: A random community survey.

Interviewed a representative sample of 2,004 women (aged 18 yrs and older) about victimization experiences and mental health problems. After classification of the women into victimization groups, the occurrence of 3 mental health problems was compared across type of crime. Rates of "nervous breakdowns," suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts were significantly higher for crime victims than for nonvictims. Victims of attempted rape, completed rape, and attempted sexual molestation had problems more frequently than did victims of attempted robbery, completed robbery, aggravated assault, or completed molestation. Problems were not mediated by income and were affected only marginally by age and race. Nearly 1 rape victim in 5 (19.2%) had attempted suicide, whereas only 2.2% of nonvictims had done so. Most sexual assault victims' mental health problems came after their victimization. Findings suggest that crime victims are at risk for the development of major mental health problems, some of which are life threatening in nature. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes and feelings of criminal justice personnel toward the mentally ill

The present study compared the attitudes and feelings of law-enforcement, corrections, parole and probation personnel, and college students toward mental illness. Modified versions of the Criminally Insane Scale (Khanna, Pratt, & Gardiner, 1962) and Attitudes Toward Mental Illness Scale (Cohen & Struening, 1962) were used in assessing these attitudes. Law-enforcement and corrections personnel tended to believe many of the stereotypic causes of mental illness, while the college students based their views on more current thinking. In addition, law-enforcement and corrections personnel indicated greater fear of the criminally insane than the other two groups. Possible causes and ramifications of these differences are discussed.     

Psychology and the juvenile justice system.

In recent years psychology has applied its accumulated knowledge to broad problems affecting all levels of society. Some of the contributions of American psychology to the well-being of children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system are described. Important areas for further research, theory building, and program development are highlighted. It is suggested that psychology's greatest potential for contributions to the juvenile justice system and to the welfare and well-being of children and youth is through the continued use of psychological theories, research and evaluation data, and techniques of service delivery based on psychological principles in the development of public policies. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Discounting the error costs: Cross-racial false alarms in the culture of contemporary criminal justice.

Research regarding own-race bias (ORB) is examined by focusing on results that indicate that Whites may apply more lenient criteria to the recognition or identification of Blacks, resulting in a higher rate of false-alarm responses. The practical context of the forensic identification task is reviewed to assess whether the more lenient criteria applied by witnesses who are attempting identifications of Blacks resonate with the criminal justice system's tendency to apply more lenient criteria to the conviction and sentencing of Blacks. Practical implications and future research directions are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sleeping problems and health behaviors as mediators between organizational justice and health.

The aim of this longitudinal cohort study was to investigate whether sleeping problems and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyle) mediate the association between organizational justice and employee health. Health indicators were minor psychiatric morbidity, as assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (U. Werneke, D. P. Goldberg, 1. Yalcin, & B. T. Ustun, 2000), and poor self-rated health status. The results of logistic regression analysis of data for 416 male and 3,357 female hospital employees working during the 1998-2000 period in 10 Finnish hospitals suggest that sleeping problems are one of the underlying factors causing the adverse health effects of low organizational justice at work. No support for a mediating role of health behaviors between low organizational justice and health problems was obtained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health teams in the community

This article describes how one community psychiatric nursing service established a forum to clarify the roles and professional boundaries for nurses working within a multidisciplinary team. The author describes the initiative within the context óf the wider issues surrounding mental health care in the community.     

Review of The domestic assault of women: Psychological and criminal justice perspectives.

Reviews the book, The domestic assault of women: Psychological and criminal justice perspectives by Donald A. Dutton (1988). This book provides a comprehensive analysis of battered women and their husbands by integrating current theories and research on violence and victimization within a social psychological perspective. The book is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter outlines the current data on the incidence of wife assault and proposes a theoretical framework for understanding the problem. The next two chapters outline the theory and research available on men who assault their partners. Chapter four details the impact of violence on victims and provides some explanations for battered women becoming "prisoners" in their own home. Chapter five details the shortcomings of the criminal justice response to battered women. Chapter six provides some more optimistic information on treatment programs for violent husbands. The book ends with a section on future trends, including current research programs on children who witness violence in their homes. Overall, the book is well written and demonstrates Dutton's excellent analytical skills. He has an ability to integrate diverse theoretical models on family violence with current research studies in the field. His understanding of battered women and their husbands flows dramatically into the dismal record of the criminal justice system in providing a meaningful response to the problem. His analysis of current treatment programs offers some valuable insight to the reader on the most effective strategies for this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)