A social psychological investigation of community sentiment toward COVID-19 mitigation policies in the justice system

The COVID-19 pandemic led to many policy changes across the U.S. justice system that aimed to reduce the spread of the deadly virus. The present dissertation provides novel insights into community sentiment toward justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies such as the early release of prisoners, the pretrial release of defendants, the suspension of fines and fees, and the prioritization of prisoner vaccination. Using a student sample (study 1) and a demographically-representative U.S. community sample (study 2), this dissertation found that political conservatism was negatively associated with support for justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies across both samples. Prison reform attitudes and COVID-19 anxiety were also positively associated with support for justice system mitigation policies in the community sample. In addition to exploring direct relationships, this research examined mechanisms between political conservatism and support for justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies. The results provide evidence that people high in political conservatism show low support for justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies because of authoritarian attitudes and their moral disengagement from those in the justice system. The results of this research contribute to the growing literature on how individual differences can affect COVID-19 pandemic-related attitudes. They also provide policymakers with an idea of how to tailor a more effective public health strategy to promote the welfare of one of the most vulnerable populations to public health crises - those involved in the justice system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The spatial concentration, stability, and specialization of mental health calls for service: Evidence in support of proactive, place-based interventions

For many decades the police have been the de facto responders to persons with perceived mental illness (PwPMI). However, having the police in this role has come with negative repercussions for PwPMI, such as disproportionately experiencing criminalization and use of force. In recognizing these issues, the police-and more recently, the community-have developed responses that either seek to improve interactions between the police and PwPMI or remove the police from this role altogether. However, in either case, these efforts are reactivein nature, responding to crises that arguably could have been prevented had a timelier intervention taken place. Further, evidence on certain police responses to PwPMI, such as Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) and co-response teams, suggests that they endure deployment-related challenges, thus limiting their reach to PwPMI.Drawing from the Criminology of Place and existing place-based policing strategies, the present dissertation argues that efforts focused on respondingto PwPMI should instead be proactively deployed, targeting areas where interactions between police and PwPMI concentrate spatially. Doing so would not only result in efficient deployment of scarce resources but would permit police- and community-based efforts to have a greater reach to PwPMI and thus prevent future interactions with police. To-date, however, there have been few empirical and theoretical investigations into the spatial patterns of PwPMI calls for service that could inform such proactive, place-based efforts. Specifically, we do not currently understand: (1) the degree to which PwPMI calls for service concentrate within certain geographical contexts (such as a small city);(2) whether the degree of PwPMI call concentration and the location of these calls remain stable over time;and (3) what theoretical frameworks explain why PwPMI calls for service occur where they do. Drawing on seven years (2014-2020) of calls for service data from the Barrie Police Service and data from the 2016 Canadian Census, the present dissertation employs various methods of spatial analysis to fills these specific knowledge gaps.Although the theoretical investigation confirmed the findings of previous work that found no association between social disorganization theory and the spatial patterns of PwPMI calls for service, the present dissertation revealed: (1) PwPMI calls for service are highly concentrated within the context of a small city, even more so than what has previously been uncovered in larger jurisdictions;(2) the degree of PwPMI call concentration is stable over time, falling within a narrow proportional bandwidth of spatial units;and (3) PwPMI calls for service, and their concentrations, occur in the same places over time-even during the COVID-19 pandemic-and are thus spatially stable. As such, though more scholarship is needed on theories that might help explain why PwPMI calls occur where they do, the findings of the present dissertation strongly support the proactive, place-based deployment of resources to PwPMI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Occupational burnout factors among correctional mental health providers

Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors impact burnout of this population. Key results indicated no significant difference in burnout rates among mental health providers, though found "workload" and "control" to be significant predictors of emotional exhaustion in both jails and prisons, and "reward" a significant predictor of personal accomplishment in prisons. "Risk perception" and "work life" were predictors of emotional exhaustion during a global pandemic. Future studies should expand the research on the variable "workload" with burnout and consider utilizing the demographic data collected to identify additional correlations. Implications for positive social change include prevention of burnout in correctional settings resulting in lower staff turnover, improved staff quality of life, and increased quality of treatment. Knowing the factors that contribute to burnout in these populations allows for intervention prior to burnout. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Gender-responsive probation during the covid-19 pandemic: Learning from justice-involved women and their supervising officers

In the Spring of 2020, the COVID19 pandemic forced community corrections agencies to adapt their day-to-day processes for supervising individuals and maintaining public safety. These forced adaptations allowed the authors to explore how these changes (i.e., tele-supervision) impacted women and those who supervised them at a probation agency in a large metropolitan county in a Western U.S. state. To date, limited research surrounds how COVID-related adaptations impacted gender-responsive, or women-centered, community supervision caseloads. To address this gap in the literature, the current study utilizes a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of 17 community corrections staff and clients on gender-responsive probation supervision during the pandemic. Their narratives suggest both positive outcomes (e.g., accessibility, reducing tendencies to over-supervise) and challenges (e.g., accountability, lacking a relational component) with tele-supervision and tele-treatment models. It is critical to utilize the lived experiences of those directly impacted by COVID-related changes, including community corrections staff and clients, to help shape gender-responsive supervision moving forward. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The prison reentry experience of justice-involved veterans

Prison reentry programs attempt to equip justice-involved veterans with life skills necessary for their transition out of prison. This qualitative study addressed the scant understanding of the impact pre-released prison reentry programs have on justice-involved veterans' transition and reintegration back to the community. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceptions of justice-involved veterans regarding prison reentry programs that have impacted their transition out of prison. The well-being development model and Castro's military-to-civilian transition model provided the conceptual framework for this qualitative study, using semistructured questions to interview 11 justice-involved veterans regarding their participation in prison reentry programs. Directed content analysis was used to categorize, synthesize, and interpret data. The first theme revealed that prison reentry programs helped with transition when there was family support, when one participated in industry reentry training, when there is community support, and housing. The second theme that emerged from the data revealed that prison reentry programs did not help with transition when prison reentry programs were cancelled due to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), prisoners faced difficulty in adjusting, had no knowledge of community resources, received no help from prison, and did not have access to housing, transportation, or healthcare. The research findings may contribute to positive social change by engaging justice-involved veteran stakeholders to review and revise prison reentry policies for justice-involved veterans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Checkpoint cymru: A process evaluation of the introduction of a custody suite diversion scheme in north Wales

Background: The evidence demonstrates the need to study diversion from police custody. For clarity, police custody diversion is a process where offenders are diverted away from being charged or prosecuted and receive support to diminish the risk of recidivism.Method: The original plan was to conduct a process evaluation of the implementation of Checkpoint Cymru using a mixed methods design. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible to achieve the original aims and objectives. A new plan was implemented, and the researcher evaluated the implementation process through the experience of those facilitating, managing, and advising Checkpoint Cymru.Results: The results from the research project indicated Checkpoint Cymru had a positive impact on recidivism and life change from a professional view. However, this was overshadowed by the navigator's frustrations and several organizational issues posing risk to employee wellbeing, the long-term success of the scheme and requiring attention. The wider findings relate most to the impacts of organizational conflict, the importance of effective communication and several take-home lessons for future research.Conclusion: This thesis offers an honest and rare insight to the complexities of conducting research between two major organizations during a global pandemic. It demonstrates how things can go wrong when a partnership is fractured with minimal desire to acknowledge and deal with identified barriers.Limitations: Methodological limitations inhibited the project achieving its initial aims and objectives. However, this was not detrimental to the project. In fact, this gave the researcher more scope to explore professional experience, producing important findings which otherwise may have remained undisclosed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Police training academies in the state of Texas and their response to the COVID-19 pandemic

This study focused on how police training academies in the State of Texas responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. A researcher-created survey was used to answer the three research questions posed. Research Question One asked: Are there differences between the three types of police training academies and their effectiveness in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? The responses showed that there were no differences based on the type of police training academy and their effectiveness in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also explored capable guardianship, an element that has been explored by criminal justice/criminology researchers, but comes from the original theoretical framework of the Routine Activity Theory developed by Cohen & Felson (1979). Research question two asked: Are there differences between the genders of the directors/training coordinators and how safe they felt entering their police training academies? The responses showed that there were no differences between the genders of the directors/training coordinators and how safe they felt entering their police training academies during the pandemic making them capable guardians.Research question three asked: Are there differences between the genders of the directors/training coordinators and whether they viewed themselves as capable guardians? The responses showed that there were significant differences between the genders of the directors/training coordinators and whether they viewed themselves as capable guardians. The results of this study also provided direction for future research on police training academies operating during a pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Perceptions of likability and credibility of criminal defendants appearance in court proceedings via live or video conference

The use of video conferencing in the legal system has expanded in recent years. An exponential increase was noted during the 2020 spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic. The threat of contagion led courts across the country to modify their procedures to include on-line video mediated proceedings. While this technology was previously available and in use, the pandemic caused an immediate and exclusive pivoting to virtual proceedings. To date, there are many opinions about the effect of videoconferencing in the courtroom, but they are not often data driven. The existing research had identified some differences in the experience of live versus video conferenced courtroom appearances. However, there was no available data on how video conferenced proceedings might affect viewers' opinions of a defendant and how those impressions might influence aspects of the court process. The present study sought to further understand the impact of video conferencing a defendant in the courtroom.A randomized experimental design was used to assess the effect of video-conferenced mock court appearance on participants' judgements of the defendant. Participants were each given a legal case vignette, either a case involving a misdemeanor or a case involving a felony. They then watched either a live mock court appearance or a video conferenced mock court appearance of the defendant and completed survey measures of defendant likeability and trustworthiness, whether the defendant was guilty or innocent and their confidence in their decision. Results indicated no statistically significant difference the variables of confidence, likability or trustworthiness. Additionally, no statistical significance was observed in defendants' guilt or innocence. Results of the present pilot study denote a need for further investigation and understanding of the differences in presenting a defendant as a live presence the courtroom or present via video conferencing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Aging on parole: An empirical analysis of reentry, reintegration, and life satisfaction

As the prison population grays, so too does the people leaving prison. In New Jersey and New York, 35% and 26% of people on parole are over the age of 50 respectively. While older persons have lower recidivism rates compared to younger persons, there are physical, mental, and societal challenges that come with advancing age that can make reentry and reintegration a particularly difficult experience compared to younger persons. The aim of this dissertation is to explore the experiences of older adults on parole and the parole officers that assist them in their reentry and reintegration.This study is unique in that it is the first known study that looks at differences in redeemability and reintegration based on age. Additionally, this study uses sociological perspectives that are under-utilized when studying the correctional, but more specifically, the paroled population. Maruna (2001) and O'Sullivan's (2018) Belief in Redeemability, and Braithwaite's (1989) Reintegrative Shaming and Wolff and Draine (2004), Smith & Hattery (2011) and Lin's (2000) social capital theories will be used to address the following four research questions addressing persons on parole: (1) Do the needs of people leaving prison differ based on age? (2) Are there age-related differences in concerns regarding reintegration for people leaving prison? (3) Are there age-related differences in concerns regarding stigmatization for people leaving prison? (4) Are there age-related differences in finding meaning in life post incarceration? To understand parole officer perceptions of counseling older persons on parole Helfgott's (1997) theory on social distance as well as parole officer decision-making theories will be used to answer the following two research questions: (1) Are parole officers' experiences working with older persons on parole different than younger persons? (2) How do parole officers manage counseling and supervision of older persons on parole compared to younger persons?This dissertation is, as far as the author knows, the first mixed methods examination of life on parole for older persons, and how their experiences differ from their younger cohorts. This mixed methods study will use qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis to understand the experiences of older person on parole from multiple angles including thematic and quantitative content analysis, descriptive analyses and chi-square analyses where appropriate. This study defines older person on parole as someone over the age of 50, and a younger person on parole as someone between the ages of 18-49 under parole supervision. This proposal investigates whether older persons on parole believe they can be successfully reintegrated into the community, considering their age, time served and health conditions that typically accompany older persons who have been impacted by the criminal justice system as it compares to younger persons on parole. Furthermore, this study aims to understand how older persons on parole find life satisfaction after prison and parole. Finally, this dissertation aims to understand how parole officers view older persons on parole and seeks to understand their perceptions of managing and counseling older persons on parole.Data for the New Jersey responses was obtained from the New Jersey State Parole Board, which included access to people on parole, and parole officers. Data for the New York and Colorado parolee responses was obtained through convenience sampling and snowball sampling techniques. People on parole were surveyed on their experiences, and a subset of older adults were interviewed to obtain rich data on the experiences of being an older person on parole. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, younger people on parole were also interviewed to understand how their experiences compared to the older population. In addition to surveying parole officers in New Jersey, parole... (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Tablets as a vehicle for imprisoned people's digital connection with loved ones

The intersection between criminal justice and technology is fairly understudied, despite increasing technological advancements in the world and within the criminal justice system. A rather recent addition to the technological landscape of prison is the adoption of tablets used by imprisoned people for communication and connection with loved ones and other activities, which is particularly important given the context of COVID-19, a virus which caused a global pandemic from 2020-2022. While the use of tablets by imprisoned people appears to be a new trend, the use of tablets in prison both prior to and during the pandemic has remained an untested phenomenon, not yet evaluated by social scientists. The dissertation sought to address this gap in literature by interviewing fifteen people formerly incarcerated in the Ohio State Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and surveying a difficult to reach population, people currently incarcerated in ODRC (n=78), concerning their communication with loved ones using tablets and its meaning on their life and re-entry into society. The results of this study indicate that tablets are socially-situated in nature, and therefore the meaning of tablets depends upon the use of tablets by imprisoned people which is mediated by several factors concerning imprisoned people's individual and environmental contexts. The quantitative study indicates that imprisoned people's use and experience of tablets prior to and during COVID-19 is mediated by their demographic characteristics such as their age, parental status, marital status, and years served in prison, according to the quantitative study. The qualitative study indicates that several factors concerning imprisoned people's life inside of prison (e.g., technical glitches and correctional officers' attitudes) and outside of prison (e.g., their support system and financial standing) mediate their use of tablets in prison, and ultimately undermine the meaning of tablets for imprisoned people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Poetic discourse analysis: The roles of education in prison abolishment and futures of public health and safety

This document engages with discourses surrounding prison abolishment, defund/refund movements, COVID-19, and education as it relates to the Prison-Industrial Complex through a critical, poetic discourse analysis. Through a combination of artistic and analytic considerations, the work seeks to examine how systemic structures are being confronted in our temporal frame, focusing on the discourses of activists, government statements, and media outlets. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Using the basis-a profile as a predictor of sex offender treatment outcomes including assessed risk in an outpatient setting

This study aimed to understand the usefulness of the Basic Adlerian Scales for Interpersonal Success - Adult Form (BASIS-A) profile scores in the risk assessment of individuals convicted of a sexual criminal offense. Specifically, this study attempted to determine if a correlation existed between an individual's level of social interest and the difference in that individual's level of risk over time as measured by the STABLE-2007 and the Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS) dynamic risk assessments. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the study was adapted to a hybrid of both in-person and virtual participation involving six total participants recruited from a private practice in suburban Illinois. Results of the partial correlation were not significant and deemed inconclusive due to low study participation. The impact of the pandemic on the study's outcome and the study's contribution to practice-oriented research as well as recommendations for future research regarding the BASIS-A, risk assessment, and practice-oriented research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Insta-muscle: Examining online and offline IPED trade and masculine body culture

Empirical evidence suggests that we are witnessing a rise in the use of image and performance enhancing drugs both nationally and internationally (Sagoe et al., 2014;Mullen et al., 2020) which, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, shows little sign of halting. Set against this context, this thesis interrogates the consumption and supply of IPEDs within the post-industrial city of Stoke-on-Trent, as well as the digitised spaces of the social media sites (SNS) Facebook and Instagram. Underpinned by a twelve-month 'connective' ethnography, the work employs cutting-edge criminological theory to identify Stoke's health and fitness industry as a site of deviant leisure (Smith and Raymen, 2018). Through data precured from enactive fieldwork in two gyms, semi-structured interviews, and digital ethnographic observations, it presents a multi-faceted account of IPED consumption, taking in a psychoanalytic exploration of bodily desire, elements of instrumental and hyper-conformist use, the pleasures of lifestyle enhancement, and the role of SNS as 'dopogenic environments' (Backhouse et al., 2018).Building upon this, the thesis then offers a comprehensive account of IPED supply in the city. First identifying underground laboratories (UGLs) as the most common producers of IPEDs in the UK, the work paints a picture of the local 'partial' market (Fincoeur et al., 2015). Within this, the sanctity of bodily and cultural capital is discussed alongside the barriers that preclude external actors from accessing the supply chain. However, the research also identifies a concerted move towards commercialisation and digitisation, wherein the market now caters for less culturally embedded users and has in some respects moved online (Hall and Antonopoulos, 2016). The impact of these shifts is made clear in a discussion of the IPED market on both Facebook and Instagram.Ultimately, the research offers an original empirical and theoretical account of the image and performance enhancing drugs market. The findings bring us closer to a more theoretically nuanced account of IPED consumption, as well as building on the burgeoning body of work on the marketplace for these substances. This will be of use to academics, practitioners and policymakers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Weaponizing and resisting time: Race, gender and punishment

This dissertation explores time and imprisonment: I center the narratives of women, their understanding of the ordering of the clock, and experiences of time while they navigated the criminal justice system. I conducted ethnographic research with currently and formerly incarcerated women in and around upstate New York from February 2018 through February 2022. Discussions were centered around issues they were facing while on the inside and how we as advocates-though limited-could help. Interviews probed for how time was understood, passed, and even resisted inside jails and prisons. Women's time, especially poor women and women of color, are subject to greater levels of punishment, which can be seen through and in public and private spheres. I argue time is structurally and physically weaponized against the incarcerated women and their families. I simultaneously expose how time is used as a means of power and social control in, by, and through the government and the criminal justice system. I thus look at how the management of time is key to statecraft. The weaponization of time is at the discretion of the state and its actors-all of which was exacerbated by the looming COVID-19 pandemic. I also discuss how women negotiated, marked, and understood the time of imprisonment in both jail and prison spaces. Finally, I address how incarcerated people created means to combat these abuses of power-from what Scott (1985) called 'weapons of the weak' to organized and collective forms of resistance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Virtual testimony

Since the onset of COVID-19, there was a rush of virtual forensic evaluations and testimony, all for compelling and rational reasons. At different times, jails have not allowed visitors, and courtrooms have been closed to in-person trials and hearings, and sometimes they have just been closed, period. Some research on virtual participation that emerged during the COVID pandemic built on earlier videoconferencing studies. This chapter draws on the experiences of colleagues, especially those of Denis Zavodny and Caroline Parrott, who have had much experience in virtual testimony. Many paths lead to effective as well as ineffective virtual testimony. The experiences of experts testifying by Zoom vary considerably. Workshops and talks are now presented on the topic of virtual testimony. Such testimony offers the possibilities of better and worse experiences for experts, and one can anticipate more guidelines and advice coming forth in the near future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Religion and police legitimacy: The case of Israel's Haredi community

This dissertation analyzes police legitimacy within a Jewish religious minority community in Israel, the Haredim. Informed by theories of procedural justice, social capital, integrative enclave, and community-society, the study explores the overarching theme of religion in police legitimacy. The chapters are organized into three distinct yet inter-related case studies and implement various research designs. In these chapters, I discuss possible mechanisms that have contributed to the surprising improvement in police legitimacy within this community. In the first article, I describe the Israeli-Haredi societal situation over the last twenty years and identify forces of modernization that have contributed to higher acceptance and Haredi participation with the police, namely increased trust and cooperation. I suggest that police legitimacy has gradually developed in a dialogical manner between the community and the police. The second article discusses brokerage with the police and demonstrates how, during the first wave of COVID-19, the community shifted its communication channels with the police, leaning more heavily on professional knowledge brokers rather than traditional religious brokers. This article discusses the potential for long-term improvement of police legitimacy within the community as a result of this shift in social capital. The third article focuses on organizations as socialization mechanisms that provide a safe space for Haredim to explore the Israeli public sphere and vice versa. Organizations that assist the police in various matters, and include Haredi volunteers, provide this religious minority with the opportunity to enhance communication with the police while keeping intact religious observance. In conclusion, the dissertation provides insight into the role of religion in policing and police legitimacy, offering an important view of religion as a unique factor. Theoretically, the dissertation contributes to the understanding of (1) how police legitimacy develops over time and how religion interacts with this process;(2) how social capital access, and hence communication channels with the police, may shift under certain circumstances within religious communities;and (3) how religious organizations with ties to the police working with integrative enclaves serve as agents of socialization. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed in all three articles, as well as in the conclusion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Examining the correlates of electoral violence in the U.S. using a mixed methods approach: The case of the January 6th, 2021, capitol insurrection

Political conflict is not a new phenomenon. Most political conflict is theoretical and nonviolent;however, when political violence does occur, the consequences can be detrimental to democracies. Recently, in the U.S., political violence in the form of extremism is predominantly rooted in far-right ideologies, such as racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE) and anti-government anti-authority violent extremism (AGAAVE). In the last few years, the frequency and intensity of violence perpetrated by groups and individuals who hold these extreme ideologies have increased. The threat of one of the most consequential types of political violence, electoral violence, became real on January 6th, 2021. On the morning of January 6th, then-President Trump held the so-called "Save America" rally, near the U.S. Capitol, and circulated the false notion that the 2020 election was fraudulent. When it was over, and out of approximately 30,000 individuals who attended the rally and exercised their constitutional rights, a group of approximately 1,000 individuals headed to the U.S. Capitol. There, the group of insurrectionists stormed the building, aiming to stop the certification of the 2020 Presidential election. A year and a half later, hundreds of individuals have been charged with violent and nonviolent crimes for their participation in the attack. Of the individuals who chose to storm the U.S. Capitol, why did some commit electoral violence while others did not? The current study aims to better understand the correlates of electoral violence in the January 6th Capitol attack. Using a sample of n = 818 violent and nonviolent insurrectionists charged for their participation in the insurrection, several theoretically relevant correlates (i.e., psychological factors, structural factors, racial animosity, religious affiliation, conspiracy theories, extremist ideologies and ties to extremist groups, the role of the Internet and social media, criminal record, grievances about the COVID-19 pandemic measures, and political rhetoric) were examined using a mixed methods approach. The quantitative results suggested that criminal record and Internet use were significant predictors of engaging in electoral violence. The qualitative results (n = 20) corroborated those findings and highlighted the importance of racial animosity, extreme political ideologies, political rhetoric, and conspiracy theories. The implications of the current project include summarizing the possible correlates of electoral violence in the U.S., informing counter-extremism strategies and policies, and offering an avenue for future research on far-right violent extremism in the country. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Psychological components of infertility

Infertility is a medical diagnosis impacting 48.5 million couples globally. Infertility impacts physical and emotional health as well as social and romantic relationships. People with infertility report feelings of distress, grief, anxiety and depression. Couples notice changes in their relationships;some report becoming emotionally closer while others report relationship difficulties. People may feel more isolated due to lack of social support. People that use third party reproduction, such as donor egg, sperm, embryo or gestational carriers, have additional emotional impacts during pregnancy and parenting. Continuing changes to laws complicate international fertility care, particularly given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Workplace violence, trauma, and the lived experience of corrections officers: A phenomenological study

Corrections officers are required to ensure compliance from inmates, and sometimes they have to use force, resulting in violent encounters. Such incidents can be traumatic for those directly and indirectly involved. Previous studies examined the working conditions of jail staff, but their focus was not primarily directed toward corrections officers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how everyday occurrences of violence associated with working in jails influence corrections officers' physiological well-being. The theory of constructed emotions framed this study. Recruiting was conducted using a demographic and interest survey distributed through Facebook. Using purposive sampling, semi structured interviews were conducted using the Zoom platform (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and face-to-face with 11 active-duty corrections officers working in a complex jail system in a northeastern metropolitan region. The study addressed the lived experiences of corrections officers who experienced or witnessed workplace violence by inmates and how inmates cope with trauma. Interview responses were coded and analyzed to identify common themes. The corrections officers' most common concerns were lack of follow-up after a use-of-force encounter and workplace policies about the use of force that are ineffective and detrimental. Other findings indicated fear, helplessness, stress, anxiety, and anger. Policymakers, key stakeholders, and others may lead to positive social change by using these findings in developing effective and competent strategic planning, management, and policy implementation to support corrections officers and offer them better ways to process the trauma that they experience throughout their careers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The impact of covid-19 on justice-involved african americans

Abstract This study aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on justice-involved African Americans during incarceration and post-release. The study population comprised 25 African American men and women recently released from prison. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed, and the reflexive thematic analysis process was utilized. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted and imported into NVivo 11 qualitative research software. The analysis revealed four major themes: stress, reentry, substance use, and community adjustment. The findings implied a need for (1) policy creation and revision to prepare jails and prisons for public health crises;(2) more realistic post-release coping strategies to prepare individuals to face post-release obstacles, such as COVID-19, housing, employment, relapse, and social reintegration;(3) improvements in data collection and transparency in disseminating such data to enhance healthcare services in jails and prisons;and (4) additional evidence-based research to address current concerns with data availability, misreporting, reporting delays, testing rate differences, and inconsistencies in population estimates. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)