Assignment 4: Addressing Key Issues in Correctional Facilities
Background
Students will analyze and evaluate the critical issues impacting correctional facilities, including mental health, staffing shortages, and safety concerns. Using the provided resources, they will develop a comprehensive plan to address these challenges and propose practical reforms to improve outcomes for inmates, staff, and society.
Instructions:
Read and Analyze the Provided Resources
Review the following materials to understand the interconnected issues within correctional facilities:
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Baggio et al. (2020): Research on overcrowding and violence in prisons.
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Correctional Needs Assessment (2022): Recruitment and retention challenges in corrections.
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Katel (2024): Mental health crises in U.S. prisons.
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Pacholke (2014): TED Talk on inmate rehabilitation.
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Hull, O.J.; Breckler, O.D.; Jaegers, L.A. Integrated Safety and Health Promotion among Correctional Workers and People Incarcerated: A Scoping Review.
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Joseph A. Schwartz, Douglas A. Granger, Jessica L. Calvi, Christopher A. Jodis, and Benjamin Steiner (2023): The Implications of Stress Among Correctional Officers.
Assignment Tasks
Analyze:
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The challenges related to mental health, staff shortages, and safety in correctional facilities.
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How these issues are interrelated, citing at least three of the provided resources.
Solution Development:
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Propose a set of reforms or initiatives that address the identified challenges. Your plan should include:
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Strategies to improve mental health care for inmates (e.g., community-based programs, prison reforms).
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Recommendations for recruiting and retaining correctional staff.
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Approaches to reduce violence and improve safety within prisons.
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Use evidence from at least three sources to support your recommendations.
Critical Reflection:
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Reflect on the societal implications of these issues and proposed reforms. Address questions such as:
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How do current challenges in correctional facilities affect public safety?
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What role should society play in supporting the incarcerated population and correctional staff?
Submission Guidelines:
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Length: 2-3 pages, double-spaced.
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Format: APA style for citations and references.
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Include a title page and reference page with ALL assignment references provided.
Resources for Students: Use the APA citations provided to locate and cite the articles in your assignment:
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Baggio, S., Peigné, N., Heller, P., Gétaz, L., Liebrenz, M., & Wolff, H. (2020). Do overcrowding and turnover cause violence in prison? Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 481001. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.01015
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Correctional Needs Assessment. (2022, March). Recruitment and retention challenges in corrections. CNA. https://www.cna.org/our-media/indepth/2022/03/recruitment-and-retention-challenges-in-corrections
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Katel, L. (2024, November 30). The struggle within: The crisis of mental illness in U.S. prisons. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-crime-and-justice-doctor/202411/the-struggle-within-the-crisis-of-mental-illness-in
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Pacholke, D. (2014, September). How prisons can help inmates live meaningful lives [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pacholke_how_prisons_can_help_inmates_live_meaningful_lives?subtitle=en
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The Implications of Stress Among Correctional Officers: A Summary of the Risks and Promising Intervention Strategies International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. Joseph A. Schwartz, Douglas A. Granger, Jessica L. Calvi, Christopher A. Jodis, and Benjamin Steiner. Article first published online: November 26, 2023. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0306624X231213316
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Van Ginneken, E. F. J. C., Shuker, R., Brown, J., & Debowska, A. (2023). Correctional officer well-being: A systematic review of determinants and outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(12), 6104. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20126104