Bonding through books behind bars: Reconnecting incarcerated mothers/grandmothers with children

Bonding through books is a piloted project that sought to engage incarcerated mothers/grandmothers through furthering their literacy skills to promote prosocial relationships with their children/grandchildren. Literacy measurements often consider fourth-grade literacy as the measure for future achievement. Approximately 68% of children in the U.S. do not meet this standard with most youth coming from rural, low-income or at-risk homes—an almost exact match for incarcerated mothers and children in Kansas. We sought to help reduce prison disciplinary issues, ease the reintegration process, and increase success upon release. This was accomplished through both live (on-site) and recorded read aloud sessions and measured through pre/post-test data analysis and the review of disciplinary reports. Pre and post-test surveys included the Rhody Secondary Reading Attitude Assessment, Parenting Sense of Competency Scale, and National Assessment of Adult Literacy. At the culmination of the project, the mothers/grandmothers would be assisted with recording themselves reading a children’s book to be sent home to their children/grandchildren. Due to unforeseen travel restrictions, post-test data is not available and all reported data is based on pre-test data. Most participants were already interested in reading and felt competent parenting behind bars

Victim Services in Kansas: A Review and Future Suggestions

The study of victimology emerged around the 1970s—an awakening to the importance for consideration of survivors and victim services. This study reviewed the federal definition for victim services and used it as a guiding thread when studying available resources across Kansas. Additionally, literature provides program suggestions for services across the U.S., effectiveness and utilization of programs, and limitations. In line with other states, findings suggest statewide implementation of an interaction map outlining service name, target audience, and location of victim services. This resource would provide the state with a means for disseminating breadth of services while also locating where services are lacking—typically, services are limited for survivors in rural locations

Sweep it under the rug: The stronghold of surname in the response to sexual assault in frontierland

Previous studies have found that neighborhoods with high crime and poverty, combined with low collective efficacy, create an environment that encourages cultural norms around gender-based violence. Categorized as coercive sexual environments (CSEs), such conditions are especially harmful to girls and young women. To date, all studies on CSEs have focused on urban communities. The current study sought out the presence of CS Es within rural locations. After conducting interviews with incarcerated girls and women, as well as community partners (e.g., probation officers, treatment providers, and judges), preliminary findings suggest that the same model is not sufficient when addressing gender-based crimes in non-metropolitan areas. Some rural communities actively ignore certain sexual assaults, primarily as a mechanism to protect the family name. Most of these frontierlands are devoid of high crime rates and poverty, and exert a sense of high collective efficacy; yet, the mentality of {[sweep it under the rug appears to be a strong driving force in masking gender-based violence. Community partners report that broader cultural norms support, and even encourage, underreporting of crime, victim-blaming, and disregard of survivor support. These findings suggest that CSEs present differently in rural communities and that high collective efficacy may actually serve to undermine the community\u27s willingness to seek justice for victims

Girls and the juvenile justice system: Community stakeholders recognize gender non-conforming behavior as “criminal” for girls

Behaviors that guide girls into the correctional environment often pose little or no threat to public safety (e.g., running away). Deeply rooted gender injustice continues to remain persistent and drives girls deeper into the system. Despite continued discussion on improvement of societal gender norms, girls’ deviant behavior is often considered different from boys. In rural communities, girls’ deviance may be viewed as a threat to societal norms of femininity or a product of poor choices. For girls, these non-violent behaviors pave a way into the system and potentially a life behind bars. The current study serves as a contemporary comparison of qualitative responses outlining differences between perceived deviancy of girls and boys among a sample of community stakeholders in a Midwestern state. Results are consistent—girls continue to be held to different, lesser, standards of “appropriate” conduct than boys, creating a pathway into the juvenile correctional system

Student ghettos: Fear of crime and perceptions of police legitimacy explain undergraduate perceptions of victimization and wellness

Criminological research has examined the role of neighborhood order in explaining perceptions of crime and official crime statistics for decades. When citizens perceive their neighborhood to be socially and/or physically disordered, community and interpersonal relationships diminish, mistrust increases – including perceptions of police legitimacy – and overall individual wellness decreases. While this literature is wellestablished, little is known about these interactions within a college population—these neighborhoods referred to as “studentification” and described as “student ghettos.” Student ghettos are known for visibly delinquent and socially frowned upon behaviors, heightened concern for sexual assaults and rape, and lack of respect and perceived legitimacy of university and local law enforcement. The current study sought to better understand students’ perceptions regarding social disorder, police legitimacy, and selfreported wellness. Findings indicate that women and those identifying as LGBTQIA+ fear crime at higher rates than men and reported lower levels of overall wellness, while all students perceive social disorder and police legitimacy similarly. Findings suggest perception of fear is the driving factor in influencing students’ overall wellness, suggesting colleges and universities must address the mere perception of crime to help ensure the health and well-being of their students

Mental Health First Aid With Criminal Justice Students

Mental illness is a major contributor impacting overall health, affecting more than 1 billion people globally (Papish et al., 2013). Research suggests more than 80% of people who die by suicide had a mental illness with suicide being the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15-29 (Isometsä, 2001). Yet, many individuals do not seek professional treatment for a variety of factors, including lack of awareness of warning signs and symptoms, mental health stigma, and unavailable services (Baumann, 2007). One method for addressing barriers to mental health treatment includes targeted efforts to improve mental health literacy in communities, especially rural communities (Mendenhall & Frauenholtz, 2013). This study sought to understand the impact Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training would have on criminal justice students completing it as part of a one-hour elective course. A prior study with this sample found that after completion of this training students reported increases in mental health literacy, decreases in stigmatic views toward those with mental illness, and decreases in endorsement of microaggressions related to mental illness. Using this same sample, we have open-coded a post-training reflection paper to assess the impact of MHFA on the student personally and professionally. Findings show decreases in fear to respond to those in crisis, increases in knowledge of resources, and a desire to advocate for self and others. Based on findings from both studies, we encourage all criminal justice programs to offer MHFA with the expectation that those working within the criminal legal system will then be better equipped with knowledge surrounding mental health challenges and disorders

Community stakeholders’ perceptions of crime and victimization: A mixed-methods approach to understanding collective efficacy and social cohesion in the rural heartland

Previous criminological literature has mostly neglected rural communities, often treating these places as smaller pieces of urban culture. Literature suggests rural communities operate differently than urban neighborhoods, with distinctive values, norms, and community cohesion. For example, concepts surrounding collective efficacy may work counterproductively in rural areas—further exploiting outed community members within “close-knit” environments. The current study sought to compare perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion, crime, and victimization between rural and urban counties across one Midwestern rural state. Using a mixed-methods approach, community stakeholders from a variety of professions were surveyed. Quantitative results suggest similar perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion in rural and urban communities while qualitative responses paint a much different picture—an image of rural communities “minding their own business” and both formally and informally intervening only in the most extreme and personalized scenarios

Trauma-Informed Court

Trauma-informed practices recognize the widespread impact of trauma on individuals and the need to deliver services that avoid re-traumatization. In the context of the mainstream court system, trauma-informed care is crucial for ensuring that individuals who have experienced trauma are treated with compassion and understanding. Trauma-informed care can help court officials recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma, including the triggers that can cause individuals to experience distress, anxiety, or other mental health challenges, and take steps to address those triggers. The purpose of this research is to map the degree and extent of trauma-informed practices in two judicial districts within the criminal and juvenile court systems in Kansas. By mapping the results, we identified areas where trauma-informed practices are already being implemented effectively, as well as gaps and need for improvements. This information can be used to develop targeted interventions to increase the implementation of trauma-informed care practices throughout the criminal and juvenile justice systems

Venturing into the Heartlands: Comparing Trauma-Informed Spaces in Urban and Rural Jurisdictions through Field Observations

This study explores trauma-informed practices within courtroom settings in a Midwestern state, comparing urban and rural judicial districts through in-depth field observations. Using a semi-structured observational approach, we examined courtroom dynamics, environmental factors, and community influences to assess how trauma-informed design principles are applied. Our findings reveal notable contrasts: rural courtrooms grappled with resource limitations and conservative cultural influences, while urban settings displayed a fast-paced, often impersonal atmosphere. Socio-political factors, such as community values and political symbolism, emerged as significant influences on courtroom practices, shaping the receptiveness and implementation of trauma-informed approaches. Guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework, we identified themes including resource constraints, courtroom decorum, community socio-political influences, and privacy considerations. The study highlights the need for adaptive trauma-informed policies and judicial training that account for socio-cultural differences, advocating for increased support to rural jurisdictions to enhance the implementation of trauma-informed judicial practices

System-Involved Youths & Mental Illness

The poster will be talking about mental health in the youths in the juvenile justice system and also the ACEs ( Adverse Childhood Experiences). Also, the trauma and what other forms of abuse and neglect how that might get the juveniles in the system and a slope in where they might gain contact. Also, with the correctional system and implications and suggestions on how to get help for the youths