Issue 36: June 2010

Corrections Research Round-up
by Leah Goldstein Moses

At the Improve Group, we have been fortunate to work with a number of correctional programs for adult and juvenile offenders. What has surprised some of our clients is that the indicators we explore in corrections are similar to those we research in community-based programs. For example, self-esteem, healthy behaviors, connections to the community, and self-sufficiency are important concepts to many programs and services. Within corrections, the hope is that by helping people make improvements related to these indicators, in-facility behavior will improve and recidivism will decrease.

Working with corrections has given us the opportunity to learn a great deal about gathering data in settings with multiple, complex challenges, all of which are applicable to other programs. For example:

• In a number of controlled settings, participants may feel like they really don’t have a choice about participating in an activity. We strive to follow not only the letter of research ethics but also the spirit, making sure participants understand their freedom of choice and what the research is all about. Incarcerated individuals are considered vulnerable populations. Prisoners may feel compelled to participate unless we carefully explain their options for opting out of the research.
• Prison facilities operate on a schedule dictated by multiple factors, from when a service provider is available to come on site to whether an incident has led to a lock down. This makes data collection unpredictable, and forces us to be flexible.
• Outcomes are often effected by outside circumstances. By gathering information about other factors that may influence participants, such as access to services or unexpected events, can help programs understand why outcomes differ from their expectations.
• There are restrictions on the materials that can be brought into prison facilities. For example, one juvenile facility we went to allowed us to bring paper surveys, but they could not have staples and we were not allowed to bring pens or pencils. The incarcerated girls completed their surveys in markers provided by the facility.
• The various cultures and literacy levels of the prison population require evaluation tools and approaches that both respect them and meet the needs/capabilities of the participants..

A number of large institutions have a focus on corrections research. They are researching a number of topics, including:

• Understanding challenges to prisoner reentry 1
• The underlying factors of disparities in the criminal justice system 2
• Reducing assaults in prison by changing the culture 3

Other disciplines can benefit from the research in corrections by thinking about the factors that may limit the success of evaluations and by determining if there are common indicators that could be applied in other settings. You can find more information about research in corrections from the following resources:

• National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/
• International Corrections and Prisons Association, http://www.icpa.ca/
• Americans Correctional Association, https://www.aca.org/
• The Corrections Community, a discussion-forum based resource at http://community.nicic.gov/
• See The Improve Group’s recent presentation from an evaluation of a prison-based education program: http://theimprovegroup.com/lifeskillsfindings.pdf  and our presentation about the timing of evaluation in corrections programs at http://www.theimprovegroup.com/corrtiming.pdf.

1 See the Urban Institute at http://www.urban.org/justice/index.cfm?page=1

2 See the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/newsroom/30.php

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A Celebration to Remember
by Susan Murphy

There are so many times in life when we should stop what we are doing and take time to reflect upon all that we have accomplished and the journey it took to get there.  It is just as important to let each other know how much we appreciate their commitment to achieving our common goals.

The Improve Group took that reflection time on June 10th to celebrate our business’ 10th Anniversary.  Over 70 guests including staff, clients, colleagues, family and friends came together to have a night of fun and food to commemorate this exciting benchmark for our company.

As party goers came in they were asked to vote for one of three charities selected by our staff: The Emergency Food Shelf Network, The National Wildlife Federation and the Aliveness Project.  For each vote cast that charity would receive a donation from the Improve Group.

The food at Stella’s Fish Café was abundant and delicious.  Playing on the flat screen behind the bar was a 10-year retrospective slide show of the Improve Group activities and the people who were instrumental in helping us along the way. President and CEO Leah Goldstein Moses gave a brief thank you speech that was written by her daughter Claudia. Attendees received Improve Group logo totes with goodies to bring home.  It was a memorable evening for all.

For those of you who came to celebrate with us, your presence was truly appreciated.  For those who could not be there, we missed you and felt your spirit.  If you would like to see photos of the party please go to our Flickr account.