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Abstract: 

The complete issue includes informative articles that touch on issues related either to problems in providing criminal justice services that are just or to difficulties in providing society with confidence that the system is both lawful and protective, thus ensuring a sense of security for citizens. The first article, by Lusanne Green, JD, a former coordinator of the International Community Corrections Association, contributes a very informative and insightful account of issues affecting racialized communities. Her article, “Zip Codes, Stunted Potential, and Social Determinants of Health,” notes concerns such as a lack of affordable housing, discriminatory housing practices, technology uses that have continued to polarize citizens along racial lines, and the issue that your postal code may be a better predictor of your life changes than your genetic code. The author argues for an inclusive, prosocial approach in responding to the equity issues in communities affected by inequality and discrimination as well as for correcting the issues of structural racism that exist in early childhood education and the provision of adequate health care in the affected communities. The second article, “Love Behind Bars: Boundary Violations in Corrections,” by Annette Lien and James Knoll IV, discusses the issue of boundary violations in correctional settings and provides useful guidance for managers and staff working in corrections. The third article, “Service Providers’ Understanding of Clients’ Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” by Candalyn Rade, Kemi Anazodo, and Rosemary Ricciardelli, explores the experiences of justice-involved persons as they attempt to integrate and navigate living in the community. The study uses the accounts of service providers and their understanding of reentry planning and support as well as of mental health issues. This article raises important questions for those working in the social service sector, especially because outbreaks of COVID-19 and its variants are still very much an ongoing issue. Finally, our book review editor, Russ Immarigeon, has assembled some excellent resources in his “Worth Reading” column. He reviews studies on restorative justice, prosecution reform, punishing extremes, geography and punishment, and on crime, society, and responsibility in the work of Nicola Lacey, providing a much welcomed guide to the work of this outstanding scholar. Finally, reflecting the renewed interest in the role of the arts and culture in recent discussions and the literature on desistence, he presents two reviews about prison theater—Our Class: Trauma and Transformation in an American Prison, by Chris Hedges, and Caged, by the New Jersey Prison Theater Cooperative.

Keywords: Fair Housing, Discriminatory Lending, Boundary Violations, COVID-19, Justice Reform

Affiliations:  1: Journal Editor.