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Author:  Donald G. Evans.


Source: Volume 27, Number 04, Summer 2018 , pp.1-28(28)




Journal of Community Justice (formerly Journal of Community Corrections)

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Abstract: 

The selection of articles for this issue includes a summary of the 2017 Margaret Mead Award speech, a discussion about electronic monitoring and human rights, an important discussion of the concept of risk in the recent Adam Walsh Act, a good-news story about partnerships and persistence in support of affordable housing, and our regular feature of what is worth reading with regard to our work. Developments in Community Corrections: The 2017 annual Margaret Mead Award was awarded to Denise Robinson, chief executive officer of Alvis, a community corrections agency based in Columbus, Ohio. In an updated version of her acceptance speech at the JCC Research Conference in Seattle, Washington, on October 31, 2017, Denise Robinson provides a personal account of the developments that have occurred in community corrections during her work in the field. She pays particular attention to the development of programming for special populations such as veterans, the developmentally disabled, women, and those suffering from addictions. Electronic Monitoring : Although electronic monitoring has been used for years, there has been limited research and creative policy or legislation developed with regard to its effects on monitored offenders. In this article, Dr. James Kilgore, the current Soros Justice Advocacy Fellow, describes his Challenging E-Carceration project, a research and policy campaign endeavoring to change the narrative concerning electronic monitoring. He sets out suggestions for a research and action agenda for electronic monitoring in the United States, beginning from the standpoint of transformative justice, especially its key component holding that “a process of justice must not only address the harm done to an individual in a specific situation but must also recognize and respond to structural factors that may have contributed to the harmful acts.” In laying out his suggestions for the research agenda, Dr. Kilgore makes clear that we need to question the assumptions on which some of our quantitative research is based, especially with regard to the effects of electronic monitoring on recidivism. We also need to take a closer look at who gets assigned to electronic monitoring programs. Dr. Kilgore shares some suggestions as to how we might gather more quantitative data. He also suggests the need for qualitative research to understand the roles of those involved in the use of electronic monitoring, from the practices of producers and providers of electronic monitoring services to the question of the use of fees. He proposes a new agenda for the use of electronic monitoring and promotes model guidelines for respecting the rights of individuals placed on electronic monitoring. Whether or not you agree with what is proposed, it is clear that those working in community corrections need to rethink a number of current approaches in light of the shift from mass incarceration to mass supervision and how that shift will affect the way that community corrections functions in the future. Risk in the Adam Walsh Act: Authors Robin Wilson and David Prescott draw our attention to an untenable standard established in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in requiring that a convicted child sexual offender who wishes to sponsor a spouse or other family member for permanent resident status represent no risk for harm to the person for whom sponsorship is being offered. Wilson and Prescott provide an overview of the empirical research studies demonstrating that recidivism in this class of offenders is infrequent and that there is no way of ensuring that anyone, whether convicted or not, qualifies for a prediction that he or she is at “no risk” to cause harm. This article is a valuable resource, and the references can be very useful in terms of influencing public policy, especially in advancing the argument that there might be a low-risk category but definitely not a no-risk one. The authors argue that we are all for public safety but that we will be more successful when we develop realistic standards and expectations for public policy. Affordable Housing and Support Through Partnerships and Persistence: Dave Johnson, president of the Glory House transitional facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, shares his experience finding safe, secure, and affordable housing so that men who still need support after completing their time at Glory House can continue to receive help during their reentry process. The article discusses the process by which the agency went about meeting this need by acquiring a property adjacent to Glory House and securing the financing to develop affordable housing where the agency can expand its services to those who still need assistance when their time is up in the transitional facility.

Keywords: Overemphasis on Risk; Evidenced-Informed Practice; Community Development and Engagement; Affordable Housing; Electronic Monitoring Surveillance Technologies; Drug Law Changes

Affiliations:  1: Editor in Chief.

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