Bonita M. Veysey

“It’s the Little Things” Women, Trauma, and Strategies for Healing

Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, which is part of the Franklin County Women and Violence Project, explores the healing experiences of 18 women who have histories of violence, substance abuse, and involvement in the mental health and/or substance abuse treatment system. Ethnographic interviews suggest that while professional intervention can be beneficial, it may not be adequate. In fact, it can be retruamatizing. The means of service delivery and treatment by individuals, service providers and others, may be more important than the actual service. Often women find that caring individuals and a safe environment yield the greatest benefit. It is not so much what people do to help, but how they do it.

An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Community Notification and Registration: Do the Best Intentions Predict the Best Practices?

This research measures group differences in recidivism before and after implementation of Megan’s Law. The pre–post study consists of a total of 550 male sex offenders released during the years 1990 and 2000, of which 250 offenders were released during 1990 and 1994 (i.e., the pre‐Megan’s Law group) and 300 offenders were released between 1995 and 2000 (i.e., the post‐Megan’s Law group). Offenders were released from a general population setting and a sex offender specific treatment facility. The main variables of concern include: (1) recidivism levels, (2) days to first re‐arrest, and (3) level of harm (i.e., number of sex offenses, violent offenses, and number of child victims). Statistical findings from chi‐square and survival analysis testing indicate significant group differences on levels of general recidivism; however, no significant differences were identified on measures of sex offense recidivism. Implications of these findings on sex offender specific policies are discussed.

In search of the missing linkages: continuity of care in U.S. jails

Persons with symptoms of acute mental illnesses present problems for jail management. Jails have a constitutional duty to provide psychiatric services to all persons in need of such care. However, mental health resources are frequently insufficient to meet the many needs of persons with mental illnesses in jails, and are often inaccessible to those released to the community. This study focuses on the experiences of a cohort of detainees (n = 379) with mental illnesses who have been incarcerated in seven U.S. jails. Data gathered include criminal and demographic characteristics, mental health services received by the detainees in jail, discharge planning activities by jail staff, and community-based outcomes after release. This is primarily a descriptive study depicting typical experiences and processes related to detainees with mental illnesses. The goal is to provide information to support more detailed studies on the effectiveness of mental health-criminal justice linkages.

Comparing Outcomes for Diverted and Nondiverted Jail Detainees with Mental Illnesses

Jail diversion programs have been proposed for use with persons with mental illnesses. While much support exists for these programs in theory, little is known about their characteristics, the individuals they divert, or their effectiveness. The current study focuses on identifying the characteristics of persons diverted through a court-based program in one midwestern city and their outcomes during the first 2 months after diversion. Information on participants (n = 80) was gathered through detainee interviews, staff interviews, and record abstracts. Two factors appear to be important in diversion: (1) community risk and (2) availability of specialized programs for diverted offenders. Demographic, clinical, and social context variables appear to influence diversion decisions. Overall, the diverted and nondiverted groups did approximately the same upon release, but one third of the nondiverted group never got released during the follow-up.

Gender Differences in the Transformation Narrative: Implications for Revised Reentry Strategies for Female Offenders

Several studies have found that men and women differ in how they recount events and experiences. However, they may also differ in the actual experiences of events. A sample of 37 individuals with various stigmatized identities was asked to describe how their lives changed in a positive way. The narratives revealed that women and men experience role transformation differently. Men refer to status-related factors (SRF) while women refer to relationship-related factors (RRF) as integral parts of their narratives. Dominant reentry paradigms rely on a male model of change, but if women transform differently, revised female-specific reentry strategies are necessary for women.

Girls Will Be Girls: Gender Differences in Predictors of Success for Diverted Youth With Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders

Data on 2,303 youth participating in the New York State Mental Health/ Juvenile Justice Diversion Program were used to explore differences between girls and boys on factors commonly associated with two juvenile justice outcomes: recidivism and out-of-community placement. Bivariate analyses reveal predictable differences between justice-involved girls and boys. Pooled sex multivariate models of these outcomes show no main effect of sex. The results of the within-gender analyses reveal that the type and strength of the predictors of out-of-community placement and recidivism differ for girls and boys. Some predictors suggest even opposite effects by gender. This underscores the necessity to conduct studies of girls (and women) that are grounded in female-specific theories, using data elements derived from those theories and collecting information through gender-sensitive methodologies.

Reducing Out-of-Community Placement and Recidivism Diversion of Delinquent Youth With Mental Health and Substance Use Problems From the Justice System

For a number of reasons, researchers and policy makers are now focusing on diversion of youth from the juvenile justice system. This study examines New York States diversion efforts focused on youth with mental health and substance abuse problems who are at risk of out-of-community placement (N = 2,309). Twelve counties participated in the Mental Health Juvenile Justice (MH/JJ) Diversion Project. Overall, the initiative was successful in reducing out-of-community placement and recidivism for diverted youth. In regression analysis site, services received, and problem-profile variables were important predictors of out-of-community placement. Prior record, prior placement, and significant mental health problems were statistically significant predictors of recidivism. This suggests some contrasts in explaining the results of two important goals of the MH/JJ project. Study results and implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

A Preliminary Step towards Evaluating the Impact of Megan's Law: A Trend Analysis of Sexual Offenses in New Jersey from 1985 to 2005

This study examines the trend of sexual offense rates reported by law enforcement agencies in the 21 counties of New Jersey from 1985 through 2005. New Jersey was chosen because it was the birthplace of Megans Law. This study is one component of a larger National Institute of Justice-funded study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Megans Law. In this preliminary step we attempt to fill in missing information concerning the pattern of sexual offense rates in New Jersey, while comparing them to drug offense rates and non-sexually based offending rates over the 21-year time frame. This study focuses on four questions: (1) What is the pattern of sexual offense rates in New Jersey for the 10 years prior to the passage of Megans Law and the 10 years after? (2) How do these rates compare to the rates of drug offenses and non-sexually based offending in New Jersey for the same period? (3) Are there pattern differences across the 21 New Jersey counties? (4) Are there significant change points in the pattern of sexual offense rates at the state or county level that coincide with the implementation of Megans Law? Results indicate that New Jersey experienced a consistently downward trend in sexual offense rates, with a significant change point in 1994. In the majority of counties, sexual offense rates were higher prior to 1994 (the year Megans Law was passed) and were lowest after 1995. While sexual offense rates have rebounded somewhat, they are far lower than in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Using the Referral Decision Scale to Screen Mentally Ill Jail Detainees: Validity and Implementation Issues

The prevalence of serious mental illnesses in jail populations is significantly greater than in the general population. Identifying individuals who warrant psychiatric evaluations is important and benefits correctional staff as well as detainees. One widely used screening instrument intended for this task is the Referral Decision Scale (RDS). This paper reviews the development and validation of the RDS. Using data from a multisite study which assessed postrelease outcomes for detainees with mental illness, various types of validity are addressed. The results confirm that the RDS has some inherent characteristics that seriously limit its practical application as a screening instrument for use by correctional staff.

Sex Offenses and Offenders Reconsidered An Investigation of Characteristics and Correlates Over Time

Analyses of national and state-based data suggest that the rate of reported sexual offenses has declined in the past 25 years. This decline began prior to the implementation of registration and notification laws in the mid-1990s and continued to decline after the laws’ passage. It remains unclear, however, whether registration and notification laws have produced a qualitative change in the characteristics of the offender population and/or the predictors of sexual recidivism. This study investigates key differences among offenders pre- and postimplementation of community notification laws across an 11-year period (1990-2000) using a random sample of 550 offenders in New Jersey. All offenders were followed for 6.5 years, and reoffenses were analyzed across a range of demographic, clinical, and criminal offense predictors.