Malcolm Williams

Congregation-Based Programs to Address HIV/AIDS: Elements of Successful Implementation

Religious organizations may be uniquely positioned to address HIV by offering prevention, treatment, or support services to affected populations, but models of effective congregation-based HIV programs in the literature are scarce. This systematic review distils lessons on successfully implementing congregation HIV efforts. Peer-reviewed articles on congregation-based HIV efforts were reviewed against criteria measuring the extent of collaboration, tailoring to the local context, and use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods. The effectiveness of congregations’ efforts and their capacity to overcome barriers to addressing HIV is also assessed. We found that most congregational efforts focused primarily on HIV prevention, were developed in partnerships with outside organizations and tailored to target audiences, and used CBPR methods. A few more comprehensive programs also provided care and support to people with HIV and/or addressed substance use and mental health needs. We also found that congregational barriers such as HIV stigma and lack of understanding HIV’s importance were overcome using various strategies including tailoring programs to be respectful of church doctrine and campaigns to inform clergy and congregations. However, efforts to confront stigma directly were rare, suggesting a need for further research.

The Role of Urban Congregations in Addressing HIV

With their extensive social reach and influence across diverse communities, faith-based organizations have an exceptional opportunity to help address human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide. But in these efforts, many congregations face constraints, including limited size and resources, as well as competing social needs and ministries. Until recently, the roles that faith-based organizations might play have not been clearly defined. In a carefully designed series of studies conducted over eight years, RAND researchers sought to better understand the capacity of urban congregations for HIV prevention and care, specifically in the areas of stigma reduction and HIV testing. The research was conducted collaboratively with community-based partners, including faith and public health leaders. It had three main phases: (1) research to understand the roles that congregations have played throughout the various stages of the HIV epidemic; (2) development of a multi-component, church-based program to address HIV stigma and promote HIV testing in African American and Latino churches; and (3) an evaluation to assess how the program worked in real-world settings.

Correctional Education in the United States: How Effective Is It, and How Can We Move the Field Forward?

M ore than 2 million adults are incarcerated in U.S. prisons, and each year more than 700,000 leave federal and state prisons and return to communities. Unfortunately, within three years, 40 percent will be reincarcerated. One reason is that ex-offenders often lack the knowledge, training, and skills to support a successful return to their communities. Trying to reduce such high recidivism rates is partly why states devote resources to educating and training individuals in prison. Also, the education that juvenile offenders receive in the justice system is intended to help them earn diplomas, find jobs, and avoid future criminal behavior. This raises the question of how effective—and costeffective—correctional education (CE) is for improving these individuals’ postrelease outcomes. The question is even more salient now, given the challenging funding environment that states and localities face from the 2008 recession and its aftermath. With funding from the Second Chance Act of 2007, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) asked RAND to help answer this question as part of a comprehensive examination of the current state of CE for incarcerated adults and juveniles. To do so, we systematically reviewed CE programs for incarcerated adults and juveniles. The study included a metaanalysis of CE’s effects on the postrelease recidivism and employment rates of incarcerated adults, as well as a synthesis of evidence on CE programs for juveniles. And to put the recidivism findings for adults in context, the study also compared the direct costs of CE for adults with those of reincarceration. In addition, it included a nationwide survey of state CE directors to examine how CE is provided today and what impact the recession has had on states. Finally, researchers drew on the comprehensive evaluation results as a whole to examine current and emerging trends in CE and to identify strategies that may strengthen the field moving forward.

Building Blocks for a Resilient City

For more information, please visit www.rand.org/resilience-in-action.html The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. www.rand.org RESILIENCE is the ability of communities to withstand and recover from disasters as well as to learn from past disasters to strengthen future response and recovery efforts.