Suchergebnisse

Obtaining employment is one of the most difficult challenges for individuals released from prison. This research explores the strategies recently released male parolees employ in attempting to find work, with specific attention to the role of anticipated stigma from their ex‐convict status. Through the use of in‐depth longitudinal interviews, this research contributes to our understanding of returning prisoner's experiences in job searching. We find that although a majority of the sample anticipated stigma as a barrier to employment, those who did expressed an extreme self‐reliance consistent with defensive individualism. This reluctance to draw on social networks may ultimately be counter‐productive to the search for employment.

AbstractStates have responded to the opioid epidemic by implementing statewide prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). By helping identify patients at "high risk" for suspected misuse, diversion, and doctor shopping, mandatory PDMPs aim to reduce prescription‐opioid misuse and related overdose mortality. So far, however, there is little research on whether prescribing declines following mandatory PDMP laws were targeted toward patient‐age groups with a higher incidence of prescription‐opioid misuse. To examine the heterogeneous impacts of state laws on different patient‐age groups, this study exploits the implementation of PDMP reforms in Kentucky starting July 20, 2012. The analysis uses novel data from PDMPs, including the universe of opioid prescriptions dispensed between January 2012 and November 2013. Individual prescriber‐level difference‐in‐differences, with Indiana as the control state, show that practitioners responded to Kentucky's new laws as expected, by prescribing opioids to fewer patients and authorizing fewer prescriptions and days of supply per prescription. Opioid prescribing declined most sharply to patient sub‐populations with the highest past incidence of prescription‐opioid‐involved overdose mortality—ages 25–54 years. Considering the implication for overdose mortality, we find that Kentucky's PDMP reform was associated with significant declines in prescription‐opioid overdose deaths, particularly among adolescents and younger adults (ages 15–34 years). However, the decline in prescription‐opioid‐involved mortality was offset by an increase in illicit‐drug mortality, resulting in no net change in total drug‐overdose mortality in Kentucky following its mandatory PDMP.

Objectives. To examine whether stricter firearm legislation is associated with rates of fatal police shootings. Methods. We used a cross-sectional, state-level design to evaluate the effect of state-level firearm legislation on rates of fatal police shootings from January 1, 2015, through October 31, 2016. We measured state-level variation in firearm laws with legislative scorecards from the Brady Center, and for fatal police shootings we used The Counted, an online database maintained by The Guardian. Results. State-level firearm legislation was significantly associated with lower rates of fatal police shootings (incidence rate ratio = 0.961; 95% confidence interval = 0.939, 0.984). When we controlled for sociodemographic factors, states in the top quartile of legislative strength had a 51% lower incidence rate than did states in the lowest quartile. Laws aimed at strengthening background checks, promoting safe storage, and reducing gun trafficking were associated with fewer fatal police shootings. Conclusions. Legislative restrictions on firearms are associated with reductions in fatal police shootings. Public Health Implications. Although further research is necessary to determine causality and potential mechanisms, firearm legislation is a potential policy solution for reducing fatal police shootings in the United States.

There are now more than 300 mental health courts in the United States; yet studies on their effectiveness in reducing criminal recidivism are relatively few, and most follow defendants after entry into the court, during their participation, and sometimes, for a short period following exit. Using a preenrollment-postexit design that follows participants of one mental health court for 2 years after exit, this article examines criminal recidivism of participants after they no longer receive the court's services, supervision, and support. It investigates participant demographic, clinical, and criminal history and key arrest characteristics as well as process measures and graduation as predictors of two measures of recidivism, arrests, and postexit jail days. Its findings support the hypothesis that mental health courts can reduce criminal recidivism postexit and point to criminal history, time in mental health court, and graduation as the main influences on recidivism.

The aim of this study was to describe rural community stakeholders' attitudes and perceptions of providing medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to individuals in the criminal/legal system. Data were utilized from a technical assistance initiative aimed at strengthening community-based OUD treatment within criminal/legal systems. A mixed-methods approach was applied. Survey responses were used to compare stakeholders' who had and had not attended an MOUD training, and semistructured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of rural criminal/legal and treatment stakeholders. MOUD training was associated with endorsing the effectiveness of methadone, oral naltrexone, and injectable naltrexone. Three primary themes emerged from the stakeholder interviews: 1) acceptance of MOUD uptake; 2) stigma of MOUD and diversion concerns; and 3) gaps in MOUD treatment. Most interviewees noted that there is a scarcity of treatment options in their community, and among the existing services, there are considerable barriers to care.