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Five Questions for Janine M. Zweig (Five Questions)Author(s): Janine M. ZweigAn interview with Janine M. Zweig, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center. Zweig is an author of "Addressing Sexual Violence in Prisons: A National Snapshot of Approaches and Highlights of Innovative Strategies."
| Posted: October 24, 2006 | Availability: HTML |
Addressing Sexual Violence in Prisons: A National Snapshot of Approaches and Highlights of Innovative Strategies (Research Report)Author(s): Janine M. Zweig,
Rebecca Naser,
John Blackmore,
Megan SchafferBefore the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003, it was not clear the extent to which state departments of corrections (DOCs) were addressing sexual violence in systematic ways. Little information existed about what strategies were being put into practice in prison systems across the country. PREA has changed the way DOCs are addressing prison sexual violence (PSV). The purpose of the current project was to provide a national snapshot of DOC initiatives to address PSV, as well as to identify specific practices that seemed to be, in the absence of formal evaluations, particularly promising or innovative in nature. Practices were identified related to policy development, prevention, investigation and prosecution, victim services, staff training, documenting incidents, and funding.
Jail Reentry Roundtable Meeting Summary (Summary)Author(s): Jenny Osborne,
Amy L. SolomonLittle attention has been paid to the issue of reentry from local jails, despite the fact that jails process more than 12 million admissions and releases each year. With support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Urban Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation partnered to convene a Jail Reentry Roundtable. The two-day meeting, held June 2006, brought together leading jail administrators, researchers, corrections and law enforcement professionals, county and community leaders, service providers, and former inmates to discuss the unique dimensions, challenges, and opportunities of jail reentry. This document summarizes the Roundtable presentations and discussion.
Prisoner Reentry: Addressing the Challenges in Weed and Seed Communities (Research Report)Author(s): Amy L. Solomon,
Tobi Palmer,
Alvin Atkinson,
Joanne Davidson,
Lynn HarveyIn order to understand the extent to which Weed and Seed sites are engaged in prisoner reentry efforts, the Department of Justice's Community Capacity Development Office, the Center for Community Safety of Winston-Salem State University, and the Urban Institute surveyed Weed and Seed sites around the country. This report summarizes the responses from the survey, illustrating the various ways that Weed and Seed sites are focusing on prisoner reentry and working with partner organizations to reduce recidivism and create safer, healthier communities.
Cleveland Prisoners' Experiences Returning Home (Research Report)Author(s): Christy Visher,
Shannon M. E. CourtneyThis research brief presents findings from the Returning Home study in Cleveland, Ohio. The first phase of the Urban Institute's Ohio study analyzed where former Ohio prisoners settle after release and found that many returned to a handful of hard-pressed Cleveland neighborhoods. The second phase focused on prisoners' expectations for life after prison and found that most were confident they would succeed. The third phase--"Cleveland Prisoners' Experiences Returning Home"--followed 424 men who returned to Cleveland in the first three months after their release, examining factors that may help or hinder successful reintegration, including employment, substance use, attitudes and beliefs, health status, criminal histories, and family and community contexts.
