Social Work Practice in the Criminal Justice System

✍ Scribed by George T. Patterson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 243
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Social Work Practice in the Criminal Justice System presents an overview of the criminal justice system for social workers, exploring the networks and institutions which comprise it.

Integrating social work ethics and a commitment to social justice, this textbook explores social work practice roles to address social problems within the criminal justice system and promotes the development of knowledge, skills, and critical reflection in this increasingly important area of practice. In addition to covering the four key areas for social work practice – law enforcement, courts, corrections, and legislation, it covers police social work and forensic social work.

This second edition has been updated to include:

• The opioid crisis and opioid courts

• Separate chapters describing special populations and contemporary issues in the criminal justice system

• Expanded criminal justice perspectives and theoretical frameworks.

Examining the challenges and opportunities of social work practice in the criminal justice system, this is the ideal text for social work instructors, students, and practitioners working with or within the criminal justice system. Each chapter includes a summary of social work practice implications, key terms, and suggestions for further reading.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction to the U.S. criminal justice system
Chapter overview
A note on terms used throughout the book
Four components of the criminal justice system
Public safety and public health
A note about size and scope of the U.S. criminal justice system
Size and scope of the U.S. criminal justice system
Criminal justice expenditures
Criminal justice employment
Overview of the U.S. criminal justice system
Criminal justice agencies as a system
Overview of crimes
Measuring crime rates
Uniform Crime Report (UCR) program
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
Theoretical explanations of crime and victimization
Criminal justice perspectives
Criminal justice and human rights
History of social work practice in the U.S. criminal justice system
The NASW Code of Ethics
Case example
Legislation
Law enforcement
Courts
Corrections
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
2. Legislation and the criminal justice system
Chapter overview
Social work and legislation
Social workers in congress
Social and political action
Social justice
The federal legislative process
Three branches of federal government
Locating bills and laws
Legislative advocacy
Case examples
Social work interest groups
Example – putting it all together
Examples of federal criminal justice legislation
National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2011 (S. 306)
Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (S. 1789)
Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act of 2010 (S. 2772)
Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE)
Initiative Act of 2009 (H.R. 4055)
Youth Promise Act H.R. 1064 – Youth Prison Reduction through
Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education
Act (the Youth Promise Act)
Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 909)
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 1913)
Critical issues in crime legislation
Funding provided by federal legislation
Tough on crime legislation
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
3. Law enforcement
Chapter overview
Law enforcement functions
Case example
A schema for understanding law enforcement agencies
Mission and aims
Community policing
Basic organizational models
Police social work
Police social work defined
Police social work functions
Social work services for police officers and their families
Training police officers
Challenges in police social work
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
4. The court system
Chapter overview
Types of laws
Prosecutors
Public defenders
Social work and the law
NASW legal resources
Overview of the court system
Tribal courts
Federal courts
State courts
Civil courts
Family and juvenile courts
Putting it together a case example
Criminal courts
Specialty courts or problem-solving courts
Community courts
Drug courts
Opioid courts
Mental health courts
Domestic violence courts
Juvenile drug courts
Reentry courts
Veterans courts
Restorative justice
Mitigation specialists
Forensic social work
Issues in the court system
Racial disparities
Wrongful convictions
The death penalty
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
5. Corrections
Chapter overview
An overview of correctional facilities
Local correctional facilities
Case example
State and federal corrections facilities
Private corrections facilities
Corrections services
Mental health services
Health care
Dental care
Substance abuse treatment
Educational programs
Employment training programs
Family programs
Correctional social work
Anti-oppressive practice with incarcerated individuals
Community-based corrections
Prisoner reentry
Case example
Assessing reentry rates
Mapping reentry rates
Reentry barriers
Public health issues
Parole
Probation
Promote smart decarceration
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
6. Criminal justice reforms and alternative programs
Chapter overview
The need for criminal justice reforms and alternative programs
Criminal justice reforms
The fair sentencing act
Racial disparity reform at the state level
Health care reform
Impact legislation
Alternative programs and services
Law enforcement
Courts
Mediation
Divorce mediation
Arbitration
Community arbitration
Alternatives to incarceration
Reentry and community-based programs
Transition from prison to community initiatives (TPCI)
Prisoner reentry initiative (PRI)
Weed and Seed
The serious and violent offender reentry initiative (SVORI)
Women’s advocacy project
The innocence project
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
7. Special populations in the criminal justice system
Chapter overview
Special populations
Native Americans
Juveniles
Women
Veterans
Felon status
Victims of crime
Persons living with disabilities
Inmates living with HIV and AIDS
Sex offenders
Juvenile sex offenders
Violent offenders
Immigrants
Persons living with chronic mental illness
Transgender people
LBGQ people
Older inmates
Employees in the criminal justice system
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
8. Contemporary issues in the criminal justice system and social work practice
Chapter overview
Racial profiling
Racial disparities
Police misconduct
Suicide-by-cop
Bullying
School, campus, and workplace violence
Teen dating violence
Release of low-level offenders
Prison-based gerrymandering
Solitary confinement
The opioid crisis
Bail reform
The criminalization of mental health
Gun violence
Ban the box
Homelessness
The school-to-prison pipeline
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
9. Social work practice in the criminal justice system
Chapter overview
Introduction to social work practice
Generalist social work practice
Specialized social work practice
Social work practice methods and roles
Criminal justice as a field of practice
Criminal justice interventions
Trauma-informed social work practice
Trauma-informed criminal justice agencies
Criminogenic needs
Using data to inform interventions
Anti-oppressive practice in the criminal justice system
The voice of prisoners
Transformative social work practice
Restorative justice
Social control
Social work practice in authoritarian settings
Social work practice in host settings
Social work practice with mandated clients
Social work practice with voluntary clients
Right to self-determination
Confidentiality
Social work employment in criminal justice
A sample job announcement
Ethical responsibilities relevant for practice in the criminal justice system
Responsibilities to colleagues
Responsibilities in practice settings
Responsibilities as professionals
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
10. Evidence-based practices in the criminal justice system
Chapter overview
What is evidence-based practice?
A primer of research concepts
Data collection
Research designs
Evidence-based social work practice
Evidence-based practice in the criminal justice system
Evidence-based practice outcomes in the criminal justice system
Assessing treatment effectiveness on the basis of study designs and methods
Challenges to implementing evidence-based practice in criminal justice settings
Program evaluation
Sample standardized instruments for program evaluation
Advocacy research
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for review
References
11. The future of social work practice in the criminal justice system
Chapter overview
A final word
What do the experts say?
Research and evaluation
Lessons learned from international models
Criminal justice social work
The Dutch drug policy model
What can we learn?
Classroom instruction and field placement
Classroom instruction
Field instruction
Implications for social work practice
Chapter summary
Key terms
For further reading
Questions for Review
References
Resources
Index