May 25, 2013
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Susan Turner, Ph.D., Director
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Publications & Presentations

What's New?

Evaluation of the California Parole Violation Decision-Making Instrument (PVDMI)

Susan Turner (University of California, Irvine), Helen Braithwaite(University of California, Irvine), Lauren Kearney (University of California, Irvine), Amy Murphy (George Mason University), and Darin Haerle (University of California, Irvine)
Journal of Crime and Justice, 2012 (in print)

As part of correctional reform in California, the Division of Parole Operations implemented a structured decision-making tool for responding to violation of parole known as the Parole Violation Decision-Making Instrument (PVDMI).  The tool considers both parolee risk, as measured by a validated risk assessment tool, and the severity of the parole violation in recommending an appropriate response.  This paper presents findings from a pilot study in four parole units across the state. Findings suggest that the tool did not increase consistency in parole agent responses nor reduce the percent of parolees who were returned to prison as a result of a violation.  In addition, recidivism rates for parolees whose violations were handled with the PVDMI did not differ from those parolees handled under routine parole revocation practices. A discussion of implementation issues highlights factors affecting full adherence to the structured sanctions model.

Assessing the earned discharge pilot project: The Importance of Context, Capacity, and Content

Sarah M. Smith, Marisa K. Omori, Susan F. Turner, Ph.D., (University of California, Irvine) and Jesse Jannetta, MPP, (Urban Institute).
Criminology & Public Policy, Volume 11, Issue 2
2012

Assessing the earned discharge pilot project 

The importance of context, capacity, and content (forthcoming)

Sarah M. Smith, Marisa K. Omori, Susan F. Turner, Ph.D., (University of California, Irvine) and Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P. (Urban Institute)

Susan TurnerUCI Professor Susan Turner studies crime and punishment to help State policymakers develop prison and parole programs based on effectiveness ­ not emotion or politics.

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Bulletins

Parolees with Mental Disorder: Toward Evidence-Based Practice

April 2011
Jennifer Eno Louden, Ph.D., The University of Texas at El Paso, and Jennifer L. Skeem, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine

Mental Health Symptoms of Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders: Change and Continuity during the First Three Months in a Security Facility

August 2009
Elizabeth Shulman, Asha Goldweber, & Elizabeth Cauffman, University of California, Irvine

Violence in California Correctional Facilities: An Empirical Examination of Sexual Assault

April 2007
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D., Cheryl Maxson, Ph.D., Kristy N. Matsuda, M.A., & Jennifer Macy Sumner, M.A.

The Scope of Correctional Control in California.

September, 2006
Jeffrey Lin, Ph.D. and Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P.

Shining Light in Dark Corners: An Overview of Prison Rape Elimination, Legislation, and Introduction to Current Research. 

April 2006
Jennifer Macy Sumner, M.A. and Kristy M. Matsuda, M.A.

Are California's Recidivism Rates Really the Highest in the Nation? It Depends on What Measure of Recidivism You Use. 

September, 2005
Ryan Fischer, Ph.D.

Journal Articles

The Effect of Therapeutic Community on Time to First Re-Arrest: A Survival Analysis

Eric L. Jensen and Stephanie L. Kane, University of Idaho, Moscow
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 49:200-209, 2010

Where the Margins Meet: A Demographic Assessment of Transgender Inmates in Men's Prisons

Lori Sexton, Val Jenness, and Jennifer Sumner, University of California, Irvine
Justice Quarterly, November 30, 2009
Pages 1-32

From Policy to Prisoners to People: A 'Soft-Mixed Methods' Approach to Studying Transgender Prisoners

Valerie Jenness, Ph.D., Univeristy of California, Irvine
Journal of Contemporary Ethnography
In press

Accomplishing the Difficult, But Not Impossible: Collecting Self-Report Data on Inmate-on-Inmate Sexual Assault in Prison

Valerie Jenness, Cheryl L. Maxson, Jennifer Macy Sumner, and Kristy N. Matsuda, University of California, Irvine
Criminal Justice Policy Review, 21(1)
In press

Drawing on official data and original interview data on 315 transgender inmates in California prisons for men, this research provides the first empirical portrayal of a prison population in California that is unique by virtue of being both transgender and incarcerated. Situated at the nexus of intersecting marginalities, transgender inmates in California prisons are diverse with regard to their gender presentation, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual attractions. In addition, both incarcerated and non-incarcerated transgender populations fare far worse on standard demographic and health measures than their non-transgender counterparts in the U.S. population, the California population, the U.S. prison population, and the California prison population. With the possible exceptions of partnership status and educational attainment, these factors combine to reveal that transgender inmates are marginalized in heretofore undocumented ways. At a time in which evidence-based corrections is increasingly embraced by corrections officials in the U.S., this article provides the first systematic profile of transgender prisoners as a heretofore "forgotten group" of prisoners (Tewksbury & Potter, 2005).

Parole Violations and Revocations in California: Analysis and Suggestions for Action

June 2009
Ryken Grattet, Ph.D., UC Davis, Joan Petersilia, Ph.D., UC Irvine, Jeffrey Lin, Ph.D., University of Denver, and Marlene Beckman, J.D., National Institute of Justice. (Please visit www.uscourts.gov/library/fpcontents.html for the complete issue.)

In June 2007, a panel of national experts advising the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) released their report "A Roadmap for Effective Offender Programming in California" that provided 11 key recommendations for improving the state's rehabilitation model, as well as strategies to significantly reduce recidivism and overcrowding. The Center for Evidence-Based Corrections provided analytic support to the expert panel report in areas related to program participation and practices and mapping parolee returns in the state. The two articles below derive from this work:
Parolees’ physical closeness to health service providers: A study of California parolees.
Hipp, J. R., Jannetta, J., Shah, R., & Turner, S. (2009).
Health & Place, 15, 649–658.
This article was produced by researchers with the Center for Evidence-Based Corrections using data provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Researchers analyzed data from a sample of 57,107 parolees released from California prisons in either 2005 or 2006, examining the relative physical closeness to government and non-profit providers of general health services, mental health services, and substance use services to parolees based onparolees’ demographic (gender, race/ethnicity, and age) and prior offending characteristics (prior violent and property offenses and days served in a CDCR institution). The primary outcome measure was the number of organizations offering a health services within two miles of the parolees’ homes. Researchers examined demand for providers and found that providers that were geographically close to African–American and Latino parolees have large potential demand, as do providers geographically close to long-term prisoners and sex offenders. These results could pointto inequity in access to services for minority parolees and parolees with greater needs. The results also point to possible differences in access based on rural, suburban, or urban location.
Parolees’ physical closeness to social services: A study of California parolees.
Hipp, J. R., Jannetta, J., Shah, R.,& Turner, S. (2009).
Crime & Delinquency.
This article was produced by researchers with the Center for Evidence-Based Corrections using data provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Researchers analyzed data from a sample of parolees released from California prisons in either2005 or 2006, examining the relative physical closeness to providers of social services, self-sufficiency services (financial, transportation,employment, education, etc.), family and housing services, and community and networking services. The study focused on “potential demand” for these services, measured as the number of parolees within two miles of a provider. Researchers found that service providers geographically close to parolees who are racial and ethnic minorities have greater potential demand and that parolees who are sex offenders, have spent more time in correctional institutions, or have been convicted of more serious or violent crimes live near fewer social services, or the providers near them appear impacted by potential demand.
Influencing public policy: an embedded criminologist reflects on California prison reform
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
Journal of Experimental Criminology
Volume 4, Number 4/December, 2008
Pages 335-356
Abstract: Criminologists bemoan their lack of influence on U.S. crime policy, believing that the justice system would be improved if their research findings were more central in decision making. I had an opportunity to test that notion as I participated in California’s historic attempt to reform its prisons over the past 4 years. I became an embedded criminologist, where I was able to observe and contribute to the inner workings of state government. This article reports on my accomplishments with respect to fostering research activities and shifting the department’s focus towards prisoner reintegration. It discusses some of the lessons I learned, including the personal toll that such work entails, the importance of the timing of policy initiatives, and the power of rigorous methodology and clear communication. I conclude by recommending that other policy-oriented criminologists seek out similar experiences, as I believe our academic skills are uniquely suited and ultimately necessary to create a justice system that does less harm.

Editorial and Opinion Essays

Fewer Parolees Make for Safer Streets
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D
The LA Times
October 8, 2007
Slammer Time; Why rush to build more prisons when other options cost less?
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D. and Robert Weisberg, J.D.
The Sacramento Bee
July 23, 2006
California’s Prison System Can’t Solve Prison Crisis Alone: Sentencing Reform Urgently Needed
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D. & Robert Weisberg, J.D.
May 2006
Parole in California: It's a crime
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D. and Robert Weisberg, J.D.
Los Angeles Times
April 23, 2006
Prisons can be cages or schools
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
Los Angeles Times
October 16, 2005

 

Reports

Expert Panel Study of the Inmate Classification Score System

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) commissioned researchers from the University of California to evaluate the department's Inmate Classification Score System (ICSS).  The heart of the issue is whether CDCR's current ICSS accurately assesses an inmate's threat to institutional safety and accurately places him in the appropriate security and housing level.

Implementation and Outcomes for California's GPS pilot for High Risk Sex Offender Parolees

November 2010
Susan Turner (University of California, Irvine), Alyssa Whitby Chamberlain (University of California, Irvine), Jesse Jannetta (Urban Institute), and James Hess (University of California, Irvine)

The impact of the California Parole Supervision and Reintegration Model (CPSRM) pilot implementation on parole agent attitudes

June 2011
Susan Turner, Ph.D., Helen Braithwaite, Ph.D., Joe Tatar, Marisa Omori, & Lauren Kearney, MPH, University of California, Irvine

Parole agent and supervisor feedback from the pilot implementation of the California Parole Supervision and Reintegration Model (CPSRM)

April 2011
Helen Braithwaite, Ph.D., & Susan Turner, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine

Parole Violation Decision-Making Instrument Process Evaluation (Revised February 2010)

December 2009
Amy Murphy, M.P.P. and Susan Turner, Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine

Development of the California Static Risk Assessment Instrument (CSRA)

November 2009
Susan Turner, Ph.D., James Hess, Ph.D., and Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P.

CPAP Assessment of CDCR Recidivism-Reduction Programs (Revised March 2008)
Prepared by Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P.
Program Rating Team: Eric Chapman, CDCR, Phil Goodman, UCI, Kevin Grassel, CDCR, Eva Mireku, CDCR, Randy Myers, UCI, Lori Sexton, UCI, Rita Shah, UCI, Sarah Smith, UCI, Matthew Valasik, UCI, and Alyssa Whitby, UCI.
February 2008
Meeting the Challenges of Rehabilitation in California's Prison and Parole System
A Report from Governor Schwarzenegger's Rehabilitation Strike Team
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D., Chair
December 2007
Implementation and Early Outcomes for the San Diego High Risk Sex Offender (HRSO) GPS Pilot Program
Susan Turner, Ph.D. and Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P. with James Hess, Ph.D., Randy Myers, Rita Shah, M.A., Robert Werth and Alyssa Whitby, M.A.
November 2007
Report on the Results of the CDCR Two-Piece GPS System Field Test
Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P. with Randy Myers, Lori Sexton, Sarah Smith and Alyssa Whitby
October 2007 (Revised November 2007)
Review of the California Expert Panel on Adult Offender and Recidivism Reduction Programming: Summary of Findings from the Program Review Subcommittee.
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
August 27, 2007
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Expert Panel on Adult Offender and Recidivism Reduction Programming
Report to the California State Legislature
June 2007
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Recidivism
Reduction Program Inventory
Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P.
April 30, 2007
Violence in California Correctional Facilities: An Empirical Examination of Sexual Assault
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D., Cheryl Maxson, Ph.D., Kristy N. Matsuda, M.A., & Jennifer Macy Sumner, M.A.
April 2007
Executive Summary of Violence in California Correctional Facilities: An Empirical Examination of Sexual Assault
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D., Cheryl Maxson, Ph.D., Kristy N. Matsuda, M.A., & Jennifer Macy Sumner, M.A.
April 2007
Understanding California Corrections
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
May 2006
GPS Monitoring of High-Risk Sex Offenders
Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P.
May 2006

 

PowerPoint Presentation

Agnes Goes to Prison: Sexual Assault and the "Olympics of Gender Authenticity" Among Transgender Inmates in California's Prisons
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D.
Presented at the Gender Matters Symposium
The University of California, Davis
April 23, 2010
Probationers and parolees with mental disorder: What works!
Jennifer Skeem, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
Plenary delivered at the American Probation and Parole Association Summer Institute, August 2008.
Transgender Inmates in California's Prisons: An Empirical Study of a Vulnerable Population
Val Jenness, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
Presented at the Warden's Meeting, Sacramento, CA, April 2009
 
The Victimization of Transgender Inmates: An Empirical Examination of a Vulnerable Population in Prison
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D.
Presented at the Warden's Retreat, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
February 5, 2008
Santa Barbara, CA
Violence in California Correctional Facilities: An Empirical Examination of Sexual Assault (Powerpoint)
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D., Cheryl Maxson, Ph.D., Kristy N. Matsuda, M.A.,
and Jennifer Macy Sumner, M.A.
Presented to the Warden's retreat at Green Valley Training Center in Represa, California, on May 16, 2007, the PREA Commission on May 3, 2007, and to the CDCR Secretary and his Executive Level Staff on May 29, 2007.
Understanding California Corrections
Joan Petersilia , Ph.D.
presented to: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Wardens
May 18 , 2006
The Prison Rape Elimination Act: A Consideration of Research Issues
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D.
presented to: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
September 20, 2005
The Prison Rape Elimination Act: An Overview and Consideration of Implementation Issues
Valerie Jenness, Ph.D.
presented to: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
July 28, 2005
Strategic Reform: Implementing Evidence-Based Programs for California Offenders
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
July 12, 2005
When Prisoners Come Home: Public Safety and Reintegration Challenges
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
When Justice Sleeps: Violence and Abuse Against the Developmentally Disabled
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
A Decade of Experimenting with Intermediate Sanctions: What Have We Learned?
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.

 

Papers

Parole Violations and Revocations in California
Ryken Grattet, Ph.D., Joan Petersilia, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Lin, Ph.D.
October 13, 2008
Assessment of Evidence on the Quality of the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS)
Jennifer L. Skeem, Ph.D., Jennifer Eno Louden, M.A.
December 26, 2007
The Role of the DJJ in the California Juvenile Justice System
Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P. and Jeffrey Lin, Ph.D.
September 2007
Parolee Needs in California: A Descriptive Analysis of 2006 COMPAS Data
Jeffrey Lin, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
April 2007
CPAP Training Manual (Revised March 2007)
Ryken Grattet, Ph.D., Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P., and Jeffrey Lin, Ph.D.
March 2007
Considering Secure Reentry Centers in California
Jeffrey Lin, Ph.D., and Susan Turner, Ph.D.
February 2007
COMPSTAT for Corrections
Jesse Jannetta, M.P.P.
December 2006
Inside California’s Prisons and Beyond: A Snapshot of In-Prison and Re-entry Programs
Robert Werth, M.A. and Jennifer Macy Sumner, M.A.
May 2006
California's Prison System Can't Solve Prison Crisis Alone:
Sentencing Reform Urgently Needed
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D. and Robert Weisberg, J.D.
May 2006
Understanding California Corrections: Summary
Joan Petersilia, Ph.D.
May 2006
Probation, Mental Health, and Mandated Treatment, A National Survey
Jennifer L. Skeem, Ph.D., Paula Emke-Francis, Ph.D., and Jennifer Eno Louden, M.A.
April 2006
Toward Evidence-Based Practice for Probationers and Parolees Mandated to Mental Health Treatment
Jennifer L. Skeem, Ph.D. and Jennifer Eno Louden, M.A.
March 2006
Problem-Solving Supervision: Specialty Probation for Individuals with Mental Illnesses
Jennifer Skeem, Ph.D. and John Petrila, Ph.D.
Winter 2004
Perspectives on Probation and Mandated Mental Health Treatment in Specialized and Traditional Probation Departments
Jennifer L. Skeem, Ph.D., John Encandela, Ph.D., and Jennifer Eno Louden, M.A.
2003

 

Links

Parole, Desistance from Crime, and Community Integration
Committee on Community Supervision and Desistance from Crime, National Research Council
Joan Petersilila, Ph.D., and Richard Rosenfeld, Ph.D., (Panel Co-Chairs)
August 2007
http://www.humaninteract.org/images/cdcr-blueprint.pdf
Backer, T.E., Guerra, N., Hesselbein, F., Lasker, R. & Petersilia, J.
Blueprint for building evidence-based community partnerships in corrections. Briefing paper prepared for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. (H-132) download
http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/centers/scjc
Crime and Punishment Policy: Reforming California Corrections Class Papers
Stanford 2005
http://cpr.ca.gov/report/indrpt/corr/
Corrections Independent Review Panel, Reforming California's Youth and Adult Correctional System
http://www.reentrypolicy.org/reentry/THE_REPORT.aspx
Reentry Policy Council Report, Council of State Governments

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