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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:58 pm
Time: 10:58 pm
Results for community interventions
4 results foundAuthor: Victoria. Parliament. Drugs and cRime Prevention Committee Title: Inquiry into Strategies to Prevent High Volume Offending and Recidivism by Young People: Final Report Summary: The Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee of Parliament is to inquire into and report upon justice and crime strategies in high volume crimes such as theft and property-related offences, which often involve young people; with the Committee to provide recommendations on: (a) causal factors that may influence patterns of high volume crime, with particular emphasis on repeat offences committed by young people; and (b) strategies that may be effective in addressing the underlying causal factors or recidivist patterns of offending. Statement of Principles underlying the Recommendations The following principles are based on the deliberations of the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee and the evidence it has received. These principles underlie and support the recommendations that follow.1 1. Young people make an important contribution to the well-being of the community. Only a small minority of young people get involved in criminal or antisocial behaviour at the expense of the wider community. 2. Most young people deal successfully and responsibly with the challenges of adolescence and the transition to adult life without experiencing serious or lasting difficulties. Conversely, a small minority of young people due to a variety of factors are at risk of engaging in criminal or antisocial conduct. These factors must be understood and addressed in an effort to tackle the range and complexity of problems faced by the minority at risk. 3. There is no one cause or single factor contributing to juvenile offending. Criminal and antisocial behaviour by young people, as with adults, is a complex phenomenon that is attributable to a range of intersecting and overlapping factors. 4. Strategies developed to address youth offending and its causes should be grounded in a rights based framework that places the needs of the child as paramount. At the same time these strategies should address the need for young people to respect others within the community. 5. Policy and program interventions to address youth offending must be based on best evidence. An essential part of any policy development is the ability to rely and draw upon comprehensive and up-to-date data. 6. Strategies and program interventions are not of themselves enough. It is essential that any project developed to address youth offending and antisocial behaviour be subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation. 7. Prevention and early intervention programs and approaches that address the needs of all young people are an essential component of any strategy to prevent or reduce youth offending. 8. Incarceration for young people should only be used as a last resort. For most young people alternative strategies such as diversionary programs have proven to be more successful. 9. Engaging young people in education, training, constructive leisure activities and/or meaningful employment empowers young people and assists in preventing youth offending. 10. There is a need for an 'all of community' approach by which the responsibility for preventing youth offending is shared by all levels of government, the private sector, parents, carers and the community at large. As part of such an approach a coordinated and appropriately funded strategy to reduce youth offending is essential. 11. A range of interventions, methods and approaches is necessary to address youth offending - a 'one size fits all' response is insufficient to tackle the complexities of the problem. Targeted approaches will need to be tailored to different groups of young people at risk in addition to more generalist methods that apply equally to all young people in the community. Details: Melbourne: Government Printer, 2009. 375p. Source: Parliamentary Paper; no. 218, Session 2006-2009. Accessed May 8, 2018 at: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/dcpc/high_volume_crime/DCPC-Report_HighVolumeCrime_2009-07-22.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/dcpc/high_volume_crime/DCPC-Report_HighVolumeCrime_2009-07-22.pdf Shelf Number: 116652 Keywords: Community InterventionsDelinquency PreventionJuvenile Offenders (Australia)Juvenile RehabilitationRecidivism (Juvenile Offenders)Repeat Offenders (Juveniles, Australia) |
Author: Bantjes, Megan Title: Finding our way: Developing a community work model for addressing torture Summary: Why do community interventions? And why do community interventions in relation to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (CIDT) in South Africa ? The literature points to a number of gains as regards community interventions: they are likely to be more efficient in reaching the large numbers of beneficiaries; they are arguably more effective than one - on - one interventions for addressing large - scale psychosocial suffering; they potentially impact on a systemic level rather than on an individual level, and thereby have further reach; and they can mobilise people to engage in challenging and changing policies and institutions so that the realities of th eir daily lives improve (see, e.g., Bracken et al. 1997; Naidoo 2000; Veary 2011). All of these potential gains are relevant in relation to torture and CIDT in South Africa. Individual and specialised services are hard to access for people in poor neighbo urhoods, and there are few specialised service providers for large numbers of victims. As torture and CIDT in South Africa are caused by structural inequalities between rich and poor, we argue that prevention efforts should address these inequalities. Fina lly, torture and CIDT are, for the general public and in policy circles, often associated with the apartheid regime's policing practices or viewed as something that occurs outside South Africa's borders (Dissel et al. 2009). This means that today's victims are often unaware that their rights have been violated, or unlikely to name the violation "torture" and are therefore unlikely to seek help. Only by assisting these victims and empowering them to demand their rights can torture and CIDT be prevented. Whil e these potential gains are all worth pursuing, community interventions in general have suffered from theoretical and methodological shortcomings. As noted by Jessen et al. (2010) in their analysis of psychosocial community interventions in Latin America, community interventions are seldom evaluated or assessed in systematic ways; they are grounded in normative assumptions about what ought to happen rather than tested, theoretically informed causal relations; and they often lack clearly defined target group s. Shortcomings like these prompted CSVR - Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in South Africa and DIGNITY - Danish Institute Against Torture (formerly RCT - Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims) to engage in systematic and critical reflections on how to produce a theoretically informed model of community work with clear and relevant target groups that can also be systematically evaluated and assessed. The aim of this report is to document and reflect on the process of producing such a theoretically informed approach to community intervention in ways that might prove 7 useful to other organisations working with human rights and psychosocial interventions. It is in this sense that we talk about finding our way. In "Finding Our Way," we have tapped a number of sources. First, we discuss different theoretical perspectives on community work that we have identified in the academic literature (Chapter 2). Second, we explore different practical examples of community interventions that we have identified in organisations in SVR's and DIGNITY's broader network (Chapter 3). Third, we discuss some of CSVR's own experiences with community work in relation to a refugee women's empowerment project and home visits aimed at support and referrals (Chapter 4). On the basis of these practical and theoretical inputs, we outline the parameters for a CSVR approach to community intervention for torture and CIDT as it emerged towards the end of 2011. This model is now being implemented and tried out in three places around the Gauteng area in South Africa. We will report on the progress of the work at a later stage. In this report, we present how we arrived at the model through systematically combining practical experiences and theoretical inputs. The hope is that these inputs - and the process of putting them into concrete use in the model - might be of use and inspiration to other organisations within the broader DIGNITY and CSVR networks and beyond. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation; and Copenhagen:Dignity: Danish Institute Against Torture, 2012. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: DIGNITY Publication Series on Torture and Organised Violence, no. 1: Accessed July 18, 2016 at: https://www.dignityinstitute.org/media/2065754/pubseries_no1.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa URL: https://www.dignityinstitute.org/media/2065754/pubseries_no1.pdf Shelf Number: 139656 Keywords: Community InterventionsPunishmentTorture |
Author: Growns, Bethany Title: Supported Accommodation Services for People Released from Custody: A systematic review to inform the development of the Rainbow Lodge Program Summary: A 2015 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that there were 51,000 instances of people being released from Australian prisons in 2014 (AIHW, 2015). There is a substantial need for programs that provide support and services to people at this vulnerable time. Securing safe and secure accommodation is one of the most critical challenges that people leaving custody face; however, obtaining housing can be problematic due to interpersonal conflict, lack of family, complex treatment needs and limited finances (Fontaine & Biess, 2012; Graffam & Shinkfield, 2012; Roman & Travis, 2004). Therefore, people recently released from custody may rely on other options, such as supported accommodation programs or homeless shelters (Clark, 2015). These can take many forms, including 'halfway houses', where people live in a house as a group, sometimes following a therapeutic program; or scattered site supported housing programs, where people are provided with their own accommodation (i.e. a house or apartment), while also receiving therapeutic support in the form of home visits and/or participating in other therapeutic activities (e.g. attending a day centre). There is a growing demand within the field of criminal justice for more rigorous research and evaluation of interventions (Wright, Zhang, Farabee, & Braatz, 2014). Demonstrating the effectiveness of criminal justice interventions is critical in developing and producing evidence-based programs that can produce tangible outcomes for individuals. There is some evidence that interventions for people released from prison that include an accommodation component are effective in reducing re-offending and the severity of future re-offending (Seiter & Kadela, 2003; Somers, Rezansoff, Moniruzzaman, Palepu, & Patterson, 2013). A recent narrative review examined the efficacy of a variety of post-release programs, including programs that included a residential component, provided counselling services, vocational training, education or aftercare. Programs that included some kind of a residential component were found to produce the most positive results overall (Wright et al., 2014). Existing reviews have not looked at specific forms of supported accommodation for people released from prison, nor identified elements of supported accommodation services that contribute to positive outcomes. Objectives of this study The Rainbow Lodge Program is a non-profit organisation in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, that provides a responsive, intensive and supportive service to male Corrective Services clients assessed with having high needs, a strong risk of re-offending and homelessness, in order that they effectively re-enter and integrate into the community. This study has been undertaken to: Document the Rainbow Lodge Program; and Identify opportunities for the development of the Rainbow Lodge Program as an evidence-informed service. To these ends, this report includes: A description of the Rainbow Lodge Program, developed in consultation with staff and management of the Program; The results of a systematic review aimed at assessing the evidence on effectiveness of post-release supported accommodation programs similar to Rainbow Lodge, and identifying elements of such programs that contribute to positive client outcomes; and Implications of the findings of the systematic review for the Rainbow Lodge Program. Results of the systematic review The systematic review identified only nine publications meeting the eligibility criteria for inclusion (evaluation of a post-release supported accommodation program similar to the Rainbow Lodge Program). Studies were frequently methodologically flawed, and few consistent findings were evident, with regards to either effectiveness of post-release supported accommodation programs in reducing recidivism, or program characteristics associated with positive participant outcomes. Recommendations for the Rainbow Lodge Program Given the inconclusive findings of the review, it is difficult to identify recommendations for the day-to-day operations or components of the Rainbow Lodge Program. What is clear from the review is that there is a need for methodologically rigorous, comprehensive research on this type of post-release program, particularly outside the United States. Ideally, an outcome evaluation would be undertaken to assess the impact of the Rainbow Lodge Program on recidivism and other outcomes. However, there are important challenges to consider in proposing an outcome evaluation: identification and recruitment of an appropriate comparison group, and recruitment of sufficient numbers of participants to detect any effect that may exist. Given the challenges of undertaking an outcome evaluation (which will require further planning to be overcome), in the short-term, a process evaluation may be a more feasible option for further research on the Rainbow Lodge Program. This could include a retrospective file review, as well as quantitative and qualitative data collection with current residents. In order to enable future research, it is recommended that the Rainbow Lodge Program introduce a “Consent to research” form at program entry. This will allow client assessments to be used in research, and data linkage into the future. Details: Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2016. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: NDARC Technical Report No. 335: Accessed February 21, 2017 at: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/NDARC%20Technical%20Report%20No%20335.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/NDARC%20Technical%20Report%20No%20335.pdf Shelf Number: 141142 Keywords: Community InterventionsHalfway HousesHousingPrisoner ReentryPrisons |
Author: Brantingham, P. Jeffrey Title: GRYD Intervention Incident Response and Gang Crime 2-17 Evaluation Report Summary: As part of GRYD's violence interruption efforts, GRYD Intervention Incident Response (IR) is designed to address gang violence both by responding to incidents when they occur and by engaging in ongoing proactive peacemaking efforts within the community (see Figure 3 for an overview of GRYD IR). GRYD's protocol involves coordination and communication between the GRYD Office, GRYD IR Providers, and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). These partners, referred to as the "Triangle Partners", work together in a relational triangle to reduce the potential for retaliation following an incident and to support victims and families impacted by violence. The Triangle Partners: Gather and share information about incidents; Deploy and provide community response (e.g., diffusion of rumors, crowd control); Provide referrals to services (e.g., connection to GRYD services, victim assistance); Negotiate peace treaties/ceasefire agreements; and, Engage in proactive peacemaking activities and events (e.g., monitor hot-spots, conduct impact sessions). This protocol combines the oversight and community organizing principles of the GRYD Office (through GRYD Regional Program Coordinators-RPCs), the assessment and implementation of intervention strategies based on community knowledge (through Community Intervention Workers-CIWs), and the investigative and targeted suppression strategies of law enforcement. The interaction among these entities affirms the roles and boundaries of each, while adding flexibility to each entity's response to incidents as they collectively work to reduce gang violence. The GRYD Intervention Incident Response Protocol GRYD RPCs and CIWs are on call 24/7 to respond to violent incidents that occur in and around GRYD Zones. Each GRYD RPC has designated GRYD Zones which they oversee and where they have developed relationships with the GRYD Prevention and Intervention Providers and law enforcement officers in each Zone. GRYD RPCs act as a conduit among and between law enforcement and Intervention Providers to ensure that accurate information is gathered and disseminated to both partners. When a violent incident occurs, (typically these are homicides, shootings, or stabbings) and GRYD is notified, GRYD's initial response (within 24 hours of the incident) may vary based on the characteristics of the incident and the potential level of impact on the community. At initial response, GRYD may (1) respond to an incident via phone/or email, and/or (2) deploy to an incident location, such as an active crime scene, hospital, or place in the community. The level of response, or actions taken in response to an incident, depends on the assessment of the partners. The types of responses may include: GRYD RPC Follows Up on the Incident (No CIW Action): GRYD RPC makes phone calls to follow up with LAPD about incidents, but limited information prevents further action from the GRYD RPC and CIW. GRYD RPC Makes Phone Calls to Gather Information (No CIW Action): GRYD RPC makes phone calls and emails to gather information. CIW may be notified but no action will be taken (i.e., CIW actions are unable to mitigate post-incident dynamics). GRYD RPC and CIW Takes Action: Both GRYD RPCs and CIWs take some type of action (e.g., GRYD RPC makes phone calls to gather information and deploys to the scene; CIW deploys to the scene and connects the victim to victim assistance services). Deployment to the scene or other places in the community may occur for one or more of the following reasons: for homicides, high profile incidents, information gathering, management requests, or areas where there is spike in crime or tension between particular gangs. While the initial response occurs within the first 24 hours of an incident, additional actions may also be taken in the days and weeks that follow as new information is gathered. These additional post-incident follow-up actions may be taken to direct community engagement efforts towards neighborhoods impacted by violence, to link victims and their families to services, and to provide mediation between gangs if possible. In addition to responding when incidents occur, CIWs also spend a significant amount of time in communities through proactive peacemaking efforts. These efforts aim to reduce violence in communities by conducting or participating in activities related to violence interruption. Details: Los Angeles: California State University, Los Angeles; et al., 2017. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2018 at: https://www.lagryd.org/sites/default/files/reports/GRYD%20IR%20and%20Gang%20Crime%20Report_2017_FINALv2_0.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.lagryd.org/sites/default/files/reports/GRYD%20IR%20and%20Gang%20Crime%20Report_2017_FINALv2_0.pdf Shelf Number: 151323 Keywords: Community InterventionsGang ViolenceGang Violence ReductionGangsViolence PreventionYouth Gangs |