Aced It

Financial and Human Costs of In-Custody Deaths

Episode 4 of season 8 is about deaths that occur while individuals are in custody. The science discusses these tragedies in terms of both human and financial loss. The research suggests a clear link between inadequate healthcare and in-custody deaths. The study also emphasizes the need for improved access to quality medical and psychological treatment within jails. Researchers close with a discussion on the human cost and preventable deaths.
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El-Sabawi, T., Weizman, S. R., Brown, S. M., & LaBelle, R. M. (2023). Dying inside: Litigation patterns for deaths in jail custody. Journal of Correctional Health Care.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Addiction & Pregnancy Behind Bars

In this episode, the struggle with addiction faced by pregnant individuals in prison is discussed. The researchers, who found that most states and counties have no laws specifically addressing SUD screening and treatment for those who are pregnant. in correctional facilities, offer a two-pronged approach to addressing this issue. The episode closes with a discussion of the significant potential harm to fetuses due to the lack of such pregnancy care.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Steely Smith, M. K., Zielinski, M. J., Sufrin, C., Kramer, C. T., Benning, S. J., Laine, R., & Shlafer, R. J. (2023). State laws on substance use treatment for incarcerated pregnant and postpartum people. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 17, 11782218231195556.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Sleep and Marijuana

This episode looks at the relationship between sleep and marijuana use. The researchers were interested in knowing how people’s use of marijuana to help sleep predicts frequency of marijuana use, problematic use, how well people sleep, and what, if any, relationship exists between these and the race or sex of the individual. The results indicate that marijuana use is related to worse sleep efficiency, an association that held true across differences in sex and race. This research adds to what is known about marijuana use and sleep quality, especially among young adults, and disrupts common misconceptions about this topic.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Drazdowski, T. K., Kliewer, W. L. & Marzell, M. (2021). College students’ using marijuana to sleep relates to frequency, problematic use, and sleep problems. Journal of American College Health, 69(1), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1656634
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Rehabilitation, Programs, and Reform in Custodial Institutions

In the final episode of this season of the Aced It! podcast we provide strong theoretical and empirical evidence regarding what prison staff can do to improve outcomes for everyone. To do this, we review recent research about residents: prison philosophies and strategies that harm them and barriers they face to accessing programs in custody. Finally, we provide a look at some non-U.S. (global) harm reduction programs in prison settings.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Byrne, J. M. (2020). The effectiveness of prison programming: A review of the research literature examining the impact of federal, state, and local inmate programming on post-release recidivism. Fed. Probation, 84, 3.
Kaiser, K. A., Piquero, A., Keena, L., & Howley, C. (2022). Assessing the institutional barriers and individual motivational factors to participation in prison-based programs. Crime & Delinquency, 00111287221114804.
Sander, G., Shirley-Beavan, S., & Stone, K. (2019). The global state of harm reduction in prisons. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 25(2), 105–120.
Timler, K., Brown, H., & Varcoe, C. (2019). Growing connection beyond prison walls: How a prison garden fosters rehabilitation and healing for incarcerated men. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 58(5), 444–463.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Medication for Substance Use Disorders in Prisons and Jails

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are evidence based/informed practices that show tremendous promise in carceral settings. To educate correctional staff and administrators about medication for SUD/OUD in prisons, we selected three articles that highlight what these treatments are, how jails/prisons can partner with community providers to offer them, and what barriers and facilitators to MAT/MOUD implementation institutions may want to consider before adding this type of treatment to their roster of services.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Evans, E. A., Wilson, D., & Friedmann, P. D. (2022). Recidivism and mortality after in-jail buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 231, 109254.
Ferguson, W. J., Johnston, J., Clarke, J. G., Koutoujian, P. J., Maurer, K., Gallagher, C., ... & Taxman, F. S. (2019). Advancing the implementation and sustainment of medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders in prisons and jails. Health & Justice, 7(1), 1–8.
Moore, K. E., Roberts, W., Reid, H. H., Smith, K. M., Oberleitner, L. M., & McKee, S. A. (2019). Effectiveness of medication assisted treatment for opioid use in prison and jail settings: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 99, 32–43.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Substance Use Disorder in Prisons and Jails

Although there is a lot we could talk about related to SUD in carceral settings, in this episode we will cover three key topics that came up frequently during our project interviews: fentanyl, K2, and drug testing. These three issues challenge correctional staff; their level of understanding regarding fentanyl and K2, specifically, is generally very limited. We provide today’s science on these topics and offer some advice on in-custody drug testing, too.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Bucerius, S. M., & Haggerty, K. D. (2019). Fentanyl behind bars: The implications of synthetic opiates for prisoners and correctional officers. International Journal of Drug Policy, 71, 133–138.
de Oliveira, M. C., Vides, M. C., Lassi, D. L. S., Torales, J., Ventriglio, A., Bombana, H. S., ... & Castaldelli-Maia, J. M. (2023). Toxicity of synthetic cannabinoids in K2/Spice: A systematic review. Brain Sciences, 13(7), 990.
Nguyen, H., Midgette, G., Loughran, T., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Random drug testing in prisons: Does a little testing go a long way? Criminology & Public Policy, 20(2), 329–349.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Correctional Staff Health and Wellness

This episode addresses a key theme of our interviews with individuals working in prisons and jails—mental and physical health for correctional staff. Using multidisciplinary science, we consider the effects of violence exposure on staff and some possible protective factors in prisons and jails that may help staff cope. The episode also looks at the importance of sound workplace interventions that correctional systems may want to consider before attempting to implement health and wellness initiatives to assist carceral staff.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Evers, T. J., Ogloff, J. R., Trounson, J. S., & Pfeifer, J. E. (2020). Well-being interventions for correctional officers in a prison setting: A review and meta-analysis. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 47(1), 3–21.
Gray, P., Senabe, S., Naicker, N., Kgalamono, S., Yassi, A., & Spiegel, J. M. (2019). Workplace-based organizational interventions promoting mental health and happiness among healthcare workers: A realist review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(22), 4396.
Lerman, A. E., Harney, J., & Sadin, M. (2022). Prisons and mental health: Violence, organizational support, and the effects of correctional work. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 49(2), 181–199.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Training for Correctional Staff

This episode focuses on understanding the difficult circumstances facing people in prisons/jails. It also details ways staff can learn more about these experiences to work with these individuals in ways that make everyone more safe.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Vaswani, N., & Paul, S. (2019). “It’s knowing the right things to say and do”: Challenges and opportunities for trauma-informed practice in the prison context. The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 58, 513–534. https://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12344
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Mental Health Concerns in Prison/Jail

This episode tackles two focal areas correctional staff from our study perceive as critical for their work but for which they lack training: PTSD and suicidal ideation. To bolster our review of recent science, we provide up-to-date and easy-to-understand information about PTSD and suicide prevention, and consider trauma-informed approaches that may equip carceral staff to assist residents who are experiencing one or both of these challenges.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Facer-Irwin, E., Blackwood, N. J., Bird, A., Dickson, H., McGlade, D., Alves-Costa, F., & MacManus, D. (2019). PTSD in prison settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis of comorbid mental disorders and problematic behaviours. PLoS One, 14(9), e0222407.
Nguyen, M. H., Le, T. T., Nguyen, H. K. T., Ho, M. T., Nguyen, H. T. T., & Vuong, Q. H. (2021). Alice in Suicideland: Exploring the suicidal ideation mechanism through the sense of connectedness and help-seeking behaviors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3681.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Physical Health Concerns in Prison/Jail

In this informative episode, we’ll help correctional staff understand some of the major issues contributing to poor physical health among residents. Using research evidence as our framework, we consider food and nutrition, vitamin and mineral intake, commissary prices, and in-custody healthcare co-pays.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Berkowitz, S. A., Basu, S., Gundersen, C., & Seligman, H. K. (2019). State-level and county level estimates of health care costs associated with food insecurity. Preventing Chronic Disease, 16.
Kris-Etherton, P. M., Petersen, K. S., Hibbeln, J. R., Hurley, D., Kolick, V., Peoples, S., ... & Woodward-Lopez, G. (2021). Nutrition and behavioral health disorders: depression and anxiety. Nutrition Reviews, 79(3), 247–260.
Schoenthaler, S., Gast, D., Giltay, E. J., & Amos, S. (2023). The effects of vitamin-mineral supplements on serious rule violations in correctional facilities for young adult male inmates: A randomized controlled trial. Crime & Delinquency, 69(4), 822–840.
Wiggins, R. (2021). A pound of flesh: How medical copayments in prison cost inmates their health and set them up for reoffense. U. Colo. L. Rev., 92, 255.
Zgoba, K. M., Tewksbury, R., & Mustaine, E. (2020). Who gets the biggest bang for the buck? A review of minimum wage and purchasing power in prison commissaries versus superstores. Journal of Crime and Justice, 43(1), 36–48.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.