Corrections

The National Institute of Justice recently released a research brief authored by Katherine Scafide, Ph.D. and other colleagues investigating alternate and more suitable light sources to traditional options for bruise detection in violent crime cases such as domestic violence and sexual assault. Inaccurate documentation of injuries can be detrimental to the victim’s legal case against their attacker as well as to the victim’s medical treatment.

This month, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) released its annual report celebrating their 60-year anniversary and library of work to transform justice systems, end overcriminalization, and reduce mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty. Supported by the U.S.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance released a "Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) Compliance Guide" this month to offer support to PIECP certification holders. First instituted in 1979, the PIECP encourages state and local governments to create work opportunities in prisons that aim to place justice-involved individuals in real-world environments that encourage meaningful employment opportunities upon release.

This month, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) released a white paper that shares successful international interventions that have been initiated to foster desistance. Since the mid-1990s, there have been regularly sustained research efforts to expand global knowledge of why people stop offending, which have been instrumental for increased awareness of desistance causes. However, a critical gap remains of practical strategies for implementation in crime-prevention practices and sentencing procedures within the criminal justice system.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has developed a toolkit to help tribal justice system practitioners create or enhance reentry programs for American Indians and Alaska Natives returning from jail or prison. The Planning a Reentry program: A Toolkit for Tribal Communities offers resources and insights on forming a planning team and navigating through all the key steps of developing a reentry program, including developing partnerships, refining your reentry program, measuring program impact, and planning for sustainability.

This course provides hands-on investigative training at a basic level. Students develop the practical skills, insight, and knowledge necessary to manage a successful financial investigation from start to finish, including the acquisition and examination of financial records, interview skills, and case management and organization. Additional topics include forgery and embezzlement, financial exploitation of the elderly, working with spreadsheets, financial profiling, and state-specific statutes and legal issues.

*Emerging issues. Current trends in various types of financial crimes. Recent cases and their implications.
*Financial records. Learn to obtain and manage bank records, including basic spreadsheeting skills.
*Working with data. Extract leads and draw conclusions from bank records and other financial data.
*Hands-on experience. Work a mock financial case as part of an investigative team.

On July 20^th, 2021, the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) partnered with the Bureau of Justice Assistance to host a pre-application webinar for the National Service Line for Incarcerated Victims of Sexual Abuse Initiative. The National Service Line for Incarcerated Victims of Sexual Abuse Initiative aims to identify if a National Sexual Abuse Service Line will effectively assist correctional facilities and agencies with complying with and achieving Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Standards.

The National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) has now posted resources related to events hosted during Reentry Week (April 26–30 2021). These events helped show how reentry plays a vital role in fostering successful communities and neighborhoods. Throughout the week, NRRC shared various resources, including webinars, publications, and podcasts that blended reentry expertise with lived experience. These resources are now available on NRRC’s website and address the following topics:

Join the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) for their conference RISE 21 on Sunday, August 15–18, 2021.

Join the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Swift, Certain, and Fair Resource Center for their “FY 2021 Swift, Certain, and Fair Supervision Program: Applying the Principles Behind Project HOPE Funding Webinar” on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET.