Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2021, College of Education

This study describes Second Chance Pell (SCP) first cohort (2015-16) higher education institutional practices to foster persistence during reentry. Five case studies of SCP reentry programs are described and analyzed. Services varied according to institutional size and resources, with smaller schools collaborating with other agencies for wrap- around services. Participant schools used a relational model; larger programs offering peer mentoring and staff with lived experience. Wrap-around services were a larger factor than inferred by traditional persistence theories. Reentry programs can improve their effectiveness with better data, diversifying, and increasing funding, and hiring more lived experience staff. I recommend future random controlled trials to examine the role of wrap-around services and to develop a validated institutional reentry support services instrument.

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2020, Educational Leadership

Reentry research informing the practices of correctional programming has grown over the past twenty years into a field shaped by theories of criminology, psychology and, to a lesser degree, education. While discourses in criminology and psychology emphasize the development of strategies of individual responsibility and self-control, education holds the possibility of providing spaces (Szifris, 2018) in corrections that offer a unique opportunity to acquire qualifications, nurture social relations, and advance new prosocial identities. In this study, I applied Merriam's (1998) case study methodology to share the experience of reentry and education's role in that process within and around one transitional setting. Data were gathered through on-site observations, interviews with staff, and three rounds of interviews with individuals preparing for/experiencing re-entry. This study revealed that residents experienced reentry in multiple ways. Reentry at the community-based correctional facility (CBCF) was characterized by the experience of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) groups, focused on what Garland (2001) calls "responsibilization strategies" Residents also reported the belief that the specific CBCF in which they were incarcerated was different than other correctional facilities because the staff exhibited greater care and concern for their well-being. Additionally, reentry at the CBCF was shaped by the tension between two competing models of correctional treatment: a Therapeutic Community (TC) model and a CBT model. Research participants reported that education was vital to their reentry. Noting the importance of acquiring a job and the necessity of a high school diploma/GED or skills-training, participants argued that the CBCF's education program was a key aspect of their preparation for reentry. Following Szifris et al's (2018) call for greater educational theorizing in correctional spaces, this study utilized Biesta's (2010) framework for educations (open full item for complete abstract)

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Although many evidence-based techniques are outlined in the literature, systems often assess, plan, and mitigate risk for Persons with Serious Mental Illness (PSMI) in significantly divergent ways. For more than 20 years now, the Washington State Department of Corrections has relied on the Offender Reentry Community Safety Program (ORCSP) to appraise dangerousness and presence of mental disorder, utilizing a staged process that considers a wide-ranging set of criminogenic and non-criminogenic variables. A growing body of research suggests that the ORCSP is effectively decreasing recidivism through collaborative reentry planning and mitigation between mental health and criminal justice professionals; however, whether ORCSP participant screening methods are valid or reliable remains untested. Without a cohesive assessment theory or comprehensive exploration of recidivism trends, increased scrutiny must be given to findings. In an effort to clarify these issues, this dissertation evaluates current and historical ORCSP assessment processes, overviews national standards and best-practices for PSMI risk management, and provides a set of practical recommendations to improve selection efficiency.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

The number of former prisoners returning to society has increased dramatically in recent decades, with more than 700,000 prisoners released from incarceration yearly. Research has shown that ex-prisoners are faced with a multitude of issues that make their reintegration into the community challenging. To assist offenders in their transition to their communities, considerable state and federal funds have been allocated for the development of reentry programs and initiatives. Reentry programs are very diverse both in the types of services that they provide for ex-offenders, and the treatment modalities that they employ in delivering these services. Despite the considerable number of reentry programs, little is known about their effectiveness. Research on reentry programs has produced mixed results. Furthermore, only two comprehensive reviews of reentry programs have been conducted to date. Within this context, the current study focused on empirically answering two central questions regarding reentry program effectiveness: 1) Are reentry programs effective in reducing recidivism?, and 2) What factors are associated with reentry programs?

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

This research aimed to study what occurs when a theory of change (ToC) is co-created in a social enterprise serving individuals facing barriers to employment. The study included the following three objectives: identifying the barriers and facilitators experienced by those implementing the ToC, gathering the perspectives of program end users on the ToC, and exploring how the ToC would facilitate impact measurement. A central feature of this AR study was the engagement of returning citizens in the discussion and development of the ToC, which added to the process and outcomes of this research in important ways. The lived experience of the participants was vitally important to the generation of knowledge and the validity of that knowledge during this AR-anchored ToC development process. The main findings of this research demonstrate the value of providing opportunities for returning citizens to have a safe and welcoming environment for re-entry. They also emphasize the opportunity for returning citizens to be involved in the ToC development alongside staff. The value of being able to reflect together and hear each other's perspectives added greatly to the conversation and generation of knowledge for both groups involved as participants. Finally, the findings suggest that the inclusion of key constituents in the ToC development process improves its quality, relevance, and role. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu/) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Sociology

The carceral structure, specifically the prison and jail, serves as a significant life course disruption, forcibly and abruptly removing individuals from friends, loved ones, and communities. Such disruptions result in a profound transformation of the social landscape, particularly for individuals upon release. Through an analysis of in-depth interviews with 16 formerly incarcerated Black men, this study uncovers the transformative power of social ties. Four themes, including new, sustained, changing, and lost social ties, underscore the profound influence of these connections on the resilience and redemption of those who have experienced incarceration. Collectively, these findings offer a comprehensive understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of social ties within formerly incarcerated Black men's lives. Further, this research challenges interdisciplinary fields of sociology and criminology in significant ways, in part by taking up calls issued by critical scholars: to understand and uplift the experiences of those closest to and most impacted by systems of oppression.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

Research shows that the people who commit federal white-collar offenses come from a different social segment and social stratification than the people who commit other sorts of federal offenses. White-collar offenders are typically older and from a higher social class, such as the middle-class, than other types of offenders. Officials in the federal criminal justice system think that because of these differences, white-collar offenders have a difficult time adjusting to incarceration, and they are thought to experience a “fall from grace” that complicates their reentry into society afterward. This is known as the special sensitivity hypothesis. However, there is a small body of research that suggests individuals convicted of a white-collar offense fare well in prison, given their social and demographic background. This is known as the special resiliency hypothesis. Past studies that examine the incarceration experiences of white-collar offenders have been limited and have largely focused on male samples and prison conditions. Drawing on a mixed method approach, the current study explores these expectations and includes gender as another facet of this. The study is based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of a sample of offenders convicted of both white-collar type offenses and non-white collar type offenses who are under federal supervision. The unique contribution of this study is that it explores the experiences of an understudied population of incarcerated women—those convicted of white-collar crimes—and builds upon the special resiliency theory to identify techniques used by white-collar offenders to adjust to incarceration and reentry. Although there are reasons to think that the subjective experiences of these women as they go through the criminal justice process may differ from those of men and from other types of female offenders, this issue has not yet been investigated. Overall findings reveal signs of resiliencies in prison and up (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2022, Educational Leadership

Programming for study abroad returnees is ripe for improvements, since most college students participating in education abroad programs return to their home campuses without strong support in processing their experiences. This study develops an understanding of how study abroad returnees two to three years later make sense of their experience. The Social Change Model for Leadership Development is used as a theoretical lens to analyze the data. Combining the Social Change Model and education abroad is a novel approach to strengthening different offices commonly found on U.S. college campuses. Though usually separate, education abroad and leadership development share common goals of aiding the college student in preparation for career and life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants, the data from which were collected and analyzed. The participants, all alumni of a mid-west public university, had participated on a semester long study abroad program within three years of being invited to participate. All of them had recently graduated or had begun their careers. The interviews were conducted and transcribed over the summer of 2020, and the data were analyzed through the lens of the Social Change Model. This study found that the data fit best with four of the seven values of the SCM—Common Purpose, Consciousness of Self, Congruence, and Citizenship. These important values can be used to help support on-campus programming for post-education abroad activities that may help students recognize their extracurricular gains from an abroad experience, while building a bridge between education abroad and leadership development programming.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

Empirical evidence favors the effectiveness of correctional education for reducing an individual's odds of recidivism (Davis et al., 2014). However, the literature in this field has yet to determine the characteristics or dimensions of effective correctional education programming. Identifying the features of prison education and vocation programs could improve policies related to correctional education services. Informed by theories of adult education and correctional rehabilitation, this dissertation sought to identify the dimensions of effective prison education programs that reduce an incarcerated person's (IP's) subsequent deviance both during confinement and after release. Over 200 education and vocation programs serving IPs in the State of Ohio were examined to (a) identify the general dimensions of these programs that might impact subsequent behaviors (using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses), and (b) test whether and how these dimensions are related to subsequent rule violations during incarceration as well as the odds of returning to prison after release (using multilevel modeling with IPs nested within facility-specific programs). Results of the factor analyses revealed a fairly comprehensive factor structure relevant to prison-based literacy, general education, vocation/apprenticeship, and college programs. Although the effects of these factors on the odds of misconduct and prison returns were primarily mixed and sometimes counterintuitive, certain dimensions of these programs corresponded with lower deviance rates across multiple types of programs. Implications of these findings for knowledge on key dimensions of correctional education programs and their relevance for reducing crime are discussed, and directions for future research on prison education programs are provided.

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2021, Social Work

Reentry programs seek to reduce reoffending behavior of formerly incarcerated adults by utilizing effective interventions, including the Risk, Needs, and Responsivity (RNR) model. The RNR model was developed to assess the risks and needs of the individual so the best intervention or treatment response can be identified. Formerly incarcerated individuals are able to offer insight into the utility of community interventions and their ability to help reduce recidivism. A scoping review was conducted to assess the availability and scientific rigor of recidivism-based interventions, and their applicability to formerly incarcerated adults. This review considers the availability of empirical evidence about effective interventions to reduce recidivism and reoffending among adults. The review also includes a review of the RNR model, which has an emerging evidence base. Ultimately, the scoping review for this thesis explores whether current interventions for those reentering their communities following after their release from prison are helpful for keeping them from reoffending in the future.

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2020, Applied Behavioral Science: Criminal Justice and Social Problems

As a result of a deterrence and incapacitation focused criminal justice system in the United States, reentry programming has become integral to both reduce criminal justice spending and mass incarceration. Reentry programming assists those released from prison with reintegration into society to prevent recidivism and allow the returning citizen to become a productive member of society. This study evaluated one such reentry program in Montgomery County Ohio. The Reentry Career Alliance Academy (RCAA) is a career focused work readiness curriculum that also includes workshops with community stakeholders. Evaluation was completed through paired T Test analysis in pre- and post-questionnaire responses. Thematic analysis was also conducted to evaluate areas of need, resource requests, program satisfaction, and other variable such as housing, transportation, and a desire to further education. The analysis in this study indicated that the RCAA program is a turning point in participant's lives and strengthens informal social bonds.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Sociology

Every year in the United States, about 600,000 people return to society from prison (Kirk 2016). More than half of those will return to prison within five years, many for non-criminal behavior (Durose et al 2014; Travis 2007). In the present study, I focus on the `revolving door' of back-end sentencing in which a person is re-incarcerated for a technical violation rather than a new crime (Travis 2007). My study examines the effects of living arrangements, family social support, employment, and neighborhood perceptions on parole noncompliance and re-incarceration for either a technical violation or a new crime. Also, I explore whether there are gender differences in how these factors affect reentry. Using data from all four waves of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI), I found that people living with a romantic partner or with family as well as those with higher levels of family emotional support had lower levels of noncompliance than people who lived alone or with strangers. Family instrumental support reduced the likelihood of re-incarceration for both a technical violation and new crimes. Employment reduced the likelihood of re-incarceration, but only for new crimes. Negative neighborhood perceptions were associated with more noncompliance and greater risks of both types of re-incarceration. For gender differences, married or cohabiting women were less likely than women living alone or with roommates to be re-incarcerated for a technical violation, while no such relationship existed for men. Women benefited from greater family emotional support in terms of lowering the likelihood of re-incarceration for a new crime. These findings provide support for the age graded theory of informal social control. Social bonds that related to emotional closeness (i.e., living with a romantic partner or family, family emotional support) promoted compliance with the conditions of parole. However, social bonds more associated with access to resources ( (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Biomedical Sciences

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a fast and chaotic atrial rhythm, is the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia and is of particular concern in healthcare. Treatment of AF itself has proven difficult since the underlying mechanism is still debated. One proposed mechanism of AF maintenance is localized micro-anatomic reentries within the 3D atrial wall, called reentrant AF drivers. Targeted ablation of these AF drivers can significantly improve AF treatment success. However, identification and treatment of AF drivers in clinical settings remains hindered by the limitations of standard surface-only electrode mapping. The work described herein, represents a truly translational effort to leverage the strengths of integrated high-resolution 3D functional and structural mapping to uncover the mechanisms of AF to improve treatment; from novel in-vivo imaging studies of a clinically-relevant large animal model, to validating and improving clinical tools in the ex-vivo intact human heart, to directly applying ex-vivo findings of AF drivers to treatment of patients with persistent AF. We first validate that cardiac electrophysiology and AF mechanisms seen by near-infrared optical mapping ex-vivo accurately recapitulate in-vivo phenomena. We accomplish this by mapping the same canine atria, for the first time, with near-infrared optical mapping and multi-electrode mapping both in-vivo and ex-vivo. We then sought to validate and improve AF driver identification by clinical multi-electrode mapping. We found multi-electrode mapping had a high sensitivity to reentrant AF driver locations, but may not accurately depict the reentrant pattern of the driver and was prone to false-positive detections. However, analysis of intramural fibrotic tissue in driver regions by contrast-enhanced MRI could distinguish false from true positive drivers. We next tested the hypothesis that transiently modulating atrial refractoriness can organize unstable conduction and unmask hidden reentrant AF drivers fo (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Sociology

In this study, I use data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) to examine how mental health changes during the reentry process. I also offer a gender-based model, whereby I posit that women will adjust differently post-incarceration than men. In particular, prior research on the negative internalization of emotions among women leads me to predict that women will suffer more anxiety and depression than men. Based on prior research on the externalization of emotions among men, I also examine post-incarceration feelings of hostility as well as the likelihood of reincarceration, with the expectation that men will have higher levels of hostility and a greater likelihood of reincarceration than women. Introducing various conceptions of strain, I speculate that gender differences in mental health result from greater feelings of strain among women than men. Using various indicators of strain, I find that gender remains a significant predictor of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and recidivism risk. In addition, the overall strain versus specific strain scales seem roughly equivalent. Future research could focus on different indicators of strain, as well as discerning what factors contribute to this gender difference.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Sociology

The time following release from prison, called reentry, presents a host of challenges to returning individuals. Prior work has shown that strong social bonds to significant others like family and peers relates to prosocial reentry outcomes. Mirroring this established body of literature, an emerging line of research suggests that an individual's attachment to their parole officer may also reduce recidivism. However, research has yet to examine how experiences prior to incarceration affect the parole officer relationship. In particular, it is likely that belief in the criminal justice system may affect an individual's attachment to their parole officer. For example, research on police perceptions has found that when one views the police negatively, they are likely not only to lose belief in police, but also lose belief in other aspects of the criminal justice system. This effect may extend into an individual's ability to become attached to their parole officer. To address these gaps in the literature, I first examine how perceptions of police prior to incarceration influence one's relationship with their parole officer. Second, I examine how ones' relationship with their parole officer influences odds of re-incarceration. To conduct this research, I use three waves of data from the Returning Home data set. Results of two separate analyses demonstrate that individuals who had better perceptions of police before incarceration were more likely to be attached to their parole officer after release. Furthermore, individuals who had higher attachment to their parole officer were less likely to be re-incarcerate.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Criminal Justice

Upon release from incarceration or other forms of supervision, many former offenders struggle with the transition to lead productive and crime-free lifestyles. Many of their struggles are endured in housing, employment and education markets. Most notably, education has been linked to decrease in recidivism, as well an increase in the chances of employment. The higher the level of education, particularly the attainment of post-secondary education, the more likely former offenders are to succeed in obtaining stable housing and employment. In addition, former offenders are significantly more likely to refrain from criminal activity when they obtain some form of post-secondary education. However, post-secondary education remains the least attained level of education among former offenders, as well as the least commonly offered in correctional institutions. This leaves the majority of offenders to pursue post-secondary education upon release from correctional supervision. This exploratory study examined admissions applications through The Common Application, from post-secondary institutions across the United States to see which types of institutions are inquiring about criminal history. Previous research has been quite scarce, with only three national surveys having measured institutional admissions practices. This study combines all of the demographic variables of previous studies with geographic location and enrollment size to expand literature on criminal history inquiry in college and university admissions. Also, the type of criminal history inquiry, such as felony or misdemeanor conviction, is detailed in this study. Results show that criminal history inquiry is at a low with The Common Application, but notes large, public PSEIs in the South and Midwest are likely to inquire about criminal history. Specifically, inquiry mainly included felony and sexually-related convictions. Implications of the findings for offender reentry education are discussed.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2018, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

My interest in rehabilitation started during my undergraduate internship with the Adult Parole Authority in Youngstown, Ohio. During my time there I noticed the lack of diverse programming for offenders. There were wide ranges of programs for drugs, or mental health but there were none for gang members wanting to leave the gang. The research I completed is relevant due to the underlying fact that this population lacks the programs and assistance needed to escape and overcome the gang lifestyle. This project consisted of a year and a half worth of research that I contributed to the creation of a gang diversion program. I obtained scholarly articles and critically researched them on their pertinence on how to make the gang diversion program effective. I also found scholarly articles that referenced gangs, gang violence and the history of prison gangs. When one is able to establish a pattern of issues, then there is a possibility that the researcher can form a program that is applicable to the said institution. Applied research was utilized to identify various facts which created the base of a program that is suitable for gang members to learn how to leave the gang lifestyle. To complete this project, I have been working with Kevin Collins, Assistant Regional Administrator of the ODRC, and Lt. Kenneth Sample, the Security Threat Groups (STG) Intelligence Coordinator at Ohio State Penitentiary (OSP).

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

For nearly forty years, the United States was in the grips of punitive thinking and mired in an era of mass imprisonment. The hallmarks of this paradigm were the embrace of policies and practices that systematically excluded convicted offenders from full participation in civic, social, and economic life. In recent years, however, it appears that American corrections has experienced a historic transformation that involves efforts to foster offender inclusion in society. Thus, policymakers are increasingly questioning the use of mass imprisonment and are embracing a campaign to downsize American prisons. Similarly, they are advocating for reentry services for released offenders and calling for reductions in the collateral consequences that attach to a criminal conviction. Punitive rhetoric seems in decline, replaced by discussion of the importance of offender rehabilitation and, ultimately, redemption. . This dissertation is an attempt to explore these developments. Specifically, based on a 2017 national, opt-in Internet survey of 1,000 respondents, the study investigates the extent to which the American public rejects the exclusion of offenders and supports their inclusion. In this regard, public support of four aspects of offender inclusion was assessed: the (1) rehabilitation, (2) reentry, (3) reintegration, and (4) redemption of individuals with criminal records. The results reveal that support for offender inclusion is extensive. First, regardless of how it is measured, support for rehabilitation is strong. Americans see rehabilitation as a central goal of prisons, support treatment programs, and favor the new innovation of problem-solving specialty courts. This embrace of treatment is long-standing and must be considered a core American cultural belief or what Alexis de Tocqueville called a “habit of the heart.” Second, the respondents endorsed the concept of prisoner reentry programs, supporting the delivery of an array of supportive servic (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2016, Leadership and Change

This study explored the lived experiences of 15 incarcerated men with a history of intimate partner violence. This qualitative grounded theory study revealed the impact significant loss in childhood, the most critical being the loss of a parent, had on these men. The results showed a significant loss set in motion a series of adaptive and maladaptive interpersonal behaviors with significant others, primarily parents and intimate partners that continued through adulthood and incarceration. The grounded theory dimensional analysis revealed five primary dimensions that described the dominant social processes described by the participants. These processes were: seeking, overcoming, blaming, controlling, and disengaging behaviors. The consequences of these interpersonal behaviors led only to disappointment, disillusionment, addiction, promiscuity, rage, violence and ultimately serving a sentence in a correctional institution. The current study broadens the scope for exploring intimate partner violence in illuminating that intimate partner violence is perpetrated through a variety of crimes. Having an understanding of how incarcerated men with a history of intimate partner violence exhibit cyclical behaviors that escalate in violence has implications for departments of correction in their efforts to break a pattern of recidivism and address successful reentry of male intimate partner offenders into society. The electronic version of this dissertation is at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

The prevalence of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) in prisons has risen in recent years. While incarcerated, individuals with SMI face many challenges, such as difficulties with peers and staff, and potential exacerbation of mental health symptoms. These difficulties do not subside when reentering their communities upon release. These individuals encounter unique challenges upon release, such as facing the difficult task of finding mental health services and other resources, housing, and health insurance. This study aimed to gather the perspectives of clinicians who worked for the Office of Mental Health in New York State regarding community reentry for inmates with SMI. Participants included two groups: (a) prerelease coordinators who worked in prisons throughout the state and (b) clinicians who worked at an urban outpatient clinic. Interviews with nine participants were completed to gather provider opinions on the unique challenges faced by offenders with SMI reintegrating into society. A goal of this study was to encourage enhanced resources during the reentry process and improved community resources for mentally ill offenders. Thematic analysis was used as the method of data analysis. The results found primary themes related to discharge planning and community reentry for inmates with SMI. Identified themes included: (a) inmate psychosocial risk factors, (b) issues of access to community resources, (c) problems in the discharge planning process, and (d) factors that facilitated the discharge planning process (all included additional sub-themes). The results were generally consistent with those of prior research, noting the challenges in finding necessary community resources and the myriad issues these inmates face upon release. The findings are discussed further, highlighting interfering and facilitating factors to reentry, and comparing the perspectives of the prison prelease coordinators and the community-based clinicians.