Females are at higher risk for certain opioid addictive behaviors, but the influence of ovarian hormones is unknown. In our rat model of heroin self-administration, females exhibited higher relapse rates that correlated with rates of heroin seeking on the first extinction session. We administered estradiol alone, or in combination with…

Ex-offenders are a vulnerable population in society who are at constant risk of reoffending. The initial purpose for the research was to examine if there is a difference in recidivism between ex-offenders who attend high school after release and those who do not, as well as whether there is a difference in ex-offenders' psychological and economic…

It is well researched, yet under-acknowledged in policy and practice, that prison alone is unsuccessful in reducing criminality. Though in the USA recidivism is high, recidivism is both a common and limited measure, rarely capturing individual nuances. This paper presents key findings from an ethnographically-informed exploration of a…

There is a strident body of empirical research evidence that Higher Education in Prison (HEP) has a direct impact on reducing recidivism. Additionally for participants, it also increases the economic mobility and employability post-release. However, the ability to conduct randomly controlled trials with a distal measurement of recidivism is…

There are currently an estimated 1.1 million juveniles involved with the juvenile justice system. Of that steadily-climbing number, a high percentage will be rearrested, readjudicated, or recommitted to a facility, program, or group home. Although many researchers have studied the factors influencing juvenile criminology and recidivism rates in…

The United States, with just 5% of the world's population, imprisons almost 25% of the world's incarcerated people. Furthermore, the vast majority of people released from prison will recidivate. Research has shown that earning a college degree while incarcerated significantly reduces recidivism rates. This study considered the opinions of adults…

The pandemic created significant barriers to delivering education services and programs in prison, prompting many correctional administrations to consider the use of tablet-based education. The present study accordingly used a tablet-based survey to explore the tablet-based education experiences among people who are incarcerated. The present study…

Discussions surrounding incarcerated juveniles, education programs, and recidivism are difficult to find. In fact, gathering data is incredibly difficult in juvenile facilities because of high turnover rates and difficult of obtaining permission to conduct studies in juvenile facilities (Calderone, Bennett, Homan, Dedrick, & Chatfield, 2009;…

With the recent approval of the Second Chance Pell Program and a proposal to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, a shift is occurring in favor of expanding educational opportunities to incarcerated adults. As reform to the criminal justice system becomes a focus, there is an immediate need to study the dynamic relationship between community…

Prepared for the Boston Foundation and signed onto by nearly two dozen representatives from across the political spectrum, "Unlocking College: Strengthening Massachusetts' Commitment to College in Prison" explores the landscape of educational opportunities in Massachusetts prisons. The report finds that despite evidence that educational…

This dissertation consists of two chapters studying problems faced by youths in two contexts that could be pivotal to their future: admissions to higher education and the juvenile criminal justice system. The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has been studied extensively, and there have…

This study sought to determine whether criminal thinking possessed by offenders in prison would be significantly reduced through the implementation of motivational curriculum amid a broader menu of treatment and educational programming. This study utilized the Criminal Thinking Scale (CTS) as a pretest and posttest measure of criminal thinking…

In 2019, the United States incarcerated nearly 2.3 million citizens in correctional facilities across the country. One main issue with mass incarceration is the high recidivism rates of formerly incarcerated people. Correctional education has been proven to decrease recidivism rates for people who engage in this form of education while…

Recidivism remains a serious issue in the modern criminal justice system, with over 80% of those previously incarcerated being rearrested within 9 years of release (Alper, Durose, & Markman, 2018). Although previous studies have identified risk factors that increase the probability of rearrest, much remains unknown regarding the full…

Legislators and correctional administrators are tasked with problem-solving current issues of mass incarceration and high criminal recidivism rates. Part of the solution is to implement successful rehabilitative initiatives through reentry programming. While Postsecondary Correctional Education programs are proven to reduce recidivism and assist…