NCJ Number
71031
Date Published
1980
Length
205 pages
Annotation
Designed for mental health professionals working in corrections, this book addresses the issues of racism and racism's effect on black people's behavior, special training programs, and service-delivery models.
Abstract
It reviews the functions of the criminal justice system and the relationship between the criminal justice system and the black population within that system. Research on causal factors of black crime and the role that mental health professionals have played in criminal justice are discussed. An evaluation and discussion of black mental health and mental illness precedes a description of prison environments and prison relationships, including the expectations of black inmates in relation to mental health professionals. An investigation of current classification programs is presented, and the appropriateness of various diagnostic and testing methods is discussed. The book also reviews relevant research on therapeutic models presently used in penal settings and some problems associated with using therapy with blacks. The focus then turns to the role of the black family, community, schools, and the mental health professional in crime prevention. Strategies which the mental health professional can use to alter the criminal justice system and reduce racial friction are highlighted. An overview of emotional stresses and strains peculiar to black mental health professionals are delineated. Finally, consideration is given to positive courses of action for mental health professionals working with black offenders. Tables are included. Extensive references, name and subject indexes, letters, and material on a commitment workshop in correctional change are appended. (Author abstract modified)