NCJ Number
219760
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 34 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2007 Pages: 933-944
Date Published
July 2007
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article discusses how to move behavioral science research in corrections toward the ideal of integration and collaboration.
Abstract
The main argument is that in order to move behavioral science research in corrections to the next level of organization, several strategies are required, including the building of research infrastructures into correctional systems, the development of collaborative training and models of idea sharing between researchers and practitioners, and the integration of different streams of research and knowledge. In making this argument, the authors contend that several factors inherent to conducting research have developed and maintained a fragmented state of knowledge concerning behavioral sciences research in corrections, which has worked to effectively limit the full potential of the practice of correctional psychology. The factors limiting behavioral science research in corrections are identified and described: (1) public health and public safety systems have different missions, which influence the role of knowledge generation; (2) the impetus for behavioral science research in corrections lies outside of the correctional system; (3) within corrections, “research” does not refer to a core academic discipline and “practice” does not refer to a core profession; and (4) streams of research literature in this area run parallel to one another but are rarely integrated. The current challenge for behavioral science research in corrections, then, is to develop models of research that compensate for a long history of isolation and fragmentation. Note, references