Justice Information Center
The Justice Information Center (JIC) is a searchable database of the research and evaluation work of the Justice Information Resource Network's staff, members, and partners. The JIC also includes other open-access and public-domain research-based materials. The JIC's contents are from the national, state, and local levels covering a range of crime and justice topics grouped into several Communities and Collections based on our projects.
Communities
Select a community to browse its collections.
- This community contains open access and public domain research-based resources about victims of crime.
- This community contains resources related to the Death in Custody Reporting Act Program.
- This community contains state Incident-Based Reporting Systems (IBRS) and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) resources.
- Resources in this collection provide supplemental information to course offerings featured in Justice Information Resource Network's Justice Research Academy.
- This community contains research publications, projects, and activities conducted by state Statistical Analysis Centers (SACs).
Recent Submissions
Substance use disorder diagnoses as predictors of rule violations in a county detention center in the USA
(Emerald Insight, 2025) Moody, Danielle; Kopak, Albert M.; Singer, Alexa J.
Purpose
Substance use disorder (SUD) is one of the most prevalent behavioral health conditions observed among adults processed into county detention centers and behavioral misconduct is a pressing concern in terms of the safety of correctional staff; however, little is known about the connection between these two important factors. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between specific SUDS and documented rule violations in a county jail in the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
This prospective study used data collected from a random sample of 210 adults admitted to a small county jail in the USA to examine the association between SUD diagnoses and jail rule violations. The Comprehensive Addictions and Psychological Evaluation-5 was used to identify specific SUDs and official correctional records were reviewed to collect formal reports of misconduct.
Findings
Bivariate results indicated participants who were involved in rule violations were significantly more likely to meet the criteria for specific SUDs, including those related to alcohol, methamphetamine and opioids. Examination of the adjusted hazard ratios generated from a Cox proportional regression analysis demonstrated symptoms consistent with severe SUDs increased the rate of receiving a violation by 31%. Opioid use disorder had a specific impact on violations by increasing the rate among those who met the criteria for the condition by 145%.
Originality/value
There are many challenges associated with conducting research in county detention centers and these restrictions have limited the understanding of how SUDs may contribute to misconduct. The current study examined these prevalent behavioral health conditions and highlighted the need to prioritize methods to address SUD in county detention centers to promote the safety and well-being of staff as well as people who are incarcerated.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-12-2023-0089
Receptivity to jail-based medication for opioid use disorder among rural detention administrators
(Taylor & Francis, 2024) Thomas, Sierra; Singer, Alexa; Kopak, Albert
Opioid-related deaths continue to rise and a sizable proportion of people who present the greatest risk for fatal overdose are admitted to local detention centers. Despite the evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of medication to address the symptoms of opioid use disorder and the recent legal decisions (Department of Justice, 2022) mandating access, this treatment is only available in about 25% of jails in the US and most of them are located in urban or semi-urban areas. The current study was designed to better understand the steps that need to be taken to implement these programs in rural detention centers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 sheriffs and jail administrators across a nine-county region in southern Appalachia to identify the best pathway toward the delivery of medication for opioid use in the detention centers. Administrators’ views of these programs fell on a continuum from being completely opposed to highly receptive. Qualitative analysis of the barriers to implementation also varied according to these positions. Effective approaches to facilitating the adoption of medication programs in rural jails must address administrators’ views, but they must also take into account the unique characteristics of the detention center and the community in which they are located.
Mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and jail readmission in four rural counties
(Sage, 2023) Singer, Alexa J.; Kopak, Albert M.; Hoffman, Norman G.
Most jails are in rural areas, and many adults who pass through these facilities experience behavioral health needs. Evidence suggests mental health conditions (MHCs) and substance use disorders (SUDs) may be linked to an increased risk for jail readmission, but most work documenting this relationship uses vague measures, outdated diagnostic information, has been conducted in large metropolitan jails, or has demonstrated significant variability between facilities. This multisite study examined the associations between specific MHCs, SUDs, and jail readmission among 675 adults from four rural jails. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses indicated rural jail populations are likely to present MHCs, especially major depression and PTSD, at higher rates than those found in national estimates. SUDs were also observed at rates higher than those typical of national surveys, and particular SUDs were significantly more prevalent in some facilities relative to others. MHCs were not associated with prior jail admission, but SUDs were linked to a greater probability of a previous jail stay. These results highlight the importance of increasing the availability of jail-based, substance-specific treatment programs that cater to individual facilities’ most pressing needs to ultimately reduce jail readmission.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X231188234
Exclusionary citizenship: Public punitiveness and support for voting restrictions
(Taylor & Francis, 2023) Chouhy, Cecilia; Lehmann, Peter S.; Singer, Alexa J.
Much scholarship has discussed how the expansion of the carceral state in the U.S. has consequences for other facets of the democracy. Specifically, felony disenfranchisement laws create a class of “carceral citizens” comprised disproportionately of racially minoritized individuals, and voter ID laws likewise closely mirror racialized segregation efforts that parallel the effects of justice system policies. Despite these clear theoretical linkages, little research has examined whether the anti-welfarism, anti-immigrant attitudes, and symbolic racism which fuel public punitiveness similarly increase support for voting restrictions. Further, it is unknown whether punitiveness itself intervenes in these relationships. Analyses of data from the 2020 American National Election Survey (N = 7,453) reveal considerable overlap between the sources of both punitiveness and voting restriction policies, and punitiveness sets an indirect path through which these social sensibilities influence support for voting restrictions. Further, party-specific analyses reveal that these associations generally are stronger for Democrats than Republicans.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2022.2111324
Substance use disorder, bail reform, and failure to appear in court: Results from a naturalistic study
(Sage, 2022) Kopak, Albert M.; Singer, Alexa J.
Most adults processed through local correctional facilities report symptoms consistent with substance use disorder and there is growing interest in bail reform to reduce or eliminate financial conditions as a requirement for release from detention in local jails. These practices are endorsed for their ability to reduce jail populations and enhance judicial efficiency, but failure to appear in court has become a major area of concern under these new procedures. The current study examined the associations between substance use disorder, financial release conditions, and failure to appear in court in the context of a naturalistic study of bail reform in one judicial district. Multivariate logistic regression results demonstrate significantly higher odds of failure to appear in court among adults with substance use disorder who received a nonfinancial release from jail. Findings suggest bail reform initiatives must address substance use disorder and provide person-centered services during the pretrial release period to become effective.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426221107561