Readings Public Policy and Administration • O’Sullivan, E., Rassel, G. R., Berner, M., & Taliaferro, J. D. (2017). Research methods for public administrators (6th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. o Chapter 8, "Protection of Human Research Subjects and Other Ethical Issues" (pp. 254276) Dissertation • Rudestam, K. E., & Newton, R. R. (2015). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-4522-6097-6 o In Chapter 5, "The Method Chapter: Describing Your Research Plan, “Procedures: Describing how you did or will do it,” pp. 115–116 o In Chapter 5, The Method Chapter: Describing Your Research Plan, “Validity and reliability in qualitative dissertation,” pp. 131–135 o Chapter 13, Informed Consent and Other Ethical Concerns, pp. 313–332 • Document: Walden University, Institutional Review Board. (2013). When to seek IRB guidance early—June 2013: Studies with sensitive topics and vulnerable populations benefit from early ethics consultation. • Walden University Institutional Review Board. (n.d.) IRB guidance for conducting doctoral research in your own professional setting: Research ethics FAQs for doctoral students conducting research in their own work setting. Retrieved from http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/InstitutionalReview-Board-for-Ethical-Standards-in-Research.htm • Walden University, Center for Research Quality. (n.d.-c). Ph.D. dissertation process and documents.Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/osra/phd o Dissertation Prospectus Guide o Dissertation Student Process Worksheet Social Change • Callahan, D., Wilson, E., Birdsall, I., Estabrook-Fishinghawk, B., Carson, G., Ford, S.… Yob, I. (2012). Expanding our understanding of social change: A report from the Definition Task Force of the HLC Special Emphasis Project (2012). Minneapolis, MN: Walden University. • Walden University, Career Services Center and the School of Public Policy and Administration. (2015, March 12.). Webinar: Developing social entrepreneurs. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/dbUSAQaJEqA • Yob , I., Lao, T., Uldall, B., Crum, M. B., Clay, O., Brock, N.,…Dixon-Saxon, S. (2014). Matrix: Preparing Walden learners for social change. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University. Ethics • Walden University, Center for Research Quality. (n.d.-e). Institutional Review Board for Ethical Standards in Research. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/orec • Walden University, Office of Research Ethics and Compliance. (2010). Institutional Review Board for ethical standards in research: IRB office hours and meetings. Retrieved from http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/Office-of-Research-Integrity-and-Compliance.htm • Walden University, Center for Research Quality. (n.d.-d) Application and General Materials. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/orec/application o Research Ethics Planning Worksheet Media • Endicott, L. (2010a). IRB FAQ Tutorial [Online tutorial]. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/orec A self-paced tutorial on the IRB’s Ethics Review at Walden is available at the bottom of the webpage. Optional Resources • Ashoka. (n.d.). What is a social entrepreneur? Retrieved from http://www.ashoka.org/social_entrepreneur • B Corporation. (n.d.). What are B corps? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.bcorporation.net/what-are-b-corps • Barreiro, T. D., & Stone, M. M. (2013). Social entrepreneurship: From issue to viable plan. New York, NY: Business Expert. • Bornstein, D., & Davis, S. (2010). Social entrepreneurship: What everyone needs to know. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. • Box, R. C. (2015). Public service values. London: M. E. Sharpe/Routledge. • Brooks, A. C. (2009). Social entrepreneurship: A modern approach to social value creation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. • Dees, J. G. (2001). The meaning of “social entrepreneurship.” Retrieved from http://www.caseatduke.org/documents/dees_sedef.pdf • Dees, J. G., Emerson, J., & Economy, P. (2002). Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit. New York, NY: Wiley. • Elkington, J., & Hartigan, P. (2008). The power of unreasonable people: How social entrepreneurs create markets that change the world. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. • Heegaard, P. (2008). Heroes among us: Social entrepreneurs strengthening families and building communities. Minneapolis, MN:Nordin Press. • Nicholls, A. (Ed.). (2008). Social entrepreneurship: New models of sustainable social change. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. • Martin, R. L. and Osberg, S. R. (2015). Getting beyond better: How social entrepreneurship works. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press. • Poon Tip, B. (2013). Looptail: How one company changed the world by reinventing business.Toronto: Collins. • Wei-Skillern, J., Austin, J., Leonard, H., & Stevenson, H. (2007). Entrepreneurship in the social sector. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. • Walden University. (n.d.-b). The Journal of Social Change. Retrieved from http://www.publishing.waldenu.edu/jsc/ • Yob, I. M. (2012). Review of social change at Walden University. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University. • Walden University, Scholars of Change. (2013). Courtney Skiera, Ph.D. in psychology [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.waldenu.edu/about/multimedia/walden-community/scholars-ofchange/2013-winners/courtney-skiera#walLightbox/1/ In this Discussion, you will examine the role of the IRB, your responsibilities for ensuring that you design an ethical study, and the ways in which you can reduce or eliminate ethical challenges. To prepare for this Discussion, review the Dissertation and Ethics resources listed for the week. Post by Day 3 in the following ways: • Explain the role of the IRB • Explain ethical problems you might experience if you were to conduct research on your identified topic of research. • Analyze the impact of these potential ethical challenges. How might participants be affected, for example? • Devise ways you might address these ethical challenges to the IRB to ensure integrity in the research process. • Analyze the ethical values you hold that underlie your response. Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Read a selection of your colleagues' postings. Respond by Day 6 to at least of at least two of your colleagues who have not yet had a reply, in any of the following ways: • Address the content of your colleagues’ analyses of their ethical challenges and how they may address these challenges. • Explain insights you gained into your own research process by considering your colleagues’ postings on the ethical challenges posed in their research. Student 1 LS 1. Explain the role of the IRB. The National Research Act of 1974 established the modern IRB system which is used for regulating research involving human subjects. The Institutional Review Board (IRB), as stated by the Ethical Standards in Research will comply with the university's ethical standards. The (IRB) will also comply with Federal Regulations which is to protect human participants that are involved in research. The purpose of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to secure approval, as well as to disapproval research. If students failed to comply with any of Walden's University's policies and procedures regarding the ethical standards in research, the student will not receive credit for their work. 2. Explain ethical problems you might experience if you were to conduct research on your identified topic of research. My dissertation topic "Why Are So Many Individuals Incarcerated - Is It Genetics, Economics, or Both." My research will consist of identical twin adults that have been incarcerated, and one has been addicted to drugs. Ethical problems that I might experience could be the illegal activities of participant b. If for any reasons the participants felt that I was being judgmental about their reality this could be an ethical problem. I will inform the participants that what we are discussing will be private and confidential l have them sign an informed consent and explain what the research is for and ensure that the study will meet all the requirements. 3. Analyze the impact of these potential ethical challenges. While conducting qualitative studies ethical challenges that might have an impact might be the establishment of honest and open interactions as well as avoiding misrepresentations. As the researcher, I must be able to minimize the possibility of intrusion into the autonomy of the study regarding the participants by all means. It is also necessary that I clarify in writing which persons can have access to the initial data and also how the data might be used. 3A. How might participants be affected, for example? Qualitative research that deals with sensitive topics in depth can have the tendency to pose emotional as well as other risks to participants and the researcher. Predicting what topics will be likely to lead to distress, it is important for researchers to receive sufficient training in predicting traumatic situations. 4. Devise ways you might address these ethical challenges to the IRB to ensure integrity in the research process. To ensure integrity in the research process I will always have respect for the participant's privacy, as well as respect for their anonymity and confidentiality. Before I start the research I will make sure that I have received informed consent and also make sure that the participants are informed that the research will not cause them any harm, if anything they will be better because of it. A signed informed consent will mean that the participants receive and understand the information and that he or she consented to participate. It is also to note that the greater the risk to a subject, the more extensive the informed consent procedures are required. 5. Analyze the ethical values you hold that underlie your response. Ethical values that I hold that underlie my response are I am a person of integrity that is caring and I have a concern for others. I am a fair person that respects everyone. I am respectful, ethically, and trusting. I will always treat people the way that I would want to be treated. Reference O'Sullivan, E., Rassel, G. R., Berner, M., & Taliaferro, J. D. (2017). Research methods for public administrators (6th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. Chapter 8, "Protection of Human Research Subjects and Other Ethical Issues" (pp. 254-276) Document: Walden University, Institutional Review Board. (2013). When to seek IRB guidance early ---June 2013: Studies with sensitive topics and vulnerable populations benefits from early ethics consultation. Walden University Institutional Review Board. (n.d.) IRB guidance for conducting doctoral research in your own professional setting: Research ethics FAQs for doctoral students conducting research in their own work setting. Retrieved from http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/Institutional-Review-Board-for- Ethical-Standards-in-Research.htm Ethics Walden University, Center for Research Quality. (n.d.-e). Institutional Review Board for Ethical Standards in Research. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/orec Walden University, Office of Research Ethics and Compliance. (2010). Institutional Review Board for ethical standards in research: IRB office hours and meetings. Retrieved from http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/Office-of-Research- Integrity-and-Compliance.htm Walden University, Center for Research Quality. (n.d.-d) Application and General Materials. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/orec/application Research Ethics Planning Worksheet Walden University. (n.d.-b). The Journal of Social Change. Retrieved from http://www.publishing.waldenu.edu/jsc/ Walden University, Scholars of Change. (2013). Courtney Skiera, Ph.D. in psychology [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.waldenu.edu/about/multimedia/walden- community/scholars-of-change/2013-winners/courtneyskiera#waLightbox/1/ Yob, I. M. (2012). Review of social change at Walden University. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University. Media Endicott, L. (2010a). IRB FAQ Tutorial [Online tutorial]. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/orec Student 2RR RE: Discussion Walden University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a board consisting of faculty members of Walden University that come together to ensure that ethical practices and considerations are adhered to during the dissertation process. Specifically, the IRB is concerned with the protection of participants in academic research in addition to the following: (1) Any protected class as defined by Title VII; (2) Identifying any potential issues or challenges with informed consent from the participants; (3) Any potential of and the prevention of coercion of participants; (4) Any potential of and the prevention of deception of participants; and (5) Finally, to ensure that any sensitive data is collected and maintained in a manner consistent with University policies and procedures (“Student Publications,” 2014). For my particular research, I may be faced with an ethical issue of incidents involving colleagues whom I have worked with for years and the issue(s) that may result of the publication of this information in my study. Additionally, I may be faced with the same or other colleagues asking me not to disclose or present information my research yields so that it will not tarnish or create a negative perception of the participating agency involved. The impact of both of the potential ethical issues will have on my study will be devastating. For example, if an agency’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) determines that the data collected from his/her agency is not reflective of what they would like for it to be, and asks me not to publish the data in the study. Initially, this request will impact the agency because it may bring a negative perception of the agency and its personnel. Secondly, the fact that the agency’s CEO has asked me to present data that is not correct will have a direct effect his/her integrity and that of his/her agency. The most advantageous method of mitigating the potential for an ethical issue to arise is to establish from the onset of the study that any data published in the study will be anonymous and will not have any identifying indicators associated with it. For example, my study will utilize Police Department 1 and Police Department 2, and/or Sworn Officer or Non-Sworn Employee 1, and etc. Additional methods to address this are as follows (1) be completely honest with all the participants regarding what data will be published; (2) obtained informed consent from both the agencies and the participants; (3) a complete explanation of how the data will be obtained; and (4) data collection steps. Any research regardless of the topic to research must be conduct ethically and the methods to conduct said research must be done above reproach. As a researcher, my integrity is all that I have to support the study I present. Integrity in the fact my topic of study, methodology, data collection, and findings/conclusions were all completed and are in compliance with the standards academia is paramount to my work as a researcher. I cannot and will not be able to effect social change as Walden University doctoral candidate if my research is based on less than ethical practices and considerations. Finally, as a human being if I purport myself to be a person of integrity, then I must be willing to be just that – integrity and as such, I am committed to and will all the data and evidence collected during my research to determine the findings/conclusions, not any preconceived notions. References Walden University, Student Publications. (2014). Welcome to the catalog, student handbook, and university guidebooks. Retrieved from http://catalog.waldenu.edu/ Final Project: Continue to Draft Your Prospectus Your Discussion 2 posts focused on the implications for social change and the significance of the study. All research of quality and rigor must address these issues: Why is the research worth doing? What can be learned? Who will it benefit and how? It is important to refine your statements on this topic, in order that they can be incorporated into your Prospectus. You will be required to address these issues in your Proposal and the rest of your Dissertation, as well. Although one might expect any study to reflect these concerns, this is especially important in the School of Public Policy and Administration, and at Walden University, given the mission, vision, goal, and positive social change commitments you read earlier. Using the Dissertation Prospectus Guide, refine this week’s Discussion 2 post that describes the significance of your proposed study. In what ways would your study advance knowledge, practice, or policy, and lead to positive social change? After completing this section, in the order of required components of the Prospectus, you have now covered the title, problem statement, overall purpose of the study, significance, background, and theoretical framework. Review your Prospectus draft of all of these components and edit it. Dissertation topic. The dissertation topic, I settled on from week one was; Efficacy of Offender Reentry Programs Targeting Recidivism in the United States. For this weeks assignment, I am developing and revising the topic and formulating a problem statement in the dissertation process. The subject of prison reforms receives little attention and has less political popularity, making the area an abandoned area regarding political power. There is a significant research gap, evidence to show that the problem is significant in the field, enough scholarly articles for the topic to build on the literature review and the problem is amenable to a scientific study as evaluated using the Litmus test (Academic Guides: Research Resources: Research Planning & Writing). Problem statement. Offender reentry programs in the United States remain an area of concern with an alarmingly high rate of Recidivism within 3-5 years of release from prison and correctional facilities. Although there are strong unions of correctional officers, they mainly aim at increasing the jail term and not improving the conditions and programs inside and outside the prisons after the jail term. Prisoners have little political power due to the little popularity of the area to political leaders. Furthermore, there are no proper political reforms that can advocate for the allocation of more funds to improve the process of offender re-entry programs into society. Muhlhausen (2015), found out that approximately 67.8% of released prisoners get rearrested within three years for a new crime and the rate increases to 76.6% within five years. Although the higher rate of 95-97% incarcerated citizens in the United Staes being released back into the society, there are no active programs in the re-integration process. To date, there is no clear evidence of the most effective programs that can help to reduce the recidivism rates and help in re-integration for the ex-convicts. Perhaps a study which investigates the efficacy of the offender re-entry programs targeting recidivism in the United States by a mixed-method case study could be useful in determining the most effective remedy programs and assist in policy formulation in the area of prison reforms. Use of the Walden Doctoral Capstone Resources in the Dissertation Process The Walden Doctoral Capstone Resources have been very useful from the first week. The resources helped me a lot in developing the dissertation topic. For this week the resources have been useful, especially the Litmus test resource in the development of the problem statement for the dissertation process. Besides the resources are proving to be handled in refining my skills of using the APA citation style in my academic work. I plan to utilize the resources in the different stages of the research process. The first step in the research process will be the development of the proposal with the capstone resources as a guide. First, the resources on developing an annotated minibiography will be useful when evaluating the credibility of my sources. After I choose the various sources, the Walden resource will come in handy in the development and complication of the literature review. In the later stages of the research, the resources will be useful when choosing the correct research paradigm and methodology. Throughout the dissertation writing process, I will be able to refer to some examples of quality dissertations listed in the Walden Capstone resources which will form a backbone that I can use to evaluate the quality of my dissertation. The Spss resource in the website will be a useful guide during the analysis of the statistical data and the organization, interpretation of the results and the discussion of the findings (Academic Guides: Doctoral Capstone Resources: Home). References Academic Guides: Common Assignments: Annotated Bibliographies. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/annotatedbibliographi es Academic Guides: Doctoral Capstone Resources: Home. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/doctoralcapstoneresources Academic Guides: Office of Student Research Administration: Ph.D. Dissertation Program. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/osra/phd Academic Guides: Research Resources: Research Planning & Writing. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/resources/planning Muhlhausen, D. (2015). Studies Cast Doubt on Effectiveness of Prisoner Reentry Programs. Retrieved from https://www.heritage.org/.../studies-cast-doubt-effectiveness-prisonerreentry-program... Retrieved from http://dissertationrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ProblemStatement- Checklist.pdf Premise Paper Dissertation topic. The dissertation topic, I settled on from week one was; Efficacy of Offender Reentry Programs Targeting Recidivism in the United States. For this weeks assignment, I am developing and revising the topic and formulating a problem statement in the dissertation process. The subject of prison reforms receives little attention and has less political popularity, making the area an abandoned area regarding political power. There is a significant research gap, evidence to show that the problem is significant in the field, enough scholarly articles for the topic to build on the literature review and the problem is amenable to a scientific study as evaluated using the Litmus test (Academic Guides: Research Resources: Research Planning & Writing). Problem statement. Offender reentry programs in the United States remain an area of concern with an alarmingly high rate of Recidivism within 3-5 years of release from prison and correctional facilities. Although there are strong unions of correctional officers, they mainly aim at increasing the jail term and not improving the conditions and programs inside and outside the prisons after the jail term. Prisoners have little political power due to the little popularity of the area to political leaders. Furthermore, there are no proper political reforms that can advocate for the allocation of more funds to improve the process of offender re-entry programs into society. Muhlhausen (2015), found out that approximately 67.8% of released prisoners get rearrested within three years for a new crime and the rate increases to 76.6% within five years. Although the higher rate of 95-97% incarcerated citizens in the United Staes being released back into the society, there are no active programs in the re-integration process. To date, there is no clear evidence of the most effective programs that can help to reduce the recidivism rates and help in re-integration for the ex-convicts. Perhaps a study which investigates the efficacy of the offender re-entry programs targeting recidivism in the United States by a mixed-method case study could be useful in determining the most effective remedy programs and assist in policy formulation in the area of prison reforms. Use of the Walden Doctoral Capstone Resources in the Dissertation Process The Walden Doctoral Capstone Resources have been very useful from the first week. The resources helped me a lot in developing the dissertation topic. For this week the resources have been useful, especially the Litmus test resource in the development of the problem statement for the dissertation process. Besides the resources are proving to be handled in refining my skills of using the APA citation style in my academic work. I plan to utilize the resources in the different stages of the research process. The first step in the research process will be the development of the proposal with the capstone resources as a guide. First, the resources on developing an annotated minibiography will be useful when evaluating the credibility of my sources. After I choose the various sources, the Walden resource will come in handy in the development and complication of the literature review. In the later stages of the research, the resources will be useful when choosing the correct research paradigm and methodology. Throughout the dissertation writing process, I will be able to refer to some examples of quality dissertations listed in the Walden Capstone resources which will form a backbone that I can use to evaluate the quality of my dissertation. The Spss resource in the website will be a useful guide during the analysis of the statistical data and the organization, interpretation of the results and the discussion of the findings (Academic Guides: Doctoral Capstone Resources: Home). Efficacy of Offender Reentry Programs Targeting Recidivism in the United States Efficacy of Offender Reentry Programs Targeting Recidivism in the United States I arrived at the above topic after an extensive search and review of the literature concerning the prison reforms, specific rates of recidivism and the reentry programs. Initially, I had made an observation and did prior research on the topic of the effectiveness of reentry programs, so I already had an idea of what I wanted to research on. Any issue concerning prisoners receives little popularity in politics, and therefore prisoners have little political power. There is no proper political constituency to pressure for the funding of prisoner’s reintegration into the society. The process of reentry even becomes more difficult for individuals with multiple jail terms. The unions of correctional officers are powerful, but they urge for increased prison time and not for improving the conditions and programs in the prisons and after the imprisonment. The primary interest in studying the topic is because of the alarmingly high levels of recidivism even with the reentry programs put in place. According to data from the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 2014 67.8% of released prisoners get rearrested within three years for a new crime. The rates of recidivism for five years was 76.6 %( Muhlhausen, 2015). Around 95-97% of incarcerates citizens in the US will be released back into society. However, after release life for the ex-convict may become unbearable with no proper or effective system for re-integration into the society. The ex-convicts are released with nothing to call their own-no housing, no food, no clothing and no way to contact their relatives. Furthermore, other factors such as stigma, deterioration of social networks and economic distress that affect the reentry into the community; the adverse effects of such consequences of the ex-convicts with no proper reentry programs contribute to recidivism. Around the early 1990s, the Department of Justice has invested many funds into the prisoner reentry programs. However, currently, there is no adequate knowledge of the most effective programs for assisting inmates to reintegrate successfully and safety into society. Furthermore, policymakers need to ensure that the evaluation of programs is based on the primary purpose for which it was established. Recidivism remains the most effective measure of assessing the impact of the programs for prisoner’s reentry. However, there is still some criticism on the use utilization of recidivism as a measure of effectiveness as compared with other factors used to assess the reintegration process (Muhlhausen, 2015). The rates of recidivism suggest a problem with the reentry programs already in place. While common measures such as housing and employment are critical, the factors are not the primary goal of reentry programs (Muhlhausen, 2015). The lack of adequate measures for the effectiveness of reentry programs targeting recidivism makes the topic worth for further studies and recommendations. There is a lack of focus for policymakers. I am placing primary importance of the recidivism rates as a measure of the effectiveness of reentry programs. Additionally, there is a need to appraise programs about their outcome on the primary purpose for which they were employed. Research on the evaluation of prisoner reentry programs based on employment shows that the programs play a minimal role in reducing recidivism (Muhlhausen, 2015). The outcomes of scientifically based evaluations raise some doubt regarding the effectiveness of the involvement of the federal government in reducing the cost of reentry programs. There is a general assumption by policymakers that assisting ex-convicts to get employment has an impact on the rates of recidivism (Travis et al., 2014). The program assumes that employment helps ex-convicts to desist from crime. However, the primary question is the timing of the employment for ex-convicts and not the employment opportunity itself. The author, Mulhausen (2015) states that there are theories on the relationship between resistance and employment among individuals who leave the criminal justice system. The first premises are the maturation viewpoint, which states that desistance from crime, happens before the acquisition of legitimate employment while the turning point theory presumes that resistance happens after the ex-convict gets employed. Assuming that the maturation theory is more accurate, then assisting prisoners to get employment before they are ready to reform is unproductive. The process of reforming a prisoner and their identity to that of a law-abiding citizen is a complicated procedure that should precede legitimate employment. For example, a prisoner has to change the mindset and realize that a crime has more harm than benefits. Although federally funded reentry programs offering employment can be sufficient evidence shows that it is vital for ex-convicts to be psychologically stable before they can be productive in the workplace. Reentry programs that offer a multifaceted approach have more results that are positive. There is still a gap in the research, mainly on a large scale to shed some light on what programs are effective and which ones are not (Travis et al., 2014). The topic has much significance in society due to a large number of prisoners (up to 700, 000) released from prison early in the United States. Studies show that ex-convicts face many challenges when reintegration back into society. Reentry programs varied based on the services offered and treatment modalities to deliver the services. Among the 700000 ex-convicts, about two-thirds are rearrested are reincarnated within three years. Despite the vast number of reentry programs, little is known about their effectiveness. It is critical to determine whether the reentry programs are useful in the recidivism rate reduction and the factors associated with the highest success rates. Relationship of the topic to public policy and administration In 1968, H. George Frederickson developed a theory of equity in the society and advocated it as the third pillar of public administration (Toavs, n. d). The theory was concerned with how public administration was ignoring the economic and social conditions of different citizens. The assumptions are seen in the case of ex-convicts with no proper ways of evaluating what reforms are best for this group of citizens. It is essential for policymakers to streamline reentry programs to suit the immediate needs of the ex-prisoners first before considering the long-term outcomes (Kendall et al ., 2018). Therefore, the public administration should promote social equity for the ex-convicts to reduce the rates of recidivism. The current post-release programs have a limited effect on the long-term outcomes and rates of recidivism. The impact of the system of prisons on society is tremendous although it is an unpopular area. The prison system is a direct reflection of the effectiveness of the rule of law but happens to have an impact on the society where the prisoners come from and return to after the jail term (Harvard Law Review, 2010). References Academic Guides: Common Assignments: Annotated Bibliographies. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/annotatedbibliographi es Academic Guides: Doctoral Capstone Resources: Home. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/doctoralcapstoneresources Academic Guides: Office of Student Research Administration: Ph.D. Dissertation Program. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/osra/phd Academic Guides: Research Resources: Research Planning & Writing. (2018). Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/resources/planning Harvard Law Review. (March 2010). "Designing a prisoner reentry system hardwired to manage disputes," 123 Harv. L. Rev. 1339, database: Lexis. Kendall, S., Redshaw, S., Ward, S., Wayland, S., & Sullivan, E. (2018). A systematic review of qualitative evaluations of reentry programs addressing problematic drug use and mental health disorders amongst people transitioning from prison to communities. Health & Justice, 6(1), 4. Muhlhausen, D. (2015). Studies Cast Doubt on Effectiveness of Prisoner Reentry Programs. Retrieved from https://www.heritage.org/.../studies-cast-doubt-effectiveness-prisonerreentry-program... Toavs, D. (n.d.). Ideas of governance. Retrieved from http://www.tikitoki.com/timeline/entry/146482/Ideas-of-Governance Travis, J., Western, B., & Redburn, F. S. (2014). The growth of incarceration in the United States: Exploring causes and consequences. The National Academies Press _________________________________________________________________________________ Annotated bibliography: Efficacy of Offender Re-entry Programs Targeting Recidivism in the United States Berghuis, M. (2018). Re-entry Programs for Adult Male Offender Recidivism and Reintegration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62(14), 4655–4676. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X18778448 Berghuis (2018) assessed the re-entry programs effectiveness about reducing recidivism among male adult offenders. The systemic review and metanalysis evaluated retry programs focused on male offender’s re-entry into the community with recidivism as the primary outcome. The findings reflect the variability of the effectiveness of various re-entries. The recommendations involved the development of program evaluations, standardized measures or re-integration, the definition of the successful re-integration process and focused on both individual and systemic variables of re-entry. The study lacks a clear guide on how the recommendations are implemented. Also, the results could have gained more credibility by taking into consideration multiple ethnic groups. Calleja, N. G. (2018). Translating research into practice: Designing effective re-entry services for adolescent offenders. Aggression and Violent Behaviour. Calleja (2018) reviews a model design of a suitable specialized re-entry program for juveniles that led to a decrease in the rates of recidivism to less than 50 percent rate of the control group. The re-entry program evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the “Wayne County Second Chance Re-entry Program (WC-SCA)” which is a collaborative project involving community support partners, treatment providers, law enforcement department and administrators of juvenile justice. The program has been identified as a potential active practice in the planning of offender re-entry into the public and the reduction of recidivism in the juvenile group. The best re-entry planning practices are highlighted throughout the article. The model is an outcome of significant efforts in the past in the field of re-entry planning and evaluation. The article fails to provide the limitations and weakness of the program. Furthermore, there is no comparison with other successful programs that can be used if the model fails. Duwe, G., & King, M. (2013). Can Faith-Based Correctional Programs Work? An Outcome Evaluation of the Inner Change Freedom Initiative in Minnesota. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 57(7), 813–841. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X12439397 Duwe and King (2013) examine the efficacy of religious-based re-entry programs in reducing the rates of recidivism. The retrospective quasi-experimental study analysed the recidivism rates in ex-offenders who had gone through the “Inner Change Freedom Initiative” which is faith-based. The results from the study revealed that the religious programs had a significant positive impact in reducing recidivism rates. The findings suggest a role for continuity of mentoring and support as a contributory factor as applied to the community’s study lacks a definite recommendation on improving the outcomes of re-entry services. Early, K. W., Chapman, S. F., & Hand, G. A. (2013). Family-focused juvenile re-entry quasi-experimental design evaluation of recidivism outcomes. Journal of services: A Juvenile Justice, 2(2), 1. Early et al., (2013), evaluated the effectiveness of family-focused and community-based probation services for the juveniles on recidivism. The quasi-experimental studies aimed to compare the outcomes of standard aftercare and the family-focused “Parenting with Love and Limits™ (PLL)” provided through the Indiana, St. Joseph County Probate Court. The findings show lower rates of recidivism for youths receiving the services of aftercare with statistically significant differences for readjustments. The recommendation involves proper timing of the reentry programs to improve the effectiveness. Hunter, B. A., Stephen Lanza, A., Lawlor, M., Dyson, W., & Gordon, D. M. (2016). A Based Approach to Prisoner Re-entry: The Fresh Start Prisoner Re-entry Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Strengths- Program. International 60(11), 1298–1314. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X15576501 Hunter et al., (2016) explore the “Fresh Start Prisoner Re-entry Program” which utilizes a strength-based approach to re-integrate men ex-convicts in the United States into the community. The qualitative analysis of the program begins from the start of incarceration to the successful re-integration into the society with continuous reporting of the respondent’s risks, limitations needs, and strengths. Throughout the process, interventions were developed to boost the strengths of the participants. Findings show that the strength-based programs are more effective in reducing recidivism as compared to the risk-based programs. Gill, C., & Wilson, D. B. (2017). Improving the success of re-entry programs: Identifying the impact of service–need fit on recidivism — criminal Justice and Behaviour, 44 (3), 336- 359. Gill and Wilson (2017) examined the effect of the “service-need fit” on official and self-reported recidivism using information from the ‘Serious and Violent Offender Re-entry Initiative’ (SVORI) study and analyze the degree of correspondence between the services offered to ex-offenders and self-reported needs of the individuals concerning recidivism rates. The findings reflect a reduced rate of recidivism with an increased fit. Also, findings indicate that less than half of the respondents receive the services they say they need making the services provide ineffectively. The results provided could have been strengthened by a provision of a clinically based risk assessment rather than a service-need fit. Recommendation involves the implementation of policies that support the strength-based program for re-entry. James, N. (2015). Offender re-entry: Correctional statistics, reintegration into the community, and recidivism. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. James (2015) examines the various aspects of re-entry programs starting from the statistics from correctional systems to highlight the weight of the problem, an explanation of offender re-entry and the summarizes the literature of the re-entry programs that work. He concluded that the majority of the successful programs follow three phases; programs during incarceration, programs during the release period and the programs of reintegration. Literature suggests that programs focusing on housing mental health and drugs are effective. The article suggests the most effective programs are those that are implemented within one year of release from prison. Jonson, C. L., & Cullen, F. T. (2015). Prisoner re-entry programs. Crime and justice, 44(1), 517-575. Johnson and Cullen (2015) review re-entry programs and their effectiveness in reducing recidivism in the US over the years; the systematic review describes the problem of re-entry, how the issue becomes a problem socially, the challenges in the implementation of the re-entry program, and the creation of “criminology entry “program. The findings of the review reflect the lack of credibility teachings informing programs, lack of evidence-based practice in the area and lack of regulations that guide civil liability. Only in the past decade has a prisoner re-entry. Recommended involve the development of a ‘criminology of re-entry' and use of evidencebased practice to evaluate programs in the re-entry. The majority of effective programs are in line with the ‘risk-need-responsive model.' The article is essential for my research as it provides a model for the evaluation of the effectiveness of re-entry programs. Kendall, S., Redshaw, S., Ward, S., Wayland, S., & Sullivan, E. (2018). A systematic review of qualitative evaluations of re-entry programs addressing problematic drug use and mental health disorders amongst people transitioning from prison to communities. Health & Justice, 6(1), 4. Kendal et al., (2018) focused on recently released adult ex-offenders, which had mental-health problems or drug use problems in the United States and identified and synthesized the essential factors that lead to successful reintegration back into the community as defined in qualitative evaluations of re-entry programs. This systematic review and meta-analysis of literature were carried out to analyse current research data in the area with results specifically targeting drug users and mental health individuals. The results suggested that housing, accesses to social support, caseworkers' interpersonal skills and care continuity are during the pre-release, and post-release time frames are all key factors that lead to re-entry program's success and reduction of recidivism. Recommendations included having qualitative data that contextualized the findings of statistical studies and identifies structural and social elements that are effective in reducing recidivism and improving the overall health of an individual. The article lacks clear guidelines on how to evaluate and assess the re-entry program that was recommended. Smith, A., Heyes, K., Fox, C., Harrison, J., Kiss, Z., & Bradbury, A. (2018). The probation supervision towards reducing reoffending: A Rapid Journal, 65(4), 407–428. effectiveness of Evidence Assessment. Probation https://doi.org/10.1177/0264550518796275 Smith et al. (2018) carried out a “Rapid Evidence Assessment” of the empirical research in response to the lack of a universally acceptable agreement on the practical methods' probation supervision in articles from Australia, US, UK, and Canada. The findings reflect a reduction in recidivism for offenders who underwent supervision. The recommendation included future research further develops the evidence on the effectiveness of supervision in probation.
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