ABSTRACT

Current estimates indicate that approximately 2.2 million people are incarcerated in federal, state, and local correctional facilities across the United States. There are another 5 million under community correctional supervision. Many of these individuals fall into the classification of special needs or special populations (e.g., women, juveniles, substance abusers, mentally ill, aging, chronically or terminally ill offenders). Medical care and treatment costs represent the largest portion of correctional budgets, and estimates suggest that these costs will continue to rise. In the community, probation and parole officers are responsible for helping special needs offenders find appropriate treatment resources. Therefore, it is important to understand the needs of these special populations and how to effectively care for and address their individual concerns.

The Routledge Handbook of Offenders with Special Needs is an in-depth examination of offenders with special needs, such as those who are learning-challenged, developmentally disabled, and mentally ill, as well as substance abusers, sex offenders, women, juveniles, and chronically and terminally ill offenders. Areas that previously have been unexamined (or examined in a limited way) are explored. For example, this text carefully examines the treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender offenders, and racial and gender disparities in health care delivery, as well as pregnancy and parenthood behind bars, homelessness, and the incarceration of veterans and immigrants. In addition, the book presents legal and management issues related to the treatment and rehabilitation of special populations in prisons/jails and the community, including police-citizen interactions, diversion through specialty courts, obstacles and challenges related to reentry and reintegration, and the need for the development and implementation of evidence-based criminal justice policies and practices.

This is a key collection for students taking courses in prisons, penology, criminal justice, criminology, and related areas of study, and an essential resource for academics and practitioners working with offenders with special needs.

part I|83 pages

Administration and Management Issues

chapter 2|16 pages

Constitutional and Legal Issues

Tracing the Legal Landscape from Entry to Release

chapter 3|17 pages

Specialty Courts

Funneling Offenders with Special Needs Out of the Criminal Justice System

chapter 4|15 pages

Special Needs Correctional and Community Facilities

Designing for Inmates with Special Needs

chapter 5|15 pages

Specialized or Segregated Housing Units

Implementing the Principles of Risk, Needs, and Responsivity

part II|168 pages

Special Populations

chapter 7|19 pages

Women Offenders

Gender-Responsive Treatment During Incarceration and Reentry

chapter 8|17 pages

Parenting Behind Bars

The Experiences of Incarcerated Mothers and Fathers

chapter 9|21 pages

Juvenile Offenders

Diverting Youth and Utilizing Evidence-Based Practices

chapter 10|19 pages

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Offenders

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Incarceration

chapter 11|12 pages

Incarcerating the Homeless

Risk Factors and Promising Strategies for Reentry

chapter 12|17 pages

Incarcerated Veterans

Confronting Military Service Struggles through Treatment and Diversion

chapter 13|14 pages

Immigrant Prisoners

Conditions of Confinement and Institutional Abuses

chapter 14|14 pages

Prison Gangs

Identification, Management, and Renunciation

chapter 15|17 pages

Suicidal Prisoners

Identifying Suicide Risk and Implementing Preventative Policies

chapter 16|16 pages

Death Row Inmates

Housing and Management Issues

part III|179 pages

Medical and Mental Health Issues

chapter 17|17 pages

Prisoners with Mental Illness

Treatment Challenges and Solutions

chapter 18|17 pages

Substance Abuse

Screening, Assessment, Planning, and Treatment

chapter 19|20 pages

Offenders with Co-Occurring Disorders

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment

chapter 20|15 pages

Offenders with Physical Disabilities

Experiences Across the Criminal Justice System

chapter 21|16 pages

Aging Behind Bars

Assessing the Health Care Needs of Graying Prisoners

chapter 22|16 pages

Chronic and Terminal Illness

Providing End-of-Life Care to Dying Prisoners

chapter 23|22 pages

Offenders with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Contact with the Criminal Justice System

chapter 24|13 pages

Sex Offenders with Intellectual Disabilities

Deficits and Risk Factors for Offending

chapter 26|17 pages

Forgotten Populations

Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Health Care Disparities

part IV|63 pages

Treatment in the Community

chapter 27|16 pages

Policing Special Needs Offenders

Implementing Training to Improve Police-Citizen Encounters

chapter 28|16 pages

Treating Offenders with Specialized Needs in the Community

Constructing Community and Social Support Systems

chapter 29|15 pages

Reentry and Reintegration of Adult Special Populations

Community Involvement, Police Partnerships, and Reentry Councils

chapter 30|14 pages

Developing and Implementing Evidence-Based Policies and Practices

Improving Offender Treatment Outcomes