Bonita Veysey - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Bonita Veysey

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Dec 11, 2003

ABSTRACT

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Jun 28, 2007

For a number of reasons, researchers and policy makers are now focusing on diversion of youth fro... more For a number of reasons, researchers and policy makers are now focusing on diversion of youth from the juvenile justice system. This study examines New York State's diversion efforts focused on youth with mental health and substance abuse problems who are at risk of out-of-community placement (N = 2,309). Twelve counties participated in the Mental Health Juvenile Justice (MH/JJ) Diversion Project. Overall, the initiative was successful in reducing out-of-community placement and recidivism for diverted youth. In regression analysis site, services received, and problem-profile variables were important predictors of out-of-community placement. Prior record, prior placement, and significant mental health problems were statistically significant predictors of recidivism. This suggests some contrasts in explaining the results of two important goals of the MH/JJ project. Study results and implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

Albany law review, 2015

I. INTRODUCTION In a time of declining incarceration rates, female jail, prison, and probation ra... more I. INTRODUCTION In a time of declining incarceration rates, female jail, prison, and probation rates continue to increase. (1) Women currently represent eighteen percent of people under some form of correctional supervision. (2) More specifically, they comprise approximately twenty-five percent of the probation population, fourteen percent of the jail population, twelve percent of parolees, and seven percent of prisoners. (3) Women are less likely than men to serve state prison time for a violent crime, but are more likely than men to serve state prison time for a property or a drug-related crime. (4) Despite these growing rates, women have a low probability of committing crimes, being arrested, and/or being incarcerated relative to men, (5) and this fact is well represented in the memories of society at large, as well as individuals. (6) This expectancy is transmitted via media and daily interactions and has been maintained over time. (7) Further, this expectancy is one explanatory...

Law and human behavior, Jan 20, 2018

Three studies adopted implicit social cognition theory and methodology to understand criminal cog... more Three studies adopted implicit social cognition theory and methodology to understand criminal cognition outside of conscious awareness or control, specifically by testing whether individual differences in implicit associations between the self and the group criminals are related to criminal behavior. A Single Category Implicit Association Test measured self-criminal associations across 3 adult samples-2 from Newark, New Jersey, a high-crime United States city, and an adult national sample from the United States. Then, all participants reported their criminal behavior in 2 cross-sectional design studies and 1 longitudinal design study. Consistent with an additive model of implicit and explicit cognition, studies generally demonstrated that strong implicit self-criminal associations increased the odds of committing a criminal act, even after accounting for explicit self-criminal cognition, past criminal behavior, and/or criminal-related demographics. This research suggests that implic...

Journal of interpersonal violence, 2017

Past research on victimization has relied predominantly on individuals' awareness of and will... more Past research on victimization has relied predominantly on individuals' awareness of and willingness to self-report a victimization experience and its effect on self and identity processes. The present research adopts theoretical and methodological innovations in implicit social cognition research to provide a new perspective on how a violent victimization experience might influence identity processes outside of conscious awareness. Our main goal was to test whether individuals who have victimization experience implicitly associate the self with victims (implicit victim identity) and their stereotypes (implicit victim self-stereotyping), and the relation of these associations to explicit victim identity and self-stereotyping. Two pretests with undergraduate student participants ( Ns = 122 and 72) identified victim-related word stimuli for two Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) measures of implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping. In Pretest Study A, partici...

Children and Youth Services Review, 2017

The objective of this investigation was to examine the longer-term (12 months post-discharge) out... more The objective of this investigation was to examine the longer-term (12 months post-discharge) outcomes of gang involved and uninvolved youth who were referred for Multisystemic Therapy by their local justice authorities. This is the first systematic investigation of longer-term outcomes for gang-involved youth in treatment. From an initial sample of 421 youth, we applied an intent-to-treat analysis to 409 youth with available recidivism data (97% retention). We analyzed data on re-arrests using nonparametric and event history analytic methods. Overall, we observed a re-arrest rate of 30%. This rate did not differ significantly as the function of gang involvement (gang re-arrest: 35%; nongang re-arrest: 29%). We also observed no significant differences between gang and nongang youth in the numbers of re-arrests, nor in the time to arrest. Although gang youth had higher rates of violent arrests (18%) than did nongang youth (13% overall), this difference also was not statistically significant. This first study examining longer-term impacts of treatment for gang-involved youth suggests that evidence-based intervention can be effective in this population. Future research is needed to examine whether there are particular components of or different approaches to intervention necessary to support positive change among gang-involved youth.

Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2017

The present study examines the relations between self-reported explicit criminal identity (ECI) a... more The present study examines the relations between self-reported explicit criminal identity (ECI) and implicit criminal identity (ICI); that is, the cognitive association between the self-concept and the category of criminal represented in implicit (i.e., nonconscious) memory, and the relation of implicit and explicit identities to age. One hundred six adult participants from the Newark, New Jersey, community participated in the experiment; 39% reported a justice-involvement experience defined as having been arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated. The experiment was a Justice Involvement (categorical variable) × Age (continuous variable) between-participants design using computer-based reaction time tasks. The findings supported the hypotheses that (a) while both ICI and ECI are related to justice involvement, they are uncorrelated with each other; (b) ICI increases with age; and (c) ECI decreases with age. The findings suggest that implicit social cognitions have promise in explaining persistence and desistance over and above conscious identity-based attitudes and beliefs.

Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, 2016

Purpose– Research suggests that gang-involved youth are more likely than non-gang youth to experi... more Purpose– Research suggests that gang-involved youth are more likely than non-gang youth to experience victimization. However, very little research has addressed the issue of whether the relationship between gang involvement and victimization depends on the context in which victimization takes place. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of the relation between gang involvement and violent victimization in both street and school contexts.Design/methodology/approach– Data were provided by youth (n=421; ages 11-18; 70 percent male; 66 percent non-white) referred by the justice system for intensive home and community-based treatment of problem behavior. At intake, youth reported on their experiences of violent victimization, mental health status, problem behavior, and substance use. Youth and therapist reports were utilized to indicate gang involvement.Findings– Approximately 62 percent of gang-involved youth in the sample were victimized across both contexts. Linear and ce...

Albany law review, 2015

The mental health and criminal justice systems are two of the major control mechanisms in America... more The mental health and criminal justice systems are two of the major control mechanisms in American society that often function together through related and interdependent structures to identify and control deviant behavior. Both systems employ coercive control. In addition, regardless of the specific form of the deviance, these control institutions also use informal social control to reinforce role behaviors appropriate to the individual's age, sex, race/ethnicity, and other social statuses. This paper investigates the effects of gender and gender role incongruence on the determination of criminal responsibility. Data for this study came from the Insanity Defense Reform Project, a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study of eight states. The sample for this study consists of 4842 cases in which insanity was raised as a defense. Consistent with earlier studies, women are more likely to be found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) than men, but the odds of being found NGRI are moderated by the defendant's sex and relationship to the victim. Consistent with hypotheses of the effects of gender role incongruence, women whose victims are their own children or other family members (not including spouse victims) have the greatest odds of being found NGRI of any group. However, women whose victims are spouses have similar odds of being found NGRI as those of men whose spouses are the victims. Thus, the theory was only partially supported, suggesting that how and the degree to which courtroom personnel rely on common stereotypes and gender expectations in decision making is complicated and may reflect a weighing of factors related to blameworthiness and dangerousness-both physical and symbolic.

Children and Youth Services Review, 2015

There are no validated, evidence-based intervention approaches to helping youth who are involved ... more There are no validated, evidence-based intervention approaches to helping youth who are involved in gang activity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of gang involvement on the effectiveness of evidencebased intervention services for problem behavior delivered to youth referred by the justice system. We analyzed data drawn from 421 youth (69% male; M age = 15.08 years, SD = 1.32; 38% Black/African-American, 18% Latino/a, 34% White, 10% other) referred consecutively over a 13-month period for Multisystemic Therapy (MST; Henggeler, Schoenwald, Borduin, Rowland, & Cunningham, 2009) across clinical service sites in 7 different Eastern states of the US. Outcomes were indicated by successful or unsuccessful case closures, and gang involvement was indicated by a validated multi-factored classification scheme. We conducted analyses of outcomes related to gang involvement for the whole sample as well as a propensity score-matched (PSM) reduced sample. Analyses of treatment success rates indicate that gang involvement significantly and substantially reduces the effectiveness of MST in this population.

A Public Health Perspective of Women’s Mental Health, 2010

This chapter discusses the specific needs of women who are held in US jails. While many of the ch... more This chapter discusses the specific needs of women who are held in US jails. While many of the characteristics of these women are shared by women who are incarcerated in prison, the nature of the jail as a short-term facility that processes and must treat vast numbers of people with many acute medical, mental health, and addiction problems in a

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2007

Medications are central to the psychiatric armamentorium in U.S. jails and prisons. Psychiatric m... more Medications are central to the psychiatric armamentorium in U.S. jails and prisons. Psychiatric medications are used both to stabilize acute symptoms as well as maintain mental health once symptoms are reduced. Both jails and prisons rely heavily on traditional antipsychotics, but both have a full array of atypical medications in their formularies. The heavy reliance on cheaper traditional medications when

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2005

Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, whi... more Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, which is part of the Franklin County Women and Violence Project, explores the healing experiences of 18 women who have histories of violence, substance abuse, and involvement in the mental health and/or substance abuse treatment system. Ethnographic interviews suggest that while professional intervention can be beneficial, it may not be adequate. In fact, it can be retruamatizing. The means of service delivery and treatment by individuals, service providers and others, may be more important than the actual service. Often women find that caring individuals and a safe environment yield the greatest benefit. It is not so much what people do to help, but how they do it.

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 2005

As part of an effort to improve services and outcomes for women with histories of trauma and co-o... more As part of an effort to improve services and outcomes for women with histories of trauma and co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, the Franklin County Women and Violence Project sought to assess women's perceptions about their social roles and provide them with opportunities to adopt valued social roles. Social role theory suggests that individuals with devalued roles may benefit through the acquisition of valued roles. This article outlines the findings regarding the women's initial assessments of their social roles as well as real and desired changes 3 months after the baseline interview. Findings suggest that valued social roles play a significant role in helping women heal and recover, contributing to greater self-esteem, confidence, and happiness. Conversely, the adoption of devalued roles or worsening of roles contributes to depression and makes it more difficult for women to heal and recover.

Criminology & Public Policy, 2012

… Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, www. ncmhjj. com, 2003

Over the past decade, the number of girls involved with the juvenile justice system has increased... more Over the past decade, the number of girls involved with the juvenile justice system has increased substantially. Available research suggests that large numbers of these girls have serious mental health problems often associated with histories of sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect. Delinquent girls with serious mental health problems pose a significant challenge to the juvenile justice system because of the complex set of problems they present and, if their needs go unmet, their poor prognoses. Without appropriate gender-and trauma-specific treatment, these girls are likely to experience high rates of criminality, substance abuse, early pregnancy, and continued interpersonal violence. Assertive interventions are necessary to break the intergenerational cycles of violence, crime, trauma, and addiction. This brief provides an overview of \

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2007

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Dec 11, 2003

ABSTRACT

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Jun 28, 2007

For a number of reasons, researchers and policy makers are now focusing on diversion of youth fro... more For a number of reasons, researchers and policy makers are now focusing on diversion of youth from the juvenile justice system. This study examines New York State's diversion efforts focused on youth with mental health and substance abuse problems who are at risk of out-of-community placement (N = 2,309). Twelve counties participated in the Mental Health Juvenile Justice (MH/JJ) Diversion Project. Overall, the initiative was successful in reducing out-of-community placement and recidivism for diverted youth. In regression analysis site, services received, and problem-profile variables were important predictors of out-of-community placement. Prior record, prior placement, and significant mental health problems were statistically significant predictors of recidivism. This suggests some contrasts in explaining the results of two important goals of the MH/JJ project. Study results and implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

Albany law review, 2015

I. INTRODUCTION In a time of declining incarceration rates, female jail, prison, and probation ra... more I. INTRODUCTION In a time of declining incarceration rates, female jail, prison, and probation rates continue to increase. (1) Women currently represent eighteen percent of people under some form of correctional supervision. (2) More specifically, they comprise approximately twenty-five percent of the probation population, fourteen percent of the jail population, twelve percent of parolees, and seven percent of prisoners. (3) Women are less likely than men to serve state prison time for a violent crime, but are more likely than men to serve state prison time for a property or a drug-related crime. (4) Despite these growing rates, women have a low probability of committing crimes, being arrested, and/or being incarcerated relative to men, (5) and this fact is well represented in the memories of society at large, as well as individuals. (6) This expectancy is transmitted via media and daily interactions and has been maintained over time. (7) Further, this expectancy is one explanatory...

Law and human behavior, Jan 20, 2018

Three studies adopted implicit social cognition theory and methodology to understand criminal cog... more Three studies adopted implicit social cognition theory and methodology to understand criminal cognition outside of conscious awareness or control, specifically by testing whether individual differences in implicit associations between the self and the group criminals are related to criminal behavior. A Single Category Implicit Association Test measured self-criminal associations across 3 adult samples-2 from Newark, New Jersey, a high-crime United States city, and an adult national sample from the United States. Then, all participants reported their criminal behavior in 2 cross-sectional design studies and 1 longitudinal design study. Consistent with an additive model of implicit and explicit cognition, studies generally demonstrated that strong implicit self-criminal associations increased the odds of committing a criminal act, even after accounting for explicit self-criminal cognition, past criminal behavior, and/or criminal-related demographics. This research suggests that implic...

Journal of interpersonal violence, 2017

Past research on victimization has relied predominantly on individuals' awareness of and will... more Past research on victimization has relied predominantly on individuals' awareness of and willingness to self-report a victimization experience and its effect on self and identity processes. The present research adopts theoretical and methodological innovations in implicit social cognition research to provide a new perspective on how a violent victimization experience might influence identity processes outside of conscious awareness. Our main goal was to test whether individuals who have victimization experience implicitly associate the self with victims (implicit victim identity) and their stereotypes (implicit victim self-stereotyping), and the relation of these associations to explicit victim identity and self-stereotyping. Two pretests with undergraduate student participants ( Ns = 122 and 72) identified victim-related word stimuli for two Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) measures of implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping. In Pretest Study A, partici...

Children and Youth Services Review, 2017

The objective of this investigation was to examine the longer-term (12 months post-discharge) out... more The objective of this investigation was to examine the longer-term (12 months post-discharge) outcomes of gang involved and uninvolved youth who were referred for Multisystemic Therapy by their local justice authorities. This is the first systematic investigation of longer-term outcomes for gang-involved youth in treatment. From an initial sample of 421 youth, we applied an intent-to-treat analysis to 409 youth with available recidivism data (97% retention). We analyzed data on re-arrests using nonparametric and event history analytic methods. Overall, we observed a re-arrest rate of 30%. This rate did not differ significantly as the function of gang involvement (gang re-arrest: 35%; nongang re-arrest: 29%). We also observed no significant differences between gang and nongang youth in the numbers of re-arrests, nor in the time to arrest. Although gang youth had higher rates of violent arrests (18%) than did nongang youth (13% overall), this difference also was not statistically significant. This first study examining longer-term impacts of treatment for gang-involved youth suggests that evidence-based intervention can be effective in this population. Future research is needed to examine whether there are particular components of or different approaches to intervention necessary to support positive change among gang-involved youth.

Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2017

The present study examines the relations between self-reported explicit criminal identity (ECI) a... more The present study examines the relations between self-reported explicit criminal identity (ECI) and implicit criminal identity (ICI); that is, the cognitive association between the self-concept and the category of criminal represented in implicit (i.e., nonconscious) memory, and the relation of implicit and explicit identities to age. One hundred six adult participants from the Newark, New Jersey, community participated in the experiment; 39% reported a justice-involvement experience defined as having been arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated. The experiment was a Justice Involvement (categorical variable) × Age (continuous variable) between-participants design using computer-based reaction time tasks. The findings supported the hypotheses that (a) while both ICI and ECI are related to justice involvement, they are uncorrelated with each other; (b) ICI increases with age; and (c) ECI decreases with age. The findings suggest that implicit social cognitions have promise in explaining persistence and desistance over and above conscious identity-based attitudes and beliefs.

Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, 2016

Purpose– Research suggests that gang-involved youth are more likely than non-gang youth to experi... more Purpose– Research suggests that gang-involved youth are more likely than non-gang youth to experience victimization. However, very little research has addressed the issue of whether the relationship between gang involvement and victimization depends on the context in which victimization takes place. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of the relation between gang involvement and violent victimization in both street and school contexts.Design/methodology/approach– Data were provided by youth (n=421; ages 11-18; 70 percent male; 66 percent non-white) referred by the justice system for intensive home and community-based treatment of problem behavior. At intake, youth reported on their experiences of violent victimization, mental health status, problem behavior, and substance use. Youth and therapist reports were utilized to indicate gang involvement.Findings– Approximately 62 percent of gang-involved youth in the sample were victimized across both contexts. Linear and ce...

Albany law review, 2015

The mental health and criminal justice systems are two of the major control mechanisms in America... more The mental health and criminal justice systems are two of the major control mechanisms in American society that often function together through related and interdependent structures to identify and control deviant behavior. Both systems employ coercive control. In addition, regardless of the specific form of the deviance, these control institutions also use informal social control to reinforce role behaviors appropriate to the individual's age, sex, race/ethnicity, and other social statuses. This paper investigates the effects of gender and gender role incongruence on the determination of criminal responsibility. Data for this study came from the Insanity Defense Reform Project, a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study of eight states. The sample for this study consists of 4842 cases in which insanity was raised as a defense. Consistent with earlier studies, women are more likely to be found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) than men, but the odds of being found NGRI are moderated by the defendant's sex and relationship to the victim. Consistent with hypotheses of the effects of gender role incongruence, women whose victims are their own children or other family members (not including spouse victims) have the greatest odds of being found NGRI of any group. However, women whose victims are spouses have similar odds of being found NGRI as those of men whose spouses are the victims. Thus, the theory was only partially supported, suggesting that how and the degree to which courtroom personnel rely on common stereotypes and gender expectations in decision making is complicated and may reflect a weighing of factors related to blameworthiness and dangerousness-both physical and symbolic.

Children and Youth Services Review, 2015

There are no validated, evidence-based intervention approaches to helping youth who are involved ... more There are no validated, evidence-based intervention approaches to helping youth who are involved in gang activity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of gang involvement on the effectiveness of evidencebased intervention services for problem behavior delivered to youth referred by the justice system. We analyzed data drawn from 421 youth (69% male; M age = 15.08 years, SD = 1.32; 38% Black/African-American, 18% Latino/a, 34% White, 10% other) referred consecutively over a 13-month period for Multisystemic Therapy (MST; Henggeler, Schoenwald, Borduin, Rowland, & Cunningham, 2009) across clinical service sites in 7 different Eastern states of the US. Outcomes were indicated by successful or unsuccessful case closures, and gang involvement was indicated by a validated multi-factored classification scheme. We conducted analyses of outcomes related to gang involvement for the whole sample as well as a propensity score-matched (PSM) reduced sample. Analyses of treatment success rates indicate that gang involvement significantly and substantially reduces the effectiveness of MST in this population.

A Public Health Perspective of Women’s Mental Health, 2010

This chapter discusses the specific needs of women who are held in US jails. While many of the ch... more This chapter discusses the specific needs of women who are held in US jails. While many of the characteristics of these women are shared by women who are incarcerated in prison, the nature of the jail as a short-term facility that processes and must treat vast numbers of people with many acute medical, mental health, and addiction problems in a

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2007

Medications are central to the psychiatric armamentorium in U.S. jails and prisons. Psychiatric m... more Medications are central to the psychiatric armamentorium in U.S. jails and prisons. Psychiatric medications are used both to stabilize acute symptoms as well as maintain mental health once symptoms are reduced. Both jails and prisons rely heavily on traditional antipsychotics, but both have a full array of atypical medications in their formularies. The heavy reliance on cheaper traditional medications when

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2005

Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, whi... more Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, which is part of the Franklin County Women and Violence Project, explores the healing experiences of 18 women who have histories of violence, substance abuse, and involvement in the mental health and/or substance abuse treatment system. Ethnographic interviews suggest that while professional intervention can be beneficial, it may not be adequate. In fact, it can be retruamatizing. The means of service delivery and treatment by individuals, service providers and others, may be more important than the actual service. Often women find that caring individuals and a safe environment yield the greatest benefit. It is not so much what people do to help, but how they do it.

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 2005

As part of an effort to improve services and outcomes for women with histories of trauma and co-o... more As part of an effort to improve services and outcomes for women with histories of trauma and co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, the Franklin County Women and Violence Project sought to assess women's perceptions about their social roles and provide them with opportunities to adopt valued social roles. Social role theory suggests that individuals with devalued roles may benefit through the acquisition of valued roles. This article outlines the findings regarding the women's initial assessments of their social roles as well as real and desired changes 3 months after the baseline interview. Findings suggest that valued social roles play a significant role in helping women heal and recover, contributing to greater self-esteem, confidence, and happiness. Conversely, the adoption of devalued roles or worsening of roles contributes to depression and makes it more difficult for women to heal and recover.

Criminology & Public Policy, 2012

… Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, www. ncmhjj. com, 2003

Over the past decade, the number of girls involved with the juvenile justice system has increased... more Over the past decade, the number of girls involved with the juvenile justice system has increased substantially. Available research suggests that large numbers of these girls have serious mental health problems often associated with histories of sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect. Delinquent girls with serious mental health problems pose a significant challenge to the juvenile justice system because of the complex set of problems they present and, if their needs go unmet, their poor prognoses. Without appropriate gender-and trauma-specific treatment, these girls are likely to experience high rates of criminality, substance abuse, early pregnancy, and continued interpersonal violence. Assertive interventions are necessary to break the intergenerational cycles of violence, crime, trauma, and addiction. This brief provides an overview of \

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2007