My name is Javelin Hardy and I identify as an African female. I lived in the Portland, Oregon area for thirty years and am currently residing in Minden, Louisiana. I have been in the field of Social Work the past thirty-two years. I want to share my lived experiences and case studies working in this field of Human Services. I am an alumni of Portland Community College; I completed the Criminal Justice Program in 2002. The majority of my instructors were identified as Cis-Caucasian males; there was one African American woman instructor.

10.4.1 Javelin’s Story

Figure 10.7. New graduates often find themselves being evaluated by people who have social identities more powerful than their own.

10.4.2 Major components of Criminal Justice Systems

Figure 10.8. This chart demonstrates the complexities of the flow of the criminal justice system. Author’s text summary. Detailed text description from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.  View a version that you can zoom in on.

A justice-involved individual is someone who has had interactions with the criminal justice system as a defendant. You don’t have to be convicted to be considered justice-involved! These are the major components of the criminal justice system; human services practitioners can work with people who are involved in any of these settings.

It’s important that as a student you understand that law enforcement, courts, and corrections work individually and collectively together. It’s also important that you visit these institutions so you can see how these systems are run and familiarize yourself with terminology, sentencing and the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system is meant to deliver justice for all by protecting the innocent, convicting criminals, and providing a fair justice process.

10.4.2.1 Law Enforcement

These are the people who enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests, in other words members of police and sheriff’s departments as shown in figure 10.X. Understanding the basics of police duties can help you and your clients. It’s also important to check your bias and unresolved prejudices because they will come up while working with your clients.

Figure 10.9. Police officers spend time interacting with community members.

Police Officers’ duties include the following:

• protecting life and property through the enforcement of laws and regulations,
• patrolling assigned areas and responding to calls for police services,
• Conducting preliminary and follow-up criminal and traffic investigations, conducts interviews, prepares written reports, field notes, testifies in court, arrest and process criminals,
• Show the ability to exercise judgment in determining when to use force and to what degree,
• Comprehend legal documents including citations, affidavits, warrants and other documents (Components of the Criminal Justice System | Goodwin College, 2016

10.4.2.2 Court System

This is the system that determines whether a defendant is innocent or guilty for a particular crime and assigns a sentence based on the ruling. Local state courts handle matters like traffic violations, family disputes and local criminal cases, while federal courts handle larger cases. All courts are overseen by judges, whose main role is to ensure the rule of law is followed. Along with juries, judges hear evidence presented by attorneys who argue for the guilt or innocence of the accused.

10.4.2.3 Corrections

This is the system that handles the sentencing and consequences for convicted defendants. After offenders are convicted in the courts, the corrections system will be involved in the process of entering parole, probation, or incarceration. Corrections officers supervise convicted offenders who are serving sentences in prison.

Probation officers are responsible for offenders who need to be monitored by the court, in lieu of serving jail time. Parole Officers supervise offenders who are released from prison early, ensuring they adhere to their parole terms (such as regular drug testing, staying in one location and avoiding criminal behavior). Probation and parole officers play an important role in helping people to re-adjust to mainstream life and enter society at a functional level after (or instead of) serving time. One way that human services practitioners might interact with justice-involved clients is with those who are court mandated to complete drug and alcohol classes if their charge is drug related.

In my experience as a probation and parole officer with Multnomah county there were correction counselors who facilitated cognitive behavior groups, Relapse Prevention, and we used a Cognitive Behavior Model that the Parole Officers start working with the clients one-on-one. Cognitive Behavior (CBT) “is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders and severe mental illness.(American Psychological Association, 2017).

10.4.3 Working with Justice-Involved Clients

There are many roles and settings where you might work with justice-involved people. The following job descriptions are based on information from Post University’s Counseling and Human Services Blog.

10.4.3.1 Case Workers

Case workers perform tasks like connecting clients with resources and developing treatment or service plans that align with the goals of the programs. Case workers can be found in residential settings, in-home programs, or office-based services, working with a variety of programs that address different social problems.Case workers support clients and submit whatever needs completed to the court.

10.4.3.2 Community Outreach Workers

Outreach workers play an important role in helping to improve health, education and safety outcomes in local communities. Community Outreach workers are in close contact with clients and perform tasks like offering prevention programs.They are usually in the field and do home visits and in some cases provide transportation to clients.

10.4.3.3 Substance Abuse Counselor

Substance Abuse counselors work in a variety of settings such as health clinics, rehab facilities, or within nonprofit organizations. These professionals work with those struggling with substance use disorders, and they work with medical professionals, or in an addiction rehab facility.They provide reports to the court for verification of the clients attendance and verification treatment requirements for the court.

10.4.3.4 Social and Community Service Management

A social and community service management career focuses on developing, funding and analyzing community organizations which can be funded by the government or via donations and grants. This is where strong grant writing, budgeting, planning, visioning, and organizational skills come into play to fund and plan for your organization; especially nonprofits.

10.4.3.5 Court Support Worker

A court support worker can play many roles such as court advocate, probation officer, parole officer, correctional officer, community corrections program worker or even careers in law enforcement.

10.4.3.6 Social Worker

Some positions require a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in social work. Social workers offer assistance to those within the community who have the highest need to help. Social workers are advocates and work in direct and indirect services. They may work with government agencies, schools/colleges, criminal justice systems, hospitals, Veteran Affairs, and police departments.

10.4.3.7 Court Advocate

A court advocate works with families in social services departments or crisis intervention programs and stays with them if they need to go to court. The main goal of the family court advocate is to support the best interests of the children and family in a legal case. They recommend programs and help families abide by court orders for reunification.

10.4.3.8 Crisis Support Worker

Crisis support workers help clients who have experienced a violent crime, domestic violence, or sexual assault, they are faced with coping and healing mentally and physically as well as negativing the legal and logistical aspects to follow. The Crisis Support workers also work with the district attorney, police and court to support the client. They also assist the client apply for domestic violence grants, restraining orders and possible relocating if they have to move to be safe.

10.4.3.9 Rehabilitation Counselor

Rehabilitation counselors with clients who have developmental, emotional, or physical disabilities. Their goal is to help these clients live as independently as possible based on their physical or mental needs. Counselors can use their human services training to connect their clients to the community support they need to live a more fulfilling and independent lifestyle.

10.4.3.10 Case Manager

Case managers perform a combination of duties centered around clinical support, assessment, coordination, and administrative functions. Their primary task is to find resources for clients to help them achieve their goals or outcomes and can be found in a variety of disciplines like social casework, public health, community nursing, and child and family services. (Bartlett, 2020.)

10.4.4 Systemic challenges and strengths: Oppression, intersectionality, racism, and sexism

As social workers and human services professionals, we have an ethical duty to “respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person”. Social workers promote client’s socially responsible self-determination. Social workers value service. Both the NOHS and NSW Ethical Codes include focus on addressing social problems and working toward social justice (NOHS, 2015.). Social workers and human services professionals pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social change efforts focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, oppression, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and acknowledgement of oppression related to cultural and ethnic diversity” (National Association of Social Workers, 2017). Sometimes oppression occurs in individual comments and actions.

10.4.4.1 Microaggressions

A “microaggression” is a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority). The dictionary defines a microaggression as a commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups as shown through the video on microaggressions, figure 10.X. Microaggressions can occur in court, such as implying that a client should pay a fee by “soliciting or panhandling” like they did to get the current misdemeanor or felony charge.

Figure 10.10. What is the definition of Microaggressions?

10.4.4.2 Javelin: Advocating for Change

There are social and economic differences that play key roles in being a Parole Officer, Social Worker, and Human Services worker. The most common ethnicity of probation and parole officers is White (65.8%), followed by Black or African American (16.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (12.1%)(Probation and Parole Officer Demographics, 2021). Many have never worked with Black and Brown individuals other than in criminal justice settings, and it would show in their communication styles during home-visits, sanctioning, sentencing reports and recommendations. Officers work with many oppressed low-income individuals and families including houseless individuals who suffer from mental health issues.

“Systemic Oppression exists at the level of institutions (harmful policies and practices) and across structures (education, health, transportation, economy) that are interconnected and reinforcing over time. Systemic Oppression manifests economic, social, political, and cultural systems” (National Equity Project, n.d.)

I was surprised that diversity training wasn’t mandatory while in the criminal justice field while working with so many diverse individuals and families. I made sure I took Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training yearly. I also learned a lot about “racial equity lens which allows us to uncover structures, policies, and behaviors that sustain unequal outcomes for children” (raceforward.org, n.d.). Assuming a client doesn’t want to abide by court orders, or asking children to complete assignments when not knowing if they have food, heat, or lights can compound these social problems. Understanding how these basic needs may affect a person’s behavior is important. One way to view this is through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, as pictured in figure 10.X Developing relationships with your client and understanding what their human needs can make a difference in setting reasonable expectations and client success.

Figure 10.11. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

10.4.4.3 The Four I’s of Oppression: Interpersonal, Institutional, Ideological, and Internalized

10.4.4.3.1 Interpersonal oppression

Interpersonal oppression reflects that an idea from one group is better than another and has the right to control the other, which gets structured into institutions, gives permission and reinforcement for individual members of the dominant group to personally disrespect or mistreat individuals in the oppressed group.

10.4.4.3.2 Ideological Oppression

Ideological oppression has at its core the idea that one group is somehow better than another, and in some measure has the right to control the other group. This idea gets elaborated in many ways- more intelligent, harder working, stronger, more capable, more noble, more deserving, more advanced, chosen, normal, superior, and so on.

10.4.4.3.3 Internalized Oppression

Oppressed people internalize the ideology of inferiority, they see it reflected in the institutions, they experience disrespect interpersonally from members of the dominant group, and they eventually come to internalize the negative messages about themselves (Grand Rapids Community College, n.d.).

10.4.5 Perspectives relevant to working with Justice-Involved People

As a Social Worker I’ve used various theories and modalities in the Human Service field because I have worked in various institutions such as disability services, Parole/Probation, Intensive Outpatient services, Hospital and College Education. The clients I currently work with deal with mental health, houselessness, food insecurity, job insecurity, gentrification, and unaddressed trauma. Some of my client’s lived in a daily “crisis” which is a period of psychological disequilibrium, experienced as a result of a hazardous event or situation that constitutes a significant problem that cannot be remedied by using familiar coping strategies” (Yeager and Roberts, 2015).

10.4.5.1 Solution-Focused Therapy

Solution-focused therapy, therefore, emphasizes identifying and amplifying clients’ strengths and resources used in solving or reducing the frequency and/or intensity of the presenting problem. The clinician’s focus is on “change talk”. Change talk involves clients identifying either positive changes that have occurred in the problem or exceptions to the problem, or they’re no longer viewing the situation as problematic(Yeager and Roberts, 2015).

In the Criminal Justice System Solution-focused therapy can be viewed as “resistant” especially if the client continues to be “noncompliant” and not abiding by the court probation and parole conditions. As a Social Worker I learned about “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”, Abraham Maslow outlined a hierarchy of needs that motivate humanity. These include basic (physical, safety), social (love, esteem), and self (Humanistic Psychology and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, 2020 ). If a client’s physiological needs such as air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, and reproduction needs aren’t met the client will not have the bandwidth to complete any of these requirements. We administer “Risk Assessments” to measure the level of recidivism but by developing rapport with your clients you will find out what they have or need that will support them to be successful in any court mandates or in life as a person.

10.4.5.2 Solution-Focused Approach to Crisis Intervention

In the Human Services field, it’s very important to take some interviewing courses, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion courses, because we work with such a diverse clientele. The structure of a solution-focused approach to crisis intervention consists of

1. developing a collaborative relationship with the client ;
2. listening to the client’s story and defining the primary presenting problem and identifying unsuccessful attempts to solve the problem (first-order change);
3. eliciting the client’s definition of his or her desired outcome goals;
4. identifying and amplifying solution pattern (exceptions to the problem);
5. developing and implementing an action plan involving between-session task; and
6. terminating and following up. (Yeager and Roberts, 2015).

One thing I’ve learned the past thirty-two years in the Human Service field and Criminal Justice field is that “pushing and making” someone do something that they are not ready to do because of ambivalence or in a personal crisis; is not effective!

10.4.5.3 Stages of Change

In this field communication skills are critical because we are teaching awareness and behavior change to various cultures and backgrounds. The stages of change model describe how an individual or organization integrates new behaviors, goals, and programs at various levels. We work with individuals and families who are in different stages of change, as show in the video in figure 10.X. Stages of change include:

1. Pre-Contemplation- not yet acknowledging that there is a problem behavior that needs changed
2. Contemplation – acknowledging that there is a problem but not yet ready ambivalent about change
3. Preparation/Determination,Getting Ready to Change
4. Action/Willpower – changing behavior Maintenance – maintaining the behavior change (Loma Linda University).

Figure 10.12. This two minute video shows the four stages of change described above, as well as two additional common stages.

10.4.5.4 Motivational Interviewing (MI)

“Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reason for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion. MI has four fundamental processes engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning. MI is evidenced-based and used in health, corrections, human services, and education. (Miller and Rollnick, 2013).

10.4.5.5 Cognitive Behavior Therapy

“Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders and severe mental illness. CBT treatment usually involves efforts to change thinking patterns. These strategies include:

1. Learning to recognize distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to reevaluate them in light of reality
2. Gaining better understanding of the behavior and motivation of others
3. Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations and
4. Learning to develop a greater sense of confidence in one’s own abilities” (American Psychological Association, 2017).

We are teaching our clients who were raised in families, gangs and communities a new way of life, new way of thinking and making new decisions of life.

10.4.5.6 Strengths Perspective

As a Human Service worker, we build rapport with a client you learn their strengths and use those to help them meet their needs personally and complete court mandates.

According to the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, “the strengths perspective is an approach to social work that puts the strengths and resources of people, communities, and their environments, rather than their problems and pathologies, at the center of the helping process. The main principles of the strengths perspective:

1. Recognize that every individual, group, family and community has strengths and resources
2. Engage in systematic assessment of strengths and resources
3. Realize that while trauma, abuse, illness, and struggle may be injurious, they may also be sources of challenges and opportunity
4. Honor client-set goals and aspirations for growth and change
5. Serve clients’ and communities’ interest through collaboration with them as directors of their own healing process
6. Mobilize the strengths and resources of clients, relationships, and environments
7. Link goals to specific doable actions that activate strengths and resources
8. Engage in social work with a sense of caring and hope” (Principles of the strengths perspective. (n.d.)

10.4.6 Javelin’s Story: Lifelong Learning

The Four R’s of Trauma Informed Care are important tools human service workers will need to keep in their tool box. They are Realization, Recognize, Respond and Resist. Realization means that all levels of the organization or systems have a basic awareness about trauma and understand how trauma can affect families, groups, organizations, and communities as well as individuals. Recognizing means people in the organization or system are also able to identify the signs of trauma. Respond means the facility responds by applying the principles of a trauma-informed approach to all areas of functioning. All staff change their language, behavior, and policies to consider traumatic experiences of residents. Resist means the organization seeks to resist re-traumatization from unintentionally interfering with the recovery of the clients, the well-being of staff, and the fulfillment of the organizational mission (Trauma Informed Oregon, 2019).

10.4.6.2 Social Problems and Personal Troubles

As a Human Service worker, we work with individuals and families from various walks of life that struggle with poverty, houselessness, job insecurity, discrimination and malnutrition. This reminds me of one of my ethical duties- Social Justice: Social Workers challenge social justice. I pursue social change, particularly of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers and human service workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people. I have attended training given by the Housing Authority to understand Section-Eight, HUD and low-income housing. Because I work with a clientele who are unfortunately ineligible for a lot of housing programs due to having a felony record especially if it was drug changes, sex offender or assaults. I would support the clients by appealing the denials and submit action plans or verified information the client was compliant with their supervision requirements. I would submit with a signed release of information or consent completed drug treatment, counseling, or support with an expungement to help the connected to the community so you will be able to provide your clients with wrap-around-services and approach their social problems and issues from a team effort.

I found a community quarterly meeting that I attended for ten years or more at a health clinic where all providers would show up and discuss what services they offered, new services and how to make referrals to their programs. It’s all about connection and advocating for your clients who are not able to advocate for themselves. We are the voice for those who are no longer heard or seen. We are also the advocates that help them get their needs met to get back on their feet to be a part of society. So, it is our duty to find every drug program – inpatient and outpatient for men, women and families. It is our duty to find shelters, food banks, social services to provide Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and medical benefits for our clients and families. It is our duty to help someone with HIV/Aids and mental health issues; it is our duty to help all!

10.4.7 Summary of Working with Justice-Involved Clients

10.4.8 References

American Psychological Association. (2017, July). What Is cognitive behavioral therapy? Https://Www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral#:~:text=Cognitive%20behavioral%20therapy%20(CBT)%20is

Bartlett, Michele. “10 Hot Human Services Careers.” Post University, 13 May 2020, https://post.edu/blog/health-human-services-careers-worth-considering/.

Components of the Criminal Justice System | Goodwin College. (2016, February 4). Goodwin College. https://www.goodwin.edu/enews/components-criminal-justice/

Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s Most-Trusted Online Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/. Accessed 19 Dec. 2022.

Grand Rapids Community College. (n.d.). THE FOUR “I’s” OF OPPRESSION Ideological Oppression. https://www.grcc.edu/sites/default/files/docs/diversity/the_four_is_of_oppression.pdf

Humanistic Psychology and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. (2020, March 6). Facty. https://facty.com/mind/humanistic-psychology-and-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs/

Loma Linda University. (2022). Stages of Change Model | School of Medicine. Medicine.llu.edu. https://medicine.llu.edu/academics/resources/stages-change-model

M, M. (2015, December 23). What is Cognitive Learning Theory? Definition and meaning. Business Jargons. https://businessjargons.com/cognitive-learning-theory.html

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press, Cop.

NASW. (2017). Home Page. Socialworkers.org. https://www.socialworkers.org

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of Ethics. National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

National Equity Project. (n.d.). Lens of Systemic Oppression. National Equity Project. https://www.nationalequityproject.org/frameworks/lens-of-systemic-oppression

Principles of the strengths perspective. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://socwel.ku.edu[current-page]

National Organization for Human Services. (2015). Ethical standards for human services professionals. https://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals

Probation And Parole Officer Demographics. (2021, January 29). Www.zippia.com. https://www.zippia.com/probation-and-parole-officer-jobs/demographics/

Raceforward.org (n.d.), retrieved December 28, 2022.

Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.62.4.271

Trauma Informed Oregon. (2019). Trauma Informed Oregon. https://traumainformedoregon.org/

UNC Police. (2015). Officer Expectations and Duties – Police. Police. https://police.unc.edu/recruitment/officer-expectations-duties/

University Of Kansas. (n.d.). Principles of the Strengths Perspective. Socwel.ku.edu. https://socwel.ku.edu/principles-strengths-perspective

Yeager, K., & Roberts, A. (2015). Crisis intervention handbook : assessment, treatment, and research. Oxford University Press.

Author’s Summary for Figure 10.8:

The sequence of events for adults in the United States Criminal Justice System is visualized as a complicated flowchart.  The system is extremely  complex, and likely unpredictable to a person involved with it. This is a simplified version of a Bureau of Justice Statistics flowchart, where you can also find a more detailed text description of the system.

[Return to Figure 10.8]