Welcome to the Healthcare Approaches to Justice Collaborative at Montclair State University. At the intersection of healthcare and justice, the Collaborative’s mission is to assist programs, conduct research and advance policies to improve communities.
The U.S. remains a significant contributor to mass incarceration, with over 1.8 million individuals in correctional facilities in 2020 (Hang-Brown et al., 2021). Recent estimates indicate an additional five million people under community supervision (Bureau of Justice Statistics [BJS], 2020). Despite substantial budget allocations to criminal justice interventions nationwide, research reveals persistent high rates of crime and recidivism. Eighty-three percent of individuals incarcerated are rearrested or return to prison within a nine-year follow-up period (BJS, 2018). There are bleak extralegal consequences, where 27 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals are unemployed, at a rate approximately five times higher than the general U.S. unemployment rate (Couloute & Kopf, 2018). These returning citizens experience significantly higher rates of chronic health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and asthma (Acker et al., 2019).
A health-centered approach to criminal justice issues show potential benefits for mental and physical health, employment, housing, interpersonal relationships, incarceration rates, and revictimization outcomes (Affinati et al., 2016; Julliard et al., 2016; Monopoli et al., 2018). Consequently, increased attention and resources are being directed towards these alternatives. The White House, for example, continues to advocate for innovative, community-based approaches to crime and violence that extend beyond the scope of traditional criminal justice measures.
At the intersection of healthcare and justice, we:
Provide Services
- Lead Coordinated Community Response (CCR) efforts for both new and established programs.
- Offer evidence-based strategic guidance to support new and existing programs in achieving their goals and fostering sustainability and institutionalization.
- Conduct formative, process, and outcome evaluations for both new and established programs.
- Integrate community-based participatory approaches into the fabric of new and existing programs.
- Perform community needs assessments to inform program development.
Conduct Research
- Collect and integrate pertinent data from both primary and secondary sources.
- Employ contemporary quantitative and qualitative analytical methods, utilizing the latest technologies in natural language processing, data mining, machine learning, and geographic information systems to bolster programs, policies, and research.
- Present and publish the Collaborative’s work in partnership with stakeholders.
- Actively seek and secure funding for sustaining research initiatives, programs, and policies.
Collaboration & Mentorship
- Foster collaboration with research scientists, healthcare professionals, and experts from various disciplines at Montclair State University and beyond.
- Provide support and mentorship to doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate students across multiple disciplines, facilitating their growth as professionals and scholars through research and internship opportunities.