LAND O’ LAKES, Fla -- Researchers with the University of South Florida plan to begin a study at the Pasco County Jail in August that researchers believe is among the first of its kind.
- Study being conducted for free by USF faculty, students
- Goal is to examine county jail needs, hopefully prevent recidivism
- Findings could benefit county jails nationwide
One study leader said the goals are pretty straightforward.
“Get a better idea of what does a jail look like,” said Dr. Bryanna Fox, an assistant professor in USF’s Dept. of Criminology. “Who’s coming into the jail? What needs do they have? What issues are they facing? And how can we, together with the jail, address those needs and hopefully prevent some recidivism from occurring?”
Getting the answers to those questions hasn’t traditionally been a simple undertaking, which is part of what Fox said makes this study unique.
One challenge: inmates don’t usually stay in jail long term. In Pasco County, sheriff’s office officials said inmates typically don’t stay longer than a year unless they’re awaiting trial.
Fox said up to this point, most research has been done in prisons.
Funding, other obstacles
Another hurdle is getting grant funding to conduct studies like this, which Fox said are hard to come by.
Finally, law enforcement agencies have to be willing to take part. Fox said the study is being conducted for free by USF faculty and students, and Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said his agency is looking forward to teaming up with them.
“It’s better that they get help and never come back again to the jail and that they succeed in life, rather than that cycle where they’re constantly getting in trouble or constantly coming back back,” said Nocco.
Fox said inmates who take part will undergo two assessments. The first will be an interview aimed at identifying issues that need to be dealt with immediately, such as drug use or homicidal or suicidal ideation.
Inmates whose responses indicate a high risk and others chosen at random will then undergo a more in-depth interview. This second session can delve into childhood trauma and mental health and substance abuse issues and include psychopathy assessments.
According to Fox, the goals are to provide inmates information about issues they might be unaware of, like an undiagnosed mental illness, and to identify and treat issues that may lead to recidivism.
Challenge of continuation of care
Pasco County Sheriff's Office Major Stacey Jenkins said continuation of care is a big challenge for county jails, including Pasco’s.
“Unlike prison inmates with a certain release date, when you have a county inmate here, they may go to court, they may be bonded out," Jenkins said. "We don’t necessarily know when the individual is going to get out, so arranging services after they’re incarcerated is a little bit tougher for a county facility.”
In addition to connecting inmates to services once they’re released, Jenkins said study results can help keep the facility itself safe.
“Who are the inmates that could potentially have problems living with other inmates in the facility? How does their background affect where we house them?” Jenkins said.
Fox said conducting the study in Pasco can also have benefits for county jails nationwide.
“We have a wide variety of socioeconomic status in individuals. It’s both rural and urban,” Fox said. “We’re looking at a county that’s got a lot of different characteristics and population, so it should be able to provide insight to other counties.”
Fox said the study has no end date set. She expects the first round of results to be available in six to 12 months.