Unpacking Violence: Deconstructing Understandings of Violence in Criminal Justice

• In Event: Young Adults and Criminal Justice: Contexts of Violence, Community Justice, Jail, and Sentencing

Abstract

Over the last twenty years, justice reform efforts have been focused on diverting those with limited criminal histories and those charged with non-violent offenses into community-based programming, thereby reducing reliance on prisons and out-of-home residential facilities. If we are to reduce mass incarceration, we must have a better understanding of violent crime. Too often, those convicted of violent offenses are painted with a broad brush stroke. There is a considerable gap in the literature regarding people convicted of violent offenses–the impact of long prison terms, re-entry and readjustment, and interventions. Furthermore, little is known about the long-term impact of labeling someone as a “violent offender.” This presentation will focus on findings from an exploratory study of college students who self-identify as formerly incarcerated for violent offenses. We will discuss how understanding their experiences can help to deconstruct understandings of violence.

Author

• Saadiq Bey, Vera Institute of Justice