Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) in Rural Communities

• In Event: Evaluation Research Through Community Based Practices

Abstract

Community based research is an effective tool to provide solutions to complex challenges facing rural communities. This is especially true for individuals entering the criminal justice system for marijuana related offenses. Whereas, some individuals are incarcerated, other individuals are sentenced to some type of court ordered supervision with hefty fines and fees. Either way, the court actions not only affect the defendant, but also forgotten elements…the spouse/significant other and most of all, the children. The present study uses a community based initiative to provide an understanding of the experiences of family members after a loved one enters the criminal justice system for marijuana related offenses. This project explores the impact of incarceration on the families of defendants charged and convicted for marijuana related offenses.

Author

• Dwayne Marshall, Lock Haven University