This document summarizes two articles from the January 2012 issue of the Correctional Forum publication. The first article discusses how witness misidentification has contributed to nearly 75% of wrongful convictions in the United States. It also summarizes recommendations from a Pennsylvania advisory committee to help prevent wrongful convictions, including improving eyewitness identification procedures. The second article describes Multisystemic Therapy (MST), a family-based therapeutic approach to helping at-risk youth with behavioral disorders. Research shows MST reduces recidivism and criminal behavior while also saving taxpayer money compared to incarceration or other interventions.

1. January 2012 Correctional Forum
Correctional Forum
January 2012
A Publication of the Pennsylvania Prison Society
Promoting a humane, just and constructive correctional system and a rational approach to criminal justice since 1787
Guarding Against
Wrongful Convictions
Witness Misidentification in Nearly 75 Percent of Wrongful Convictions
by Marissa Boyers Bluestine
Eleven people have been released criminal justice system to help prevent
from Pennsylvania prisons after DNA wrongful convictions. Formed in 2006,
testing proved their innocence. The the committee considered various
true perpetrators of only two of these proposals to prevent wrongful convic-
crimes have been found. Since 1973, tions. The report takes an exhaustive
there have been 273 DNA exonera- view of the problems and causes of
tions across the nation. In 55 percent wrongful convictions, and contains
of these cases, the true perpetrators of recommendations drawn from best
Read about New Leash on Life USA’s
the crimes were never caught. In the practices already in use in law enforce- first graduating class (page five).
other 45 percent, the true criminals ment agencies across the United States.
New Leash on Life USA partners
committed additional crimes while Many of these recommendations are with several local organizations,
the innocent languished behind bars. grounded in more than a quarter cen- including the Prison Society,
When we convict the wrong person, tury of scientific research. (See Commit- to teach job readiness skills to
all of us are harmed. tee Recommendations, page 10.) prisoners while they learn how to
train and care for dogs rescued from
shelters.
Recently, the Pennsylvania Advi- An independent report from 14
sory Committee on Wrongful Convic- members was also released, arguing Above: Prisoner/trainer Robert with
tions issued its final report, calling that the majority report did not “reflect dog Johnny Cash.
for major updates to Pennsylvania’s Photo by Jack McMahon, Jr.
See Wrongful Convictions on page 10
Multisystemic Therapy: A New Approach for At-Risk Youth
Offering Hope to Young People with Behavioral Disorders
by Erica Zaveloff
Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) is ing family relations; encouraging provide services in the home at times
a family and home-based therapeutic the youth to interact with friends convenient to the family. Treatment
approach to helping troubled youth who do not participate in criminal consists of up to 60 hours of contact
overcome their behavioral disorders. behavior; helping the youth to get provided during a four-month period.
It addresses the entire world of the in- better grades or to develop a voca- According to an MST therapist in Il-
dividual — family, teachers, coaches, tion; helping the youth to participate linois, “There’s still something miss-
neighborhood, and peers. The primary in healthy activities such as sports or ing when you’re not working within
goals of MST are to decrease youth school clubs; and creating a support the family’s immediate environment.
criminal activity, reduce other types network of extended family, neigh- And that’s where MST comes in and
of harmful behavior, and cut spend- bors, and friends to help the caregiv- does something different. We have the
ing by decreasing rates of incarcera- ers maintain the changes. approach where we see what’s hap-
tion and out-of-home placement. MST Therapists who specialize in MST pening within the home. We get to
achieves these goals through various have small caseloads (usually four to experience the dynamics, so that we’re
strategies that include: enhancing the six families at a time), are available 24 actually getting to the core of some of
caregivers’ parenting skills; improv- hours a day/seven days a week, and See Therapy on page 9
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2. January 2012 Correctional Forum
Therapy, continued from page 1
The Nine Principles
those issues the youth and their families are facing.” of Multi-Systemic Therapy
Benefits of Multisystemic Therapy
1. Finding the fit: How do the youth’s problems relate to
Research suggests that MST is a fiscally responsible alterna- their environment?
tive to juvenile incarceration and other punitive options. To
determine whether MST is cost-effective for both taxpayers 2. Focusing on positives and strengths: The family helps
and victims of crime, the Washington State Institute of Pub- the individual focus on his/her known strengths, using
lic Policy (WSIPP) evaluated MST interventions. In their them to help build problem-solving skills.
2001 report, The Comparative Costs and Benefits of Programs to 3. Increasing responsibility: Responsibility is increased in
Reduce Crime, WSIPP discovered that, on average, the cost a way that promotes trust between the youth and his/
of MST participation is $4,743. As a result, taxpayers save her family.
about $31,661 in criminal justice costs. When combined
with the total savings to victims of crime (i.e. court and 4. Present focused, action-oriented, and well-defined
lawyer fees), the amount increases to $131,918, or $28.33 goals: Goals must be tracked by the individual
per $1 spent on MST interventions. so that he/she can relate to them and understand
their importance.
Research also suggests that MST reduces recidivism and
risky behavior among youth. For example, the Missouri 5. Targeting sequences: How does the youth behave
Delinquency Project conducted a 14-year study of youth within different social groups — family, friends,
who participated in MST interventions. Results show that school, community?
those who participated in MST experienced up to 54 per- 6. Developmentally appropriate: To promote the transi-
cent fewer arrests, up to 57 percent fewer days in jail, up to tion into adulthood, the MST team stresses the ability to
68 percent fewer drug-related arrests, and up to 43 percent engage with peers and the importance of obtaining an
fewer days on adult probation. education and vocational skills.
Multisystemic Therapy in Pennsylvania 7. Continuous effort: The youth and family members
MST is currently available in some counties and cities must work daily toward goals in order to successfully
in Pennsylvania, but is not yet available everywhere. For address problems.
instance, there are MST specialists in Pittsburgh and Har- 8. Evaluation and accountability: Interventions are contin-
risburg, but there are not yet specialists in Philadelphia. uously evaluated for effectiveness. The MST team — not
the family — is responsible for outcomes.
For more information about multi-systemic therapy, see: 9. Generalization: The skills learned must be sustainable,
www.mstservices.com so that the youth and family may continue to function
www.patruancytoolkit.info and solve problems.
Morality, continued from page 2
nutiae of criminal justice, and permitted those distractions FBI. His commitment to upholding the law is so unbending
to keep us from doing what was morally right. We express there are few ethical considerations that get in his way.
anguish about not having our risk assessment tools finely Wall Street bankers, politicians, and university admin-
honed enough, then delay parole releases. We identify istrators go out of their way to act within the law in maxi-
safe, constructive alternatives to incarceration, then turn mizing their profits, winning re-elections, or upholding
them into punishment additions instead of substitutions. institutional reputations. But avarice, ambition, dishonesty,
We convince ourselves that fear of punishment will be a and racial bias are among the viruses that infect our value
deterrent, then increase the length of confinement. And, we systems; they are the enemies of the common good that as-
decry the costs of prison operations, then impose fees for sault our moral code.
necessities like medical care while ensuring inmates lack
In criminal justice, as in other areas of human endeavor,
the funds to pay for them.
fairness in the way we treat each other is paramount. It’s
All of these steps that we take are accomplished with great moral. It’s the right thing to do.
fanfare about public safety, sound financial management
Let’s hope the lessons of 2011 will make for a better 2012.
and, of course, legality. We can criminalise anything, and
frequently do precisely that when sensational events hit the
For more information, see:
media. This is invariably when legality and morality diverge.
The recently released movie, J. Edgar, depicts the life of www.sentencingproject.org
J. Edgar Hoover and his decades-long efforts to build the www.newjimcrow.com
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