California State University, Long Beach
Department of Criminal Justice
Connie Ireland, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
Direct Dial Phone: (562) 985-8711
Departmental Phone: (562) 985-8965
Email: cireland@csulb.edu
Aili Malm , Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
Direct Dial Phone: (562) 985-1657
Departmental Phone: (562) 985-8965
Email: amalm@csulb.edu
Ryan Fischer , Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
Direct Dial Phone: (562) 985-1677
Departmental Phone: (562) 985-8965
Email: rfischer@csulb.edu
We are currently conducting an Evaluation of Residential Substance Abuse Aftercare, which examines the impact of residential drug treatment for addicted parolees in California. This project is conducted in collaboration with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Division of Addiction Recovery Services (DARS), and the Substance Abuse Services Coordination Agency (SASCA) in your region.
What will be studied?
This research examines the implementation of two parallel state initiatives, Senate Bill 1453 (SB 1453) and Mandatory Conditions of Parole (MCOP), both of which provide residential treatment for parolees who participated in substance abuse programming while in prison. This evaluation will examine these programs along two domains. First, this research will:
Second, this research will provide:
Where will the research occur?
This research will occur at several locations, including:
When will the research occur?
This research began in September, 2008 and will continue through June, 2012
What kinds of questions will be asked?
We will be asking parole agents, treatment staff, and parolees different questions about MCOP and SB 1453. For example, we will ask parole agents about the rules and procedures in effect; we will ask treatment providers about the services in their sites, and we will ask parolees about their history and attitudes. Answers to all our questions will be kept confidential.
What about security, and how is confidentiality maintained?
The confidentiality of information and data security is one of our top priorities. Significant data security measures have been taken in order to ensure any data collected will remain protected. We have detailed provisions to maintain the highest level of security for the data. In fact, our data security standards meet or exceed all requirements set forth by the National Computer Security Center (Department of Defense, 2001) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards. These include:
This research project has been reviewed and approved by the following agencies:
1. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Division of Addiciton and Recovery Services (DARS). Our contract # is C07.203. Questions about CDCR/DARS approval can be directed to Krista Christian (916) 327-4626.
2. State of California Health and Human Services Agency’s Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects. The state approval number assigned to the project is 08-IP-08. Questions about this IRB can be directed to Joan Mock, Assistant Administrator (916) 326-3660.
3. California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects. The CSULB approval numbers assigned to the project are: 09-057 and 09-058. Questions about this IRB can be directed to Paulette McIntosh, Senior Associate Director at the CSULB Office of Research (562) 985-5314.
The approving IRB at California State University, Long Beach is in compliance with all applicable Federal requirements, as indicated by the following information assigned by the OHRP:
4. We also have protection against subpoena, as provided by a Federal Certificate of Confidentiality. A Federal Certificate of Confidentiality means that neither our research staff nor our records are subject to subpoena; this is the highest assurance of confidentiality available. Our application number is: DA-08-212. Questions regarding the Federal certificate of confidentiality can be directed to Mark R. Green, National Institute of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6101 Executive Boulevard, Suite 220, MSC 8401, Bethesda, MD 20892-8401 (Rockville, MD 20852 for courier or express mail).
Who will be conducting this research?
Key Research Personnel for this research project include Drs. Connie Ireland, Aili Malm, Ryan Fischer, and Jo Brocato, as well as their research assistants, Nick Athey, Paola Contreras, Marcus Galeste, Weston Morrow, Rebecca Nash, Sonia Munoz-Duran, Jennifer Stumpp, and Sam Vickovic.
Dr. Connie Ireland is the Principal Investigator in this study. Her area of expertise is corrections, and she has conducted qualitative research on parole agents in California, female parole agents in California, and innovative parole interventions, such as Parolee Day Treatment in California. Dr. Ireland earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine in 2003.
Dr. Aili Malm is the Project Manager. Having worked as the Co-PI on several projects, Dr. Malm is very experienced in managing research projects. Her areas of expertise include policing, interoperability of databases, and she has studied drugs and corrections. Dr. Malm specializes in various kinds of statistical analysis, including time series, spatial analysis and social networking. Dr. Malm earned her Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University in 2006.
Dr. Ryan Fischer is the Data Analyst and Statistician on this evaluation. He has worked with California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation data as a research assistant at the UC Irvine Center for Evidence-Based Corrections, analyzing data and preparing summary reports on California offender populations. He also assisted in a National Institute of Justice funded grant study of the causes and consequences of parole violations in California, constructing multiple databases to be used in a multi-level analysis. Dr. Fischer earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine in 2007.
Dr. Jo Brocato is the Treatment Specialist for this research. Dr. Brocato brings a wealth of experience as a former parole agent in Florida in the 1990s. Since leaving parole, she has focused extensively on researching and evaluating evidence-based elements of residential and outpatient treatment for criminally involved drug-offenders. Dr. Brocato earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2004.
Our research assistants have all completed their Bachelor’s degrees and are currently completing their Master’s degrees at CSULB. They have each had substantial coursework and training to prepare them for this research.
What does the research team need from SASCAs and TPs?
We are requesting contact with Treatment Providers by January 12, 2009. We would greatly appreciate your support by supplying a list of treatment providers (with contact information) serving MCOP and SB 1453 clients in your region, as well as, a signed letter of support on your SASCA letterhead (draft attached).
Thank you for your support and continued cooperation of this research project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask them at our meetings, or contact us by phone or email. We look forward to learning from you and working with you over the next four years.
Best regards,
Connie Ireland, Ph.D.
