We conducted a pilot study to assess the potential effectiveness of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) as a treatment for postnatal depression (PND). The study was also established to test a treatment manual for IPT-G, assess the acceptability of this format for participants and test a recruitment strategy for a randomised controlled trial. 18 mothers diagnosed with PND participated in 2 individual session and 8 sessions of group IPT. A two-hour psychoeducational session was also held for the partners of the participants. Measures of depressive symptomatology and social adjustment were administered by an independent clinician at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 3 months post treatment. Patient satisfaction with the treatment was also evaluated. Severity scores on the BDI, EPDS and the HDRS decreased from pre- to post-treatment. This was maintained at three months follow up. No overall improvement in the Social Adjustment Scale-Self Report was noted, although there was improvement in their relationship with their significant other. The results confirm previous work that IPT-G may improve symptom severity for women suffering from postnatal depression. Limitations included the use of antidepressant therapy by 67% of subjects and the lack of a control group. There is a need for further randomised controlled trials of IPT-G with larger sample sizes to establish its effectiveness as treatment for PND.

Past research has grounded young people’s experiences with the police in their neighborhoods and schools, yet lacking from the literature is how the interconnection between these two domains contributes to the hypercriminalization of Latino and African American youth. Forty interviews were conducted with nondelinquent Latino and African American youth who reside in disadvantaged and high-crime neighborhoods. Youths’ reports suggest a tidal wave of violence throughout their neighborhoods and schools, coupled with heavy surveillance and policing. Policy implications are discussed in terms of the school to criminal justice pipeline prevalent in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Through the process of record clearance, individuals can have certain minor convictions removed from their criminal records or designated as expunged. This study analyzes data gathered from semi-structured interviews with 40 persons with past criminal convictions to examine the expectations of individuals who seek record clearance and the extent to which completion of the process facilitates efforts to reintegrate into society and desist from crime. The analysis finds that record clearance benefits exoffenders through external effects, such as the reduction of barriers to employment, and internal processes, such as the facilitation of cognitive transformation and the affirmation of a new identity. These benefits accrue from both the outcomes of the record clearance process and from the process itself. Increased availability of inexpensive or free opportunities for expungement can contribute to more successful reintegration of persons with criminal convictions into the workforce, families, and communities. Not only would this improve quality of life for the ex-offenders, but it could also increase public safety and reduce public spending.

Urban communities in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago have transformed into war zones; citizens report that crime and violence are the primary problems incapacitating their communities . Research has focused on the heightened levels of national homicide rates, gang violence, and juvenile delinquency. However, often ignored is how violence is negotiated and compromises the lives of citizens in Trinidad and Tobago. Using a grounded theory approach and 30 semistructured interviews with community members, this article investigates citizens' responses to violence in an underprivileged predominantly Black community in Northwest Trinidad. Results suggest that the social and environmental context of the neighborhood fosters residents' refusal to report witnessed violence, women's implementation of self-imposed ecological imprisonment, and residents' use of strategies (e.g., building walls) to create distance between them and other community members. Policy implications involve enhancing citizens' sense of security and revitalizing bonds between community members.

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