Compassionate Release: A Call to Social Workers

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Criminology
• Social Work

Background:

• The aging prison population presents escalating correctional healthcare costs.
• Compassionate release offers significant benefits but is infrequently utilized.
• Barriers to compassionate release exist at individual, community, and systemic levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the barriers hindering the use of compassionate release.
• To highlight the unique qualifications of social workers in facilitating compassionate release.
• To propose actionable strategies for social workers to increase compassionate release utilization.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of micro, mezzo, and macro-level barriers to compassionate release.
• Examination of social workers' knowledge and skill sets relevant to the process.
• Development of eight specific strategies for social worker intervention.

Main Results:

• Social workers are well-positioned to address barriers to compassionate release.
• Eight distinct strategies are proposed for social workers to enhance release rates.
• Interventions focus on individual support, research, and systemic advocacy.

Conclusions:

• Social workers can significantly increase the use of compassionate release.
• Leveraging social work principles and curricula is key to overcoming barriers.
• Systemic advocacy and research dissemination are crucial for broader impact.