A new Netflix documentary series has drawn attention to shortcomings in our criminal justice system. “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment” documents the lives of residents of an Arkansas jail.

Nearly 44% of U.S. citizens who are released from prison end up returning in less than a year. University of Missouri faculty members have developed solutions to improve these outcomes.

Contact Angela Dahman at dahmana@missouri.edu or 573-882-7974 to arrange an interview with any of these experts.

Kelli Canada, PhD, LCSW
Associate professor, University of Missouri School of Social Work

Expertise: Prison interventions that work.

Canada developed a model, the Prison Research and Innovation Network, that brought together staff members and prison residents to discuss and implement ways to improve conditions. Canada and her research team recently received a $2.8 grant from the Arnold Foundation to expand this work to four more Missouri prisons.

Ashley Givens, PhD, LCSW
Assistant professor, University of Missouri School of Social Work

Expertise: Addressing mental health needs of early adults (ages 18-29) in the criminal justice system.

This age group constitutes a higher proportion of the justice-involved population and presents unique challenges related to custody and supervision. Givens’s expertise includes training probation officers to recognize and better interact with people experiencing mental illness.

Clark Peters, PhD, JD
Associate professor, University of Missouri School of Social Work

Expertise: Child welfare and juvenile justice.

As a lawyer and social worker, Peters has unique insight into how the justice system affects children. He was recently named to the national advisory board for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Dan Hanneken, MSW, LCSW
Assistant teaching professor, University of Missouri School of Social Work

Expertise: The social transition for prisoners returning to society.

Hanneken served three sentences for violent crimes before successfully transitioning into society in 2003. He founded and directs In2Action, a residential transition program that has one of the best outcomes in Missouri. Hanneken received a full pardon from Gov. Mike Parson in 2022.