EVALUATING FAMILIARITY AND EMOTIONS IN SHAPING RURAL RESIDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVED PERSONS WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS

Author

Dowla Kuzmickus, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

8-1-2024

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Kang, Tamara

Abstract

Intro: Justice-involved persons with a mental illness are dually stigmatized, possessing two heavily stigmatized characteristics (i.e., mental illness and criminal history). Consequently, they are impacted by several barriers to re-entry, which are exacerbated in rural communities due to the lack of existing infrastructural supports. Thus, rural residents bear the responsibility to supply the conditions, resources, and opportunities necessary to increase re-entry success (e.g., employment, social support). As a result, it is critical to explore factors that contribute to and/or could reduce stigmatization among rural residents. Prior research suggests that different dimensions of familiarity and emotions evoked during contact with criminal justice involved persons with a mental illness may act as the operating mechanism through which familiarity impacts stigma. Aims: Thus, the present study employs an inductive approach to qualitatively examine the intersectionality of gradients of familiarity (e.g., intimacy and quality of contact), emotions (e.g., fear, disgust, sympathy), desire to social distance, government support, and perceptions regarding risk to reoffend for justice-involved persons with a mental illness. Methods: 47 rural residents participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview. Results: A thematic analysis revealed that negative quality interactions with mental illness and negative emotionality (e.g., fear, anger) were associated with increased stigmatizing beliefs and increased desire for social distance from persons with a mental illness. However, level of intimacy was not consistently associated with stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs. Further, many residents endorsed perceptions supporting re-entry (e.g., willingness to hire, government support). Implications: The findings provide insight into re-framing re-entry in rural communities and capitalizing on existing perceptions that are supportive of re-entry efforts.