AP-LS Monthly E-News

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On Sunday, December 24th, 2023, community psychology lost a giant in our field—N. Dickon Reppucci, Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of Virginia. After a brief illness, he passed away in a Charlottesville hospital at the age of 82, with his family by his side. Dick was a bear of a man, with a booming voice and a heart of gold. He was an unforgettable, inspirational, and beloved presence in the lives of so many. Continuing reading HERE.

The Teachers, Training, and Careers Committee congratulates its 10 newly selected participants in the Embracing Leadership program. The program was completive. The selected participants showed great leadership potential, and we look forward to their future leadership throughout AP-LS.

The results of the 2023 APA Apportionment Ballot are in. With just 261 of our members voting, Division 41 received enough votes to retain its two seats on APA Council of Representatives. We urge you to consider voting in the next apportionment election. If only 36 additional members had cast all 10 of their votes for Division 41, we would have a third representative to Council. Alternatively, consider casting more of your 10 votes for Division 41.  If everyone who did vote gave just 2 more of their votes to AP-LS, we would have that 3rd seat.  Your APA representatives have been working hard to advance APA policy on issues that are central to the AP-LS mission: greater inclusivity in membership by removing the felony status question from the APA membership application, passing APA policy on interrogations that reflects the science described in our scientific review paper on the topic, and the establishment of the Committee to Advance General Applied Psychology. At the upcoming February meeting, your representatives will be working to pass policy protecting the rights of parents with disabilities and recommending against the solitary confinement of juveniles.

International child abduction by a family member is not as common as intranational child abduction by a family member, but the concerns involved in international child abduction are particularly concerning given the inevitable legal hurdles created by the global context. International child kidnapping still occurs at an alarming rate and, as detailed in this article, understanding the mechanics of the current solution – the Hague Convention – is critical to lowering the number of abductions and returning children to their home country. Click HERE to read more.

APA Science Directorate's Dissertation Research Award program offers three grants of $10,000 and seven grants of $5,000 to doctoral students in psychological science. Apply by March 1, 2024. Click HERE for more information.

Registration for the 2024 AP-LS conference in Los Angeles, California is open! You can register for the conference on the AP-LS website or by clicking HERE. The AP-LS website also has the draft program and more information for presenters: https://ap-ls.org/conferences/

This year's conference is at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles. AP-LS has rooms set aside for all attendees, which can be booked at a special group rate that is available for attendees from March 19th through March 24th. Attendees must book their room by February 25th, 2024 using our booking link HERE. 

The hotel has valet parking for $38 per car per night that attendees may also take advantage of during their stay. For attendees flying into Los Angeles, the LAX FlyAway runs from LAX to the Union Station train station in downtown LA and is $10. The LAX FlyAway runs from LAX every 30 minutes and from Union Station every hour. Union Station is a short uber or cab ride to the hotel but is a great option for individuals arriving alone as Ubers and cabs directly from the airport can be costly. Please click here for more information on the LAX FlyAway.

ABSTRACT: From crime labs to autopsies, improper forensic science is a leading cause of known wrongful convictions—yet it has historically received less research attention than other such causes. That tide is now turning, as researchers are shedding light on the potential for unconscious bias and human error in forensic experts’ decisions and working with community partners to strengthen forensic science policy and practice. In this session, a panel of psychologists, practitioners, attorneys, and policy experts will discuss ongoing progress and future directions in terms of rectifying past injustices and optimizing the human element of forensic science.

ABSTRACT: For at least the past decade, the United States has experienced a grave “competency crisis,” That is, orders for competency evaluation and restoration have been increasing far more than states can provide the mandated restoration services.  One consequence of this public mental health crisis are lengthy waitlists of defendants with psychiatric illness, waiting for many months in jails for restoration treatment, as their symptoms grow worse.  These conditions have prompted lawsuits and reform efforts in many states, though most states still struggle to provide the mandated services to defendants with severe mental illness.  Amid this crisis, California is worth watching.  Their waitlist reached nearly 2,000 (second largest in the country), but through a variety of innovative practices has dropped drastically.  This panel features California leaders who model strategic practices to address the competence crisis.  Psychiatrist Kate Warburton, director of the Department of State Hospitals, has overseen broad system reform efforts that extend far beyond the state hospitals.  Psychiatrist Kristen Ochoa has overseen a one-of-a-kind outpatient restoration program for Los Angeles County.   Finally, Judge James Bianco has been an innovator in his own docket, and a national voice in addressing the competency systems.

ABSTRACT: To achieve social justice, courts must find new ways to respond to those who engage in criminal behavior.  It is well known that the “felon” label produces a wide variety of collateral consequences (e.g., employment, education, housing, voting) and the effects are even worse for young men of color. In an attempt to change how the justice system responds to felony offenses, Orange County, CA created a Young Adult Court (YAC) for young men between the ages of 18 and 25. The goal of this program is to reduce recidivism and promote positive life outcomes by (1) providing developmentally appropriate support to participants of the program and (2) permit them the opportunity to have their felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor or dismissed.  To highlight how this court was created, the Presiding Judge of Orange County will describe what it takes to implement a Young Adult Court.  The District Attorney and Public Defender will highlight the challenges each of their offices face.  Finally, Dr. Cauffman will present preliminary data from the randomized control trial to provide insight into the effectiveness as well as the challenges between those processed in Young Adult Court and those processed through the traditional court system.

The American Psychology-Law Society invites proposals for new titles in its book series, which is now published by APA Books. We publish authored and edited volumes on current issues at the intersection of psychology and law. Books are typically a state of the science synthesis of a body of existing research with implications for practice and/or policy. Authors and editors should have a substantial and recent track record of publication and/or practice in psychology or law, and at least one should hold a doctorate in psychology or closely related behavioral science. If you have a proposal for a new book in the series or you would simply like more information, reach out to a member of the editorial team. We would be happy to tell you more.    

The editorial board members are:

For more information or if you wish to contact a member of the AP-LS Executive Committee, details can be found here.

EDITOR

Meg Ternes
meg.ternes@smu.ca

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Taylor Petty

tepetty@usi.edu 

STUDENT ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jennifer McArthur

jennifer.mcarthur@dal.ca 

CONTENT EDITORS–RESEARCH BRIEFS

Kelly McWilliams
kmcwilliams@jjay.cuny.edu

Veronica Johnson
vjohnson@jjay.cuny.edu

CONTENT EDITOR–LEGAL UPDATE

Lori Hoetger
lhoetger@gmail.com

CONTENT EDITOR–TEACHING IN PSYCH & LAW

Casey LaDuke

ttc@ap-ls.org 

CONTENT EDITOR–CAREER CORNER

Kamar Tazi
aplsstudent@gmail.com 

CONTENT EDITOR–CLINICAL & FORENSIC PRACTICE

Danielle Rynczak
danielle.rynczak@umassmed.edu

AP-LS seeks to advance the science of psychology - law and the translation of psychology - law knowledge into practice. Our mission is to enhance the well-being, justice, and human rights though science and practice of psychology in legal contexts.

Archives of the newsletter are available at https://ap-ls.org/newsletter.

American Psychology-Law Society

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