“It’s just this lingering, hovering thing …” Professionals supporting individuals under community supervision during disasters

Abstract

Purpose: Although a growing body of literature examines the intersection of disasters and the criminal legal system, the experiences of individuals under community supervision during disasters are not well understood. Additionally, there is limited understanding of how professionals working in organizations and agencies support these individuals. This study expands our knowledge by examining two research questions: 1) What are the experiences of individuals under supervision during disasters? and 2) How do professionals support individuals under community supervision during disasters? Methods: This study draws on individual, in-depth interviews with 14 professionals who worked with people currently or formerly on community supervision during disasters (i.e., hurricanes, wildfires, and COVID-19). Results: People under community supervision face routine challenges in meeting their supervision conditions. Fulfilling their supervision requirements often contends with fulfilling their basic needs, and individuals are forced to make decisions that can cost them their freedom. The precarity stemming from their involvement in the criminal legal system compounds their social vulnerability before, during, and after disasters, leading to unique disaster-related challenges. However, organizations and government agencies can mitigate some of the most damaging impacts of disasters for system-involved populations by supplementing necessary resources and social capital. Conclusions: The study lends insight into how criminal legal involvement promotes and exacerbates vulnerability and broadens conceptual frameworks of social vulnerability to include vulnerability induced by the carceral state.

Keywords

• Community supervision
• Disasters
• COVID-19
• Social vulnerability
• Community-based organizations