Projects & Impact
Our Projects & Impact
Research Into Practice
Rigorous Research. Real-World Impact.
For more than a decade, Envisioning Justice Solutions has conducted rigorous research examining trauma-informed and gender-responsive approaches within correctional settings.
Our work has focused particularly on trauma-informed and gender-responsive interventions in correctional settings, using randomized controlled trials and other rigorous research methods to examine what works, for whom, and under what conditions.
Working in partnership with correctional systems, EJS has helped bridge the gap between research and practice, generating evidence that can inform programs, policies, and the way systems respond to people impacted by trauma.
Research in Practice
Trauma-Informed Care in California Corrections.
Beyond Violence
EJS has conducted extensive research on Beyond Violence (Covington, 2015) , a gender-responsive, trauma-informed intervention for women involved in the justice system. Randomized controlled trials and longitudinal research conducted by EJS and others have demonstrated positive psychosocial outcomes and sustained reductions in recidivism over time.
Healing Trauma
EJS has conducted extensive research on Healing Trauma (Covington & Russo, 2021), including a randomized controlled trial and a statewide pilot involving approximately 1,300 incarcerated women. Findings demonstrated improvements in trauma-related psychological outcomes and the durability of those improvements over time in correctional settings.
Exploring Trauma
Building on its research with women, EJS extended its work to Exploring Trauma (Covington, Pugh, & Rodriguez, 2021), conducting randomized controlled trials with incarcerated men in all classification levels. Findings demonstrated significant improvements in trauma-related psychological outcomes and anger and aggression, consistent with the positive effects observed in EJS’s research with women.
Continued Impact
The evidence generated through this body of research has informed continued investment by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - research on newly implemented trauma programs continues at male and female facilities.
A Lasting Research Legacy.
The significance of these projects extends beyond the individual studies. Together, they represent years of sustained research in correctional environments, including rigorous trials and longitudinal follow-up that have contributed to the growing evidence base for trauma-informed care.
Some of the interventions EJS has studied continue to operate today, in California and beyond. The continued use of these approaches reflects the lasting relevance of the research and the importance of understanding what happens when evidence-based interventions move from research into practice.
Breaking New Ground in California Corrections: For the first time, trauma-informed programming was brought into Security Housing Units for both men and women—demonstrating that healing is possible even in the most restrictive correctional environments.
