Statement of Publication Ethics for the Advancing Corrections Journal

The International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA), through its flagship publication, the Advancing Corrections Journal, upholds a strong commitment to ethical publishing as a core part of its mission to advance knowledge and professional practice in corrections globally.

ICPA is committed to following conventional scholarly publication ethics in the continued publication of our journal. We ask authors & reviewers to become fully familiar with this Statement of Publication Ethics. 

As an International Professional Association for corrections professionals, the ICPA asks its members to commit to a particular Code of Ethical Conduct.  As noted in that Code of Conduct:

“The International Corrections and Prison Association expects of its members and all correctional officials unfailing honesty, respect for the dignity and individuality of human beings and a commitment to professional and compassionate service.” (see ICPA's Code of Ethical Conduct)

ICPA expects that publication of the Advancing Corrections Journal will uphold the same general principles of ethical conduct that should be upheld by all corrections professionals when delivering good correctional practice. For our journal, these principles include openness and transparency in how the journal selects what to publish, avoiding conflicts of interest, professional independence of the editor and the Editorial Board of the journal, and respect for the Association’s limited resources while maintaining a focus on thoroughness, quality and good administrative practice. 

We recognize that integrity in publishing is a shared responsibility. Authors, editors, reviewers, and the broader ICPA community all contribute to ensuring that the journal remains a trustworthy, inclusive, and rigorous platform for the exchange of ideas. The following outline of ethical obligations for authors, reviewers, and the editor and Editorial Board of the journal, are only intended to give a broad overview and are not exhaustive.

While this statement reflects the journal’s own ethics policies, we also encourage contributors to consult the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Website for best practices and further guidance on ethical standards that should be followed (https://publicationethics.org).

If an author or reviewer is unsure of a journal-related ethical issue, they might well find the answer in COPE’s extensive catalogue of materials. However, if they have any specific questions or concerns, they should feel free to contact the editor of the Advancing Corrections Journal.

The ICPA as the publisher of the Advancing Corrections Journal is committed to:

• Safeguarding the editorial independence and decision-making autonomy of the journal editor.
• Supporting the journal editor in managing all aspects of the publication process in an ethical, transparent, consistent and efficient manner;
• Maintaining an accurate and transparent publication record and repository of published journal articles, including highlighting any corrections and retractions when necessary in order to maintain scholarly accuracy and trust.

Ethical Obligations for Authors

• Authors should become familiar with the standards and ethical guidance for journal authorship summarized by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) on their Website.
• Manuscript submissions should be accompanied by a statement that the paper is the original work of the author(s) and that it has not been submitted elsewhere (or published elsewhere) in the same version as submitted to Advancing Corrections. 
• The papers submitted to the journal could be based on previous work published by the author(s), but the submission should be a substantially original piece.
• Manuscript submissions should be approved by all of the authors and, as necessary, by the responsible representatives where the research was carried out.
• Authors should also confirm that their paper is not being submitted, nor will be submitted simultaneously to any other journal. 
• Where material is taken from other sources (including their own published writing) the source should be clearly cited and.  An author’s work should not infringe on any rights of others, including privacy rights and intellectual property rights.
• Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should only be used to improve the readability and language of the manuscript during the writing process. Authors are required to declare the use of generative AI in scientific writing upon submission of their manuscript.
• Advancing Corrections takes issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. In submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors are representing that all included materials are the author’s own work unless otherwise identified. To avoid any potential issues with plagiarism (i.e., representing someone else’s work or ideas as one’s own) or copyright infringement (i.e., violating the exclusive copyright rights of another) or any other violation of the rights of other parties (including, but not limited to, personal rights, an expectation of privacy, or other confidentiality requirement), authors are asked to identify clearly any third-party materials and their respective rights holders in their submissions. The authors shall additionally ensure that any needed permissions are secured and provided to the journal with their accepted article. 
• On submission of their papers, Advancing Corrections encourages authors to include a declaration of any real or potential conflicting interests (this would include any funding assistance).
• In the case of submissions from private sector individuals or organizations, the journal publication policy states clearly that we will not accept papers that simply attempt to promote a particular product or market a particular method or service without supportive evidence of effectiveness. Advancing Corrections is not a marketing vehicle. It is a professional journal intended to broaden our knowledge base in corrections.
• Authorship of papers should be accurately represented, including ensuring that all individuals credited as authors participated in the actual authorship of the work and that all who participated are credited and have given consent for publication. 
• All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the paper should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis. We encourage limiting authorship to at most a principal author and three co-authors.  All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section.
• Authors with lived criminal justice experience who may wish to remain anonymous can do so as long as the editor is confidentially informed of their identity.
• Authors should contact the editor to identify and correct any material errors upon discovery, whether prior or subsequent to publication of their work.
• It is policy of the Journal to encourage the use of ‘humanizing’ language in referring to those individuals we incarcerate or supervise in the community (e.g., refer to justice involved individuals rather than ‘offenders’ or ‘prisoners’).  We ask authors to make use of more humanizing language throughout their manuscripts.
• Authors should ensure their work uses inclusive language which acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities.
• Following publication, ICPA does not wish to curtail authors from promoting or sharing their work in various scholarly repositories or databases.  However, this should be done in accordance with the Publication Policies of the journal, and where necessary, with permission from ICPA.

Integrity and Ethics in the Conduct of Research

• Justice involved individuals are among the most vulnerable and disempowered individuals in society.  In the conduct of research that may include these individuals, researchers should respect their dignity, right to privacy and confidentiality and all other basic human rights.  Authors also have an obligation to adhere to all other research ethics guidelines of their discipline. 
• In the conduct of research in correctional settings, every effort should be made to accommodate operational concerns and not create disruptions in the good order and security of the institution, facility or community agency where the research is being conducted.
• If individuals (e.g., correctional staff and/or justice involved individuals) have been surveyed, interviewed, observed or otherwise involved in the collection of research data or information, informed consent has been obtained. This includes clearly explaining the purpose of the research, potential risks and benefits, and the right to withdraw from the study at any time without any explanation.
• If statistical, descriptive or other data is reported, the author(s) confirm that to the best of their knowledge it is true and accurate.  Any concerns about data quality or completeness should be clearly spelled out (e.g., if historical or correctional operational data is being described).
• The data being described should be the author’s own and/or they should have received permission from others, or from agencies or organizations they are reporting on, to use data reproduced in their paper.
• Unless permission has been obtained, any agency or organization involved in the research being described should remain anonymous.

Ethical Obligations for Reviewers

• Advancing Corrections aims to share practice-relevant scholarship with practitioners and other corrections professionals. Manuscript reviewers are asked to be concrete and constructive in their feedback with the intention of improving the quality and clarity of manuscripts.  Unnecessary criticism should be avoided.
• Reviewers should conduct themselves fairly and impartially and ensure that they maintain the confidentiality of the review process. They should provide fair, respectful, and timely evaluations grounded in scholarly merit—not personal or ideological bias.
• Reviewers are asked to follow the Peer Review Guidelines for the Journal and they should endeavour to provide feedback on key aspects of the manuscripts under review as outlined in those Guidelines.
• Reviewers should refrain from contacting the authors directly without permission of the journal editor.
• Reviewers should immediately alert the journal editor of any real or potential competing interest that could affect the impartiality of their reviewing. In those cases where there are factors that might impair objective review, they should decline to review.
• We are aware, of course, that reviewers may subscribe to a particular school of thought and/or may have strong ties to a particular theoretical perspective. We ask that reviewers strive to act fairly. If in doubt about whether a conflict exists, or in cases where reviewers may believe they lack the expertise or knowledge for review, they should be transparent and seek the views of the journal editor.
• Reviewers should avoid using privileged information obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.
• We encourage reviewers to check articles with duplication-checking software should they suspect any plagiarism.  If material has been previously published, or if it is the product of AI software, it is not acceptable for publication in Advancing Corrections.  
• Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies such as ChatGPT or similar services should not be used by reviewers or editors in the peer review and manuscript evaluation process.

Ethical Obligations for the Editor

• The journal follows a formal and rigorous double-blind ‘peer review’ process to ensure the quality and relevance of published research papers or literature reviews and other scholarly commentaries. The editor oversees this ‘refereeing’ process and ensures that it remains anonymous and is conducted consistently, fairly, transparently and thoroughly.
• Advancing Corrections has an international Editorial Review Board and submitted manuscripts are reviewed by at least two members of this Editorial Board, or other individuals specifically recruited as experts for a particular thematic focus. The editor ensures that reviewers are selected appropriately for their particular field of expertise and/or subject matter knowledge.
• For any particular edition of the journal, the editor may choose to work with one or more Associate Editors because of their particular area of expertise. However, the editor will continue to oversee the peer review process and take responsibility for final publication decisions.
• The editor is responsible for maintaining a reasonable timeline in the review, revision and eventual publication of manuscripts. Every effort should be made to ensure that manuscripts are reviewed and revised as rapidly as possible, so that a final editorial decision to publish can be generally reached within (e.g.) 6 to 8 weeks of submission.
• Because Advancing Corrections is an ‘international’ publication, manuscripts may be submitted where there is poor use of English language or grammar. The editor (or one or more referees) may alter or revise manuscripts in the interests of stylistic consistency, grammatical correctness or coherence. The intent or focus of the paper should not be affected by this editorial revision.
• The editor of Advancing Corrections manages the process of initial screening and final selection of manuscripts for publication. In choosing the final set of papers to be included, the editor may also consult with any Associate Editors for any particular edition of the journal.
• It remains the prerogative of the editor to accept or reject for publication any submission. This decision is final and the editor will not enter into any debate or correspondence regarding the decision.   However, in the interest of full transparency and fairness, authors are provided with detailed explanations and reasons for why their manuscripts are rejected. Apart from acknowledging scientific shortcomings or inconsistencies, the following evaluative criteria may be considered by the editor: 
• The overall quality of the manuscript and the potential appeal of the topic for readers of Advancing Corrections;
• The consistency and fit of the manuscript with the ‘theme’ of the edition and with the other papers being considered for publication;
• International representation of the manuscripts (as much as possible); 
• Innovation or uniqueness in the program, policy or research;               
• If a research-based article, the methodology and clarity of results.
• The paper addresses (unpacks) issues logically, consistently and convincingly; 
• The paper demonstrates a critical self-awareness of the author’s own perspectives and interests; 
• The standard of writing (including spelling and grammar) is satisfactory and the style of writing is practitioner-oriented;

Conclusion

ICPA and the Advancing Corrections Journal are committed to fostering a publishing environment rooted in ethical practice, academic rigor, and global collaboration. By contributing to this journal, authors and reviewers are joining a professional dialogue based on respect, responsibility, and shared standards.