The Latent Structure of Psychopathy: A Taxometric Investigation of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in a Heterogeneous Sample of Male Prison Inmates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Glenn D.; Duncan, Scott A.; Mitchell-Perez, Kari

2007-01-01

A taxometric analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is conducted on a group of 409 male maximum-, medium-, and minimum-security federal prison inmates using the four PCL-R facet scores (interpersonal, affective, impulsive lifestyle, and antisocial behavior) as indicators. Results obtained from three quasi-independent taxometric…

Notes from the field: botulism from drinking prison-made illicit alcohol - Arizona, 2012.

PubMed

2013-02-08

During November 24-27, 2012, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was notified that eight male inmates of prison A, a maximum security prison, had been hospitalized for treatment of an acute neurologic condition suspected to be botulism. Botulism is a serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. All eight patients reported drinking pruno, an illicitly brewed alcoholic beverage that has been associated with botulism outbreaks in prisons. This was the second outbreak of botulism in prison A during 2012; in August, four inmates were hospitalized for botulism after drinking pruno. Pinal County Health Services (PCHS), ADHS, and CDC investigated to identify the outbreak source, learn about pruno production, and provide recommendations for preventing future outbreaks of botulism in prisons.

Correspondence analysis to evaluate the transmission of Staphylococcus aureus strains in two New York State maximum-security prisons.

PubMed

Befus, M; Mukherjee, D V; Herzig, C T A; Lowy, F D; Larson, E

2017-07-01

Prisons/jails are thought to amplify the transmission of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) particularly methicillin-resistant SA infection and colonisation. Two independently pooled cross-sectional samples of detainees being admitted or discharged from two New York State maximum-security prisons were used to explore this concept. Private interviews of participants were conducted, during which the anterior nares and oropharynx were sampled and assessed for SA colonisation. Log-binomial regression and correspondence analysis (CA) were used to evaluate the prevalence of colonisation at entry as compared with discharge. Approximately 51% of admitted (N = 404) and 41% of discharged (N = 439) female detainees were colonised with SA. Among males, 59% of those admitted (N = 427) and 49% of those discharged (N = 393) were colonised. Females had a statistically significant higher prevalence (1·26: P = 0·003) whereas males showed no significant difference (1·06; P = 0·003) in SA prevalence between entry and discharge. CA demonstrated that some strains, such as spa types t571 and t002, might have an affinity for certain mucosal sites. Contrary to our hypothesis, the prison setting did not amplify SA transmission, and CA proved to be a useful tool in describing the population structure of strains according to time and/or mucosal site.

The Nature and Prevalence of Learning Deficiencies among Adult Inmates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Raymond; And Others

In order to determine the nature and prevalence of learning deficiencies among adult inmates in U.S. correctional institutions, a sample of subjects was drawn from three institutions in each of the states of Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Washington. One male maximum security, one male medium security, and one women's prison were selected in each of…

TOWARD A CRIMINOLOGY OF INMATE NETWORKS

PubMed Central

Kreager, Derek A.; Schaefer, David R.; Bouchard, Martin; Haynie, Dana L.; Wakefield, Sara; Young, Jacob; Zajac, Gary

2015-01-01

The mid-twentieth century witnessed a surge of American prison ethnographies focused on inmate society and the social structures that guide inmate life. Ironically, this literature virtually froze in the 1980s just as the country entered a period of unprecedented prison expansion, and has only recently begun to thaw. In this manuscript, we develop a rationale for returning inmate society to the forefront of criminological inquiry, and suggest that network science provides an ideal framework for achieving this end. In so doing, we show that a network perspective extends prison ethnographies by allowing quantitative assessment of prison culture and illuminating basic characteristics of prison social structure that are essential for improving inmate safety, health, and community reentry outcomes. We conclude by demonstrating the feasibility and promise of inmate network research with findings from a recent small-scale study of a maximum-security prison work unit. PMID:27616815

TOWARD A CRIMINOLOGY OF INMATE NETWORKS.

PubMed

Kreager, Derek A; Schaefer, David R; Bouchard, Martin; Haynie, Dana L; Wakefield, Sara; Young, Jacob; Zajac, Gary

The mid-twentieth century witnessed a surge of American prison ethnographies focused on inmate society and the social structures that guide inmate life. Ironically, this literature virtually froze in the 1980s just as the country entered a period of unprecedented prison expansion, and has only recently begun to thaw. In this manuscript, we develop a rationale for returning inmate society to the forefront of criminological inquiry, and suggest that network science provides an ideal framework for achieving this end. In so doing, we show that a network perspective extends prison ethnographies by allowing quantitative assessment of prison culture and illuminating basic characteristics of prison social structure that are essential for improving inmate safety, health, and community reentry outcomes. We conclude by demonstrating the feasibility and promise of inmate network research with findings from a recent small-scale study of a maximum-security prison work unit.

Integrating Correctional and Community Health Care: An Innovative Approach for Clinical Learning in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program.

PubMed

Bouchaud, Mary T; Swan, Beth Ann

2017-01-01

With an evolving focus on primary, community-based, and patient-centered care rather than acute, hospital-centric, disease-focused care, and recognition of the importance of coordinating care and managing transitions across providers and settings of care, registered nurses need to be prepared from a different and broader knowledge base and skills set. A culture change among nurse educators and administrators and in nursing education is needed to prepare competent registered nurses capable of practicing from a health promotion, disease prevention, community- and population-focused construct in caring for a population of patients who are presenting health problems and conditions that persist across decades and/or lifetimes. While healthcare delivery is moving from the hospital to ambulatory and community settings, community-based educational opportunities for nursing students are shrinking due to a variety of reasons, including but not limited to increased regulatory requirements, the presence of competing numbers of nursing schools and their increased enrollment of students, and decreasing availability of community resources capable and willing to precept students in an all-day interactive learning environment. A detailed discussion of one college of nursings' journey to find an innovative solution and approach to the dilemma of limited and decreasing available community clinical sites to prepare senior level prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students for healthcare practice in the twenty-first century. This article demonstrated how medium/maximum prisons can provide an ideal learning experience for not only technical nursing skills but more importantly for reinforcing key learning goals for community-based care, raising population-based awareness, and promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity. In addition, this college of nursing overcame the challenges of initiating and maintaining clinical placement in a prison facility, collaboratively developed strategies to insure student and faculty safety satisfying legal and administrative concerns for both the college of nursing and the prison, and developed educational postclinical assignments that solidified clinical course and nursing program objectives. Lastly, this college of nursing quickly learned that not only did nursing students agree to clinical placement in an all-male medium- to maximum-security prison despite its accompanying restrictive regulations especially as it relates to their access to personal technology devices, but there was an unknown desire for a unique clinical experience. The initial pilot program of placing eight senior level prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students in a 4,000-person all male medium- to maximum-security prison for their community clinical rotation has expanded to include three state-run maximum all male prisons in two states, a 3,000-person male/female federal prison, and several juvenile detention centers. Clinical placement of students in these sites is by request only, resulting in lengthy student waiting lists. This innovative approach to clinical learning has piqued the interest of graduate nurse practitioner (NP) students as well. One MSN, NP student has been placed in the federal prison every semester for over a year. Due to increasing interest from graduate students to learn correctional health nursing, the college of nursing is now expanding NP placement to the other contracted maximum-security prisons. This entire experience has changed clinical policies within a well-established academic culture and promoted creative thinking regarding how and where to clinically educate and prepare registered baccalaureate nurses for the new culture of health and wellness. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Medical devices made into weapons by prisoners: an unrecognized risk.

PubMed

Hayden, J W; Laney, C; Kellermann, A L

1995-12-01

The alteration of a knee immobilizer into a sharp weapon by a prisoner prompted us to survey neighboring penal institutions to determine the frequency of such events. We mailed a nine-item survey to all detention facilities in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. A second survey was sent to nonresponding institutions 6 weeks after the initial mailing. The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, the designated facility for evaluation and treatment of prisoners from the county jail and state penitentiary. Survey respondents included 25 state penitentiaries, 31 county jails, 1 state minimum-security facility, 1 state maximum-security facility, 1 work-release center, 1 county detention center for drunken-driving offenders, and 1 federal penitentiary. Of the 81 institutions surveyed, 77% responded to one of the two mailings. Forty percent responded in the affirmative when asked whether stolen or unauthorized medical equipment from outside their institutions had been discovered among inmates. When respondents were questioned as to whether medical equipment, prescribed or not, had been used or altered in a criminal manner, 34% responded "yes." Medications and medical appliances were listed in the responses. A survey of 81 local and neighboring penal institutions in a three-state area revealed that the illicit use of medicine and medical devices by prisoners is a legitimate safety concern of prison personnel and health care workers when medical care for inmates must be sought outside the security of their institutions. The modification of medical equipment into weapons by incarcerated patients, although clearly recognized as a security and safety problem by police authorities, appears to be unappreciated by health care workers providing episodic care to inmates.

Cooking in prison--from crook to cook.

PubMed

Kjaer Minke, Linda

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the principle and practice of self-catering system in a Danish prison. Self-catering is a reflection of the Danish correctional principle of normalisation between prison and community life. Unlike some other jurisdiction, issues of control in meal preparation are subordinate to prisoners' right to choose and prepare their own food. Findings are derived from 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork in a Danish maximum security prison for men, including in-depth interviews with 68 prisoners. Overall findings showed that thinking about meals and their preparation is time consuming for prisoners who tend to be positive about the system making connections with their ability to exercise responsibility for making healthily choices. The research concludes that prisoners' possibility for developing cooking competences during incarceration could support prisoners change in social identity from crook to cook. Food is a fundamental need and the ability to choose what to eat and to prepare one's own food should be a right for all people, including prisoners. This research shows that Danish prisoners are very pleased about the system of self-catering. Most prisoners are concerned about preparing their own meals according to their taste and cultural diversity. If the prison offers the opportunity to train as a chef during imprisonment it could support the prisoner's change in social identity from crook to cook on the outside.

Epidemiological and Biological Determinants of Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Infection in New York State Maximum Security Prisons

PubMed Central

Miko, Benjamin A.; Befus, Montina; Herzig, Carolyn T. A.; Mukherjee, Dhritiman V.; Apa, Zoltan L.; Bai, Ruo Yu; Tanner, Joshua P.; Gage, Dana; Genovese, Maryann; Koenigsmann, Carl J.; Larson, Elaine L.; Lowy, Franklin D.

2015-01-01

Background. Large outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infections have occurred in correctional facilities across the country. We aimed to define the epidemiological and microbiological determinants of SA infection in prisons to facilitate development of prevention strategies for this underserved population. Methods. We conducted a case-control study of SA infection at 2 New York State maximum security prisons. SA-infected inmates were matched with 3 uninfected controls. Subjects had cultures taken from sites of infection and colonization (nose and throat) and were interviewed via structured questionnaire. SA isolates were characterized by spa typing. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted using conditional logistic regression. Results. Between March 2011 and January 2013, 82 cases were enrolled and matched with 246 controls. On bivariate analysis, the use of oral and topical antibiotics over the preceding 6 months was strongly associated with clinical infection (OR, 2.52; P < .001 and 4.38, P < .001, respectively). Inmates with clinical infection had 3.16 times the odds of being diabetic compared with inmates who did not have clinical infection (P < .001). Concurrent nasal and/or oropharyngeal colonization was also associated with an increased odds of infection (OR, 1.46; P = .002). Among colonized inmates, cases were significantly more likely to carry the SA clone spa t008 (usually representing the epidemic strain USA300) compared to controls (OR, 2.52; P = .01). Conclusions. Several inmate characteristics were strongly associated with SA infection in the prison setting. Although many of these factors were likely present prior to incarceration, they may help medical staff identify prisoners for targeted prevention strategies. PMID:25810281

Epidemiological and biological determinants of Staphylococcus aureus clinical infection in New York State maximum security prisons.

PubMed

Miko, Benjamin A; Befus, Montina; Herzig, Carolyn T A; Mukherjee, Dhritiman V; Apa, Zoltan L; Bai, Ruo Yu; Tanner, Joshua P; Gage, Dana; Genovese, Maryann; Koenigsmann, Carl J; Larson, Elaine L; Lowy, Franklin D

2015-07-15

Large outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infections have occurred in correctional facilities across the country. We aimed to define the epidemiological and microbiological determinants of SA infection in prisons to facilitate development of prevention strategies for this underserved population. We conducted a case-control study of SA infection at 2 New York State maximum security prisons. SA-infected inmates were matched with 3 uninfected controls. Subjects had cultures taken from sites of infection and colonization (nose and throat) and were interviewed via structured questionnaire. SA isolates were characterized by spa typing. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted using conditional logistic regression. Between March 2011 and January 2013, 82 cases were enrolled and matched with 246 controls. On bivariate analysis, the use of oral and topical antibiotics over the preceding 6 months was strongly associated with clinical infection (OR, 2.52; P < .001 and 4.38, P < .001, respectively). Inmates with clinical infection had 3.16 times the odds of being diabetic compared with inmates who did not have clinical infection (P < .001). Concurrent nasal and/or oropharyngeal colonization was also associated with an increased odds of infection (OR, 1.46; P = .002). Among colonized inmates, cases were significantly more likely to carry the SA clone spa t008 (usually representing the epidemic strain USA300) compared to controls (OR, 2.52; P = .01). Several inmate characteristics were strongly associated with SA infection in the prison setting. Although many of these factors were likely present prior to incarceration, they may help medical staff identify prisoners for targeted prevention strategies. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cognitive Restructuring through Dreams and Imagery: Descriptive Analysis of a Women's Prison-Based Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeHart, Dana

2010-01-01

This report describes process and outcome evaluation of an innovative program based in a women's maximum-security correctional facility. Methodology included review of program materials, unobtrusive observation of group process, participant evaluation forms, focus groups, and individual interviews with current and former program participants.…

Response of Psychiatrically Impaired Inmates to Activity Therapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siberski, James

2001-01-01

This paper describes the results of activity therapy programs with psychiatrically impaired inmates at a maximum security prison. Results include the programs which were felt to be of benefit and enjoyable, and those which prepared them for the future. Recommendations for initiation of a similar program are offered. (Author)

Dissociative Identity Disorder in Felonious Offenders: Two Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culiner, Ty

1997-01-01

Describes the case studies of two inmates detained in a maximum security prison having been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder and receiving individual therapy. Although treatment is ongoing, mid-treatment progress indicates the treatment is successful and the prognosis is excellent. Accentuates the practicality and rewards of working…

"Prison Ain't Free Like Everyone Thinks": Financial Stressors Faced by Incarcerated Women.

PubMed

Harner, Holly M; Wyant, Brian R; Da Silva, Fernanda

2017-04-01

Most women in prison are poor and suffer from health problems prior to and during incarceration. Policies that impose inmate medical co-payment fees do not consider gender-specific health needs or other financial stressors faced by women in prison. We examine the financial needs and concerns of incarcerated women through the lens of gender and behavioral economics. We conducted individual interviews with 95 women incarcerated in a medium/maximum security prison in the United States. Women described several common financial stressors during confinement: paying for medical care, "working for pennies," staying in contact with loved ones, and relying on others. In an attempt to remain gender neutral, prison polices often do not consider gender-based differences between male and female prisoners. When gender neutrality is applied to financial policies surrounding access to healthcare, incarcerated women are profoundly disadvantaged and left to make consequential trade-offs with scarce financial resources. Our findings provide important insight into financial stressors facing incarcerated women and provide evidence to support the elimination of mandatory medical co-payment fees for incarcerated women.

Animal Cruelty Motivations: Assessing Demographic and Situational Influences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E.

2005-01-01

Few studies have examined childhood and adolescent animal cruelty motives. Using a sample of 261 inmates surveyed at both medium and maximum security prisons in a southern state, the present study examined the impact of demographic attributes and situational factors relating specifically to a range of animal cruelty motivations. Almost half of the…

The Missing Link: Service-Learning as an Essential Tool for Correctional Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Jacquelyn B.; Omstead, Jon-Adam; Pigg, Steven Anthony

2012-01-01

This article reports the results of a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study conducted by a university faculty member and two incarcerated college graduates in Indiana. The research team designed and piloted a service-learning program specifically aimed at college-level inmates in a maximum security prison. This qualitative study used…

The probability of lava inundation at the proposed and existing Kulani prison sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kauahikaua, J.P.; Trusdell, F.A.; Heliker, C.C.

1998-01-01

The State of Hawai`i has proposed building a 2,300-bed medium-security prison about 10 km downslope from the existing Kulani medium-security correctional facility. The proposed and existing facilities lie on the northeast rift zone of Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984 in this same general area. We use the best available geologic mapping and dating with GIS software to estimate the average recurrence interval between lava flows that inundate these sites. Three different methods are used to adjust the number of flows exposed at the surface for those flows that are buried to allow a better representation of the recurrence interval. Probabilities are then computed, based on these recurrence intervals, assuming that the data match a Poisson distribution. The probability of lava inundation for the existing prison site is estimated to be 11- 12% in the next 50 years. The probability of lava inundation for the proposed sites B and C are 2- 3% and 1-2%, respectively, in the same period. The probabilities are based on estimated recurrence intervals for lava flows, which are approximately proportional to the area considered. The probability of having to evacuate the prison is certainly higher than the probability of lava entering the site. Maximum warning times between eruption and lava inundation of a site are estimated to be 24 hours for the existing prison site and 72 hours for proposed sites B and C. Evacuation plans should take these times into consideration.

When security and medicine missions conflict: confidentiality in prison settings.

PubMed

Allen, Scott A; Aburabi, Raed

2016-06-13

Purpose - It is a simple fact that prisons cannot exist - practically, legally, ethically or morally - without the support of physicians and other health professionals. Access to adequate healthcare is one of the fundamental measures of the legitimacy of a jail or prison. At the same time, there is a fundamental tension in the missions of the prison and doctor. The primary mission of the prison is security and often punishment. Reform and rehabilitation have intermittently been stated goals of prisons in the last century, but in practice those humane goals have rarely governed prison administrative culture. The primary mission of the physician is to promote the health and welfare of his or her patient. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach - At times, what is required to serve the patient's best interest is at odds with the interests of security. Much of the work of the prison physician does not conflict with the operation of security. Indeed, much of the work of the prison physician is allowed to proceed without much interference from the security regime. But given the fundamental discord in the legitimate missions of security vs medicine, conflict between the doctor and the warden is inevitable. Findings - In this paper, the authors consider the example of patient confidentiality to illustrate this conflict, using case examples inspired by real cases from the experience of the authors. Originality/value - The authors provide an ethical and practical framework for health professionals to employ when confronting these inevitable conflicts in correctional settings.

Childhood and Adolescent Animal Cruelty Methods and Their Possible Link to Adult Violent Crimes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E.

2009-01-01

Few researchers have investigated the potentially predictive power of childhood and adolescent animal cruelty methods as they are associated with subsequent interpersonal violence in adulthood. Based on a sample of 261 inmates at medium- and maximum-security prisons in a southern state, the present study examines the relationship between several…

Examining the Relationship between Childhood Animal Cruelty Motives and Recurrent Adult Violent Crimes toward Humans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overton, Joshua C.; Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E.

2012-01-01

Few researchers have studied the predictive ability of childhood animal cruelty motives as they are associated with later recurrent violence toward humans. Based on a sample of 180 inmates at one medium- and one maximum-security prison in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship among several retrospectively identified motives…

Pedagogies of Self-Humanization: Collaborating to Engage Trauma in the Phoenix Players Theatre Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fesette, Nick; Levitt, Bruce

2017-01-01

The Phoenix Players Theatre Group was founded by incarcerated theatre artists located in a maximum-security prison with the aim of creating a space where they can be witnessed in order to initiate a process of personal, cultural, and sociopolitical transformation. This article integrates research from trauma theory with theatre and social justice…

The Great Unescape: Three Mile Island, Fukushima, and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spector, Hannah

2015-01-01

During the Second World War, the Luftwaffe ran a maximum security prisoner of war (POW) camp called "Stalag Luft III," which imprisoned captured Allied air force servicemen. The story of the 1944 escape from Stalag Luft III is one of the most famous stories of the Second World War as described in the firsthand written account and…

Endogeneity in prison risk classification.

PubMed

Shermer, Lauren O'Neill; Bierie, David M; Stock, Amber

2013-10-01

Security designation tools are a key feature of all prisons in the United States, intended as objective measures of risk that funnel inmates into security levels-to prison environments varying in degree of intrusiveness, restriction, dangerousness, and cost. These tools are mostly (if not all) validated by measuring inmates on a set of characteristics, using scores from summations of that information to assign inmates to prisons of varying security level, and then observing whether inmates assumed more risky did in fact offend more. That approach leaves open the possibility of endogeneity--that the harsher prisons are themselves bringing about higher misconduct and thus biasing coefficients assessing individual risk. The current study assesses this potential bias by following an entry cohort of inmates to more than 100 facilities in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and exploiting the substantial variation in classification scores within a given prison that derive from systematic overrides of security-level designations for reasons not associated with risk of misconduct. By estimating pooled models of misconduct along with prison-fixed effects specifications, the data show that a portion of the predictive accuracy thought associated with the risk-designation tool used in BOP was a function of facility-level contamination (endogeneity).

Military Commission Proceedings at Guantanamo Bay - U.S. Department of

Science.gov Websites

U.S. Army soldier stands guard as a detainee spends time in the exercise yard outside Camp Five at the Five is one of six camps that comprise the detention center and has been built with many features that can be found in many maximum-security prisons in the United States. Camp Five is where the most non

Another Look at Scared Straight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feinstein, Sheryl

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of adult prisoner presentations on juvenile delinquents. The study involved twenty-four students incarcerated in a low security facility for male adolescents. Two adult male prisoners and a guard from a minimum-security federal prison came to the juvenile correctional facility to talk with …

Working through mass incarceration: gender and the politics of prison labor from east to west.

PubMed

Haney, Lynne A

2010-01-01

This article explores the politics and practices of labor in two penal institutions for women: a maximum security facility for women in Hungary and a community‐based facility for women in California. Diverging from other accounts of imprisonment that tend to operate at either the individual or macroeconomic level, this article analyzes the concrete institutional relations of prison and complicates the assumption that they simply reflect the logic of the prison‐industrial complex. Based on years of ethnographic work in two very different penal systems, I describe variation in how prisons institute labor within and across institutions and cultures: the Hungarian facility positioned wage labor as a right and an obligation that formed the basis of women’s social relationships and ties to others, while the U.S. prison excluded wage labor from women’s lives so they could get on with the work of self‐improvement and personal healing. From the comparison, I reveal how prisons can both draw on and subvert broader social meanings assigned to women’s work, making it difficult to view prison labor as wholly exploitative or abusive. I also argue that refusing to allow female inmates to engage in wage labor can be a more profound form of punishment than requiring it of them. By juxtaposing the discourses and practices of work in two very different penal contexts, this article offers a critical reflection on the political economy of prison labor from the ground up.

Treatment needs of prisoners with psychiatric disorders.

PubMed Central

Gunn, J; Maden, A; Swinton, M

1991-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To describe the prevalence of psychiatric disorder and the treatment needs of sentenced prisoners in England and Wales. DESIGN--Population survey based on a 5% sample of men serving prison sentences. SETTING--Sixteen prisons for adult males and nine institutions for male young offenders representative of all prisons in prison type, security levels, and length of sentences. SUBJECTS--406 young offenders and 1478 adult men, 404 and 1365 of whom agreed to be interviewed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--History of psychiatric disorder, clinical diagnosis of psychiatrist, and required treatment. RESULTS--652 (37%) men had psychiatric disorders diagnosed, of whom 15 (0.8%) had organic disorders, 34 (2%) psychosis, 105 (6%) neurosis, 177 (10%) personality disorder, and 407 (23%) substance misuse. 52 (3%) were judged to require transfer to hospital for psychiatric treatment, 96 (5%) required treatment in a therapeutic community setting, and a further 176 (10%) required further psychiatric assessment or treatment within prison. CONCLUSIONS--By extrapolation the sentenced prison population includes over 700 men with psychosis, and around 1100 who would warrant transfer to hospital for psychiatric treatment. Provision of secure treatment facilities, particularly long term medium secure units, needs to be improved. Services for people with personality, sexual, and substance misuse disorders should be developed in both prisons and the health service. PMID:1912775

Discharges to prison from medium secure psychiatric units in England and Wales.

PubMed

Doyle, Michael; Coid, Jeremy; Archer-Power, Laura; Dewa, Lindsay; Hunter-Didrichsen, Alice; Stevenson, Rachel; Wainwright, Verity; Kallis, Costas; Ullrich, Simone; Shaw, Jenny

2014-09-01

Early findings from a national study of discharges from 32 National Health Service medium secure units revealed that nearly twice as many patients than expected were discharged back to prison. To compare the characteristics of those discharged back to prison with those discharged to the community, and consider the implications for ongoing care and risk. Prospective cohort follow-up design. All forensic patients discharged from 32 medium secure units across England and Wales over a 12-month period were identified. Those discharged to prison were compared with those who were discharged to the community. Nearly half of the individuals discharged to prison were diagnosed with a serious mental illness and over a third with schizophrenia. They were a higher risk, more likely to have a personality disorder, more symptomatic and less motivated than those discharged to the community. Findings suggest that alternative models of prison mental healthcare should be considered to reduce risks to the patient and the public. Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Obesity as a Determinant of Staphylococcus aureus Colonization Among Inmates in Maximum-Security Prisons in New York State

PubMed Central

Befus, Montina; Lowy, Franklin D.; Miko, Benjamin A.; Mukherjee, Dhritiman V.; Herzig, Carolyn T. A.; Larson, Elaine L.

2015-01-01

Obesity increases a person's susceptibility to a variety of infections, including Staphylococcus aureus infections, which is an important cause of morbidity in correctional settings. Using a cross-sectional design, we assessed the association between obesity and S. aureus colonization, a risk factor for subsequent infection, in New York State maximum-security prisons (2011–2013). Anterior nares and oropharyngeal cultures were collected. Structured interviews and medical records were used to collect demographic, behavioral, and medical data. Body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m2)) was categorized as 18.5–24.9, 25–29.9, 30–34.9, or ≥35. The association between BMI and S. aureus colonization was assessed using log-binomial regression. Thirty-eight percent of 638 female inmates and 26% of 794 male inmates had a BMI of 30 or higher. More than 40% of inmates were colonized. Female inmates with a BMI of 25–29.9 (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 1.76), 30–34.9 (PR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.98), or ≥35 (PR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.96) had a higher likelihood of colonization than did those with a BMI of 18.5–24.9 after we controlled for age, educational level, smoking status, diabetes status, and presence of human immunodeficiency virus. Colonization was higher among male inmates with a BMI of 30–34.9 (PR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.61). Our findings demonstrate an association between BMI and S. aureus colonization among female prisoners. Potential contributory biologic and behavioral factors should be explored. PMID:26292691

An ecological analysis of prison overcrowding and suicide rates in England and Wales, 2000-2014.

PubMed

van Ginneken, Esther F J C; Sutherland, Alex; Molleman, Toon

Prisoners are at a greatly increased risk of suicides compared to the general population. Differences in suicide risk can be partly explained by individual risk factors, but the contribution of prison characteristics remains unclear. Overcrowded prisons have higher suicide rates, but this may be related to prison function, security level, population size and turnover. The aim of the current study was to investigate the contribution of each of these prison characteristics to suicide rates, using data from the Ministry of Justice for adult prisons in England and Wales from 2000 to 2014. Negative binomial regression analysis showed that larger population size, higher turnover, higher security and public management were associated with higher suicide rates. When controlling for these factors, overcrowding was not found to be related to suicide rates. Questions remain about the causal mechanisms underlying variation in prison suicides and the impact of the lived experience of overcrowding. Further research is needed to examine the relative contribution of prison and prisoner characteristics to suicides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Intensive care anaesthesia practice in the prison environment. Can a prisoner benefit from ambulatory anaesthesia].

PubMed

Manaouil, C; Montpellier, D; Sannier, O; Defouilloy, C; Radji, M; Jardé, O; Dupont, H

2010-01-01

Ambulatory anaesthesia is an anesthesia allowing the return of the patient home the same day. Even if the ambulatory hospitalization can, in theory, be applied to a prisoner as to every patient, caution is essential in such approach. Every anaesthetist reanimator doctor practicing in public hospitals may give care to patient prisoners while he is far from dominating all features of the prison world and while he must put down his therapeutic indications. The ambulatory anaesthesia in prison environment does not guarantee full security for the patient. Procedures could be set up between hospital complexes, caretakers practicing within penal middle (Unit of Consultation and Ambulatory Care [UCAC]) the prison service and hospital, the prefecture, to identify possible ambulatory interventions for a patient prisoner and to set up all guarantees of patient follow-up care in his return in prison environment. The development of interregional secure hospital units (ISHU) within teaching hospitals, allows an easier realization of interventions to the prisoners, but exists only in seven teaching hospitals in France. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Echoes of Bedford: a 20-year social psychology memoir on participatory action research hatched behind bars.

PubMed

Fine, Michelle

2013-11-01

Responding to Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 address at the American Psychological Association calling for a psychology that would educate Whites about racial injustice, this article challenges the widening epistemological gap between those who suffer from inequality and those who conduct social policy research on inequality. In this 20-year memoir on the echoes of a single piece of participatory policy research, Changing Minds: The Impact of College in a Maximum-Security Prison (Fine et al., 2001), readers are invited to explore how deep critical participation by a collaborative team of university and prisoner researchers has facilitated theoretical and methodological complexity, enhanced contextual and construct validity, thickened commitments to ethics and action, and fueled the political sustainability and generalizability of the findings over time and space.

Teaching Women Prisoners to Write.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pritchard, Constance J.

Courses in college composition taught as part of the University of South Carolina's program at the Women's Correctional Center in Columbia, South Carolina, (a minimum security state prison) have proved valuable to prisoners. Despite the problems encountered, including lack of cooperation from the prison administration and inadequacy of available…

[Planning a Health Residence for Prison Security Measures, Tuscany (Italy)].

PubMed

Porfido, Eugenio; Colombai, Renato; Scarpa, Franco; Totaro, Michele; Tani, Luca; Baldini, Claudio; Baggiani, Angelo

2016-01-01

Health Residences for Prison Security Measures are facilities hosting psychotic persons who have committed crimes and providing them with personalized rehabilitation and treatment plans to promote their reinstatement in society. The aim of this study was to describe the criteria for planning and designing a prison health residence in the Tuscany region (Italy), to be managed by the regional healthcare service, in line with current regulations, with dedicated staff for providing specific treatment plans and programmes.

Dual Loyalty in Prison Health Care

PubMed Central

Stöver, Heino; Wolff, Hans

2012-01-01

Despite the dissemination of principles of medical ethics in prisons, formulated and advocated by numerous international organizations, health care professionals in prisons all over the world continue to infringe these principles because of perceived or real dual loyalty to patients and prison authorities. Health care professionals and nonmedical prison staff need greater awareness of and training in medical ethics and prisoner human rights. All parties should accept integration of prison health services with public health services. Health care workers in prison should act exclusively as caregivers, and medical tasks required by the prosecution, court, or security system should be carried out by medical professionals not involved in the care of prisoners. PMID:22390510

28 CFR 541.13 - Prohibited acts and disciplinary severity scale.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... personal safety; e.g., hack-saw blade) A. Recommend parole date rescission or retardation.B. Forfeit earned... disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau of Prisons... interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau of Prisons. (Conduct must be...

Making Ends Meet After Prison

PubMed Central

Harding, David J.; Wyse, Jessica J.B.; Dobson, Cheyney; Morenoff, Jeffrey D.

2014-01-01

Former prisoners are at high risk of economic insecurity due to the challenges they face in finding employment and to the difficulties of securing and maintaining public assistance while incarcerated. This study examines the processes through which former prisoners attain economic security, examining how they meet basic material needs and achieve upward mobility over time. It draws on unique qualitative data from in-depth, unstructured interviews with a sample of former prisoners followed over a two to three year period to assess how subjects draw upon a combination of employment, social supports, and public benefits to make ends meet. Findings reveal considerable struggle among our subjects to meet even minimal needs for shelter and food, although economic security and stability could be attained when employment or public benefits were coupled with familial social support. Sustained economic security was rarely achieved absent either strong social support or access to long-term public benefits. However, a select few were able to leverage material support and social networks into trajectories of upward mobility and economic independence. Policy implications are discussed. PMID:25584015

Assessment of prison life of persons with disability in Ghana.

PubMed

Dogbe, Joslin; Owusu-Dabo, Ellis; Edusei, Anthony; Plange-Rhule, Gyikua; Addofoh, Nicholas; Baffour-Awuah, Sandra; Sarfo-Kantanka, Osei; Hammond, Charles; Owusu, Michael

2016-08-08

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are a unique group that are often overlooked in many developing countries due to systemic weaknesses, lack of political commitment and inadequate support from government and non-governmental agencies. The population of these individuals is however steadily on the increase and currently corresponds to 15 % of the world population. Although much data exist on lifestyle and conditions of prisoners with disabilities in the western world, scanty information is available in Africa. In Ghana, there is insufficient data on the occurrence and social characteristics of prisoners with disabilities. The purpose of this current study was therefore to identify the occurrence, types and causes of disabilities among prisoners serving sentences in Ghanaian prisons. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted in the Male and Female Regional Prisons in Kumasi, Sunyani and the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, from November to December 2011. PWDs were selected by prisons officers and interviewed using structured questionnaires on variables such as socio-demographic characteristics, causes of disabilities and accessibility to recreational facilities. Ethical approval was obtained from the security services and the Committee of Human Research Publications and Ethics (CHRPE) of the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). We screened 6114 records of prisoners of which 1852 (30.3 %) were from the Kumasi Central Prisons, 3483 (57 %) from the Nsawam Medium Security and 779 (12.8 %) from the Sunyani Central Prisons. A total of 99 PWDs were identified with the commonest disability being physical, followed by visual, hearing, speech, mental and albinism. Most of the disabilities were caused by trauma (68.8 %) followed by infection (16.7 %), and drug related mental disabilities (6.3 %). Fifty (50.5 %) out of the 99 PWDs were not provided with assistive devices although they admitted the need for such. The present study has demonstrated the occurrence and conditions of PWDs in Ghanaian prisons. Major stakeholders including government agencies and other organisations could develop policies that would improve the conditions and livelihood of prisoners with disabilities in Ghana.

Typology of intimate partner homicide: personal, interpersonal, and environmental characteristics of men who murdered their female intimate partner.

PubMed

Elisha, Ety; Idisis, Yael; Timor, Uri; Addad, Moshe

2010-08-01

Fifteen inmates from Ayalon prison, a maximum-security prison in Israel, who were convicted of murder, attempted murder, or manslaughter of their female intimate partner, have participated in a study designed to examine integrated variables-personal, interpersonal, and environmental-familial-connected with this phenomenon. Analyses of the in-depth interviews demonstrate that despite the different motivations the perpetrators displayed with regard to the murder, they share some common themes. On the basis of these themes, three primary types of female intimate partner murderers have been identified; each of them represents a personal narrative as follows: the betrayed, the abandoned, and the tyrant. The proposed typology might be used for establishing a common language among researchers, scholars, and workers in this field. It can also contribute to the existing clinical tools in terms of prediction, prevention, and treatment initiatives that currently focus on violence.

When and why should mentally ill prisoners be transferred to secure hospitals: a proposed algorithm.

PubMed

Vogel, Tobias; Lanquillon, Stefan; Graf, Marc

2013-01-01

For reasons well known and researched in detail, worldwide prevalence rates for mental disorders are much higher in prison populations than in general, not only for sentenced prisoners but also for prisoners on remand, asylum seekers on warrant for deportation and others. Moreover, the proportion of imprisoned individuals is rising in most countries. Therefore forensic psychiatry must deal not only with the typically young criminal population, vulnerable to mental illness due to social stress and at an age when rates of schizophrenia, suicide, drug abuse and most personality disorders are highest, but also with an increasingly older population with age-related diseases such as dementia. While treatment standards for these mental disorders are largely published and accepted, and scientific evidence as to screening prisoners for mental illness is growing, where to treat them is dependent on considerations for public safety and local conditions such as national legislation, special regulations and the availability of treatment facilities (e.g., in prisons, in special medical wards within prisons or in secure hospitals). While from a medical point of view a mentally ill prisoner should be treated in a hospital, the ultimate decision must consider these different issues. In this article the authors propose an algorithm comprising screening procedures for mental health and a treatment chain for mentally ill prisoners based on treatment facilities in prison, medical safety, human rights, ethics, and the availability of services at this interface between prison and medicine. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prisoners Teaching ESL: A Learning Community among "Language Partners"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olinger, Andrea; Bishop, Hugh; Cabrales, Jose; Ginsburg, Rebecca; Mapp, Joseph; Mayorga, Orlando; Nava, Erick; Nunez, Elfego; Rosas, Otilio; Slater, Andre; Sorenson, LuAnn; Sosnowski, Jim; Torres, Agustin

2012-01-01

This article features Language Partners, an ESL program offered at the Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security men's prison in central Illinois. The program in which prisoners teach ESL classes, supported by volunteer teacher-trainers, is a learning community with immense and sometimes unforeseen value. The authors discuss reasons for…

HIV/AIDS in Lebanese prisons: challenges and proposed actions.

PubMed

Ammar, Diala; Cordova, Alberto

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the extent of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) crisis in Lebanese prisons, propose functional reforms for Roumieh prisons (the country's largest male top-security prison), and outline the main challenges to HIV/AIDS prevention, intervention, and treatment. All recommendations were based on previous successful stories, international prison standards as well as cultural considerations. This paper argues that prevention and interventions starts within the prison community including inmates, guards, and other prison and provision of appropriate health care, education, and prison infrastructure. These strategies are not only important in limiting prevention and transmission of HIV/AIDS, but also contribute in optimizing quality of life within the prison system. This paper is the first of its kind to discuss the prison situation in Lebanese prisons in terms of public health promotion and reforms.

Federally-Assisted Healthcare Coverage among Male State Prisoners with Chronic Health Problems.

PubMed

Rosen, David L; Grodensky, Catherine A; Holley, Tara K

2016-01-01

Prisoners have higher rates of chronic diseases such as substance dependence, mental health conditions and infectious disease, as compared to the general population. We projected the number of male state prisoners with a chronic health condition who at release would be eligible or ineligible for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We used ACA income guidelines in conjunction with reported pre-arrest social security benefits and income from a nationally representative sample of prisoners to estimate the number eligible for healthcare coverage at release. There were 643,290 US male prisoners aged 18-64 with a chronic health condition. At release, 73% in Medicaid-expansion states would qualify for Medicaid or tax credits. In non-expansion states, 54% would qualify for tax credits, but 22% (n = 69,827) had incomes of ≤ 100% the federal poverty limit and thus would be ineligible for ACA-mediated healthcare coverage. These prisoners comprise 11% of all male prisoners with a chronic condition. The ACA was projected to provide coverage to most male state prisoners with a chronic health condition; however, roughly 70,000 fall in the "coverage gap" and may require non-routine care at emergency departments. Mechanisms are needed to secure coverage for this at risk group and address barriers to routine utilization of health services.

Masculinities, Attachment Theory and Transformative Learning: A Discussion of Some Theoretical Considerations for Developing an Emotionally Secure Teaching Praxis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carberry, Damien

2017-01-01

This paper situates education as an integral component of the overall prison rehabilitation process. The article discusses how an educational practitioner's knowledge of attachment theory and masculinities can be utilized to develop a secure methodological teaching environment in the classroom of a prison education unit and create a space where…

Sport and Physical Activity in a High Security Spanish Prison: An Ethnographic Study of Multiple Meanings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martos-Garcia, Daniel; Devis-Devis, Jose; Sparkes, Andrew C.

2009-01-01

Drawing on data generated by a two-year ethnographic study in a high security Spanish prison, this article explores the multiple meanings given to the social practices of sport and physical activity. We provide details of the following key themes that emerged from the analysis: (a) escaping time; (b) perceived therapeutic benefits; (c) social…

Care control and collaborative working in a prison hospital.

PubMed

Foster, John; Bell, Linda; Jayasinghe, Neil

2013-03-01

This paper reports findings from a qualitative research project, using interviews, focus groups and participant observations, which sought to investigate "good practice" in a nurse-led prison hospital wing for male prisoners. The study raised issues about tensions between "caring" and "control" of prisoners from the perspectives of professionals working or visiting the wing. This paper discusses collaborative working between professionals from different backgrounds, including nurses and healthcare (prison) officers who were based on the wing and others who visited such as probation, medical, Inreach team or Counselling Advice, Referral, Assessment and Through Care team staff (CARAT). The key finding was that there is a balance between therapy and security/risk. In order to maintain this, the two main groups based on the hospital wing--nurses and prison officers--moved between at times cooperating, coordinating and collaborating with each other to maintain this balance. Other themes were care and control, team working, individual and professional responsibilities and communication issues. Enhancing the role of nurses should be encouraged so that therapy remains paramount, and we conclude with some recommendations to encourage collaborative working in prison healthcare settings to ensure that therapy continues to be paramount while security and safety are maintained.

Prisoners' views about the drugs problem in prisons, and the new Prison Service drug strategy.

PubMed

Gore, S M; Bird, A G; Cassidy, J

1999-09-01

Three hundred and seventy-five out of 575 prisoners (222/299 drug users and 153/267 non-users) who responded to a self-completion health care questionnaire at two prisons in 1997 commented on drugs in prisons. One hundred and forty-eight out of 176 responses expressed negative opinions about mandatory drugs testing (MDT), and 107 said that MDT promoted switching to or increased use of heroin/hard drugs'. Sixty-two prisoners suggested that more help/counselling was needed for drug users, 52 segregation of drug users/drug-free wings, and 50 more security on visits/in corridors after medication. The new Prison Service drug strategy has revised random MDT. It targets those who supply drugs, and supports those who want to stop using drugs, and accords with prisoners' views about the heroin problem in prisons.

An Inmate Classification System Based on PCL: SV Factor Scores in a Sample of Prison Inmates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wogan, Michael; Mackenzie, Marci

2007-01-01

Psychopaths represent a significant management challenge in a prison population. A sample of ninety-five male inmates from three medium security prisons was tested using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV). Using traditional criteria, 22% of the inmates were classified as psychopaths. Scores on the two factor dimensions of…

Security and Paperwork Keep Prison Researchers on The Outside

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, David

2008-01-01

The American prison apparatus is larger today than ever before. The Pew Center on the States reported in February 2008 that more than one in 100 American adults live behind bars. However, few are scrutinizing the everyday experiences of the 2.3 million people in American prisons and jails. Scholars who want to do ethnographic fieldwork in prisons…

Social characteristics, HIV/AIDS knowledge, preventive practices and risk factors elicitation among prisoners in Lagos, Nigeria.

PubMed

Odujinrin, M T; Adebajo, S B

2001-01-01

Although many behavioral research studies and public enlightenment campaigns have been undertaken by both government and non-governmental organizations in the general public, no such study has been documented on prison inmates in Nigeria. This study aimed at documenting the social characteristics, HIV/AIDS knowledge and preventive practices of selected prisoners in Nigeria. It also elicited risk factors HIV/AIDS transmission in Nigeria prisons. A cross-sectional study of prison inmates using an anonymous risk-factors identification questionnaire was undertaken in January 1997. The Kiri-kiri (maximum, medium and female) prisons were selected by balloting. Thereafter, two hundred and fifty two inmates were selected by systematic random sampling method using the full listing of all inmates as at the time of the survey. The study comprised of an interview session using a well structured questionnaire to seek information about their social data, their knowledge about HIV/AIDS including its transmission and preventive social data, and their indulgence in HIV/AIDS risky behaviour. The majority (53.6%) of the respondents were in the age group 20-29 years, 18 (7.1%) were less than 20 years old one of whom was in the maximum-security prison and three were females (table 1). The majority (52%) had secondary education while 9.9% had tertiary education and 7.1% had no formal education. About 97.2% of the study population had heard about AIDS although only 20.6% had known or seen someone with AIDS before and about 34.1% knew the causative agent of AIDS. 60.3% knew the correct mode of transmission of AIDS. 15.5% claimed fidelity and 12.7 % claimed use of condom for casual sexual contact, were measures that could help prevent AIDS but 7.9% did not know any preventive measure. Since hearing about AIDS, 59.5% claimed to have taken steps to protect themselves. 42.7% of the 89 who had not taken any protective steps against AIDS had no knowledge of how to protect themselves. About 56.3% claimed to have used condom before although only 38.7% used it for their last sexual exposure while 28.2% claimed they used it for all casual sexual intercourse. Many (42.8%) said they knew that homosexuality was the most prevalent sexual practice in the prison while 28.6% claimed there was no sexual practice and 13.1% feigned ignorance of any sexual practices in the prisons. Many (53.2%) claimed to have multiple sexual partners although 94.8% denied any sexual practice whilst still in prison. This study demonstrated that (i) almost all THE prisoners studied had heard of AIDS although only a few had seen or known a case of AIDS; (ii) despite the fact that many of them knew the correct modes of transmission, many indulged in high risk behaviours for AIDS transmission; (iii) there is a considerable proportion of receptive naïve inmates who stand the risk of being infected due to their high level of ignorance about HIV/AIDS. Well designed information, education and communication (IEC) programmes on AIDS with such formidable support structures as the provision of harm-reduction devices and risk-reduction counselling are urgently recommended for the Nigerian prisoners to effectively combat the imminent HIV/AIDS epidemic among the prison inmates.

Sex in prisons--a management guide.

PubMed

Awofeso, Niyi; Naoum, Raymond

2002-01-01

Prisons are invariably unisex institutions where, besides many deprivations, heterosexual expression in its normal sense is absent. It is this characteristic that make prisons settings potentially fertile grounds for sexual aberrations. Since definite and accurate data concerning sexual activities among prison inmates are difficult to obtain, the phenomenon of sexual practices in prisons has traditionally been a topic of much speculation. However, the descriptions and explanations of most authors on the subject are often contradictory, and some of the best information are from unpublished sources. This article is an attempt to subsume many fragmented explanations about seven main types of sexual issues in prisons (i.e. consensual homosexuality, masturbation, transsexualism, prostitution, conjugal visits, sex between prisoners and prison staff, and rape among prison inmates) under more general criminological and management concepts. Suggestions for prison administrators on how to manage these complex issues in the best interests of security and inmates' health are also provided.

Federally-Assisted Healthcare Coverage among Male State Prisoners with Chronic Health Problems

PubMed Central

Rosen, David L.; Grodensky, Catherine A.; Holley, Tara K.

2016-01-01

Prisoners have higher rates of chronic diseases such as substance dependence, mental health conditions and infectious disease, as compared to the general population. We projected the number of male state prisoners with a chronic health condition who at release would be eligible or ineligible for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We used ACA income guidelines in conjunction with reported pre-arrest social security benefits and income from a nationally representative sample of prisoners to estimate the number eligible for healthcare coverage at release. There were 643,290 US male prisoners aged 18–64 with a chronic health condition. At release, 73% in Medicaid-expansion states would qualify for Medicaid or tax credits. In non-expansion states, 54% would qualify for tax credits, but 22% (n = 69,827) had incomes of ≤ 100% the federal poverty limit and thus would be ineligible for ACA-mediated healthcare coverage. These prisoners comprise 11% of all male prisoners with a chronic condition. The ACA was projected to provide coverage to most male state prisoners with a chronic health condition; however, roughly 70,000 fall in the “coverage gap” and may require non-routine care at emergency departments. Mechanisms are needed to secure coverage for this at risk group and address barriers to routine utilization of health services. PMID:27479089

Intergenerational transmission of attachment for infants raised in a prison nursery.

PubMed

Byrne, M W; Goshin, L S; Joestl, S S

2010-07-01

Within a larger intervention study, attachment was assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure for 30 infants who co-resided with their mothers in a prison nursery. Sixty percent of infants were classified secure, 75% who co-resided a year or more and 43% who co-resided less than a year, all within the range of normative community samples. The year-long co-residing group had significantly more secure and fewer disorganized infants than predicted by their mothers' attachment status, measured by the Adult Attachment Interview, and a significantly greater proportion of secure infants than meta-analyzed community samples of mothers with low income, depression, or drug/alcohol abuse. Using intergenerational data collected with rigorous methods, this study provides the first evidence that mothers in a prison nursery setting can raise infants who are securely attached to them at rates comparable to healthy community children, even when the mother's own internal attachment representation has been categorized as insecure.

Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment for Infants Raised in a Prison Nursery

PubMed Central

Byrne, M. W.; Goshin, L. S.; Joestl, S. S.

2010-01-01

Within a larger intervention study, attachment was assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure for 30 infants who co-resided with their mothers in a prison nursery. Sixty percent of infants were classified secure, 75% who co-resided a year or more and 43% who co-resided less than a year, all within the range of normative community samples. The year-long co-residing group had significantly more secure and fewer disorganized infants than predicted by their mothers’ attachment status, measured by the Adult Attachment Interview, and a significantly greater proportion of secure infants than meta-analyzed community samples of mothers with low income, depression, or drug/alcohol abuse. Using intergenerational data collected with rigorous methods, this study provides the first evidence that mothers in a prison nursery setting can raise infants who are securely attached to them at rates comparable to healthy community children, even when the mother’s own internal attachment representation has been categorized as insecure. PMID:20582846

Confronting America's most ignored crime problem: the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.

PubMed

Dumond, Robert W

2003-01-01

Prisoner sexual assault has plagued American corrections since its infancy in the 19th century. Although the incidence of prisoner sexual assault is unknown, recent studies reliably suggest the problem is widespread, often affecting the most vulnerable prisoners. The mental health and public health consequences, both within institutions and the community, are complex and devastating, requiring comprehensive intervention and treatment. These crimes have been largely ignored by correctional managers, compromising the safety and security of correctional institutions. The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 could play a vital role in managing a national scandal.

Prison-Based Relationship Counselling: Service User Perceptions and Implications for Resettlement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meek, Rosie

2011-01-01

This article is based on a brief evaluation carried out on behalf of the relationship counselling service, Relate, regarding the delivery of a pilot specialist counselling service for adult male prisoners at HMP Ford, a low security "category D" prison in the South East of England. At the heart of the research lies a focus on the…

Attitudes towards prisoners, as reported by prison inmates, prison employees and college students.

PubMed

Kjelsberg, Ellen; Skoglund, Tom Hilding; Rustad, Aase-Bente

2007-05-04

Positive attitudes towards prisoners are important in securing the effectiveness of various correctional rehabilitation programs and the successful reintegration of prisoners after release. We wanted to investigate the attitudes towards prisoners among prison inmates, prison employees and college students. The Attitudes Toward Prisoners scale was completed by 298 inmates in 4 Norwegian prisons, 387 employees working in the same prisons, and 183 college students. In addition, all respondents were asked a number of general questions about prisoners, crime and punishment. The study groups differed significantly in their attitudes towards prisoners, as measured by the Attitudes Toward Prisoners scale, with prison inmates holding the most positive attitudes. Prison officers held more negative attitudes than other prison employees. Prison employees working in female-only facilities held more positive attitudes than those working in male-only facilities. Students differed significantly in their attitudes, with those studying business economics holding more negative attitudes than those studying nursing. A number of strong correlations emerged between negative attitudes towards prisoners and more pessimistic and punitive answers on general questions about prisoners, crime and punishment. The attitudes towards prisoners differed markedly among the groups investigated. The findings could have important implications, particularly for the preventive work carried out in our prisons. Whether attitudes toward prisoners can be influenced by educational programs and the dispersion of factual information needs to be investigated.

Attitudes towards prisoners, as reported by prison inmates, prison employees and college students

PubMed Central

Kjelsberg, Ellen; Skoglund, Tom Hilding; Rustad, Aase-Bente

2007-01-01

Background Positive attitudes towards prisoners are important in securing the effectiveness of various correctional rehabilitation programs and the successful reintegration of prisoners after release. We wanted to investigate the attitudes towards prisoners among prison inmates, prison employees and college students. Methods The Attitudes Toward Prisoners scale was completed by 298 inmates in 4 Norwegian prisons, 387 employees working in the same prisons, and 183 college students. In addition, all respondents were asked a number of general questions about prisoners, crime and punishment. Results The study groups differed significantly in their attitudes towards prisoners, as measured by the Attitudes Toward Prisoners scale, with prison inmates holding the most positive attitudes. Prison officers held more negative attitudes than other prison employees. Prison employees working in female-only facilities held more positive attitudes than those working in male-only facilities. Students differed significantly in their attitudes, with those studying business economics holding more negative attitudes than those studying nursing. A number of strong correlations emerged between negative attitudes towards prisoners and more pessimistic and punitive answers on general questions about prisoners, crime and punishment. Conclusion The attitudes towards prisoners differed markedly among the groups investigated. The findings could have important implications, particularly for the preventive work carried out in our prisons. Whether attitudes toward prisoners can be influenced by educational programs and the dispersion of factual information needs to be investigated. PMID:17480213

Pastoral Group Counselling at a High Security Prison in Israel: Integrating Pierre Janet's Psychological Analysis with Fritz Perls' Gestalt Therapy.

PubMed

Brown, Paul; Brown, Marta

2015-03-01

This is a report of a short-term, pastoral counselling group conducted with Jewish internees in a high security prison in Israel. It was held as an adjunct to daily secular individual and group counselling and rehabilitation run by the Department of Social Work. Pastoral counselling employed spiritual and psychosocial methodologies to reduce anger, improve prisoner frustration tolerance, and develop a sense of self-efficacy and communal identity. It combined semi-didactic scriptural input with Pierre Janet's personality model, Fritz Perls' gestalt therapy, and analysis of the group process. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions:sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Nurses lead the way with webcam consultations.

PubMed

Pearce, Lynne

2017-09-06

More than a decade ago, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust in West Yorkshire began using a video link to deliver consultations to prisoners at a high-security jail. It meant prisoners no longer had to be escorted to the outpatient department.

[The actions of the Public Prosecution Service in the field of health in prisons].

PubMed

Puppim, Érika Bastos Targino

2016-06-01

In the violent, insalubrious and overpopulated prison environment in which the concerns of penitentiary managers are predominantly focused on security, several actors of the legal world work incessantly to ensure that prisoners enjoy living conditions and access to health care in accordance with their constitutional rights. However, their discourses only appear infrequently in academic research and studies on health in prisons. We decided to ask for the opinion of a District Attorney of the State Public Prosecution Office, Dr. Érika Puppim to share with readers her view and the difficulties in her role in the protection of prisoners.

Do They Need More or Deserve Less?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forster, Bill

1997-01-01

Prison educators are caught between public opinion swings from retribution to rehabilitation, from security to human rights. Even prisoners do not see education as a tool for future employment. The link between education and recidivism rates is difficult to establish. (SK)

[Addiction problems behind prison walls--view of the prison administration].

PubMed

Preusker, H

2000-04-01

As Head of the Prison Administration of Saxony, the author describes the difficulties and problems that exist in the care and treatment of prisoners who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Up to now, these problems have been dealt with in a manner that was too much concentrated on ideas and aspects of security by using systems of control and restrictions. Social contacts inside and outside of the prison and a sense of freedom are, however, the requirements of the legal concept of resettling prisoners. There is a great need for more counselling and therapy. It should also be attempted to improve the conditions for the individual prisoners, e.g. by setting up drug-free units and, thus, provide a environment to the addicts that enables them to live their lives without the daily struggle for drugs and alcohol.

What do prisoners eat? Nutrient intakes and food practices in a high-secure prison.

PubMed

Hannan-Jones, Mary; Capra, Sandra

2016-04-01

There are limited studies on the adequacy of prisoner diet and food practices, yet understanding these are important to inform food provision and assure duty of care for this group. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary intakes of prisoners to inform food and nutrition policy in this setting. This research used a cross-sectional design with convenience sampling in a 945-bed male high-secure prison. Multiple methods were used to assess food available at the group level, including verification of food portion, quality and practices. A pictorial tool supported the diet history method. Of 276 eligible prisoners, 120 dietary interviews were conducted and verified against prison records, with 106 deemed plausible. The results showed the planned food to be nutritionally adequate, with the exception of vitamin D for older males and long-chain fatty acids, with Na above upper limits. The Australian dietary targets for chronic disease risk were not achieved. High energy intakes were reported with median 13·8 (se 0·3) MJ. Probability estimates of inadequate intake varied with age groups: Mg 8 % (>30 years), 2·9 % (70 years), 1·5 % (<70 years); folate 3·5 %; Zn and I 2·7 %; and vitamin A 2·3 %. Nutrient intakes were greatly impacted by self-funded snacks. Results suggest the intakes to be nutritionally favourable when compared with males in the community. This study highlights the complexity of food provision in the prison environment and also poses questions for population-level dietary guidance in delivering appropriate nutrients within energy limits.

Incarcerated fathers and parenting: importance of the relationship with their children.

PubMed

Lee, Chang-Bae; Sansone, Frank A; Swanson, Cheryl; Tatum, Kimberly M

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationships of incarcerated fathers (n = 185) with their children while in a maximum security prison. Despite the attention to parental incarceration and at-risk children, the child welfare and corrections literature has focused mostly on imprisoned mothers and children. Demographic, sentence, child-related, and program participation factors were investigated for their influence on father-child relationships. Multiple regression analyses indicated race and sentence contributed to the father's positive perceptions of contacts with their children. Most important, many, though serving lengthy sentences, valued and perceived a positive father-child relationship. Results are discussed in light of implications for future research and social policy.

Work-family conflict and job burnout among correctional staff: a comment on Lambert and Hogan (2010)1.

PubMed

Smith, Kenneth J

2011-02-01

Lambert and Hogan (2010) examined the relations between work-family conflict, role stress, and other noted predictors, on reported emotional exhaustion among a sample of 272 correctional staff at a maximum security prison. Using an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model, the authors found work-on-family conflict, perceived dangerousness of the job, and role strain to have positive relations with emotional exhaustion. However, contrary to expectation they found that custody officers reported lower exhaustion than did their noncustody staff counterparts. Suggestions are provided for follow-up efforts designed to extend this line of research and correct methodological issues.

Hospital security: strengthening the weakest link--forensic patients.

PubMed

Lashley, Joel

2008-01-01

In this article, reprinted with permission from CorrectionsOne.com, the online resource for the Corrections community, the author focuses on the responsibility of the hospital, its security department, and its healthcare staff when a forensic prisoner is brought in for treatment. Hospitals are responsible for all of their patients, he says, and as such, have every right to ask how much of a danger a given patient presents to their facility, and whether they should insist on a higher level of security. To avoid the tragic occurrences which have all to often taken place when forensic prisoners try to escape, hospitals should require their own security department to liaison with all agencies that maintain custody of patients inside their facility in order to assess any related security risks--and offer appropriate support. Even unarmed healthcare security personnel need to receive training in weapons retention and control, and all healthcare staff should be versed in tactical awareness.

Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

associated with a nationwide shortage of space for pre-trial detainees are exacerbated by the current lack of available prison (post-trial...capacity. Currently, Iraq is utilizing all of its post-trial prison capacity. Although U.S.-funded construction at December 14, 2007 4 Nasiriyah...Fort Suse and Cham Chamal should provide another 6,000 prison beds by the end of 2009, these will not begin to become available until mid-2008. As a

The Westgate Service and Related Referral, Assessment, and Treatment Processes.

PubMed

Bennett, Alice L

2015-12-01

The formerly named "Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder" (DSPD) units are no longer standalone services within the criminal justice system in England and Wales. These sites now provide personality disorder treatment services in the high-security prison estate as part of the new national Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway Strategy. The OPD Pathway intends to take responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and management of offenders who are likely to have a personality disorder and who present a high risk of re-offending (men and women) and serious harm to others (men). Further PD treatment and progression services are being commissioned in lower security prisons and in the community as part of the new PD Strategy. While the suitability criteria for the two male high-security PD treatment sites are the same, the individual units have their own assessment and treatment methods. This article aims to communicate the referral, assessment, and treatment methods employed within the prison-based Westgate Personality Disorder Treatment Service, HMP Frankland. © The Author(s) 2014.

[Medical ethics in prison medicine].

PubMed

Bernheim, J

1980-11-01

A series of situations and decisions involving medical ethics in a prison medical service are discussed. The doctor's independence is considered in relation to his contract with administrative authorities. In contrast with most private doctor-patient relationships, there is usually no possibility for prisoners to choose their doctor and vice-versa. Freedom of consent on the part of the patient may also imply a right to no-treatment. Medical care in prison is not easy to delineate, also because patients often try to involve the doctor in non-medical demands. A prison doctor should avoid taking part in decisions which ought to be made by the judiciary or by administrative authorities. Programmes involving preventive medicine and sociotherapy imply collaboration between therapeutic and security staff. The continuous interplay and readjustment between powers based on public authority, on the rights of each individual prisoner and on the medical programmes makes it possible for some sort of therapeutic freedom to exist in the prison.

HIV and STD testing in prisons: perspectives of in-prison service providers.

PubMed

Grinstead, Olga; Seal, David W; Wolitski, Richard; Flanigan, Timothy; Fitzgerald, Christine; Nealey-Moore, Jill; Askew, John

2003-12-01

Because individuals at risk for HIV and STDs are concentrated in prisons and jails, incarceration is an opportunity to provide HIV and STD testing. We interviewed 72 service providers working in U.S. prisons in four states about their experiences with and perceptions regarding HIV and STD testing in prison. Providers' job duties represented administration, education, security, counseling, and medical care. Providers' knowledge of prison procedures and programs related to HIV and STD testing was narrowly limited to their specific job duties, resulting in many missed opportunities for prevention counseling and referral. Suggestions include increasing health care and counseling staff so posttest counseling can be provided for those with negative as well as positive test results, providing additional prevention programs for incarcerated persons, improving staff training about HIV and STD testing, and improving communication among in-prison providers as well as between corrections and public health staff.

49 CFR 1544.221 - Carriage of prisoners under the control of armed law enforcement officers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Transportation (Continued) TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CIVIL AVIATION SECURITY AIRCRAFT OPERATOR SECURITY: AIR CARRIERS AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS Operations § 1544.221 Carriage... custody of an armed law enforcement officer aboard an aircraft for which screening is required unless, in...

Prison Volunteers: Profiles, Motivations, Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tewksbury, Richard; Dabney, Dean

2004-01-01

Large numbers of correctional institutions rely on volunteers to assist staff in various programs and tasks. At present there exists a paucity of literature describing these programs and/or subjecting them to systematic evaluation. The present study uses self-report data from a sample of active volunteers at a medium-security Southern prison to…

Adults Who Read Like Children: The Psycholinguistic Bases. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Read, Charles

A study examined basic reading skills among men in prison, comparing poor and adequate readers with respect to comprehension, decoding, short-term memory, and speech perception. Subjects, 88 inmates of normal intelligence, normal hearing, and no significant speech abnormalities, at a minimum-security prison, were given reading comprehension tests…

Learning Locked down: Evaluating the Treatment of Students' Rights in High Security School Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bracy, Nicole L.

2009-01-01

Public schools have transformed significantly over the past several decades in response to broad concerns about rising school violence. Today's public schools are high security environments employing tactics commonly found in jails and prisons such as police officers, security cameras, identification systems, and secure building strategies.…

28 CFR 524.72 - CIM assignment categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... groups (e.g., prison gangs), which have a history of disrupting operations and security in either state... assignment categories. CIM cases are classified according to the following assignments: (a) Witness Security... safety of these individuals. There are two types of Witness Security cases: Department of Justice...

Grief Counseling Groups in a Medium-Security Prison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Margaret J.; McEwen, Margaret A.

2004-01-01

The authors discuss their facilitation of four grief counseling groups with male inmates in a state prison over a two-year period. Worden's Tasks of Mourning were used as a guide for the group process. Disenfranchised grief and gender and cultural issues in grieving are explored. Catalytic exercises are described, and written feedback from inmates…

Insomnia management in prisons in England and Wales: a mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Dewa, Lindsay H; Hassan, Lamiece; Shaw, Jenny J; Senior, Jane

2017-06-01

Insomnia in prison is common; however, research is limited regarding the management strategies that prison establishments employ. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a survey to identify how insomnia is detected, diagnosed and treated in adult prisons in England and Wales. Telephone interviews with a purposive sample of health-care managers were then conducted. The survey was sent to all establishments holding adult prisoners, covering screening and assessment methods to detect insomnia; treatment options, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological; the importance of insomnia as a treatable condition; and staff training available. Eighty-four (73%) prisons completed the survey. Few had a stepped approach to insomnia management, as recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The most common treatments available were sleep hygiene education and medication, offered by 94 and 88% of respondents, respectively. Analysis of telephone interviews revealed four main themes: insomnia as a normal occurrence in prison; the problem of medication in prison; the negative impact of the prison environment; and effective management of insomnia in prison. The current findings suggest that logistical, ethical and security barriers and a lack of staff knowledge and training impact negatively on the management of insomnia in prison. © 2017 European Sleep Research Society.

28 CFR 2.2 - Eligibility for parole; adult sentences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... U.S.C. 5871 [violation of Federal gun control laws], a Federal prisoner serving such term or terms... of such term or terms, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 4205(a). (e) A Federal prisoner serving a maximum term...

"People don't understand what goes on in here": A consensual qualitative research analysis of inmate-caregiver perspectives on prison-based end-of-life care.

PubMed

Depner, Rachel M; Grant, Pei C; Byrwa, David J; Breier, Jennifer M; Lodi-Smith, Jennifer; Luczkiewicz, Debra L; Kerr, Christopher W

2018-05-01

The age demographic of the incarcerated is quickly shifting from young to old. Correctional facilities are responsible for navigating inmate access to healthcare; currently, there is no standardization for access to end-of-life care. There is growing research support for prison-based end-of-life care programs that incorporate inmate peer caregivers as a way to meet the needs of the elderly and dying who are incarcerated. This project aims to (a) describe a prison-based end-of-life program utilizing inmate peer caregivers, (b) identify inmate-caregiver motivations for participation, and (c) analyze the role of building trust and meaningful relationships within the correctional end-of-life care setting. A total of 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with inmate-caregivers. Data were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research methodology. All inmate-caregivers currently participating in the end-of-life peer care program at Briarcliff Correctional Facility were given the opportunity to participate. All participants were male, over the age of 18, and also incarcerated at Briarcliff Correctional Facility, a maximum security, state-level correctional facility. In total, five over-arching and distinct domains emerged; this manuscript focuses on the following three: (a) program description, (b) motivation, and (c) connections with others. Findings suggest that inmate-caregivers believe they provide a unique and necessary adaptation to prison-based end-of-life care resulting in multilevel benefits. These additional perceived benefits go beyond a marginalized group gaining access to patient-centered end-of-life care and include potential inmate-caregiver rehabilitation, correctional medical staff feeling supported, and correctional facilities meeting end-of-life care mandates. Additional research is imperative to work toward greater standardization of and access to end-of-life care for the incarcerated.

28 CFR 501.2 - National security cases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false National security cases. 501.2 Section 501.2 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SCOPE OF RULES § 501.2 National security cases. (a) Upon direction of the Attorney General, the...

28 CFR 501.2 - National security cases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false National security cases. 501.2 Section 501.2 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SCOPE OF RULES § 501.2 National security cases. (a) Upon direction of the Attorney General, the...

28 CFR 501.2 - National security cases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false National security cases. 501.2 Section 501.2 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SCOPE OF RULES § 501.2 National security cases. (a) Upon direction of the Attorney General, the...

28 CFR 501.2 - National security cases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false National security cases. 501.2 Section 501.2 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SCOPE OF RULES § 501.2 National security cases. (a) Upon direction of the Attorney General, the...

28 CFR 501.2 - National security cases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National security cases. 501.2 Section 501.2 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SCOPE OF RULES § 501.2 National security cases. (a) Upon direction of the Attorney General, the...

75 FR 26733 - Preventing Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-12

... alternative approach could be to specify maximum allowable equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP... technical approaches to preventing contraband cell phone use in prisons. Congress tasked NTIA with..., wireless technology solutions. NTIA understands that a number of technological approaches exist that could...

Paternal Incarceration and the Housing Security of Urban Mothers

PubMed Central

Geller, Amanda; Franklin, Allyson Walker

2014-01-01

High rates of imprisonment among American fathers have motivated an ongoing examination of incarceration’s role in family life. A growing literature suggests that incarceration creates material and socioemotional challenges not only for prisoners and former prisoners but also for their families and communities. The authors examined the relationship between fathers’ incarceration and one such challenge: the housing insecurity of the mothers of their children. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,125) and a series of longitudinal regression models, they found that mothers’ housing security was compromised following their partners’ incarceration, an association likely driven in part, but not entirely, by financial challenges following his time in prison or jail. Given the importance of stable housing for the continuity of adult employment, children’s schooling, and other inputs to healthy child development, the findings suggest a grave threat to the well-being of children with incarcerated fathers. PMID:26336324

Extent and characteristics of woman batterers among federal inmates.

PubMed

White, Robert J; Gondolf, Edward W; Robertson, Donald U; Goodwin, Beverly J; Caraveo, L Eduardo

2002-08-01

Efforts to identify men who batter women in clinical settings have increased in recent years, but batterer research in United States federal prisons is lacking; low security federal prisons are logical places to consider batterer screening and treatment given the number of men, the domestic violence "risk markers" associated with these men and the likelihood they will be released and return to female partners. This study examined intake assessment data for 115 low security federal inmates. The inmates evidenced high levels of risk markers for woman battering, one in three (33%) acknowledged recent physical violence against women partners, 1 in 10 (13%) admitted severe violence, and the self-identified batterers showed more substance use and personality problems than other inmates. The findings suggest that batterer screening and treatment may be needed in federal prisons and that more research is warranted with a burgeoning male population that ultimately returns to society.

Housing for the "Worst of the Worst" Inmates: Public Support for Supermax Prisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mears, Daniel P.; Mancini, Christina; Beaver, Kevin M.; Gertz, Marc

2013-01-01

Despite concerns whether supermaximum security prisons violate human rights or prove effective, these facilities have proliferated in America over the past 25 years. This punishment--aimed at the "worst of the worst" inmates and involving 23-hr-per-day single-cell confinement with few privileges or services--has emerged despite little…

Inside the Fences: Pedagogical Practices and Purposes of Songwriting in an Adult Male U.S. State Prison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Mary L.; Wilson, Catherine M.

2017-01-01

We examined pedagogical strategies for facilitating and developing songwriting skills with 17 males incarcerated at a U.S. medium security prison. We also investigated the participants' sense of self-worth, purpose, and social adjustment related to their participation in the songwriters' workshops. The songwriting sessions spanned over two…

Essential Elements of an Effective and Sustainable Prison Hospice Program

PubMed Central

Cloyes, Kristin G.; Rosenkranz, Susan J.; Berry, Patricia H.; Supiano, Katherine P.; Routt, Meghan; Shannon-Dorcy, Kathleen; Llanque, Sarah M.

2015-01-01

As the number of prison inmates facing end-stage chronic illness grows, more prisons across the U.S. must address the need for end-of-life care. Many will likely need to develop a plan with potentially limited resources and external support. This case study presents one long-running model of care, the Louisiana State Penitentiary Prison Hospice Program. Based on field observations and in-depth interviews with hospice staff, inmate volunteers and corrections officers, we identify five essential elements that have contributed to the long-term operation of this program: patient-centered care, an inmate volunteer model, safety and security, shared values, and teamwork. We describe key characteristics of each of these elements, discuss how they align with earlier recommendations and research, and show how their integration supports a sustained model of prison end-of-life care. PMID:25735806

Anxiety and styles of coping with occupational stress resulting from work with 'dangerous' prisoners in prison service officers.

PubMed

Tsirigotis, Konstantinos; Gruszczyński, Wojciech; Pęczkowski, Sebastian

2015-10-01

Prisoners categorised as 'dangerous' are a category of prisoners that require and/or force into using special measures of caution, protection and security. The aim of the study was to examine the intensity of anxiety (as a state and as a trait) experienced by officers working with 'dangerous' prisoners and styles of coping with stress they adopt. A total of 40 officers working with 'dangerous' prisoners (the study group, SG) and 60 officers of the security department not working with 'dangerous' prisoners (the reference group, RG) were studied. The intensity of anxiety was assessed applying the Polish version of 'State-Trait Anxiety Inventory' (STAI); styles of coping with stress were explored employing the Polish version of 'Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations' (CISS) and the author's own questionnaire. Data were analysed using the mean, standard deviation, difference testing (the Mann-Whitney U test), correlation-regression procedure (Kendall's tau, τ correlation coefficient and forward stepwise multiple regression). Officers in the SG faced verbal and physical aggression; nevertheless, scores of officers in both the groups were within the interval of mean scores for all the studied STAI and CISS variables. Officers in the SG achieved significantly higher scores on the state-anxiety scale and the Emotion-Oriented Style (EOS), and lower scores on the Task-Oriented Style (TOS) and Social Diversion (SD). The correlation-regression procedure indicated that there were relationships between anxiety and styles of coping with stress but they differed slightly between the groups. Officers in the SG feel state anxiety stronger and display a stronger preference for the EOS than officers in the RG. Officers in the RG more strongly prefer the TOS and SD. State anxiety is a variable negatively explaining the TOS in the SG, whereas anxiety as a trait is a variable explaining the EOS in both the groups. The coping styles of warders dealing with dangerous prisoners are different and may need specific psychological counselling and training programmes.

Recording and Analysis of the Rec Yard at Alcatraz Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warden, R.; Toz, T. K.; Everett, M.; DeSmet, T.; Billingsley, A.; Hagin, J.

2013-07-01

In the summer of 2012 students and professors from the Concrete Industry Management (CIM ) program at California State University Chico, along with their partners at National Park Service, invited Texas A&M students and professors to join forces and perform a condition assessment of the Recreation Yard at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The Recreation Yard is a heavily visited area by tourists who are drawn to the island because of its history as a maximum security prison in the 20th c. Because of its history, first as a military fort in the 19thc., later as a military prison, and finally as a federal prison, many difficult historical and preservation related questions exist. This team was formed to begin research on the historical and preservation questions with respect to the Recreation Yard. This paper and presentation will focus on the integration of documentation technologies employed to aid the research necessary for answering preservation and historical questions regarding the recreations yard. Since that yard was constructed on top of the historic 19th c masonry fort it was requested that we also seek the location of tunnels below the Recreation Yard and their relationship with the walls. Teams were formed to perform Non-destructive testing of concrete walls to determine the size and location of rebar, Ground Penetrating Radar for determining the location of the masonry tunnels and photogrammetry and laser scanning to provide both overall and detailed dimensional information of the current state of material decay.

Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral trauma treatment for incarcerated women with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders.

PubMed

Wolff, Nancy; Frueh, B Christopher; Shi, Jing; Schumann, Brooke E

2012-10-01

An open trial design was used to examine the implementation and effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention (Seeking Safety) for comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) for incarcerated women with Axis I mental disorders who self-referred for specialty trauma treatment. The study sample was female inmates aged 18 and old who were primarily minority, had experienced childhood-based trauma, committed violent crimes, had a serious mental illness, and resided in maximum, medium, and minimum compounds of a women's prison. A total of 74 women completed the group intervention, with the average attending 23 of the 28 sessions (82%). Implementation feasibility was demonstrated by the ability to recruit, screen, assign, and retain participation. Effectiveness was supported by changes pre-post intervention on the PTSD Checklist (ES=0.56) and Global Severity Index (ES=0.47). Of the 19 completers with PCL scores of 50 or higher pre-intervention, 16 (84%) had scores below 50, the "cut score" consistent with or supportive of a PTSD diagnosis. Three-quarters or more of participants reported that Seeking Safety was helpful in each of the following areas: overall, for traumatic stress symptoms, for substance use, to focus on safety, and to learn safe coping skills. Future directions include the need for larger scale randomized controlled trials in medium or maximum security prisons and fidelity evaluations of non-research dissemination efforts. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Physical and property victimization behind bars: a multilevel examination.

PubMed

Lahm, Karen F

2009-06-01

The majority of the extant literature on inmate victimization considers only one level of analysis, thus ignoring the interaction effects between inmate- and prison-level variables. To extend this literature, multilevel modeling techniques were used to analyze self-report data from more than 1,000 inmates and 30 prisons in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. Results revealed that demographic variables were strong predictors of physical victimization (i.e., race and assaultive behavior). Also, security level had a contextual direct effect on physical victimization. Property victimization was best explained with an integrated model including inmate (i.e., race, assaultive behavior, prior education, prior employment, and time served), contextual (i.e., security level and proportion non-White), and micro-macro interaction variables (i.e., Race x Security Level). Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Characteristics of inmates receiving prescribed benzodiazepines in a high-security Greek prison.

PubMed

Lekka, Nicoletta P; Paschalis, Christos; Papadourakis, Antonios; Beratis, Stavroula

2003-01-01

The aim of the current study was to investigate the characteristics of Greek inmates that were taking regularly benzodiazepines (BZDs) at therapeutic doses, in the high-security prison of Patras, Greece. Three hundred eighty-four prisoners were included in the study. BZD users (BUs, n = 192), compared with non-BZD users (NBUs, n = 192), were significantly more often unemployed before imprisonment; were significantly more often single, divorced, or widowed; were significantly more often on remand; were taking in significantly greater proportions antidepressant and antipsychotic medications; had significantly more often a history of psychiatric hospitalization; and had significantly more often a history of illicit intravenous (IV) drug use. BUs were significantly more often positive on serum antibodies to hepatitis C (anti-HCV), and scored significantly higher on Hamilton's Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the history of psychiatric hospitalization, history of illicit drug use, history of unemployment, symptoms of anxiety, and anti-HCV positivity were independently associated with BZD use in this prison. Medical and psychiatric interventions focusing on anxiety problems, depression, drug addiction, and HCV in this group of BUs are warranted.

HIV, prisoners, and human rights.

PubMed

Rubenstein, Leonard S; Amon, Joseph J; McLemore, Megan; Eba, Patrick; Dolan, Kate; Lines, Rick; Beyrer, Chris

2016-09-17

Worldwide, a disproportionate burden of HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis is present among current and former prisoners. This problem results from laws, policies, and policing practices that unjustly and discriminatorily detain individuals and fail to ensure continuity of prevention, care, and treatment upon detention, throughout imprisonment, and upon release. These government actions, and the failure to ensure humane prison conditions, constitute violations of human rights to be free of discrimination and cruel and inhuman treatment, to due process of law, and to health. Although interventions to prevent and treat HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and drug dependence have proven successful in prisons and are required by international law, they commonly are not available. Prison health services are often not governed by ministries responsible for national public health programmes, and prison officials are often unwilling to implement effective prevention measures such as needle exchange, condom distribution, and opioid substitution therapy in custodial settings, often based on mistaken ideas about their incompatibility with prison security. In nearly all countries, prisoners face stigma and social marginalisation upon release and frequently are unable to access health and social support services. Reforms in criminal law, policing practices, and justice systems to reduce imprisonment, reforms in the organisation and management of prisons and their health services, and greater investment of resources are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Special Needs Program for Inmate-Patients with Dementia (SNPID): a psychosocial program provided in the prison system.

PubMed

Hodel, Bettina; Sánchez, Heriberto G

2013-09-01

This article discusses a comprehensive psychosocial program developed for a prison in California--the Special Needs Program for Inmate-Patients with Dementia (SNPID). It describes the individual steps of the program, their content and their application in a system that has safety and security as its highest priority. An important and innovatory aspect of SNIPD is the role of other inmates in supporting inmates with dementia. The article concludes that psychosocial interventions can be appropriately applied in prison settings and make a difference in the quality of life for inmate-patients with dementia.

Variations in prison mental health services in England and Wales.

PubMed

Forrester, Andrew; Exworthy, Tim; Olumoroti, Olumuyiwa; Sessay, Mohammed; Parrott, Janet; Spencer, Sarah-Jane; Whyte, Sean

2013-01-01

In responding to high levels of psychiatric morbidity amongst prisoners and recognising earlier poor quality prison mental health care, prison mental health in-reach teams have been established in England and Wales over the last decade. They are mostly provided by the National Health Service (NHS), which provides the majority of UK healthcare services. Over the same period, the prison population has grown to record levels, such that prisons in England and Wales now contain almost 90,000 of the world's overall prison population of over 10 million people (roughly the size of Paris or Istanbul). This study provides an overview of mental health in-reach services in prisons in England and Wales, including variations between them, through a telephone survey of senior staff in all prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales. 73% of prisons took part; of them 13% had no in-reach team at all (usually low security establishments) and the majority of services were run by NHS teams, usually according to a generic community mental health team (CMHT) model rather than other specialist models. Team size was unrelated to prison size. Each nurse covered around 500 prisoners, each doctor over 3700. Many provided few or no healthcare cells and 24-h psychiatric cover (including on-call cover) was uncommon. Despite developments in recent years, mental health in-reach services still fall short of community equivalence and there is wide variation in service arrangements that cannot be explained by prison size or function. The aim of community equivalence has not yet been reached in prison healthcare and a more sophisticated measure of service improvement and standardisation would now be useful to drive and monitor future development. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

28 CFR 540.41 - Visiting facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Visiting facilities. 540.41 Section 540.41 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT CONTACT... visitors. (a) Institutions of minimum and low security levels may permit visits beyond the security...

75 FR 76263 - Inmate Discipline Program/Special Housing Units: Subpart Revision and Clarification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau of Prisons most like another prohibited act in... harm to others; or those hazardous to institutional security or personal safety; e.g., hack-saw blade... Conduct which disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau...

Teaching Composition in Prisons: Methods and Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mowery, Carl D., Jr.

A pilot study gathered information on materials and methods used by writing instructors teaching in prisons in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri via a questionnaire. The classes taught by the respondents were all at the college level, were sponsored by various universities and colleges, and all but two were taught at maximum security…

Prevalence and correlates of latent tuberculosis infection among employees of a high security prison in Malaysia.

PubMed

Al-Darraji, Haider Abdulrazzaq Abed; Tan, Cynthia; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L

2015-06-01

Although prison employees share the same tuberculosis (TB) risk environment with prisoners, the magnitude of TB problems among prison employees is unknown in most resource-limited prisons. This survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence and correlates of tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity among employees in Malaysia's largest prison. Consented, full-time prison employees were interviewed using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic data, history of working in the correctional system and TB-related risk. TST was placed intradermally and read after 48-72 h. Induration size of ≥10 mm was considered positive. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore associations with TST positivity. Of the 445 recruited prison employees, 420 (94.4%) had complete data. Most were young (median=30.0 years) men (88.8%) who had only worked at this prison (76.4%) for a median total employment period of 60 months (IQR 34.5-132.0). The majority were correctional officers, while civilian employees represented only 7.6% of the sample. Only 26 (6.2%) reported having ever been screened for TB since employment. Prevalence of TST positivity was 81% and was independently associated with longer (≥12 months) prison employment (AOR 4.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 15.9) and current tobacco smoking (AOR=1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.2). Latent TB prevalence was high in this sample, approximating that of prisoners in this setting, perhaps suggesting within prison TB transmission in this facility. Formal TB control programmes for personnel and prisoners alike are urgently needed within the Malaysian correctional system. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Prevalence and correlates of latent tuberculosis infection among employees of a high security prison in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Al-Darraji, Haider Abdulrazzaq Abed; Tan, Cynthia; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L

2015-01-01

Objectives Although prison employees share the same tuberculosis (TB) risk environment with prisoners, the magnitude of TB problems among prison employees is unknown in most resource-limited prisons. This survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence and correlates of tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity among employees in Malaysia’s largest prison. Methods Consented, full-time prison employees were interviewed using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic data, history of working in the correctional system and TB-related risk. TST was placed intradermally and read after 48–72 h. Induration size of ≥10 mm was considered positive. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore associations with TST positivity. Results Of the 445 recruited prison employees, 420 (94.4%) had complete data. Most were young (median=30.0 years) men (88.8%) who had only worked at this prison (76.4%) for a median total employment period of 60 months (IQR 34.5–132.0). The majority were correctional officers, while civilian employees represented only 7.6% of the sample. Only 26 (6.2%) reported having ever been screened for TB since employment. Prevalence of TST positivity was 81% and was independently associated with longer (≥12 months) prison employment (AOR 4.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 15.9) and current tobacco smoking (AOR=1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.2). Conclusions Latent TB prevalence was high in this sample, approximating that of prisoners in this setting, perhaps suggesting within prison TB transmission in this facility. Formal TB control programmes for personnel and prisoners alike are urgently needed within the Malaysian correctional system. PMID:25794506

The Role of Psychopathy and Exposure to Violence in Rape Myth Acceptance.

PubMed

Debowska, Agata; Boduszek, Daniel; Dhingra, Katie; Kola, Susanna; Meller-Prunska, Aleksandra

2015-09-01

The main aim of the present study was to specify and test a structural model to examine the relationships between four psychopathy dimensions (Interpersonal Manipulation, Callous Affect, Erratic Lifestyle, and Antisocial Behavior), childhood exposure to violence, and rape myth acceptance while controlling for gender, age, sample type (prisoner vs. non-prisoner), and relationship status. Participants were a sample of non-offending adults (n = 319) recruited from the University of Security in Poznan, and a sample of prisoners (n = 129) incarcerated in Stargard Szczecinski Prison. Results indicated that the model provided a good fit for the data, and that Callous Affect and childhood exposure to violence had a significant positive effect on attitudes toward rape and rape victims. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

A qualitative synthesis of the positive and negative impacts related to delivery of peer-based health interventions in prison settings.

PubMed

South, Jane; Woodall, James; Kinsella, Karina; Bagnall, Anne-Marie

2016-09-29

Peer interventions involving prisoners in delivering peer education and peer support in a prison setting can address health need and add capacity for health services operating in this setting. This paper reports on a qualitative synthesis conducted as part of a systematic review of prison-based peer interventions. One of the review questions aimed to investigate the positive and negative impacts of delivering peer interventions within prison settings. This covered organisational and process issues relating to peer interventions, including prisoner and staff views. A qualitative synthesis of qualitative and mixed method studies was undertaken. The overall study design comprised a systematic review involving searching, study selection, data extraction and validity assessment. Studies reporting interventions with prisoners or ex-prisoners delivering education or support to prisoners resident in any type of prison or young offender institution, all ages, male and female, were included. A thematic synthesis was undertaken with a subset of studies reporting qualitative data (n = 33). This involved free coding of text reporting qualitative findings to develop a set of codes, which were then grouped into thematic categories and mapped back to the review question. Themes on process issues and wider impacts were grouped into four thematic categories: peer recruitment training and support; organisational support; prisoner relationships; prison life. There was consistent qualitative evidence on the need for organisational support within the prison to ensure smooth implementation and on managing security risks when prisoners were involved in service delivery. A suite of factors affecting the delivery of peer interventions and the wider organisation of prison life were identified. Alongside reported benefits of peer delivery, some reasons for non-utilisation of services by other prisoners were found. There was weak qualitative evidence on wider impacts on the prison system, including better communication between staff and prisoners. Gaps in evidence were identified. The quality of included studies limited the strength of the conclusions. The main conclusion is that peer interventions cannot be seen as independent of prison life and health services need to work in partnership with prison services to deliver peer interventions. More research is needed on long-term impacts. PROSPERO ref: CRD42012002349 .

Participatory communication for tuberculosis control in prisons in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Paraguay.

PubMed

Waisbord, Silvio

2010-03-01

To assess the challenges in reducing tuberculosis (TB) in prisons in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Paraguay and propose ways to address them through communication interventions. Challenges to two central goals of TB control--early diagnosis of positive cases and successful application of the directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS) strategy--were examined. Data were gathered (through in-depth, structured interviews) and focus groups were conducted in the prisons that housed the largest number of male inmates in each country. Interviewees and focus group participants included program directors, administrative personnel, correctional health and security staff, and incarcerated people who were or had been under treatment for TB and had participated as 'peers' in health services. The findings showed a range of entrenched obstacles for adequate TB control. Stigmatizing attitudes and low knowledge about TB among inmates and key prison personnel discouraged people living in prisons from seeking diagnosis and treatment. Systemic problems in prison health services, along with squalid living conditions, lack of coordination between national TB programs and prison health systems, and insufficient allocation of resources to health prevented the provision of adequate TB prevention and care. In addressing the barriers to effective TB control in prison systems in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Paraguay, a participatory approach to communication is necessary.

The Cultural Construction of Mental Illness in Prison: A Perfect Storm of Pathology

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Large numbers of individuals in U.S. prisons meet DSM criteria for severe psychiatric disorder. These individuals also have co-occurring personality and substance abuse disorders, medical conditions, and histories of exposure to social pathologies. Based on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork in a U.S. prison, focusing on staff narratives, I utilize interpretivist and constructivist perspectives to analyze how mental health clinicians construct psychiatric disorder among inmates. Discrete categorization of disorders may be confounded by the clinical co-morbidities of inmates and the prison context. Incarcerated individuals’ responses to the institutional context substantially inform mental health staffs’ illness construction and the prison itself is identified as an etiological agent for disordered behaviors. In addition, diagnostic processes are found to be indeterminate, contested, and shaped by interactions with staff. Analysis of illness construction reveals that what is at stake for clinicians is not only provision of appropriate treatment, but also mandates for the safety and security of the institution. Enmeshed in these mandates, prison mental health becomes a particular local form of psychiatric knowledge. This paper contributes to anthropological approaches to mental disorder by demonstrating how local contexts mediate psychiatric knowledge and contribute to the limited ethnographic record of prisons. PMID:23212545

Recidivism after Release from a Prison Nursery Program

PubMed Central

Goshin, Lorie S.; Byrne, Mary W.; Henninger, Alana M.

2013-01-01

Objective To analyze three-year recidivism after release from a prison nursery, a secure unit that allows imprisoned women to care for their infants. Design and Sample Descriptive study of 139 women who co-resided with their infants between 2001–2007 in X prison nursery. Measurement Administrative criminal justice data were analyzed along with prospective study data on demographic, mental health, and prison nursery policy-related factors. Results Results reflect a sample of young women of color with histories of clinically significant depressive symptoms and substance dependence, who were convicted of nonviolent crimes and had multiple prior arrests. Three years after release 86.3% remained in the community. Only 4% of women returned to prison for new crimes. Survival modeling indicated that women who had previously violated parole had a significantly shorter mean return to prison time than those who were in the nursery for a new crime. Conclusion Women released from a prison nursery have a low likelihood of recidivism. Innovative interventions are needed to address incarceration’s public health effects. Nurses can partner with criminal justice organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate programs to ensure the health needs of criminal justice involved people and their families are met. PMID:24588129

Recidivism after release from a prison nursery program.

PubMed

Goshin, Lorie S; Byrne, Mary W; Henninger, Alana M

2014-01-01

To analyze 3-year recidivism after release from a prison nursery, a secure unit that allows imprisoned women to care for their infants. Descriptive study of 139 women who co-resided with their infants between 2001 and 2007 in a New York State prison nursery. Administrative criminal justice data were analyzed along with prospective study data on demographic, mental health, and prison nursery policy-related factors. Results reflect a sample of young women of color with histories of clinically significant depressive symptoms and substance dependence, who were convicted of nonviolent crimes and had multiple prior arrests. Three years after release 86.3% remained in the community. Only 4% of women returned to prison for new crimes. Survival modeling indicated that women who had previously violated parole had a significantly shorter mean return to prison time than those who were in the nursery for a new crime. Women released from a prison nursery have a low likelihood of recidivism. Innovative interventions are needed to address incarceration's public health effects. Nurses can partner with criminal justice organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate programs to ensure the health needs of criminal justice involved people and their families are met. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Incarcerated women develop a nutrition and fitness program: participatory research.

PubMed

Elwood Martin, Ruth; Adamson, Sue; Korchinski, Mo; Granger-Brown, Alison; R Ramsden, Vivian; A Buxton, Jane; Espinoza-Magana, Nancy; L Pollock, Sue; J F Smith, Megan; C Macaulay, Ann; Lisa Condello, Lara; Gregory Hislop, T

2013-01-01

Women in prison throughout the world experience higher rates of mental and physical illness compared with the general population and compared with men in prison. The paper finds no published studies that report on men or women in prison engaging in participatory health research to address their concerns about nutrition and fitness. The purpose of this paper is to describe a pilot nutrition and fitness program, which resulted from a unique prison participatory health research project. Women in prison designed, led, and evaluated a six-week pilot fitness program in a minimum/medium security women's prison. Pre- and post-program assessments included a self-administered questionnaire and body measures. Open-ended questionnaire responses illuminated the quantitative findings. Sixteen women in prison completed the program evaluation. Weight, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and chest measurements decreased, and energy, sleep, and stress levels improved by the end of the program. As a component of a participatory research project, incarcerated women designed and led a nutrition and fitness program, which resulted in improved body measures and self-reported health benefits. ORIGINALITY VALUE: Incarceration provides opportunities to engage women in designing their own health programs with consequent potential long-term "healing" benefits.

[Projection of prisoner numbers].

PubMed

Metz, Rainer; Sohn, Werner

2015-01-01

The past and future development of occupancy rates in prisons is of crucial importance for the judicial administration of every country. Basic factors for planning the required penal facilities are seasonal fluctuations, minimum, maximum and average occupancy as well as the present situation and potential development of certain imprisonment categories. As the prisoner number of a country is determined by a complex set of interdependent conditions, it has turned out to be difficult to provide any theoretical explanations. The idea accepted in criminology for a long time that prisoner numbers are interdependent with criminal policy must be regarded as having failed. Statistical and time series analyses may help, however, to identify the factors having influenced the development of prisoner numbers in the past. The analyses presented here, first describe such influencing factors from a criminological perspective and then deal with their statistical identification and modelling. Using the development of prisoner numbers in Hesse as an example, it has been found that modelling methods in which the independent variables predict the dependent variable with a time lag are particularly helpful. A potential complication is, however, that for predicting the number of prisoners the different dynamics in German and foreign prisoners require the development of further models.

Ethical issues of prison nursing: A qualitative study in Northern Italy.

PubMed

Sasso, Loredana; Delogu, Barbara; Carrozzino, Roberto; Aleo, Giuseppe; Bagnasco, Annamaria

2018-05-01

Prisons are contexts where nurses are required to have specific skills to ensure that, in a setting designed for the expiation of crime, prisoners receive the same type of care as anyone else. But this is not always the case, giving rise to ethical issues. 'How do correctional nurses describe their working experience in prisons? What issues emerged?' This is a qualitative descriptive study. Following purposive sampling, we conducted five focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Participants and research context: Our sample included 31 correctional nurses in seven prisons in Northern Italy. Ethical considerations: The scientific merit of this study was recognized by the Academic Board of the University of Genoa. Approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Liguria Regional Government that funded this study and from the Local Health Authority that was the prison nurses' employer. Formal consent was obtained from all the nurses who volunteered to participate in this study. Five themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) prisoners' healthcare needs, (2) negotiation between custody and care, (3) satisfaction of working in prisons, (4) obstacles to quality care and (5) safety. 'Manipulation' was a transversal theme that emerged from all the focus groups. The problems generated by the clash between prison security and nursing care priorities did not enable nurses to practice autonomously and provide the best possible to care prisoners, giving rise to ethical issues and moral distress. This in turn causes high nursing turnover rates that negatively impact continuum of care. In Italy, correctional nurses urgently require specific education interventions with the participation of all those who work in prisons. Interventions based on the post-modern concept of restorative nursing could offer prison nurses the opportunity to both resolve ethical issues and reduce moral distress.

For the sake of whom: conversation analysis of advice giving in offender counseling.

PubMed

Jing-ying, Guo

2013-08-01

Regarded as beneficial and preferable to the clients, advice delivery has been an integral part of counseling; however, there are controversies over the suitability of giving advice in counseling services, including counseling conducted in the context of prisons. Based on conversation analysis, this article tries to explore when and how police counselors in two Chinese prisons give advice and how inmate clients respond to and seek advice in offender counseling. It is found that advice delivery, supposed to be for the inmate clients' sake, only serves a phatic function in the context of prisons in which security is a priority, and transforming inmates into law-abiding citizen is the overall goal of prison rehabilitation and correction. Hence, offender counselors, intending to alleviate depression and anxiety in inmate clients, are caught in a dilemma.

Job stress among Iranian prison employees.

PubMed

Akbari, J; Akbari, R; Farasati, F; Mahaki, B

2014-10-01

Exposure to job stress causes deleterious effects on physical and mental health of employees and productivity of organizations. To study work-related stressors among employees of prisons of Ilam, western Iran. In a cross-sectional study conducted from July to October 2013, 177 employees of Ilam prisons and security-corrective measures organization were enrolled in this study. The UK Health and Safety Executive Organization 35-item questionnaire for assessment of occupational stress was used to determine job stress among the studied employees. Job stress was highest among employees of "correction and rehabilitation center" of Ilam province followed by "Dalab vocational training center." There was no significant relationship between occupational stress and age, work experience, level of education, marital status, sex of employees, and obesity. Employees of prisons, for their nature of job and work environment, are exposed to high level of occupational stress.

Animal cruelty motivations: assessing demographic and situational influences.

PubMed

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E

2005-11-01

Few studies have examined childhood and adolescent animal cruelty motives. Using a sample of 261 inmates surveyed at both medium and maximum security prisons ina southern state, the present study examined the impact of demographic attributes and situational factors relating specifically to a range of animal cruelty motivations. Almost half of the inmates who engaged in animal abuse reported committing some of the acts out of anger, whereas more than a third did so for fun. Regression analyses revealed that the most statistically salient variable in 7 of the 10 motivational models was whether animal cruelty was committed alone. Respondents who reported hurting or killing animals alone were more likely to commit the acts out of anger but less likely to have committed them to impress others, for sex, or to imitate others.

The secret life of pronouns: flexibility in writing style and physical health.

PubMed

Campbell, R Sherlock; Pennebaker, James W

2003-01-01

Numerous disclosure studies have demonstrated that individuals randomly assigned to write about emotional topics evidence improved physical health compared with those who write about superficial topics. The writing samples from three previously published studies of 74 first-year students, 50 upper-division students, and 59 maximum-security prisoners were reanalyzed using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to explore possible relationships of writing content and style to changes in frequency of physician visits following the disclosure intervention. LSA revealed that flexibility in the use of common words-particularly personal pronouns--when writing about traumatic memories was related to positive health outcomes. The findings point to the importance of the role of discussing the self and social relationships in writing and, at the same time, to the remarkable potential of techniques such as LSA.

United States Security Assistance 1977-1980: Human Rights Issues Affecting Arms Transfers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-09-01

police attempted to break up the gathering, the crowd became enraged and proceeded to destroy a number of banks, cinemas , and hotels (Brown:296...According to Carter’s National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, the Peruvian government released over 300 prisoners in April 1977; "disappearances

Growing health in UK prison settings.

PubMed

Baybutt, Michelle; Dooris, Mark; Farrier, Alan

2018-05-29

Globally, prisoners tend to come from marginalized and socially disadvantaged sections of the society and exhibit a high incidence of ill health, linked to social exclusion and multiple complex needs. Prisons therefore offer an important opportunity to tackle inequality and injustice, through promoting health, reducing reoffending and facilitating community reintegration.This paper reports on and critically discusses findings from an evaluative research study, which aimed to identify and explore impacts of prisoners' participation in an innovative social and therapeutic horticultural programme, 'Greener on the Outside for Prisons' (GOOP), delivered in prisons in North West England. Focus groups with 16 prisoners and semi-structured interviews with six prison staff were conducted at five sites. Presented under three overarching themes (health and well-being; skills development, employability, and work preparedness; and relationships), findings suggest that engagement with and participation in GOOP were important in improving positive mental well-being, increasing physical activity and knowledge about healthier eating; developing skills and work readiness; and building relationships and catalysing and strengthening prosocial behaviours, important for good citizenship and effective resettlement. The paper concludes that - in the context of the current UK prison reform agenda and concern about the high incidence of violence, substance misuse, self-harm and suicide - prison-based horticulture can offer multiple benefits and make a significant contribution to the creation of safe, secure, supportive and health-enhancing environments. Furthermore, it contends that by joining up health and justice agendas, programmes such as GOOP have the potential to serve as powerful catalysts for wider systemic change, thereby helping tackle inequalities and social exclusion within societies across the globe.

A retrospective study describing the characteristics of one Mental Health Trust's admissions under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

PubMed

Neeilan, Ravindran; O'Brien, Aileen

2017-01-01

Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 allow prisoners to be transferred from prison to an appropriate health-care setting in order to be treated. There is an awareness that delays exist when transferring prisoners to hospital. However, literature regarding the delay in returning these patients from hospital is limited. The admissions from prison to a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in South West London were compared to non-offenders on the PICU in order to compare the average length of stay for both groups and the time taken for the discharge from PICU once felt clinically appropriate. The study also compared demographic profiles, reason for admissions, psychiatric diagnosis and index offences. Over six years, there were 18 admissions from prison to a PICU. The control group comprised 37 non-offenders admitted to the same PICU. On average the prison group took longer to be deemed clinically ready for discharge and, even once clinically ready, then took longer to be discharged. The average length of stay in PICU was 77.83 days for prisoners, and 16.46 days for non-offenders. All 55 admissions were between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2014. The offender pathway and the difference in the length of stay between prisoners and non-offenders in a PICU warrants further exploration. Possible recommendations to reduce the length of stay of prisoners include improved information sharing between prisons and hospital, and clearer guidelines regarding the level of security required.

The DUNDRUM-1 structured professional judgment for triage to appropriate levels of therapeutic security: retrospective-cohort validation study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The assessment of those presenting to prison in-reach and court diversion services and those referred for admission to mental health services is a triage decision, allocating the patient to the appropriate level of therapeutic security. This is a critical clinical decision. We set out to improve on unstructured clinical judgement. We collated qualitative information and devised an 11 item structured professional judgment instrument for this purpose then tested for validity. Methods All those assessed following screening over a three month period at a busy remand committals prison (n = 246) were rated in a retrospective cohort design blind to outcome. Similarly, all those admitted to a mental health service from the same prison in-reach service over an overlapping two year period were rated blind to outcome (n = 100). Results The 11 item scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.95) and inter-rater reliability. The scale score did not correlate with the HCR-20 'historical' score. For the three month sample, the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) for those admitted to hospital was 0.893 (95% confidence interval 0.843 to 0.943). For the two year sample, AUC distinguished at each level between those admitted to open wards, low secure units or a medium/high secure service. Open wards v low secure units AUC = 0.805 (95% CI 0.680 to 0.930); low secure v medium/high secure AUC = 0.866, (95% CI 0.784 to 0.949). Item to outcome correlations were significant for all 11 items. Conclusions The DUNDRUM-1 triage security scale and its items performed to criterion levels when tested against the real world outcome. This instrument can be used to ensure consistency in decision making when deciding who to admit to secure forensic hospitals. It can also be used to benchmark admission thresholds between services and jurisdictions. In this study we found some divergence between assessed need and actual placement. This provides fertile ground for future research as well as practical assistance in assessing unmet need, auditing case mix and planning care pathways. PMID:21410967

Administrators’ Perspectives on Changing Practice in End-of-Life Care in a State Prison System

PubMed Central

Penrod, Janice; Loeb, Susan J.; Smith, Carol A.

2013-01-01

Objective Sentencing trends have created a demographic shift in prison populations. Greater numbers of inmates are aging and dying in prison, creating a demand for enhanced end-of-life care. Changing practice to meet escalating care demands in corrections settings is complicated by economic constraints, attitudinal barriers, and organizational features. This study explored perspectives of end-of-life care held by administrators in a state prison system to reveal challenges to changing practice to meet the needs of inmates suffering advanced illness and dying in prison. Design and Sample Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 administrators from the central office of a state department of corrections. Results Key influences impacting end-of-life care services included: local prison culture; treatment versus security focus; case-by-case consideration; public sentiment; budget neutral approaches; and conflicting views of service targets. Conclusions These findings revealed the organizational structures, attitudes, and beliefs held by the administrative echelon of a state prison system and were used to guide the derivation of discrete approaches to changing practice in this complex system. Contextual evaluation permitted a much deeper understanding of the influences on changing practice in this hierarchical bureaucracy. This type of preliminary evaluation is crucial to infusing new practice initiatives in complex organizations caring for stigmatized, at-risk populations. PMID:24588128

Management of the Severely Mentally Ill and Its Effects on Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

system to the criminal justice system as it relates to its effect on prison overcrowding and attempts at combating prison and jail radicalization...alcohol and/or illegal drugs ; failure to stay on prescribed medications or failure to find effective treatment; also inability to stay employed due...or 30 years ago. Meth related Psychosis. Increased drug use. In ability for family’s to deal with the mental health person and put the burden on

Tuberculosis among prison staff in Rio Grande do Sul.

PubMed

Busatto, Caroline; Nunes, Luciana de Souza; Valim, Andréia Rosane de Moura; Valença, Mariana Soares; Krug, Suzane Frantz; Becker, Daniela; Allgayer, Manuela Filter; Possuelo, Lia Gonçalves

2017-04-01

to evaluate the risk of infection and illness caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis among health care and security staff in prisons in two regions of Rio Grande do Sul (RS). cross-sectional study involving prison staff. An interview and sputum smear microscopy and culture were performed. Latent infection was evaluated according to the result of the tuberculin test (TT), self-referred. among staff who had a TT, 10 (83.3%) in the central region and 2 (16.7%) in the southern region were considered reactors. Length of employment among prison officers who reacted to TT was 15.3 years, and among health care workers, 4.1 years (p = 0.01). No cases of active tuberculosis (TB) were identified. prevalence of latent TB was 27.9%. Length of employment between different professional categories and their working regions was considered a risk factor for latent TB.

28 CFR 541.3 - Prohibited acts and available sanctions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... harm to others; or those hazardous to institutional security or personal safety; e.g., hack-saw blade... which disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau of... running of the institution or the Bureau of Prisons most like another High severity prohibited act. This...

28 CFR 541.3 - Prohibited acts and available sanctions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... harm to others; or those hazardous to institutional security or personal safety; e.g., hack-saw blade... which disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau of... running of the institution or the Bureau of Prisons most like another High severity prohibited act. This...

28 CFR 541.3 - Prohibited acts and available sanctions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... harm to others; or those hazardous to institutional security or personal safety; e.g., hack-saw blade... which disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau of... running of the institution or the Bureau of Prisons most like another High severity prohibited act. This...

28 CFR 541.3 - Prohibited acts and available sanctions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... harm to others; or those hazardous to institutional security or personal safety; e.g., hack-saw blade... which disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution or the Bureau of... running of the institution or the Bureau of Prisons most like another High severity prohibited act. This...

U.S.-China Counterterrorism Cooperation: Issues for U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-08

detained Uighurs at Guantanamo Bay prison; weapons nonproliferation; port security; security for the Olympics in Beijing in August 2008; sanctions...the others for Resolution 1368 (to combat terrorism). On September 20, Beijing said that it offered “unconditional support” in fighting terrorism...transform — the closer bilateral relationship pursued by President Bush since late 2001. In the short-term, U.S. security policy toward Beijing sought

Limited access to HIV prevention in French prisons (ANRS PRI2DE): implications for public health and drug policy

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Overpopulation, poor hygiene and disease prevention conditions in prisons are major structural determinants of increased infectious risk within prison settings but evidence-based national and WHO guidelines provide clear indications on how to reduce this risk. We sought to estimate the level of infectious risk by measuring how French prisons adhere to national and WHO guidelines. Methods A nationwide survey targeting the heads of medical (all French prisons) and psychiatric (26 French prisons) units was conducted using a postal questionnaire and a phone interview mainly focusing on access to prevention interventions, i.e. bleach, opioid substitution treatment (OST), HBV vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for French prisoners. Two scores were built reflecting adherence to national and WHO international guidelines, ranging from 0 (no adherence) to 10 (maximum adherence) and 0 to 9 respectively. Results A majority (N = 113 (66%)) of the 171 prisons answered the questionnaires, representing 74% coverage (46,786 prisoners) of the French prison population: 108 were medical units and 12 were psychiatric units. Inmate access to prevention was poor. The median[IQR] score measuring adherence to national guidelines was quite low (4.5[2.5; 5.5]) but adherence to WHO guidelines was even lower 2.5[1.5; 3.5]; PEP was absent despite reported risky practices. Unsuitable OST delivery practices were frequently observed. Conclusions A wide gap exists between HIV prevention policies and their application in prisons. Similar assessments in other countries may be needed to guide a global policy reform in prison settings. Adequate funding together with innovative interventions able to remove structural and ideological barriers to HIV prevention are now needed to motivate those in charge of prison health, to improve their working environment and to relieve French prisoners from their currently debilitating conditions. PMID:21619573

Attributional style and depressive symptoms in a male prison sample.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Danny J; O'Sullivan, Maura E; O'Connell, Brendan D; O'Reilly, Ken; Sarma, Kiran M

2018-01-01

The reformulated learned helplessness model proposes that people who tend to make internal, stable, and global attributions in response to uncontrollable aversive events are more likely to develop depression. The present study sought to investigate the nature of the relationship between attributional style and depression in a male prison sample. One hundred and one adult male prisoners from four medium security prisons in Ireland completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire and measures of depression (BDI-II) and anxiety (BAI). Severity of self-reported depressive symptoms in the present sample was comparable to other prison and clinical samples, but higher than community samples. Participants were more severely affected by depressive symptoms than anxiety. The original attributional dimensions (i.e. internal, stable, and global) predicted a significant amount of variance in depression, but the model was not significant after controlling for anxiety. A subsequent regression model, comprising attributional dimensions for both negative events and positive events including a measure of 'uncontrollability', accounted for 35% of the variance in depression and the model retained significance while controlling for anxiety. An attributional model of depression may be relevant to the prison population and could provide a valid insight into the development and treatment of depressive symptoms in prisoners. The findings are interpreted in relation to previous research and implications for theory, clinical practice, and rehabilitation are discussed.

Attributional style and depressive symptoms in a male prison sample

PubMed Central

O’Sullivan, Danny J.; O’Sullivan, Maura E.; O’Connell, Brendan D.; O’Reilly, Ken; Sarma, Kiran M.

2018-01-01

The reformulated learned helplessness model proposes that people who tend to make internal, stable, and global attributions in response to uncontrollable aversive events are more likely to develop depression. The present study sought to investigate the nature of the relationship between attributional style and depression in a male prison sample. One hundred and one adult male prisoners from four medium security prisons in Ireland completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire and measures of depression (BDI-II) and anxiety (BAI). Severity of self-reported depressive symptoms in the present sample was comparable to other prison and clinical samples, but higher than community samples. Participants were more severely affected by depressive symptoms than anxiety. The original attributional dimensions (i.e. internal, stable, and global) predicted a significant amount of variance in depression, but the model was not significant after controlling for anxiety. A subsequent regression model, comprising attributional dimensions for both negative events and positive events including a measure of ‘uncontrollability’, accounted for 35% of the variance in depression and the model retained significance while controlling for anxiety. An attributional model of depression may be relevant to the prison population and could provide a valid insight into the development and treatment of depressive symptoms in prisoners. The findings are interpreted in relation to previous research and implications for theory, clinical practice, and rehabilitation are discussed. PMID:29444084

Prisoner Incentive Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3

2013-06-13

House - 07/15/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

The safe implementation of a prison-based methadone maintenance programme: 7 year time-series analysis of primary care prescribing data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Internationally there is policy support for the introduction of methadone maintenance programmes into prison settings. Increasingly GPs are encouraged to undertake this work although concerns remain regarding the safety of such programmes. This study sought to evaluate the impact and safety of the introduction of a general practitioner with a special interest (GPsi) in substance misuse led methadone prescribing service into a UK prison between 2003 and 2010. Methods Time series analysis of secondary prescribing data pertaining to opiate maintenance therapies, opiate detoxification therapies and opiate related deaths for the time period 2003 to 2010. Results Results show that following introduction of a GPsi in substance misuse there was a statistically significant increase in both methadone maintenance and detoxification treatments. Over time the rate of methadone maintenance prescribing plateaued with a corresponding decrease in the rate of methadone detoxification prescribing. There were no methadone related deaths in prison over the study period. Conclusion The phased introduction of opiate replacement therapies into a busy remand prison did not result in any deaths within the prison for which opiate replacement was identified as the cause. GPsi led opiate prescribing programmes can be introduced safely into secure environments. PMID:24712316

Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43

2013-02-28

House - 04/08/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, And Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-2

2013-05-22

House - 06/14/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act of 2013

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18

2013-01-03

House - 01/25/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, And Investigations. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

EFFECT OF HIV PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAM ON HIV AND HCV TRANSMISSION AND HIV MORTALITY AT AN INDONESIAN NARCOTIC PRISON.

PubMed

Nelwan, Erni J; Indrati, Agnes K; Isa, Ahmad; Triani, Nurlita; Alam, Nisaa Nur; Herlan, Maria S; Husen, Wahid; Pohan, Herdiman T; Alisjahbana, Bachti; Meheus, Andre; Van Crevel, Reinout; van der Ven, Andre Jam

2015-09-01

Validated data regarding HIV-transmission in prisons in developing countries is scarce. We examined sexual and injecting drug use behavior and HIV and HCV transmission in an Indonesian narcotic prison during the implementation of an HIV prevention and treatment program during 2004-2007 when the Banceuy Narcotic Prison in Indonesia conducted an HIV transmission prevention program to provide 1) HIV education, 2) voluntary HIV testing and counseling, 3) condom supply, 4) prevention of rape and sexual violence, 5) antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive prisoners and 6) methadone maintenance treatment. During a first survey that was conducted between 2007 and 2009, new prisoners entered Banceuy Narcotics Prison were voluntary tested for HIV and HCV-infection after written informed consent was obtained. Information regarding sexual and injecting risk behavior and physical status were also recorded at admission to the prison. Participants who tested negative for both HIV and HCV during the first survey were included in a second survey conducted during 2008-2011. During both surveys, data on mortality among HIV-seropositive patients were also recorded. All HIV-seropositive participants receive treatment for HIV. HIV/ AIDS-related deaths decreased: 43% in 2006, 18% in 2007, 9% in 2008 and 0% in 2009. No HIV and HCV seroconversion inside Banceuy Narcotic Prison were found after a median of 23 months imprisonment (maximum follow-up: 38 months). Total of 484.8 person-years observation was done. Participants reported HIV transmission risk-behavior in Banceuy Prison during the second survey was low. After implementation of HIV prevention and treatment program, no new HIV or HCV cases were detected and HIV-related mortality decreased.

Recorded psychiatric morbidity in a large prison for male remanded and sentenced prisoners.

PubMed

Mitchison, S; Rix, K J; Renvoize, E B; Schweiger, M

1994-10-01

The purpose of the study was to establish the proportion of remanded and convicted prisoners who were known from their records to have a psychiatric history. The inmate medical records of 834 out of 864 inmates resident on one day at HM Prison, Leeds, were studied. There was a recorded history of 23 per cent having seen a psychiatrist, 15 per cent having taken drugs and 16 per cent having a history of depression or self-harm. Out of 43 inmates interviewed, 18 admitted to failing to report such a history upon reception. There were eight former long-stay psychiatric patients, but only two of these had been in a hospital other than a special hospital or Regional Secure Unit. Out of the 36 residents of the hospital wing, 33 had psychiatric disorders and 10 were awaiting transfer to NHS or private psychiatric services. Various recommendations are made which may lead to an improvement in the medical reception procedure, more informed screening for suicide risk and mental disorder, greater understanding of the psychiatric histories of patients, an audit of prison health care and more effective planning of aftercare.

Where "Old Heads" Prevail: Inmate Hierarchy in a Men's Prison Unit.

PubMed

Kreager, Derek A; Young, Jacob T N; Haynie, Dana L; Bouchard, Martin; Schaefer, David R; Zajac, Gary

2017-01-01

Research of inmate social order is a once-vibrant area that receded just as American incarceration rates climbed and the country's carceral contexts dramatically changed. This study reengages inmate society with an abductive mixed methods investigation of informal status within a contemporary men's prison unit. The authors collect narrative and social network data from 133 male inmates housed in a unit of a Pennsylvania medium-security prison. Analyses of inmate narratives suggest that unit "old heads" provide collective goods in the form of mentoring and role modeling that foster a positive and stable peer environment. This hypothesis is then tested with Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) of peer nomination data. The ERGM results complement the qualitative analysis and suggest that older inmates and those who have been on the unit longer are perceived by their peers as powerful and influential. Both analytical strategies point to the maturity of aging and the acquisition of local knowledge as important for attaining informal status in the unit. In sum, this mixed methods case study extends theoretical insights of classic prison ethnographies, adds quantifiable results capable of future replication, and points to a growing population of older inmates as important for contemporary prison social organization.

Exploring barriers to and enablers of adequate healthcare for Indigenous Australian prisoners with cancer: a scoping review drawing on evidence from Australia, Canada and the United States.

PubMed

Olds, Jessica; Reilly, Rachel; Yerrell, Paul; Stajic, Janet; Micklem, Jasmine; Morey, Kim; Brown, Alex

International frameworks supported by national principles in Australia stipulate that prisoners should be provided with health services equivalent to those provided in the general community. However, a number of barriers unique to the prison system may hinder the provision of equitable healthcare for this population. In Australia, Indigenous people carry a greater burden of cancer mortality, which the Cancer Data and Aboriginal Disparities (CanDAD) project is seeking to address. During the course of recruiting participants to the CanDAD study, Indigenous Australian prisoners with cancer emerged as an important, under-researched but difficult to access sub-group. This scoping review sought to identify barriers and facilitators of access to adequate and equitable healthcare for Indigenous Australian prisoners with cancer in Australia. This review demonstrated a lack of research and, as such, the scoping review was extended to prisoners with cancer in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada. This approach was taken in order to summarise the existing body of evidence regarding the barriers and facilitators of access to adequate and equitable healthcare for those who are incarcerated and suffering from cancer, and highlight areas that may require further investigation. Eight studies or commentaries were found to meet the inclusion criteria. This limited set of findings pointed to a range of possible barriers faced by prisoners with cancer, including a tension between the prisons' concern with security versus the need for timely access to medical care. Findings identified here offer potential starting points for research and policy development. Further research is needed to better elucidate how barriers to adequate cancer care for prisoners may be identified and overcome, in Australia and internationally. Furthermore, given Indigenous Australians' over-burden of cancer mortality and over-representation in the prison system, further research is needed to identify whether there are a unique set of barriers for this group.

Childhood and adolescent animal cruelty methods and their possible link to adult violent crimes.

PubMed

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E

2009-01-01

Few researchers have investigated the potentially predictive power of childhood and adolescent animal cruelty methods as they are associated with subsequent interpersonal violence in adulthood. Based on a sample of 261 inmates at medium- and maximum-security prisons in a southern state, the present study examines the relationship between several retrospectively reported animal cruelty methods (drowned, hit or kicked, shot, choked, burned, and had sex) and violent criminal acts committed against humans (assault, rape, and murder). More than half of the sample reported they had shot animals, and almost half had either kicked or hit them. About one in five said they had choked animals, and about one in seven said they had either drowned, burned, or had sex with them. Regression analyses revealed that drowning and having sex with an animal was predictive of later interpersonal violence as adults.

Exploring the age of onset and recurrence of childhood animal cruelty: can animal cruelty be learned from witnessing others commit it?

PubMed

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E; Dutkiewicz, Erik L

2012-06-01

Despite recent research, few studies have examined the specific social contexts in which animal cruelty may be learned. Using data collected from 180 inmates at a medium- and maximum-security prison in a southern state, the authors seek to replicate findings from the Hensley and Tallichet study that examined the potential for the onset and recurrence of childhood animal cruelty to become a learned behavior, specifically in terms of demographic characteristics and childhood experiences with witnessing animal abuse. In the current study, those who were younger when they first witnessed animal cruelty initially hurt or killed animals themselves at a younger age. Respondents who had witnessed a family member hurt or kill animals reported engaging in recurrent animal cruelty and were older when they committed their first act of animal cruelty.

Teaching Geology at San Quentin State Prison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Alessio, M. A.; Pehl, J.; Ferrier, K. L.; Pehl, C. W.

2004-12-01

The students enrolled in our Geology 215 class are about as on-traditional as it gets. They range in age from about 20 - 50 years old, they are all male, all from under-represented ethnic groups, and they are all serving time in one of the country's most notorious prisons. We teach in a degree-granting community college program inside California's San Quentin State Prison. The program is run entirely by volunteers, and students who participate in educational programs like ours are about 5 times less likely to return to prison than the general inmate population in California. The prison population of California is ethnically diverse, though minorities are present in higher proportion than in the general population. Last semester, our geology class happened to be composed entirely of minorities even though the college program serves the full spectrum of the prison population. While some trends in geoscience education encourage the use of technology in the classroom, security restrictions prevent us from using even some of the simplest visual aids. Faced with these challenges, we have developed an inquiry-based syllabus for an introductory Geology class at the community college level. We find that kinaesthetic learning activities such as urban geologic mapping and acting out plate tectonic motions from ridge to trench (complete with magnetic pole polarity shifts) are not only possible in restricted learning environments, but they promote student learning in unexpected ways.

Fear of rape from behind prison walls.

PubMed

Shermer, Lauren O'Neill; Sudo, Heather

2017-06-12

Purpose The Prison Rape Elimination Act has brought significant attention to the issue of sexual victimization within correctional institutions. While the actual risk of sexual victimization remains low, the perception of rape among inmates is high. Given how one's fear can translate into behavior, understanding how institutions impact the culture surrounding prison rape highlights areas for reducing violence within prisons. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This study includes secondary analysis of a quantitative database created from semi-structured interviews with 564 high security, general population inmates. Using fear of rape as the outcome of interest, bivariate and logistic regression analyses are used to comment on the impact of individual and facility level characteristics on this outcome. Findings In general, the results from this study suggest that the greatest risk factors for fearing rape while in prison are being male, having a mental health issue, and hearing about rape within the institution. From these specific findings a few general lessons can be learned with the hope that practitioners can translate these lessons into policy initiatives in order to combat fear of rape among our inmate population. Originality/value This paper aims to fill a gap in the research on how the facility contributes to the fear of rape within prison. The end goal is to inform policy makers so that suggestions can be made to combat this problem and prevent further misconduct within these facilities.

Costs and outcomes of an intervention programme for offenders with personality disorders.

PubMed

Barrett, Barbara; Byford, Sarah

2012-04-01

The dangerous severe personality disorder programme was developed in high secure prisons and hospitals at great expense to identify and treat the most dangerous offenders with personality disorders. To evaluate whether the long-term costs of the programme are greater or less than the long-term outcomes. We used a Markov decision model with a cost-effectiveness analysis to determine the incremental cost of the programme per serious offence prevented and a cost-offset analysis to consider whether monetary benefits were greater than costs. Costs were consistently higher for the intervention programme and the cost per serious offence prevented was over £2 million, although there was some evidence that adjustments to the programme could lead to similar interventions becoming cost-effective. Little evidence was found to support the cost-effectiveness of the intervention programme for offenders with personality disorders, although delivery of the programme in a lower-cost prison would probably yield greater benefits than costs. There are frequent calls for mentally disordered offenders to be detained in secure hospitals rather than prisons; however, if reoffending remains the outcome of interest for policy makers, it is likely that the costs of detention in hospital will remain greater than the benefits for dangerous offenders with a personality disorder.

Prison, a missing target to address issues related to drug detoxification and rehabilitation: Nepalese experiences.

PubMed

Kant Jha, Chandra; M Donovan, Dennis

2013-01-01

Drug use has numerous consequences on health, the economy, culture and the peace and security of families and communities. Drug users often engage in various criminal activities, including drug dealing, to sustain their drug use. Under Nepalese law, consumption, possession and sale of drugs are illegal, which increases the risk of incarceration for drug users. Using a phenomenological/qualitative approach, the paper explores how various activities can lead to the arrest of drug users, how they cope without taking drugs in custody and prison and how they plan abstinence after release. Participants engaged in various categories of criminal activity, including stealing, looting, etc. Most of the drug users were in custody and prison at least once. Drug use relapses led the participants to re-engage in criminal activities including drug dealing. Parents were often overburdened by their sons and daughter's drug use and were worried about their repeated relapses. Finally, some parents negotiated with their sons and daughters to keep them in prison where they would be able to stay without taking drugs and their involvement in crimes and conflicts would decrease. Keeping substance abusers in prison does not appear to be an effective strategy, as many participants relapse after release from prison. However, a prison-based educational and health promotion strategy would be beneficial for drug users to develop knowledge and skills on staying drug-free. However, to date, no effort has been made to provide such services to drug users and develop their coping strategy after release.

Lebanon

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-12-11

members of Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) from the occupied territories into southern Lebanon. Lebanon refused to allow the deportees to leave...the Israeli security strip and enter Lebanese-controlled territory. The last of the deportees returned to Israeli prisons on December 15, 1993. 10/20

34 CFR 300.114 - LRE requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) Except as provided in § 300.324(d)(2) (regarding children with disabilities in adult prisons), the State... the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private...

Where “Old Heads” Prevail: Inmate Hierarchy in a Men’s Prison Unit*

PubMed Central

Kreager, Derek A.; Young, Jacob T.N.; Haynie, Dana L.; Bouchard, Martin; Schaefer, David R.; Zajac, Gary

2017-01-01

Research of inmate social order is a once-vibrant area that receded just as American incarceration rates climbed and the country’s carceral contexts dramatically changed. This study reengages inmate society with an abductive mixed methods investigation of informal status within a contemporary men’s prison unit. The authors collect narrative and social network data from 133 male inmates housed in a unit of a Pennsylvania medium-security prison. Analyses of inmate narratives suggest that unit “old heads” provide collective goods in the form of mentoring and role modeling that foster a positive and stable peer environment. This hypothesis is then tested with Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) of peer nomination data. The ERGM results complement the qualitative analysis and suggest that older inmates and those who have been on the unit longer are perceived by their peers as powerful and influential. Both analytical strategies point to the maturity of aging and the acquisition of local knowledge as important for attaining informal status in the unit. In sum, this mixed methods case study extends theoretical insights of classic prison ethnographies, adds quantifiable results capable of future replication, and points to a growing population of older inmates as important for contemporary prison social organization. PMID:29540904

Lone-Wolf Terrorist Radicalization and the Prisoner’s Dilemma: Ensuring Mutual Cooperation Between at-Risk Muslim Americans and Local Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

for public release; distribution is unlimited 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE A 13. ABSTRACT While scholars study the radicalization process that...the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN SECURITY STUDIES (HOMELAND SECURITY AND DEFENSE) from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL September 2015...Affairs iv THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK v ABSTRACT While scholars study the radicalization process that produces lone-wolf terrorists

DoD Physical Security Technical Support at the 1980 Winter Olympics Village.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-02

support were provided to the 1980 Winter Olympic Games were: (1) Physical Security, (2) Communications- Electronics , and (3) Medical via the New York Army...vibration-based Fence Pro- tection System (FPS), manufactured by General Telephone and Electronics (GT& E ) and installed for the Federal Bureau of Prisons...CM (Mr. Woomert) DRSXY-GB (Mr. R. E . Cam) Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005 Commander US Army Communications and Electronics Material Readiness

The association of adverse childhood experiences with mid-life depressive symptoms and quality of life among incarcerated males: exploring multiple mediation.

PubMed

Skarupski, Kimberly A; Parisi, Jeanine M; Thorpe, Roland; Tanner, Elizabeth; Gross, Deborah

2016-01-01

To explore the association of experiencing death, trauma, and abuse during childhood with depressive symptoms and quality of life at mid-life among incarcerated men and to understand how current social support and coping strategies mediate the impact of childhood trauma histories on mental health. Study participants were 192 male inmates in a maximum security prison. Participants completed measures of adverse childhood experiences related to death, trauma, and abuse, and depressive symptoms and quality of life. Data were analyzed using multiple mediation modeling. Men who reported having experienced adverse childhood experiences reported more depressive symptoms and lower quality of life than their counterparts. The results showed that in models both unadjusted and adjusted for age, race, education, number of years served, and whether the inmate had a life sentence, the association between adverse childhood experiences and quality of life were partially explained by the total of the indirect effects (point estimate = -.5052; CI.95 = -1.0364, -.0429 and point estimate = -.7792; CI.95 = -1.6369, -.0381), primarily via social support. However, the associations between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms were not explained by social support and coping. Adverse childhood experiences are associated with deleterious mental health effects in later life. Social support and coping partially mediate the association between adverse childhood experiences and quality of life. The high prevalence of childhood trauma among aging prison inmates warrants attention to increasing social support mechanisms to improve mental health.

Prevalence and correlates of depression and anxiety disorder in a sample of inmates in a Nigerian prison.

PubMed

Osasona, Samuel O; Koleoso, Olaide N

2015-01-01

Prisoners tend to be marginalized and deprived of the rights and privileges that other citizens in the community enjoy. Their separation from families, adverse effects on health of prison environment, and the uncertainty about the future place a great psychological burden on them which can lead to the development of mental illness. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity (depression and anxiety) and the associated factors among a sample of the prison inmates. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional in design; it was conducted in a medium security prison in Benin City, Nigeria. Participants were interviewed with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Two hundred and fifty-two prisoners who were selected by systematic sampling techniques participated in the study and the data were analyzed using the 16th version of the SPSS with the statistical level of significance set at p < 0.05. Data were presented in tables; frequencies and percentages were calculated. Chi-square and logistic regression statistical tests were performed to determine variables that have relationship with psychiatric morbidity. The mean age of the respondents was 33.6 years (SD ± 9.29), and the majority of the respondents (43.7%) were in the age range 21-30 years. The prevalence of general psychiatric morbidity (SRQ-20 caseness) was 80.6%, while 72.6% and 77.8% were found to be positive for depression and anxiety symptoms respectively on the HADS. Overall, 84.5% of the respondents had at least one type of psychiatric morbidity. Age, marital status, self-reported physical and mental health, previous mental illness, imprisonment status, prison accommodation, prison meal, and health care services were found to be significantly associated with depression, anxiety or general psychiatric morbidity. Self-reported poor current mental health was the only variable that predicted all the three types of psychiatric morbidity. Prisoners in this study, and as in previous reports, had high prevalence rates of psychiatric morbidity. Thus, prisoners have a need for regular psychiatric screening and treatment. The consequences of untreated psychiatric morbidity and the need for improved health care services and infrastructure in the prison were discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Patients with a history of arson admitted to medium security: characteristics on admission and follow-up postdischarge.

PubMed

Hollin, Clive R; Davies, Steffan; Duggan, Conor; Huband, Nick; McCarthy, Lucy; Clarke, Martin

2013-07-01

Patients who set fires are a perennial cause of concern with psychiatric services although perhaps rather neglected in the clinical research literature. The current study considered the characteristics on admission of 129 patients, 93 men and 36 women, with a known history of arson who had been admitted to a medium secure psychiatric hospital. The distinguishing characteristics of the sample were high numbers of patients with extensive criminal histories, most probably due to high levels of prison transfer and a higher occurrence of mental illness than psychopathic disorder. Aside from return to prison, most patients were discharged either to another psychiatric hospital or directly to the community. There was a high rate of re-conviction after discharge, mainly for minor offences, with about one in 10 of discharged patients committing arson. It was established, however, that not all incidents of arson led to a prosecution. It is concluded that there are weaknesses in the areas of both risk assessment and evidence-based treatment for arsonists.

Finding and Keeping a Job: The Value and Meaning of Employment for Parolees.

PubMed

Cherney, Adrian; Fitzgerald, Robin

2016-01-01

Finding stable employment has been identified as one of the best predictors of post-release success among prisoners. However, offenders face a number of challenges in securing employment when released from prison. This article examines processes that shape the abilities and motivations of parolees to secure gainful employment by examining interview data collected from parolees in Queensland, Australia (n = 50). We explore the role of social networks and commercial employment providers in helping parolees find work, the perceived value of institutional work and training, and the meanings, challenges, and impact of managing the disclosure of one's criminal past to employers. Findings highlight that the role and influence of employment on a parolee's reintegration is conditional on his or her supportive social networks, ability to manage stigma, and personal changes in identity, which elevate the importance of work in a parolee's life. Our findings also show how employment provides opportunities for offenders to self-construct and articulate new identities. © The Author(s) 2014.

Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Pennsylvania State Prisons, 2004–2012: Limitations of 1945–1965 Birth Cohort Screening in Correctional Settings

PubMed Central

Mahowald, Madeline K.; Scharff, Nicholas; Flanigan, Timothy P.; Beckwith, Curt G.; Zaller, Nickolas D.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We described hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) prevalence in a state prison system and retrospectively evaluated the case-finding performance of targeted testing of the 1945 to 1965 birth cohort in this population. Methods. We used observational data from universal testing of Pennsylvania state prison entrants (June 2004–December 2012) to determine anti-HCV prevalence by birth cohort. We compared anti-HCV prevalence and the burden of anti-HCV in the 1945 to 1965 birth cohort with that in all other birth years. Results. Anti-HCV prevalence among 101 727 adults entering prison was 18.1%. Prevalence was highest among those born from 1945 to 1965, but most anti-HCV cases were in people born after 1965. Targeted testing of the 1945 to 1965 birth cohort would have identified a decreasing proportion of cases with time. Conclusions. HCV is endemic in correctional populations. Targeted testing of the 1945 to 1965 birth cohort would produce a high yield of positive test results but would identify only a minority of cases. We recommend universal anti-HCV screening in correctional settings to allow for maximum case identification, secondary prevention, and treatment of affected prisoners. PMID:24825235

Mental health emergencies.

PubMed

Skinner, Anita

I gained experience of psychiatric assessment in previous roles when working in a secure psychiatric ward and within the prison service. Although I have often performed mental state assessments and assessments of suicidal intent as part of my work, I read the CPD article to refresh my knowledge in this area.

28 CFR 551.1 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Policy. 551.1 Section 551.1 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT MISCELLANEOUS Grooming § 551.1... personal cleanliness and dress in keeping with standards of good grooming and the security, good order, and...

The social and emotional context of childhood and adolescent animal cruelty: is there a link to adult interpersonal crimes?

PubMed

Tallichet, Suzanne E; Hensley, Christopher

2009-10-01

The link between early animal abuse and later violence toward humans may depend on how acts of animal cruelty are experienced by those whose behavior demonstrates this graduation. Unfortunately, the research investigating the social and emotional context for the youthful commission of animal cruelty as it escalates to adult interpersonal violence is relatively nonexistent. Using 112 cases from a larger sample of 261 inmates surveyed at both medium and maximum security prisons in a southern state, the present study examined the effects of age of onset and frequency of animal cruelty, the covertness of animal cruelty, the commission of animal cruelty within a group or in isolation, and empathy for the abused animals. Inmates who had covered up their childhood and adolescent animal cruelty were more likely to have been convicted of repeated acts of interpersonal violence, demonstrating that the role of empathy and individuals present during acts of animal cruelty were less important than concealing those acts.

Childhood animal cruelty methods and their link to adult interpersonal violence.

PubMed

Henderson, Brandy B; Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E

2011-07-01

Recent research has begun to establish a relationship between childhood acts of animal cruelty and later violence against humans. However, few studies have focused on the influence of animal cruelty methods on later interpersonal violence. In a replication of a study by Hensley and Tallichet (2009) and based on a sample of 180 inmates at medium- and maximum-security prisons in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship between several retrospectively identified animal cruelty methods (drowned, hit, shot, kicked, choked, burned, and sex) and interpersonal violence committed against humans. Four out of 5 inmates reported hitting animals. Over one third of the sample chose to shoot or kick animals, while 1 in 5 had sex with them. Less then one fifth of the sample drowned or choked animals, while less than one sixth of the inmates burned animals. Regression analyses revealed that the age at which offenders began committing animal cruelty and having sex with animals were predictive of adult interpersonal violence.

The effect of inmates' self-reported childhood and adolescent animal cruelty: motivations on the number of convictions for adult violent interpersonal crimes.

PubMed

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E

2008-04-01

Few researchers have investigated the potentially predictive power of motives for childhood and adolescent animal cruelty as it is associated with interpersonal violence in adulthood. Based on a sample of 261 inmates at medium- and maximum-security prisons in a southern state, the present study examines the relationship among several retrospectively reported motives (anger, fun, dislike, and imitation) for animal cruelty and violent crime convictions (assault, rape, and murder). Almost half reported abusing animals out of anger, whereas more than one third did so for fun. Dislike for the animal and imitation were less frequently occurring motives. Participants who abused animals at an earlier age and those who did so out of anger or for fun were more likely to repeat the offense. Regression analyses revealed that abusing an animal out of fun in their youth was the most statistically salient motive for predicting later interpersonal violence as adults.

Issues for Engagement: Asian Perspectives on Transnational Security Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

transshipped drugs include thailand, china, north Korea and canada for heroin; the united states and spain for ecstasy; Iran and south africa for marijuana and...shifted to synthetic drugs, and drug usage in malaysia followed suit. today, drug users in malaysia are overcrowding the prisons. Increases in the number

Washington State's Corrections Clearinghouse: A Comprehensive Approach to Offender Employment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finn, Peter

Since 1976, the Correctional Clearinghouse (CCH), which is a unit of the Washington State Employment Security Department, has been committed to preparing offenders for the workplace and finding employment. The CCH's principal service delivery strategies are as follows: (1) providing direct services (teaching job readiness courses in prisons and…

How to get parts out of prison (without paperwork).

PubMed

Brown, K

1998-11-01

This article describes the business relationship between a manufacturing company and a vendor that is a minimum-security correctional facility. In particular, it describes a set of revisions in the purchasing and delivery process that reduced the amount of paperwork substantially and also reduced the turnaround time.

Prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment: medical implications of a new European convention.

PubMed

Harding, T W

1989-05-27

A new European convention creates a mechanism for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatments of detained people through visits by outside, independent teams with unlimited access to places of detention. The convention has important implications for the medical profession: firstly, visits to psychiatric hospitals will be included and, in particular, to secure facilities, where the risk of human rights abuses is well established; and, secondly, the adequacy and ethics of medical care in prisons will be a key issue in assessing the protection of prisoners' human rights. The convention should be welcomed by the medical profession as a stimulus to the improvement of medical care for detained people.

Medication-assisted treatment in criminal justice agencies affiliated with the criminal justice-drug abuse treatment studies (CJ-DATS): availability, barriers, and intentions.

PubMed

Friedmann, Peter D; Hoskinson, Randall; Gordon, Michael; Schwartz, Robert; Kinlock, Timothy; Knight, Kevin; Flynn, Patrick M; Welsh, Wayne N; Stein, Lynda A R; Sacks, Stanley; O'Connell, Daniel J; Knudsen, Hannah K; Shafer, Michael S; Hall, Elizabeth; Frisman, Linda K

2012-01-01

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is underutilized in the treatment of drug-dependent, criminal justice populations. This study surveyed criminal justice agencies affiliated with the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) to assess use of MAT and factors influencing use of MAT. A convenience sample (N = 50) of criminal justice agency respondents (e.g., jails, prisons, parole/probation, and drug courts) completed a survey on MAT practices and attitudes. Pregnant women and individuals experiencing withdrawal were most likely to receive MAT for opiate dependence in jail or prison, whereas those reentering the community from jail or prison were the least likely to receive MAT. Factors influencing use of MAT included criminal justice preferences for drug-free treatment, limited knowledge of the benefits of MAT, security concerns, regulations prohibiting use of MAT for certain agencies, and lack of qualified medical staff. Differences across agency type in the factors influencing use and perceptions of MAT were also examined. MAT use is largely limited to detoxification and maintenance of pregnant women in criminal justice settings. Use of MAT during the community reentry period is minimal. Addressing inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes about MAT may increase its adoption, but better linkages to community pharmacotherapy during the reentry period might overcome other issues, including security, liability, staffing, and regulatory concerns. The CJ-DATS collaborative MAT implementation study to address inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and linkage will be described.

77 FR 36002 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Existing Collection; Comments Requested: Extension of a...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... counts per inmate for a maximum of three convicted offenses per inmate Prior time spent in prison and... parole discharge or parole office FBI identification number Prior military service, date and type of last...

Self-harm and overcrowding among prisoners in Geneva, Switzerland.

PubMed

Wolff, Hans; Casillas, Alejandra; Perneger, Thomas; Heller, Patrick; Golay, Diane; Mouton, Elisabeth; Bodenmann, Patrick; Getaz, Laurent

2016-01-01

Prison institutional conditions affect risk for self-harm among detainees. In particular, prison overcrowding may increase the likelihood of self-harm by creating competition for resources, space, and enhancing a "deprivation state." The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between overcrowding and prisoner acts of self-harm. This cross-sectional study took place at Geneva's pre-trial prison (capacity:376) between 2006 and 2014. Outcomes were acts of self-harm that required medical attention, and self-strangulation/hanging events (combined into one group, as these are difficult to differentiate). Dichotomous predictors were overcrowding index- annual mean daily population divided by capacity ( > 200 percent vs < 200 percent), and year group (2006-2009 vs 2011-2014). Self-harm and self-strangulations/hangings increased in 2011-2014 compared to 2006-2010 (p < 0.001). Overcrowding in excess of 200 percent was associated with self-strangulation/hangings (p < 0.001) but not with all self-harm events. In terms of pertinent demographics that would affect self-harm, there was no prison change in gender, area of origin, foreign residency, religion, or psychiatric treatment. The present study is limited by the definition and identification of self-harm. The distinction between self-strangulation and self-hanging, and the precise classification of an intent to die is difficult to make in practice, especially with limited prison data records available. The relevant literature addresses the complexity of the association between non-suicidal and suicidal behavior. Despite this, the combined category self-strangulations/hangings gives some indication of severe self-harm events, especially since the methodology of categorization employed was consistent throughout the entire period of the study. Other limitations include the small sample size and the lack of individual patient data and prison data to help control for confounding factors. Despite these drawbacks, pertinent data (socio-demographics and number of prisoners treated for mental health and drug abuse) remained stable over the years. Thus, there are no apparent changes in the inmate population that could be linked to an increase in self-harm. High-security placements and mean prisoner stay have increased over time, with a decrease in staff to prisoner ratio - and these must be looked into further as contributors. Additionally, qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews and focus groups could delineate the impact of overcrowding on prisoner well-being and self-harm potential. The authors observed a significant increase in self-harm and self-strangulation/hangings over time, and overcrowding was significantly associated with self-strangulation/hangings (but not with all self-harm events). Overcrowding can impose destructive effects on the psychological and behavioral well being of inmates in prison, influencing a myriad of emotional and livelihood factors that predispose to harmful behavior. This report should alert public health and prison authorities to this issue, and garner resources to address such an alarming rise. The findings from this short report demonstrate the need for a further examination of the mechanisms affecting self-harm among prisoners in this population, particularly the relationship between self-strangulations/hangings and overcrowding.

Policing the New World Disorder: Peace Operations and Public Security

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

Ministerio de Justicia, 1993). 25IUDOP, "La delincuencia urbana," Estudios Centroamericanos 534-545 (April/May 1993), 471-79. "Report of the Director...and Special Forces were used for urgently needed repairs. A special prison was established for women and juveniles in Port-au-Prince to separate them

Screening for Offenders with an Intellectual Disability: The Validity of the Learning Disability Screening Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenzie, Karen; Michie, Amanda; Murray, Aja; Hales, Charlene

2012-01-01

The study assessed the validity of an intellectual disability screening tool, the Learning Disability Screening Questionnaire (LDSQ), in three forensic settings: a community intellectual disability forensic service; a forensic in-patient secure unit and a prison, using data for 94 individuals. A significant positive relationship was found between…

Predictors of Stable Employment among Female Inmates in New Jersey: Implications for Successful Reintegration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blitz, Cynthia L.

2006-01-01

The ability of inmates to secure stable, legal employment for themselves upon release from prison has been shown to be a crucial element for successful community reintegration. These individuals, however, often fail to find employment due to a multitude of personal, relational, structural, and institutional barriers. Formerly incarcerated women…

Evaluation of an Anger Therapy Intervention for Incarcerated Adult Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vannoy, Steven D.; Hoyt, William T.

2004-01-01

An anger therapy intervention was developed for incarcerated adult males. The therapy was an extension of cognitive-behavioral approaches, incorporating principles and practices drawn from Buddhist psychology. Adult males from a Midwestern low-security prison were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (n= 16) or a waiting list control…

Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-15

Union; (6) the June 12, 2008 prison break in Qandahar (several hundred Taliban captives were freed, as part of an emptying of the 1,200 inmates there...in each unit. The naming of a Pashtun, Abdul Rahim Wardak, as Defense Minister in December 2004 also reduced desertions among Pashtuns (he remains in

Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-08

2008 prison break in Qandahar (several hundred Taliban captives were freed, as part of an emptying of the 1,200 inmates there); (7) the reported 40...more close involvement by U.S. forces, and that the force is ethnically integrated in each unit. The naming of a Pashtun, Abdul Rahim Wardak, as

Closing Italian Forensic Psychiatry Hospitals in Favor of Treating Insanity Acquittees in the Community.

PubMed

Carabellese, Felice; Felthous, Alan R

2016-03-01

Originally a hedge against the death penalty, the insanity defense came to offer hospitalization as an alternative to imprisonment. In the late 19th century Italy opened inpatient services first for mentally ill prisoners and then for offenders found not guilty by reason of insanity. Within the past decade, a series of decrees has resulted in transferring the responsibility for treating NGRI acquittees and "dangerous" mentally ill prisoners from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health, and their treatment from Italy's high security forensic psychiatric hospitals (OPGs) to community regional facilities (REMSs, Residences for the Execution of Security Measures), community mental health facilities, one of which is located in each region of Italy. Today community REMSs provide the treatment and management of socially dangerous offenders. The dynamic evolution of Italy's progressive mental health system for insanity acquittees, to our knowledge the most libertarian, community oriented approach of any country, is retraced. Discussion includes cautionary concerns as well as potential opportunities for improvements in mental health services. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

48 CFR 13.003 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... acquisition procedures to the maximum extent practicable for all purchases of supplies or services not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (including purchases at or below the micro-purchase threshold... under part 8 (e.g., Federal Prison Industries, Committee for Purchase from People Who are Blind or...

Suicide among emergency and protective service workers: A retrospective mortality study in Australia, 2001 to 2012.

PubMed

Milner, A; Witt, K; Maheen, H; LaMontagne, A D

2017-01-01

Emergency and protective services personnel (e.g., police, ambulance, fire-fighters, defence, prison and security officers) report elevated levels of job stress and health problems. While population-level research is lacking, there has been some research suggesting suicide rates may be elevated in emergency and protective services. This paper compares suicide rates between emergency and protective services occupational groups over a 12-year period (2001-2012) in Australia. Labour force data was obtained from the 2006 Australian Census. Suicide data was obtained from the National Coroners Information System (NCIS). Negative binomial regression was used to estimate the association between suicide and employment as an emergency or protective service worker (including prison and security officers) over the period 2001-2012, as compared to all other occupations. Information on suicide method was extracted from the NCIS. The age-adjusted suicide rate across all emergency and protective service workers was 22.4 (95% CI 19.5 to 25.2) per 100,000 in males and 7.8 in females (95% CI 4.6 to 11.00), compared to 15.5 per 100,000 (95% CI 15.2 to 15.9) for males and 3.4 (95% CI 3.2 to 3.6) for females in other occupations. The highest risk by subgroup was observed among those employed in the defence force, prison officers, and ambulance personnel. The major method of death for all occupational groups was hanging. Our results clearly highlight the need for suicide prevention among emergency and protective service occupations.

Targets for Marine Corps Purchasing and Supply Management Initiatives: Spend Analysis Findings

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

TRANSPORTATION INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LAW AND BUSINESS NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TERRORISM AND...States Transportation Command UNICOR Federal Prison Industries, Inc. USMC United States Marine Corps WHS/SIAD Washington Headquarters Services...Services Admin- istration (GSA), and the United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), as well as via Military Interdepartmental Purchase Requests

28 CFR 511.18 - When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate. 511.18 Section 511.18 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE... secured, using minimally necessary force and restraints, in a private area of the facility away from...

28 CFR 511.18 - When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate. 511.18 Section 511.18 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE... secured, using minimally necessary force and restraints, in a private area of the facility away from...

28 CFR 511.18 - When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate. 511.18 Section 511.18 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE... secured, using minimally necessary force and restraints, in a private area of the facility away from...

28 CFR 511.18 - When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate. 511.18 Section 511.18 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE... secured, using minimally necessary force and restraints, in a private area of the facility away from...

28 CFR 511.18 - When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When Bureau staff can arrest and detain a non-inmate. 511.18 Section 511.18 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE... secured, using minimally necessary force and restraints, in a private area of the facility away from...

Venturing beyond the Gates: Facilitating Successful Reentry with Entrepreneurship. Summer 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindahl, Nicole

2007-01-01

The rising number of individuals returning to communities from prison and jail represents one of the defining issues of time. Individuals reentering society face myriad challenges, not the least of which is securing viable employment; in addition, each individual has a unique set of experiences, needs and resources. This project stems from the…

Ingestion of foreign bodies among prisoners: a ten years retrospective study at University Hospital of Southern Italy.

PubMed

Volpi, A; Laforgia, R; Lozito, C; Panebianco, A; Punzo, C; Ialongo, P; Carbotta, G; Sederino, M G; Minafra, M; Paterno, A; Palasciano, N

2017-01-01

We studied 21 episodes of ingestion of foreign bodies (IFO) among 15 prisoners. Rectrospective research in pts admitted to emergency from June 2005 to May 2105. Ingestion, management and pts outcome were analyzed. Prisoners with previous esophagogastroduodenal disease were excluded. All pts were males and ingestions were intentional. Esophagogastroduoduenoscopy (EGDS) was performed in 10pts (8 cases with successful removal, 1 case we did not find anything e 1 of unsuccessful EGDS, that required emergency surgey. 9 pts rejected EGDS: in 2 pts were not necessary.Among the 9 pts that rejected EGDS, 5 discharged voluntary. No mortality neither morbidity. Only 1 pt required surgery.The IFO were 34 (23 sharp, 6 flat,5 indefined). We did not observe any food bolus impaction. Multiple ingestion was found in 11 pts. Recurrent episodes were found in 4 pts. Almost all episodes can be treated conservatively with observation and endoscopy but the management of this pts has a financial impact on healthcare cost and on security costs. Prevention strategies are important to predict patient group at high risk for recurrent IFO.

An audit of a specialist old age psychiatry liaison service to a medium and a high secure forensic psychiatry unit.

PubMed

Shah, Ajit

2006-04-01

The elderly prison population is increasing and there is a significant amount of unidentified psychiatric morbidity among elderly prisoners. A sizeable number of elderly subjects are referred to regional forensic units. These units are able to provide advice but are reluctant to admit frail, physically ill and vulnerable elderly into their unit because the ward environment is considered inappropriate for them. A sizeable number of inpatients in medium and high secure units are elderly. This paper is an exploratory audit of referrals from a medium and high secure forensic psychiatry unit to a specialist consultation-only liaison old age psychiatry service, which was specifically developed to service the forensic unit. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients seen by this specialist service were similar to elderly inpatients in medium and high secure units. All referrals were judged to be appropriate and new management advice was provided in all cases. Main reasons for referral included diagnostic advice, placement advice and treatment advice. Establishing a diagnosis of dementia was considered important because Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia can be treated with cholinesterase inhibitors. Placement advice was the most difficult to provide because of paucity of residential and nursing homes able and willing to accept patients with a forensic history. There is a need for a comprehensive model of specialist forensic old age psychiatry service at a regional or supraregional level. A consensus needs to be reached on the exact configuration of such a service.

The development of participatory health research among incarcerated women in a Canadian prison

PubMed Central

Murphy, K.; Hanson, D.; Hemingway, C.; Ramsden, V.; Buxton, J.; Granger-Brown, A.; Condello, L-L.; Buchanan, M.; Espinoza-Magana, N.; Edworthy, G.; Hislop, T. G.

2009-01-01

This paper describes the development of a unique prison participatory research project, in which incarcerated women formed a research team, the research activities and the lessons learned. The participatory action research project was conducted in the main short sentence minimum/medium security women's prison located in a Western Canadian province. An ethnographic multi-method approach was used for data collection and analysis. Quantitative data was collected by surveys and analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was collected from orientation package entries, audio recordings, and written archives of research team discussions, forums and debriefings, and presentations. These data and ethnographic observations were transcribed and analysed using iterative and interpretative qualitative methods and NVivo 7 software. Up to 15 women worked each day as prison research team members; a total of 190 women participated at some time in the project between November 2005 and August 2007. Incarcerated women peer researchers developed the research processes including opportunities for them to develop leadership and technical skills. Through these processes, including data collection and analysis, nine health goals emerged. Lessons learned from the research processes were confirmed by the common themes that emerged from thematic analysis of the research activity data. Incarceration provides a unique opportunity for engagement of women as expert partners alongside academic researchers and primary care workers in participatory research processes to improve their health. PMID:25759141

Everything moves on: referral trends to a leavers' group in a high secure hospital and trial leave progress of group graduates.

PubMed

Adshead, Gwen; Pyszora, Natalie; Wilson, Claire; Gopie, Ramesh; Thomas, Deryk; Smith, Julia; Glorney, Emily; Moore, Estelle; Tapp, James

2017-04-01

Moving on from high secure psychiatric care can be a complex and potentially stressful experience, which may hinder progression. A leavers' group in a UK high secure hospital is offered to support patients with this transition. The aims of this study are to investigate characteristics of patients referred for the leavers' group and compare outcomes for leavers' group graduates with those for patients who never attended a leavers' group for any reason. A retrospective quasi-experimental design was applied to data extracted from various records sources - within and outside the high security hospital. About one-fifth of patients who left the hospital on trial leave during the study were referred to the leavers' group (N = 109). Referred patients were significantly more likely to have either been admitted from another high-security hospital or transferred from prison for treatment and have a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Patients not referred had a significantly higher rate of previously refusing to participate in groups. There was a tendency for rate of return from trial leave for group graduates to be lower than that of patients who did not attend the leavers' group, but this just failed to reach statistical significance (rate ratio [RR] = 1.04; CI 0.97-1.11). A leavers' group appeared to be a valued therapy option for people who had spent a long time in high secure psychiatric care, or those who continued to require hospital treatment beyond prison tariffs. There was a low return rate from trial leave, which made the evaluation of this outcome difficult. A detailed study into both the reasons for return from trial leave and successes would provide further information on ideal preparation for moving on. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

28 CFR 2.2 - Eligibility for parole; adult sentences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. 2.2 Section 2.2 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PAROLE, RELEASE, SUPERVISION AND... § 2.2 Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. (a) A Federal prisoner serving a maximum term or terms...

28 CFR 2.2 - Eligibility for parole; adult sentences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. 2.2 Section 2.2 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PAROLE, RELEASE, SUPERVISION AND... § 2.2 Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. (a) A Federal prisoner serving a maximum term or terms...

28 CFR 2.2 - Eligibility for parole; adult sentences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. 2.2 Section 2.2 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PAROLE, RELEASE, SUPERVISION AND... § 2.2 Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. (a) A Federal prisoner serving a maximum term or terms...

28 CFR 2.2 - Eligibility for parole; adult sentences.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. 2.2 Section 2.2 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PAROLE, RELEASE, SUPERVISION AND... § 2.2 Eligibility for parole; adult sentences. (a) A Federal prisoner serving a maximum term or terms...

Psychiatric morbidity in murder and attempted murder crime convicts: a Turkey study.

PubMed

Kugu, N; Akyuz, G; Dogan, O

2008-03-05

In the present, the morbidity of psychiatric disorders of homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts imprisoned in Turkey, Sivas maximum security prison was investigated. Seventy imprisoned homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts included in this study. Sociodemographic information form, structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders and structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R personality disorders applied to the participants. Most commonly diagnosed disorders among those convicts were current Axis-I disorders, depressive disorders (7.1%) and anxiety disorders (5.7%). Among Axis-I disorders, the most diagnosed one was the substance use disorders (45.7%). The most diagnosed Axis-II disorder was found as to be antisocial personality disorder (48.6%). The rate of convicts who were diagnosed as having both Axis-I and Axis-II disorders was 51.4%. The most prevalently accompanying lifetime Axis-I disorders to antisocial personality disorder with respect to Axis-I, and Axis-II comorbidity was substance use disorders. As a result, it was thought that the substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder among the homicide/attempted homicide crime convicts were the most prevalent lifetime psychiatric disorders.

Examining the relationship between childhood animal cruelty motives and recurrent adult violent crimes toward humans.

PubMed

Overton, Joshua C; Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E

2012-03-01

Few researchers have studied the predictive ability of childhood animal cruelty motives as they are associated with later recurrent violence toward humans. Based on a sample of 180 inmates at one medium- and one maximum-security prison in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship among several retrospectively identified motives (fun, out of anger, hate for the animal, and imitation) for childhood animal cruelty and the later commission of violent crimes (murder, rape, assault, and robbery) against humans. Almost two thirds of the inmates reported engaging in childhood animal cruelty for fun, whereas almost one fourth reported being motivated either out of anger or imitation. Only one fifth of the respondents reported they had committed acts of animal cruelty because they hated the animal. Regression analyses revealed that recurrent animal cruelty was the only statistically significant variable in the model. Respondents who had committed recurrent childhood animal cruelty were more likely to have had committed recurrent adult violence toward humans. None of the motives for committing childhood animal cruelty had any effect on later violence against humans.

The predictive value of childhood animal cruelty methods on later adult violence: examining demographic and situational correlates.

PubMed

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E; Dutkiewicz, Erik L

2012-04-01

The present study seeks to replicate Tallichet, Hensley, and Singer's research on childhood animal cruelty methods by using a sample of 180 male inmates surveyed at both medium- and maximum-security prisons in a southern state. The purpose of the current study was to first reexamine the relationship between demographic and situational factors and specific methods of childhood animal cruelty. Second, the correlation between an abuser's chosen method(s) of childhood animal cruelty on later recurrent acts of adult violent crimes was reinvestigated. Regression analyses revealed that respondents who engaged in frequent animal cruelty were more likely to have drowned, shot, kicked, or had sex with animals. Those who had grown up in urban areas and those who did not become upset after abusing animals were more likely to have kicked animals. Respondents who covered up their abuse were more likely to have had sex with animals. Sex with animals was the only method of childhood animal cruelty that predicted the later commission of adult violent crimes.

Examining demographic and situational factors on animal cruelty motivations.

PubMed

Hensley, Christopher; Tallichet, Suzanne E; Dutkiewicz, Erik L

2011-05-01

Because of the limited number of studies that have examined the motives for childhood animal cruelty, researchers continue to suggest that further systematic study is needed. In a replication of the Hensley and Tallichet study and based on survey data from 180 inmates at one medium- and one maximum-security prison in a southern U.S. state, the present study seeks to further develop this understanding by examining the impact of demographic and situational factors on a range of animal cruelty motivations. Of the 180 inmates, 103 (57%) committed acts of animal cruelty. Logistic regression analyses revealed that respondents who committed childhood animal cruelty out of anger were less likely to cover up their behavior and to be upset by their actions but were more likely to have repeated it. Those who committed animal cruelty to shock others were more likely to reside in urban areas and to have done it alone. Furthermore, respondents who committed animal cruelty for sexual reasons were more likely to have covered up their actions and to have engaged in it repeatedly.

Relationship of scores on the Escapism Scale of the MMPI to escape from minimum security federal custody.

PubMed

White, R B

1979-04-01

Investigated the ability of the Escapism (Ec) scale of the MMPI to differentiate between escape and non-escape minimum security federal prisoners. At the .05 level there was no difference between the scores of the two groups on the Ec scale or on comparisons of other correctional data, age, and ethnic composition. It appears that the Ec scale alone or in combination with other data will be a poor predictor of escape. Also, the rate of escape was so low as to make accurate prediction from any criteria extremely unlikely.

A New Dynamic in the Western Hemisphere Security Environment: The Mexican Zetas and Other Private Armies

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

United States for trial on U.S. drug charges. “He had a plush suite in prison, complete with 28 a personal chef , plenty of whisky, an endless supply...severed—were found. Among them was a former police comandante. Within hours, another police officer was shot and killed, along with a companion and a

Essential, Desirable or Optional? Making Distance E-Learning Courses Available to Those without Internet Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hancock, Val

2010-01-01

The Open University, an open distance learning institution, is increasingly using a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that requires internet access. This paper investigates how the move to a VLE has affected one group of students who do not have internet access--offender learners studying in prison. Members of the armed forces and secure hospital…

U.S.: proposed federal legislation to allow condom distribution and HIV testing in prison.

PubMed

Dolinsky, Anna

2007-05-01

Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) is reintroducing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would require federal correctional facilities to allow community organizations to distribute condoms and provide voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and STDs for inmates. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Under the surface: the dynamic interpersonal and affective world of psychopathic high-security and detention prisoners.

PubMed

Gullhaugen, Aina Sundt; Nøttestad, Jim Aage

2012-09-01

The present study yields an in-depth examination of the interpersonal and affective world of high-security and detention prisoners with possible (Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version [PCL:SV] ≥ 13) and strong (PCL:SV ≥ 18) indications of psychopathy. A group of male inmates (n = 16) was compared with noncriminal and non-personality disordered controls (n = 35) on measures of self and other (Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form [YSQ-SF], Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex Scales [IIP-C]), and the experience and regulation of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule [PANAS], Emotion Control Questionnaire 2 [ECQ2]). Results confirm the established grandiose, dominant, and callous characteristics of the psychopath (PCL:SV, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders [SCID-II], DSM-IV and ICD-10 Personality Questionnaire [DIP-Q], IIP-C), while demonstrating personal distress and important nuances and variations in psychopathic offenders' interpersonal and affective functioning (YSQ-SF, PANAS, ECQ2, SCID-II, DIP-Q). These preliminary findings support, expand, and challenge the ordinary portrayal of the psychopath and, if replicated in larger samples, point to a need for an expansion or reformulation of the concept, measurement, and treatment of psychopathy.

Homelessness as viewed by incarcerated women: participatory research.

PubMed

Martin, Ruth Elwood; Hanson, Debra; Hemingway, Christine; Ramsden, Vivian; Buxton, Jane; Granger-Brown, Alison; Condello, Lara-Lisa; Macaulay, Ann; Janssen, Patti; Hislop, T Gregory

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, by incarcerated women who were members of a prison participatory health research team, of a survey tool regarding homelessness and housing, the survey findings and recommendations for policy. A survey was developed by incarcerated women in a minimum/medium security women's prison in Canada. Associations were examined between socio-demographic factors and reports of difficulty finding housing upon release, homelessness contributing to a return to crime, and a desire for relocation to another city upon release. Open-ended questions were examined to look for recurrent themes and to illuminate the survey findings. In total, 83 women completed the survey, a 72 per cent response rate. Of the 71 who were previously incarcerated, 56 per cent stated that homelessness contributed to their return to crime. Finding housing upon release was a problem for 63 per cent and 34 per cent desired relocation to another city upon release. Women indicated that a successful housing plan should incorporate flexible progressive staged housing. The present study focuses only on incarcerated women but could be expanded in future to include men. Incarcerated women used the findings to create a housing proposal for prison leavers and created a resource database of the limited housing resources for women prison leavers. Lack of suitable housing is a major factor leading to recidivism. This study highlights the reality of the cycle of homelessness, poverty, crime for survival, street-life leading to drug use and barriers to health, education and employment that incarcerated women face. Housing is a recognized basic determinant of health. No previous studies have used participatory research to address homelessness in a prison population.

Legal aspects of administrating antipsychotic medications to jail and prison inmates.

PubMed

Dlugacz, Henry; Wimmer, Christopher

2013-01-01

The administration of antipsychotic medications to jail and prison inmates involves two related components: conducting the informed consent process in a coercive environment and, where consent is not obtained, forcible administration of medication if needed. In the United States, both involve common law, statutory, and constitutional principles. Obtaining informed consent in correctional institutions is complicated. Patients in correctional institutions lack access to alternate sources of information, and depend on the correctional system completely - a system which they may distrust. This may influence the patient's view of the administering physician. Where consent cannot be obtained, forcible administration may be legally permissible for two primary reasons: to restore a criminal defendant to competency in order to stand trial and to ameliorate severe symptoms of mental disability, particularly when they threaten the safety of self, others, or in some instances, property. The interests at stake for the individual and the government, and the legal standards developed to balance these interests, differ between the two situations. When considering challenges to forcible medication of inmates serving a prison sentence, the United States Supreme Court has treated the interest of the institution in maintaining security as paramount. By contrast, when considering challenges to forcible medication of pretrial detainees, the Court's concern for the fair trial rights guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment has seemingly led it to moderate its emphasis on security. However, this distinction is not stable and may in fact be breaking down, as the recent case of Jared Loughner demonstrates. This article discusses the various federal, state, and international legal standards applicable to both informed consent and forcible medication, and their implementation in the correctional setting, focusing on issues related to the United States. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

China's approach to control of HIV. Modern use of tradition in a public security system.

PubMed

Anderson, A F

1995-01-01

HIV/AIDS control policy in China focuses on high risk populations. The public security system is intricately intertwined with the Chinese government's HIV control activities. The government can justify its control of high risk activities because prostitution, related trafficking in females, drug abuse, and drug trafficking are elements of the Six Evils: social problems considered to be pre-revolutionary, influenced by decadent western morality, and incompatible with modernization. Public security campaigns involve arresting tens of thousands of people annually in the combined efforts against HIV and the social evils. Instigators of crime are given punitive prison sentences. For their victims, however, incarceration leans toward treatment. The moral-rehabilitative philosophy is the normative foundation of the Chinese criminal justice process. Confucian thought holds that teaching the disobedient person proper social conduct, not punishment, will effect endless change. So correction officials use patient persuasion and re-education with most criminals. The public security system coercively collects drug abusers for as much as three months of counseling and detoxification (methadone or clonidine). The police detain prostitutes for 6 months to 2 years for re-education, including legal indoctrination, labor, and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Family members and community groups participate in treatment and aftercare. All drug abusers and prostitutes undergo HIV testing. HIV-positive offenders are separated from HIV-negative offenders. Pimps, panderers, or traffickers in females or drugs are either executed or put in prison for at least 10 years. A weakness of China's approach is its exclusive focus on high-risk groups rather than on high-risk practices. This approach assumes HIV will be restricted to these groups. Police will likely increase its punitive and regressive responses to group members as its approach fails to prevent HIV transmission.

Southwest Border Violence: Issues in Identifying and Measuring Spillover Violence

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-24

Spillover Violence Kristin M. Finklea, Coordinator Analyst in Domestic Security Jennifer E. Lake Section Research Manager Celinda Franco...States, Mexican DTOs have formed relationships with U.S. street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs.36 Although these gangs have historically... motorcycle gangs who distribute and sell drugs, aid in smuggling drugs, and enforce the collection of drug proceeds.56 To date, reports from law

Development and validation of a measure of criminal social identity within a sample of Polish recidivistic prisoners.

PubMed

Boduszek, Daniel; Adamson, Gary; Shevlin, Mark; Hyland, Philip

2012-12-01

Social identity is a well-established theoretical concept within psychological research; however, the role of criminal social identity has received far less research attention. One salient reason for the limited research relating to the concept of criminal social identity is the absence of a specific measure. To develop and test the construct validity of a new measure of criminal social identity (MCSI) and to provide additional evidence relating to Cameron's three-factor conceptualisation of social identity. The eight-item MCSI was used to collect data from recidivists incarcerated in high-security prison (N=312) to assess criminal social identification. These data were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. Three alternative models of criminal social identity were specified and tested in Mplus 6, and results revealed that the data were best explained by a three-factor model of criminal social identity (cognitive centrality, in-group affect and in-group ties). The current study is important in terms of future research in criminology and psychology because the MCSI provides the first reliable MCSI, which was developed and validated on a relatively large recidivistic prison sample. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects on asylum seekers of ill treatment in Zaïre.

PubMed Central

Peel, M. R.

1996-01-01

To describe the health effects of the political system in Zaïre on asylum seekers seen at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture a retrospective study was performed of the records of 92 asylum seekers from Zaïre who were seen for medical reports at the medical foundation in 1993 and 1994. Eighty one had been imprisoned; the others had been severely treated at home by the security services. Sixty six had been detained for up to one year. Prison conditions were invariably unsanitary, and food of poor quality when provided. All had been beaten on arrest, and all but two had been beaten repeatedly in prison. Nearly all the women and some of the men described sexual abuse. Almost all left prison through bribery or because a guard had a similar background. Seventy two asylum seekers had scarring, consider to be consistent with the history, and 70 were considered to have suffered persistent psychological damage. Asylum seekers from Zaïre will have health effects from experiences unimaginable to the ordinary Briton. An understanding of the background will help clinicians manage them. PMID:8611788

Effects on asylum seekers of ill treatment in Zaïre.

PubMed

Peel, M R

1996-02-03

To describe the health effects of the political system in Zaïre on asylum seekers seen at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture a retrospective study was performed of the records of 92 asylum seekers from Zaïre who were seen for medical reports at the medical foundation in 1993 and 1994. Eighty one had been imprisoned; the others had been severely treated at home by the security services. Sixty six had been detained for up to one year. Prison conditions were invariably unsanitary, and food of poor quality when provided. All had been beaten on arrest, and all but two had been beaten repeatedly in prison. Nearly all the women and some of the men described sexual abuse. Almost all left prison through bribery or because a guard had a similar background. Seventy two asylum seekers had scarring, consider to be consistent with the history, and 70 were considered to have suffered persistent psychological damage. Asylum seekers from Zaïre will have health effects from experiences unimaginable to the ordinary Briton. An understanding of the background will help clinicians manage them.

The Preliminary Experience in the Emergency Department of a Newly Opened Penitentiary Institution Hospital in Turkey

PubMed Central

Koc, Bora; Tutal, Fırat; Urumdas, Mehmet; Ozkurt, Yalcın; Erus, Tugcan; Yavuz, Alpaslan; Kemik, Ozgur

2014-01-01

Background: Emergency cases become a widespread problem in prisons across Turkey. The opening of a new prison hospital in January 2012 within the catchment of Silivri Penitentiary Institution gave a unique opportunity to treat the inmates quickly. Aims: The study was to conduct an extensive review for documentation of prisoners’ healthcare problems leading to emergency admission following the first year after the opening of Penitentiary Institution Hospital and point to decrease redundant hospital transfers of this individual cohort. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out where 12,325 visits to the Silivri Penitentiary Institution Hospital for emergency visits from the period of 1st January 2012 to the 31st December 2012 were identified from electronic medical records. After obtaining consent from the local IRB, data including details of the type, cause and nature of the complaints of the illnesses were processed. Results: In the 12-month period, there were 12,325 visits to the emergency department, of which 4328 for surgical conditions (35.1%), 2684 for medical disorders (21.8%), 1867 for sports injuries (15.2%), 1327 for Ear Nose Throat (ENT) problems (10.8%), 827 for psychiatric disorders (6.70%), 396 for violence injury (3.2%), 169 for self harm (1.4%), and 727 for miscellaneous (5.8%). The most common cause of emergency visits was sports injuries, followed by non-specific abdominal pain and ENT problems. Eighteen prisoners re-attended 243 times, ranging from 8 visits to a maximum of 56 visits. Conclusion: Inmates in prison have a wide range of complaints, and sometimes these complaints do not suggest an illness. Prison population exhibited substantially higher prevalence rates of diseases than the civilian population. We conclude that this new healthcare system in prisons will prevent redundant hospital transfers and guarantee detainees have access to the same health care that is offered to non-detained population. PMID:25317391

[Disintegration of the prison system, public security and social exclusion].

PubMed

Freixo, Marcelo

2016-06-01

The defense of human rights, namely one of the most important duties of the legislature, is a considerable challenge in the day-to-day business of parliament. The opinions and practices of elected representatives reflect the security concerns and fears of society that engender a vast process of social exclusion. In this context, the defense of the right to health of persons deprived of liberty seems an especially difficult task, as shown in the interview of State Congressman Marcelo Freixo, the Coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of the Legislative Assembly in Rio de Janeiro and creator of the State Mechanism for Preventing and Combating Torture.

The Embodiment of Social Dynamics: A Phenomenon of Western Pop Dance within a Filipino Prison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Fleur Cathrael

2013-01-01

In January of 2010, in Cebu, a southern province of the Philippines, a collaborative dance performance occurred between 1500 Filipino inmates, the choreographer Travis Payne, and backup dancers representing the late American pop star, Michael Jackson. The event took place at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Centre, a maximum security…

Establishing a Deradicalization/Disengagement Model for America’s Correctional Facilities: Recommendations for Countering Prison Radicalization

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

Singaporeans on the ISA,” Malaysian Business, October 1, 2011, 56. 121 “Parliamentary Speech on the Internal Security Act—Speech by Mr Teo Chee Hean...Nanyang Technological University , Singapore and the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), Singapore: S. Rajarathnam School of International Studies... University , Singapore and the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG). Singapore: S. Rajarathnam School of International Studies, 2009. http

The Constructive Role of Decisions: Implications from a quantum Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

objectives. The first was to explore the nature of constructive influences in decision making . The second concerned understanding decision making in...Prisoner’s Dilemma. **First objective; constructive judgments. This is the idea that sometimes making a decision can alter the underlying relevant mental...the performance of the agent. 15.  SUBJECT TERMS EOARD, Quantum Probability, Human Modeling, Human Decision Making 16.  SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF

Implementing a court diversion and liaison scheme in a remand prison by systematic screening of new receptions: a 6 year participatory action research study of 20,084 consecutive male remands

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background A mental health needs assessment in the Irish prison population confirmed findings from other jurisdictions showing high prevalence of severe mental illness, including psychosis amongst those newly committed. We implemented a participatory action research approach in order to provide an integrated mental health prison in-reach and court liaison service for this population. Results Following extensive consultation, a two stage screening process was developed which was supplemented by an inter-agency referral management system. During the six years 2006–2011, all 20,084 new remands to the main remand prison serving 58% of the national population were screened. Following the first stage screen, 3,195 received a comprehensive psychiatric assessment. Of these 561 (2.8%) had symptoms of psychosis – corresponding to the prior research finding – and 572 were diverted from the criminal justice system to mental health services (89 to a secure forensic hospital, 164 to community mental health hospitals and 319 to other community mental health services). Conclusions We have shown that it is possible to match research findings in clinical practice by systematic screening, to sustain this over a long period and to achieve consistent levels of diversion from the criminal justice system to appropriate mental health services. The sustained and consistent performance of the model used is likely to reflect the use of participatory action research both to find the most effective model and to achieve wide ownership and cooperation with the model of care. PMID:23800103

Cardiac response and anxiety levels in psychopathic murderers.

PubMed

Serafim, Antonio de Pádua; Barros, Daniel Martins de; Valim, André; Gorenstein, Clarice

2009-09-01

To compare the emotional response and level of anxiety of psychopathic murderers, non-psychopathic murderers, and nonpsychopathic non-criminals. 110 male individuals aged over 18 years were divided into three groups: psychopathic murderers (n = 38); non-psychopathic murderers (n = 37) serving sentences for murder convictions in Maximum Security Prisons in the State of Sao Paulo; and non-criminal, non-psychopathic individuals (n = 35) according to the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. The emotional response of subjects was assessed by heart rate variation and anxiety level (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) after viewing standardized pictures depicting pleasant, unpleasant and neutral content from the International Affective Picture System. Psychopathic murderers presented lower anxiety levels and smaller heart rate variations when exposed to pleasant and unpleasant stimuli than nonpsychopathic murderers or non-psychopathic non-criminals. The results also demonstrated that the higher the score for factor 1 on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, the lower the heart rate variation and anxiety level. The results suggest that psychopathic murderers do not present variation in emotional response to different visual stimuli. Although the non-psychopathic murderers had committed the same type of crime as the psychopathic murderers, the former tended to respond with a higher level of anxiety and heart rate variation.

The 2006 July 17 Java (Indonesia) tsunami from satellite imagery and numerical modelling: a single or complex source?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hébert, H.; Burg, P.-E.; Binet, R.; Lavigne, F.; Allgeyer, S.; Schindelé, F.

2012-12-01

The Mw 7.8 2006 July 17 earthquake off the southern coast of Java, Indonesia, has been responsible for a very large tsunami causing more than 700 casualties. The tsunami has been observed on at least 200 km of coastline in the region of Pangandaran (West Java), with run-up heights from 5 to more than 20 m. Such a large tsunami, with respect to the source magnitude, has been attributed to the slow character of the seismic rupture, defining the event as a so-called tsunami earthquake, but it has also been suggested that the largest run-up heights are actually the result of a second local landslide source. Here we test whether a single slow earthquake source can explain the tsunami run-up, using a combination of new detailed data in the region of the largest run-ups and comparison with modelled run-ups for a range of plausible earthquake source models. Using high-resolution satellite imagery (SPOT 5 and Quickbird), the coastal impact of the tsunami is refined in the surroundings of the high-security Permisan prison on Nusa Kambangan island, where 20 m run-up had been recorded directly after the event. These data confirm the extreme inundation lengths close to the prison, and extend the area of maximum impact further along the Nusa Kambangan island (about 20 km of shoreline), where inundation lengths reach several hundreds of metres, suggesting run-up as high as 10-15 m. Tsunami modelling has been conducted in detail for the high run-up Permisan area (Nusa Kambangan) and the PLTU power plant about 25 km eastwards, where run-up reached only 4-6 m and a video recording of the tsunami arrival is available. For the Permisan prison a high-resolution DEM was built from stereoscopic satellite imagery. The regular basin of the PLTU plant was designed using photographs and direct observations. For the earthquake's mechanism, both static (infinite) and finite (kinematic) ruptures are investigated using two published source models. The models account rather well for the sea level variation at PLTU, showing a better agreement in arrival times with the finite rupture, and predict the Permisan area to be one of the regions where tsunami waves would have focussed. However, the earthquake models that match the data at PTLU do not predict that the wave heights at Permisan are an overall maximum, and do not predict there more than 10 m of the 21 observed. Hence, our results confirm that an additional localized tsunami source off Nusa Kambangan island, such as a submarine landslide, may have increased the tsunami impact for the Permisan site. This reinforces the importance for hazard assessment of further mapping and understanding local potential for submarine sliding, as a tsunami source added to usual earthquake sources.

[Emotional self-control, coping with stress and psycho-physical well-being of prison officers].

PubMed

Sygit-Kowalkowska, Ewa; Weber-Rajek, Magdalena; Porażyński, Krzysztof; Goch, Aleksander; Kraszkiewicz, Krzysztof; Bułatowicz, Irena

2015-01-01

Mental and physical health status is closely associated with the specific character of work in the structures of the uniformed services. The aim of the study was to examine how self-control, revealed strategies of coping with stress, sociodemographic factors differentiate the level of psychological and physical well-being of prison officers, and what is the predictor of psychological and physical well-being in this occupational group. A questionnaire survey was conducted in a group of 75 prison officers working in the Prison Potulice Security Department. In the study the following tools were used: the questionnaire on "Psychosocial working conditions", popular questionnaire on emotional intelligence (Popularny Kwestionariusz Inteligencji Emocjonalnej--PKIE), Measure Coping Strategies with Stress (Mini-COPE) and the questionnaire on sociodemographic variables. A higher level of mental and physical well-being of the subjects was accompanied by a higher level of declared active coping and a lower level in the range of helplessness, avoidance, turn to religion and sense of humor. Regression analysis showed that the levels of emotional control, helplessness strategy and support seeking strategies are important predictors of physical well-being of the dependent variable. As regards the psychological well-being, significant predictors are: the levels of emotional control, sense of humor and support seeking. The value of the results is limited due to the methodology used to collect questionnaires. In our study a random trial was not used as the questionnaires were completed only by individuals interested in the subject under study. Knowledge about the specificity of the psychophysical characteristics of prison officers should be taken into account when designing the tools of occupational health promotion. Studies show an average low level of perceived well-being with a high level of self-control. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

HIV counselling and testing utilisation and attitudes of male inmates in a South African prison.

PubMed

Motshabi, Lelaka C; Pengpid, Supa; Peltzer, Karl

2011-01-01

The Department of Correctional Services Policy on the management of HIV and AIDS for offenders include voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV as one of the priorities in the rehabilitation of inmates. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with the utilisation of VCT services in the correctional centres in terms of level of satisfaction, their experiences and expectations, and motivating factors and barriers for VCT utilisation at Losperfontein Correctional Centre, South Africa. This was a case control study (cases being those who underwent testing and controls those who did not) examining predictors of HIV VCT utilisation among 200 male adult sentenced inmates serving medium and maximum sentences. Results indicate that a poor health system (OR=0.34, 95%CI: 0.23 - 0.50) was inversely associated with HIV testing acceptance in prison, while age, educational level, population group, marital status, length of incarceration and access to HIV testing in prison were not associated with HIV testing acceptance in prison. Half of the participants (50%) agreed that VCT services are accessible and are promoted at their correctional centre. Most were satisfied with different components of VCT services, ranging from 79% (fair to very good) for 'the way he/she received you' to 62% 'clarified all your concerns'. This study demonstrated some challenges and benefits to the field of health promotion and HIV prevention in the correctional centres especially with regard to VCT services.

Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-14

outlawed because of its calls for outright change of regime and has boycotted all the COR elections. However, it is smaller in membership than Wifaq...faction, also is an outlawed faction. It is a successor to the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain (IFLB), a party purportedly linked Iran...clerics in Iran linked to Ayatollah Shirazi. Amal’s leader, Shaykh Muhammad Ali al-Mafoodh, has been in prison since 2011 and Amal was outlawed in

U.S. - Mexico Security Cooperation: The Time to Act Is Now

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-06

laws will take considerable time and effort to achieve. It is worth the resources invested as it will provide the most benefit to all citizens if...limited number of border crossing checkpoints. Additional benefits of this construct would be to reduce the costs of goods, as transportation times and... benefits to society: billions of dollars in increased tax revenue, relief for overworked law enforcement, courts and prisons, and increased safety

Treatment of Battlefield Detainees in the War on Terrorism

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-17

Security Advisor (Jan. 28, 2002), available at http://hrw.org/press/2002/01/us012802-ltr.htm. 8See Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question...June 1999 (citing interview with DoD law of war expert Hayes Parks, who advocates a purely de facto standard, without regard to political factors...117Military Prosecutor v. Kassem , 47 I.L.R. 470 (1971) (excerpts reprinted in DOCUMENTS ON PRISONERS OF WAR, document no. 160 (U.S. Naval War

Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-24

by the regime in May 2013. • Al Haq (Movement of Freedom and Democracy), another Shiite faction, is outlawed because of its calls for outright...discuss the human rights situation in Bahrain. • The Bahrain Islamic Action Society, a small Shiite faction, also is an outlawed faction. It is a...Amal’s leader, Shaykh Muhammad Ali al-Mafoodh, has been in prison since 2011 and Amal was outlawed in 2012. • Waad (“promise”) is a left-leaning

Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-06

raided by the regime in May 2013. • Al Haq (Movement of Freedom and Democracy), another Shiite faction, is outlawed because of its calls for outright...to discuss the human rights situation in Bahrain. • The Bahrain Islamic Action Society, a small Shiite faction, also is an outlawed faction. It is...Amal’s leader, Shaykh Muhammad Ali al-Mafoodh, has been in prison since 2011 and Amal was outlawed in 2012. • Waad (“promise”) is a left-leaning

Assisted suicide for prisoners? Stakeholder and prisoner perspectives.

PubMed

Shaw, David M; Elger, Bernice S

2016-09-01

For a wider project on aging in prison, the authors interviewed 35 older prisoners and 24 stakeholders (prison staff, prison healthcare professionals, and policy makers) about healthcare for prisoners. In all, 6 prisoners and 3 stakeholders spontaneously expressed their attitudes concerning assisted suicide. Some prisoners seek assisted suicide for medical reasons and others because they regard spending the rest of their lives in prison as undignified. However, stakeholders identified several ethical and practical challenges in providing assisted suicide to prisoners. This article presents these perspectives on assisted suicide in prison and provides an ethical analysis of the issues raised.

5 CFR 9701.312 - Maximum rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum rates. 9701.312 Section 9701.312 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES...

Condoms for prisoners: no evidence that they increase sex in prison, but they increase safe sex

PubMed Central

Butler, Tony; Richters, Juliet; Yap, Lorraine; Donovan, Basil

2013-01-01

Objectives To determine if the provision of condoms to prisoners in two Australian state prison systems with different policies affects sexual behaviour. In New South Wales’ (NSW) prisons, condoms are freely distributed, while in Queensland prisons none are distributed. Methods We used a computer-assisted telephone interview to survey randomly selected prisoners in both states about their sexual behaviour in prison. Results Two thousand and eighteen male prisoners participated. The proportion of prisoners reporting anal sex in prison was equally low in NSW (3.3%) and Queensland (3.6%; p=0.8). A much higher proportion of prisoners who engaged in anal sex in NSW (56.8%) than Queensland (3.1%; p<0.0001) reported they had used a condom if they had had anal sex in prison. Sexual coercion was equally rare in both prison systems. Conclusions We found no evidence that condom provision to prisoners increased consensual or non-consensual sexual activity in prison. If available, condoms were much more likely to be used during anal sex. Condoms should be made available to prisoners as a basic human right. PMID:23300337

Users' views of prison health services: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Condon, Louise; Hek, Gill; Harris, Francesca; Powell, Jane; Kemple, Terry; Price, Sally

2007-05-01

This paper is a report of a study of the views of prisoners about health services provided in prisons. Prison provides an opportunity for a 'hard to reach' group to access health services, primarily those provided by nurses. Prisoners typically have high health and social needs, but the views and experiences of prisoners about health services in prison have not been widely researched. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 111 prisoners in purposively selected 12 prisons in England in 2005. Interviews covered both prisoners' views of health services and their own ways of caring for their health in prison. Interviews were analysed to develop a conceptual framework and identify dominant themes. Prisoners considered health services part of a personal prison journey, which began at imprisonment and ended on release. For those who did not access health services outside prison, imprisonment improved access to both mental and physical health services. Prisoners identified accessing services, including those provided by nurses, confidentiality, being seen as a 'legitimate' patient and living with a chronic condition as problems within the prison healthcare system. At all points along the prison healthcare journey, the prison regime could conflict with optimal health care. Lack of autonomy is a major obstacle to ensuring that prisoners' health needs are fully met. Their views should be considered when planning, organizing and delivering prison health services. Further research is needed to examine how nurses can ensure a smooth journey through health care for prisoners.

Prison health care: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Watson, Roger; Stimpson, Anne; Hostick, Tony

2004-02-01

The prison population is increasing and the health problems of prisoners are considerable. Prison is designed with punishment, correction and rehabilitation to the community in mind and these goals may conflict with the aims of health care. A literature review showed that the main issues in prison health care are mental health, substance abuse and communicable diseases. Women prisoners and older prisoners have needs which are distinct from other prisoners. Health promotion and the health of the community outside prisons are desirable aims of prison health care. The delivery of effective health care to prisoners is dependent upon partnership between health and prison services and telemedicine is one possible mode of delivery.

The quest for significance model of radicalization: implications for the management of terrorist detainees.

PubMed

Dugas, Michelle; Kruglanski, Arie W

2014-01-01

Radicalization and its culmination in terrorism represent a grave threat to the security and stability of the world. A related challenge is effective management of extremists who are detained in prison facilities. The major aim of this article is to review the significance quest model of radicalization and its implications for management of terrorist detainees. First, we review the significance quest model, which elaborates on the roles of motivation, ideology, and social processes in radicalization. Secondly, we explore the implications of the model in relation to the risks of prison radicalization. Finally, we analyze the model's implications for deradicalization strategies and review preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program targeting components of the significance quest. Based on this evidence, we argue that the psychology of radicalization provides compelling reason for the inclusion of deradicalization efforts as an essential component of the management of terrorist detainees. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Group climate and empathy in a sample of incarcerated boys.

PubMed

van der Helm, G H P; Stams, G J J M; van der Stel, J C; van Langen, M A M; van der Laan, P H

2012-12-01

This study examined the influence of group climate on empathy in a Dutch youth correctional facility in a sample of 59 incarcerated delinquent boys. Higher levels of empathy have been shown to be associated with less delinquent and more prosocial behaviour and may therefore be vital for successful rehabilitation and recidivism reduction. Although empathy was originally considered to be a trait, recent neurobiological research has shown that empathy has state-like properties in that levels of empathy change in response to the social environment. This study showed that differences in group climate were associated with cognitive empathy in juvenile delinquents but not with affective empathy. It is speculated that inmates' state-depressive feelings and anxiety could diminish the effects of prison group climate on affective empathy. The discussion focuses on group dynamics in youth correctional facilities. A positive prison group climate in a youth correctional facility could turn out to be a major factor contributing to effectiveness of secure institutional treatment.

Ethics, the law, and prisoners: protecting society, changing human behavior, and protecting human rights.

PubMed

Trestman, Robert L

2014-09-01

Restricting a person's liberty presents society with many inherent ethical challenges. The historical purposes of confinement have included punishment, penitence, containment, rehabilitation, and habilitation. While the purposes are indeed complex, multifaceted, and at times ambiguous or contradictory, the fact of incarceration intrinsically creates many ethical challenges for psychiatrists working in correctional settings. Role definition of a psychiatrist may be ambiguous, with potential tensions between forensic and therapeutic demands. Privacy may be limited or absent and confidentiality may be compromised. Patient autonomy may be threatened to address real or perceived security concerns. Care delivery may actually have harmful consequences in court cases for pretrial detainees or lethal consequences for those under a death sentence. An absence of data and targeted research hampers the development of evidence-based care delivery for the disenfranchised, understudied, and disproportionately ill prisoner population. In this review paper, I discuss a few of the challenges and dilemmas routinely faced and present a series of questions. Where feasible, proposed resolutions are offered.

Analyzing Global Interdependence. Volume III. Methodological Perspectives and Research Implications,

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-11-01

exposition of their relevance to U. S. - U. S. S.R. security relations is Glenn H. Snyder, "’Prisoner’s Dilemma’ and ’Chicken Models ’ in International...by both. The -9- same dilemma may well occur in some arms acquisitions, fishing, inflation control, or oil production situations. The fact that the...magnitudes) or individually (who goes to jail, who has which arms the other does not, who gets what from their inflation controller or oil production

The "Small Change" of Soldiering? Peace Operations as Preparation for Future Wars

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-06-05

Haitian police force ( primary responsibility for this mission lay with non -military agencies), 194 secure election sites, introduce order to the prison...Army’s primary mission. This view is rooted in a paradigm of readiness that assumed its present form during General William E. DePuy’s tenure at U.S...other form of peacetime training. A view nevertheless persists that peace operations detract from the Army’s primary mission. This view is rooted

A Multilevel Analysis of the Relationship Between Cell Sharing, Staff-Prisoner Relationships, and Prisoners' Perceptions of Prison Quality.

PubMed

Molleman, Toon; van Ginneken, Esther F J C

2015-09-01

Prisons worldwide operate under crowded conditions, in which prisoners are forced to share a cell. Few studies have looked at the relationship between cell sharing and the quality of prison life in Europe. This study aims to fill this gap with a multilevel analysis on the link between cell sharing and quality of prison life, using results from a Dutch prisoner survey. Findings show that cell sharing is associated with lower perceived prison quality, which is partially mediated by reduced quality of staff-prisoner relationships. Cell sharing thus undermines the Dutch penological philosophy, which considers staff-prisoner relationships to be at the heart of prisoner treatment and rehabilitation. It is recommended that prisoners are held in single rather than double cells. © The Author(s) 2014.

Influence of environmental factors on mental health within prisons: focus group study.

PubMed

Nurse, Jo; Woodcock, Paul; Ormsby, Jim

2003-08-30

To increase understanding of how the prison environment influences the mental health of prisoners and prison staff. Qualitative study with focus groups. A local prison in southern England. Prisoners and prison staff. Prisoners reported that long periods of isolation with little mental stimulus contributed to poor mental health and led to intense feelings of anger, frustration, and anxiety. Prisoners said they misused drugs to relieve the long hours of tedium. Most focus groups identified negative relationships between staff and prisoners as an important issue affecting stress levels of staff and prisoners. Staff groups described a "circle of stress," whereby the prison culture, organisation, and staff shortages caused high staff stress levels, resulting in staff sickness, which in turn caused greater stress for remaining staff. Staff shortages also affected prisoners, who would be locked up for longer periods of time, the ensuing frustration would then be released on staff, aggravating the situation still further. Insufficient staff also affected control and monitoring of bullying and reduced the amount of time in which prisoners were able to maintain contact with their families. Greater consideration should be given to understanding the wider environmental and organisational factors that contribute to poor mental health in prisons. This information can be used to inform prison policy makers and managers, and the primary care trusts who are beginning to work in partnership with prisons to improve the mental health of prisoners.

Aqueous foam as a less-than-lethal technology for prison applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goolsby, Tommy D.

1997-01-01

High expansion aqueous foam is an aggregation of bubbles that has the appearance of soap suds and is used to isolate individuals both visually and acoustically. It was developed in the 1920's in England to fight coal mine fires and has been widely used since for fire fighting and dust suppression. It was developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in the 1970's for nuclear safeguards and security applications. In late 1994, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the Department of Justice, began a project with SNL to determine the applicability of high expansion aqueous foam for correctional applications. NIJ funded the project as part of its search for new and better less-than-lethal weapons for responding to violent and dangerous individuals, where other means of force could lead to serious injuries. The phase one objectives of the project were to select a low-to-no toxicity foam concentrate with physical characteristics suited for use in a single cell or large prison disturbances, and to determine if the selected foam concentrate could serve as a carrier for Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) irritant. The phase two objective were to conduct an extensive toxicology review of the selected foam concentrate and OC irritant, and to conduct respiration simulation experiments in the selected high expansion aqueous foam. The phase three objectives were to build a prototype individual cell aqueous foam system and to study the feasibility of aqueous foams for large prison facility disturbances. The phase four and five objectives were to use the prototype system to do large scale foam physical characteristics testing of the selected foam concentrate, and to have the prototype single cell system further evaluated by correctional representatives. Prison rather than street scenarios were evaluated as the first and most likely place for using the aqueous foam since prisons have recurrent incidents where officers and inmates might be seriously injured during violent confrontations. The very low density of the high expansion foam also makes it more suitable for indoor use. This paper summarizes the results of the project.

20 CFR 229.65 - Initial reduction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... wage (see § 225.2 of this chapter) used to compute the DIB O/M under the Social Security Act rules... that exceed the maximum used in computing social security benefits) for the 5 consecutive years after... earnings that exceed the maximum used in computing social security benefits) for the year of highest...

Screening Prisoners for Intellectual Disabilities in Three English Prisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Glynis H.; Gardner, Jeff; Freeman, Mark J.

2017-01-01

Background: Prisoners with intellectual disabilities are known to be disadvantaged in prisons and to be more susceptible to bullying, segregation, depression and anxiety than other prisoners. Method: In this study, nearly 3000 new prisoners entering three English prisons were offered screening for intellectual disabilities, using the LDSQ.…

UK news media representations of smoking, smoking policies and tobacco bans in prisons.

PubMed

Robinson, Amy; Sweeting, Helen; Hunt, Kate

2018-02-19

Prisoner smoking rates remain high, resulting in secondhand smoke exposures for prison staff and non-smoker prisoners. Several jurisdictions have introduced prison smoking bans with little evidence of resulting disorder. Successful implementation of such bans requires staff support. As news media representations of health and other issues shape public views and as prison smoking bans are being introduced in the UK, we conducted content analysis of UK news media to explore representations of smoking in prisons and smoke-free prisons. We searched 64 national and local newspapers and 5 broadcast media published over 17 months during 2015-2016, and conducted thematic analysis of relevant coverage in 106 articles/broadcasts. Coverage was relatively infrequent and lacked in-depth engagement with the issues. It tended to reinforce a negative view of prisoners, avoid explicit concern for prisoner or prison staff health and largely ignore the health gains of smoke-free policies. Most coverage failed to discuss appropriate responses or support for cessation in the prison context, or factors associated with high prisoner smoking rates. Half the articles/broadcasts included coverage suggesting smoke-free prisons might lead to unrest or instability. Negative news media representations of prisoners and prison smoking bans may impact key stakeholders' views (eg, prison staff, policy-makers) on the introduction of smoke-free prison policies. Policy-makers' communications when engaging in discussion around smoke-free prison policies should draw on the generally smooth transitions to smoke-free prisons to date, and on evidence on health benefits of smoke-free environments and smoking cessation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Prison Education Diaries. A Collection of Poems, Essays and Extracts from Daily Journals by Prisoners, in Their Own Words, about Their Learning Experiences whilst in Prison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Adult Continuing Education, Leicester (England).

This collection of 35 poems, essays, and extracts from daily journals offers insight into the thoughts and experiences of prison education and prison life from the prisoner's perspective. The contributions come from men and women prisoners and young offenders from various ethnic backgrounds from 14 prisons; they demonstrate just how much can be…

Opening the Door to Zero New HIV Infections in Closed Settings.

PubMed

Torriente, Anna; Tadion, Alexander; Hsu, Lee-Nah

2016-06-01

Prisons and other closed settings are high-risk environments for HIV and tuberculosis (TB) transmission. Prisoners often experience overcrowded living conditions and violence-including sexual assault-increasing their vulnerability to HIV and TB. However, high infection rates in prisons affect both prisoners and prison employees. Both groups, in interacting with their families and their communities, represent a potential risk of HIV transmission outside the prison setting. National HIV and TB strategies should therefore include measures to prevent transmission and increase access to HIV-related services in prisons. Courts have progressively recognized the human rights of prisoners, including the right to health and access to HIV-related services. A number of national and regional court decisions have affirmed that prison authorities have a duty of care to prisoners and an obligation to ensure that prisoners have access to HIV prevention measures and treatment. Policies and programs on HIV, AIDS, and TB for prison workplaces that are aligned with the ILO's international labor standards can benefit both prisoners and prison employees. In particular, the ILO's HIV and AIDS Recommendation, 2010 (No. 200) affirms the principle of universal access to HIV services and provides guidance for the HIV/TB response in prison settings.

Prison staff and prisoner views on a prison smoking ban: evidence from the Tobacco in Prisons Study.

PubMed

Brown, Ashley; Sweeting, Helen; Logan, Greig; Demou, Evangelia; Hunt, Kate

2018-05-15

In jurisdictions permitting prisoner smoking, rates are high (c75%), with smoking embedded in prison culture, leading to secondhand smoke exposures among staff and prisoners and challenges for smoking cessation. Momentum is building to ban smoking in prisons, but research on staff and prisoner views is lacking. We address this gap, providing evidence on staff and prisoner views throughout all Scottish prisons. Data were collected prior to announcement of a (November 2018) prison smoking ban throughout Scotland. Mixed methods were used: surveys of staff (online, N=1,271, ~27%) and prisoners (questionnaire, N=2,512, ~34%); 17 focus groups and two paired interviews with staff in 14 prisons. Staff were more positive than prisoners about bans and increased smoking restrictions, although prisoner views were more favourable should e-cigarettes be permitted. Non-smokers were more positive than smokers. Whilst 74% staff and 22% prisoners agreed bans were a good idea, both groups acknowledged implementation and enforcement challenges. Staff views were influenced by beliefs about: acceptability of the policy in principle; and whether/how bans could be achieved. Although some voiced doubts about smoke-free policies, staff likened a ban to other operational challenges. Staff raised concerns around needs for appropriate measures, resources and support, adequate lead-in time, and effective communication prior to a ban. We recommend that regular and open opportunities for dialogue within and between different stakeholder groups are created when preparing for prison smoking bans, and that specific measures to address staff and prisoner concerns are incorporated into plans to create and maintain smoke-free environments. To our knowledge, this study is the first to research staff and prisoner views across a whole prison system prior to implementation of smoke-free policies. The results highlight potential challenges and suggest measures which might help to maximise the success of bans. Our results are relevant for prison service managers responsible for the forthcoming introduction of a ban in Scottish prisons (November 2018) and for other prison systems and comparable institutions planning smoke-free initiatives. Given that prison smoking bans may be contentious, we recommend creating regular and open opportunities for dialogue between stakeholders when preparing for and maintaining smoke-free environments.

Acceptance or refusal of convenience food in present-day prison.

PubMed

Vanhouche, An-Sofie

2015-11-01

Food in prison is an insufficiently researched topic. However, prisoners often highlight problems with and criticism of their prison meals. This article aims to further develop this topic by giving closer insight into the use and attitudes toward ready-made meals in the Tilburg prison. In this prison, prisoners receive ready-made meals. This is in contrast to Belgian prisons, from which they were transferred, where meals were made from scratch. This change in the food system led to commotion and complaints. To understand the situation, interviews with prisoners and staff were conducted and observations in the Tilburg prison were made. The results showed that a food system can have considerable influence on prison experiences. In addition, and contrary to what earlier reports have mentioned, the ready-made meals also have some advantages, especially for the organization of daily prison life. However, most prisoners had negative attitudes toward these meals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Public security female workers at the coast of Paraná, Brazil: intersections of gender, work, violence(s), and health.

PubMed

Schneider, Daniele; Signorelli, Marcos Claudio; Pereira, Pedro Paulo Gomes

2017-09-01

This study aimed to promote visibility of women working in public security along the Parana coast, articulating issues of gender, violence(s), and the health-disease process. The methodology was qualitative, through an ethnographic research which included 50 women (civilians, military policewomen, and prison officers) from municipalities along the Parana coast, between March 2014 and March 2015. Results revealed: 1) the dilemmas that these women are subjected to, facing the seasonal dynamics in the field of public security in the region; 2) exposure to violence (mainly institutional and gender-based) and its impact on these women's health; 3) power relations, marked by corporations' hierarchies and gender asymmetries between men and women in professional settings. In summary, this research highlighted the need to promote visibility of women working in public security institutions, considering the impact of violence and gender inequalities in their personal and professional lives, including the resistance and rearrangements promoted by these women in the institutions in response to their presence in a hegemonic and traditionally male environment.

Indonesian prisons and HIV: part of the problem, part of the solution?

PubMed

Nelwan, Erni Juwita; Diana, Aly; van Crevel, Reinout; Alam, Nisaa Nur; Alisjahbana, Bachti; Pohan, Herdiman T; van der Ven, Andre; Djaya, Ilham

2009-07-01

Around the world, HIV-prevalence rates among prisoners are high compared to the general population. This is due to overrepresentation of injecting drug users (IDUs) in prison and possible HIV-transmission inside prison. Limited health services in penitentiary institutes, stigma, policy issues, and budgetary constraints may hamper delivery of appropriate services for HIV in prison. Prisons may, on the other hand, enable the access to a high risk population for HIV-prevention and -care. IDUs are namely hard to reach outside prisons, while in prison targeted interventions for IDUs can be used repeatedly and economically. Also, harm reduction and HIV-treatment can be supervised and monitored carefully. This paper reviews HIV-prevention and care in prison, and describes the experience in one particular prison in West Java, Indonesia. Based on the literature and local experience, one can conclude that effective and widespread HIV-testing and treatment can be established in prisons if there is commitment from prison authorities, endorsement of services by prison staff and inmates, and collaboration with health care providers from outside prison. Essential components of HIV-services in prison include appropriate health care services, a suitable environment for HIV-counseling and -testing and tailored services for injecting drug use. By partner counseling and linking HIV-services in prison with continued care afterwards, prisons may contribute significantly to HIV-control in the general population, especially in settings where HIV is often due to injecting drug use.

The tension between cross-border cooperation in the European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice and the fundamental rights of mentally ill offenders in detention.

PubMed

Meysman, Michaël

2016-01-01

In two recent judgements, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has given an alarming signal regarding the placement, care and treatment of mentally disordered offenders in Belgium. This article analyses these judgements and the Court's assessment that Belgium faces a structural problem regarding the detention of people with a mental illness in prison. By exploring other recent ECtHR decisions across the EU and combining this with an analysis of international norms and standards, it contends that there is something amiss regarding the post-trial approach towards mentally disordered offenders in an EU-wide context. The potential hazards of this situation, from both an individual and an EU perspective are then presented by analysing the EU Framework Decision on the transfer of prisoners (which aims to facilitate offender rehabilitation) and the EU Court of Justice's interpretation of the relationship between instruments like the Framework Decision that are based on mutual recognition and fundamental rights. Lastly, the EU's initiative for enhancing procedural rights in criminal proceedings through the Roadmap trajectory, and the subsequent Commission Recommendation of 27 November 2013, are scrutinized. Based on this research, the article pinpoints the flaws and vacuums that currently exist for mentally disordered offenders, and the negative outcome this may have on the legitimacy and effectiveness of the European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Better protecting staff working alone.

PubMed

Swindlehurst, Darren

2016-08-01

Established four and a half years ago as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dutch-headquartered personal security and critical communications solutions provider, Atus BV, Hereford-based Atus Systems has since established a strong UK-wide client base supplying personal pagers, wireless personal alarm units, and the associated infrastructure, predominantly to high secure mental health facilities, prisons, and detention centres. Recent months, however, mark a new chapter for it, with the launch of a 'unique' lone worker protection system able to identify such personnel's location even when they are indoors and out of range of GPS coverage, and a sophisticated two-way enterprise critical messaging system. As HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, discovered from MD, Darren Swindlehurst, the company will target both systems squarely at the NHS and private healthcare providers, as well as at its more 'traditional' customers.

Opening the Door to Zero New HIV Infections in Closed Settings

PubMed Central

Tadion, Alexander; Hsu, Lee-Nah

2016-01-01

Abstract Prisons and other closed settings are high-risk environments for HIV and tuberculosis (TB) transmission. Prisoners often experience overcrowded living conditions and violence—including sexual assault—increasing their vulnerability to HIV and TB. However, high infection rates in prisons affect both prisoners and prison employees. Both groups, in interacting with their families and their communities, represent a potential risk of HIV transmission outside the prison setting. National HIV and TB strategies should therefore include measures to prevent transmission and increase access to HIV-related services in prisons. Courts have progressively recognized the human rights of prisoners, including the right to health and access to HIV-related services. A number of national and regional court decisions have affirmed that prison authorities have a duty of care to prisoners and an obligation to ensure that prisoners have access to HIV prevention measures and treatment. Policies and programs on HIV, AIDS, and TB for prison workplaces that are aligned with the ILO’s international labor standards can benefit both prisoners and prison employees. In particular, the ILO’s HIV and AIDS Recommendation, 2010 (No. 200) affirms the principle of universal access to HIV services and provides guidance for the HIV/TB response in prison settings. PMID:27781007

Perimeter security alarm system based on fiber Bragg grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Cui; Wang, Lixin

2010-11-01

With the development of the society and economy and the improvement of living standards, people need more and more pressing security. Perimeter security alarm system is widely regarded as the first line of defense. A highly sensitive Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) vibration sensor based on the theory of the string vibration, combined with neural network adaptive dynamic programming algorithm for the perimeter security alarm system make the detection intelligently. Intelligent information processing unit identify the true cause of the vibration of the invasion or the natural environment by analyzing the frequency of vibration signals, energy, amplitude and duration. Compared with traditional perimeter security alarm systems, such as infrared perimeter security system and electric fence system, FBG perimeter security alarm system takes outdoor passive structures, free of electromagnetic interference, transmission distance through optical fiber can be as long as 20 km It is able to detect the location of event within short period of time (high-speed response, less than 3 second).This system can locate the fiber cable's breaking sites and alarm automatically if the cable were be cut. And the system can prevent effectively the false alarm from small animals, birds, strong wind, scattering things, snowfalls and vibration of sensor line itself. It can also be integrated into other security systems. This system can be widely used in variety fields such as military bases, nuclear sites, airports, warehouses, prisons, residence community etc. It will be a new force of perimeter security technology.

Prevalence and characteristics of prisoners requiring end-of-life care: A prospective national survey

PubMed Central

Pazart, Lionel; Godard-Marceau, Aurélie; Chassagne, Aline; Vivot-Pugin, Aurore; Cretin, Elodie; Amzallag, Edouard; Aubry, Regis

2017-01-01

Background: Ensuring adequate end-of-life care for prisoners is a critical issue. In France, data investigating the impact of laws allowing release of seriously ill prisoners are lacking. Aim: To assess the number and characteristics of prisoners requiring palliative care in French prisons. Design: A prospective, national survey collecting data over a 3-month period. Setting/participants: All healthcare units (n = 190) providing care for prisoners in France. The prison population was 66,698 during the study period. Data collection concerned prisoners requiring end-of-life care, that is, with serious, advanced, progressive, or terminal illness and life expectancy <1 year. Results: Estimated annual prevalence of ill prisoners requiring end-of-life care was 15.2 (confidence interval: 12.5–18.3) per 10,000 prisoners. The observed number of prisoners requiring palliative care (n = 50) was twice as high as the expected age- and sex-standardized number based on the general population and similar to the expected number among persons 10 years older in the free community. In all, 41 of 44 (93%) of identified ill prisoners were eligible for temporary or permanent compassionate release, according to their practitioner. Only 33 of 48 (68%) of ill prisoners requested suspension or reduction in their sentence on medical grounds; half (16/33) received a positive answer. Conclusion: The proportion of prisoners requiring palliative care is higher than expected in the general population. The general frailty and co-existing conditions of prisoners before incarceration and the acceleration of these phenomena in prison could explain this increase in end-of-life situations among prisoners. PMID:28786339

Procedural justice in prison: the importance of staff characteristics.

PubMed

Beijersbergen, Karin A; Dirkzwager, Anja J E; Molleman, Toon; van der Laan, Peter H; Nieuwbeerta, Paul

2015-04-01

A humane and fair treatment of prisoners is of intrinsic value in itself, and is generally acclaimed to reduce prisoners' psychological distress and misconduct in prison, and their criminal behavior after release from prison. To create a more just prison climate, scholars have emphasized the importance of correctional staff. However, there is a lack of empirical research on the relationship between correctional officers' characteristics and prisoners' perceptions of a just treatment in prison. Our study fills this gap in knowledge. Data were used from (a) the Prison Project, a large-scale study in which prisoners held in all Dutch remand centers were surveyed (n = 1,610) and (b) the Dutch Correctional Staff Survey 2011 (n = 690). Multilevel analyses showed that prisoners perceived their treatment in prison as more procedurally just in units where there are more female officers, where officers held more positive attitudes toward rehabilitation, and where there is a higher officer-to-inmate ratio. © The Author(s) 2013.

"They Treat Us Like Human Beings"--Experiencing a Therapeutic Sex Offenders Prison: Impact on Prisoners and Staff and Implications for Treatment.

PubMed

Blagden, Nicholas; Winder, Belinda; Hames, Charlie

2016-03-01

Research evidence demonstrates that sex offender treatment programmes (SOTPs) can reduce the number of sex offenders who are reconvicted. However, there has been much less empirical research exploring the experiences and perspectives of the prison environment within which treatment takes place. This is important, particularly for sexual offenders, as they often face multiple stigmas in prison. This study used a mixed-methods approach to explore the experiences of prisoners and staff at a therapeutically orientated sexual offenders' prison to understand whether the prison environment was conducive to rehabilitation. The quantitative strand of the research sampled prisoners (n = 112) and staff (n = 48) from a therapeutically orientated sex offenders prison. This strand highlighted that both prisoners and staff had positive attitudes toward offenders and high beliefs that offenders could change. Importantly, the climate was rated positively and, in particular, participants had very high ratings of "experienced safety." The qualitative strand of the research consisted of semistructured interviews with prisoners (n = 15) and a range of prison staff (n = 16). The qualitative analysis revealed positive prisoner views toward staff relationships, with most participants articulating that the prison and its staff had contributed to positive change in prisoners. Crucially, the environment was perceived as safe and allowed prisoners "headspace" to work through problems and contemplate change. This research offers some support to the notion that context is important for sex offender rehabilitation. © The Author(s) 2014.

Expert perspectives on Western European prison health services: do ageing prisoners receive equivalent care?

PubMed

Bretschneider, Wiebke; Elger, Bernice Simone

2014-09-01

Health care in prison and particularly the health care of older prisoners are increasingly important topics due to the growth of the ageing prisoner population. The aim of this paper is to gain insight into the approaches used in the provision of equivalent health care to ageing prisoners and to confront the intuitive definition of equivalent care and the practical and ethical challenges that have been experienced by individuals working in this field. Forty interviews took place with experts working in the prison setting from three Western European countries to discover their views on prison health care. Experts indicated that the provision of equivalent care in prison is difficult mostly due to four factors: variability of care in different prisons, gatekeeper systems, lack of personnel, and delays in providing access. This lack of equivalence can be fixed by allocating adequate budgets and developing standards for health care in prison.

Inside Prison Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogel, Brenda; And Others

1989-01-01

Issues related to prison libraries are discussed in six articles. Topics covered include the history of American penitentiary ideology; standards for prison libraries; the controversy as to whether prison libraries should serve prisoners or be used as penological tools; and the lack of knowledge about prison libraries within the general library…

My Mother Didn't Raise Me to End Up in Prison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hack, Ken

1989-01-01

From personal experiences teaching in a prison, suggests how the topic of prisons can be included in social studies instruction. Ideas include learning about prison terminology, recidivism, and student attitudes concerning prisons. Lists resources to aid in teaching a unit on prisons. (CH)

Harm reduction measures and injecting inside prison versus mandatory drugs testing: results of a cross sectional anonymous questionnaire survey. The European Commission Network on HIV Infection and Hepatitis in Prison.

PubMed Central

Bird, A. G.; Gore, S. M.; Hutchinson, S. J.; Lewis, S. C.; Cameron, S.; Burns, S.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: (a) To determine both the frequency of injecting inside prison and use of sterilising tablets to clean needles in the previous four weeks; (b) to assess the efficiency of random mandatory drugs testing at detecting prisoners who inject heroin inside prison; (c) to determine the percentage of prisoners who had been offered vaccination against hepatitis B. DESIGN: Cross sectional willing anonymous salivary HIV surveillance linked to a self completion risk factor questionnaire. SETTING: Lowmoss prison, Glasgow, and Aberdeen prison on 11 and 30 October 1996. SUBJECTS: 293 (94%) of all 312 inmates at Lowmoss and 146 (93%) of all 157 at Aberdeen, resulting in 286 and 143 valid questionnaires. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of injecting inside prison in the previous four weeks by injector inmates who had been in prison for at least four weeks. RESULTS: 116 (41%) Lowmoss and 53 (37%) Aberdeen prisoners had a history of injecting drug use but only 4% of inmates (17/395; 95% confidence interval 2% to 6%) had ever been offered vaccination against hepatitis B. 42 Lowmoss prisoners (estimated 207 injections and 258 uses of sterilising tablets) and 31 Aberdeen prisoners (229 injections, 221 uses) had injected inside prison in the previous four weeks. The prisons together held 112 injector inmates who had been in prison for more than four weeks, of whom 57 (51%; 42% to 60%) had injected in prison in the past four weeks; their estimated mean number of injections was 6.0 (SD 5.7). Prisoners injecting heroin six times in four weeks will test positive in random mandatory drugs testing on at most 18 days out of 28. CONCLUSIONS: Sterilising tablets and hepatitis B vaccination should be offered to all prisoners. Random mandatory drugs testing seriously underestimates injector inmates' harm reduction needs. PMID:9233321

Attitude to rehabilitative counselling in southwestern Nigerian prisons.

PubMed

A Alao, Kayode; F Adebowale, Olusegun

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to examine the attitudes of prison inmates and warders (prison staff) to rehabilitative counselling and its relationship to their prison status on one hand and their educational attainment on the other. The study adopts a descriptive survey research design. In all 123 prison inmates and 110 warders were selected by stratified random sampling from Osogbo prison headquarters, as well as Ilesa and Ile-Ife prisons in southwestern Nigeria. Data were collected through a self-constructed questionnaire titled "inmate and prison staff attitude to rehabilitation counselling". Data collected were analysed using percentages and χ2 statistics. The results showed that the prison inmates and staff possessed positive attitude to rehabilitative counselling. No significant difference was found between the attitudes of prison inmates and staff members or on the basis of their prison statuses. However, the study found a significant relationship between the prison inmates' attitude to rehabilitative counselling and their educational attainment. Research LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Statutory provision needs be made for professional rehabilitative counselling in Nigerian prisons in contrast to the religious instructions currently being allowed prisoners. Educational opportunities should be provided to ensure that the knowledge so obtained complements the rehabilitative counselling. Originality/value - This paper fulfils an identified need to study the attitude towards rehabilitative counselling.

HIV in Indian prisons: risk behaviour, prevalence, prevention & treatment.

PubMed

Dolan, Kate; Larney, Sarah

2010-12-01

HIV is a major health challenge for prison authorities. HIV in prisons has implications for HIV in the general community. The aim of this paper was to gather information on HIV risk, prevalence, prevention and treatment in prisons in India. Relevant published and unpublished reports and information were sought in order to provide a coherent picture of the current situation relating to HIV prevention, treatment and care in prisons in India. Information covered prison management and population statistics, general conditions in prisons, provision of general medical care and the HIV situation in prison. No data on drug injection in prison were identified. Sex between men was reported to be common in some Indian prisons. A national study found that 1.7 per cent of inmates were HIV positive. Some prisons provided HIV education. Condom provision was considered illegal. A few prisoners received drug treatment for drug use, HIV infection or co-infection with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). HIV prevalence in prisons in India was higher than that in the general community. Regular monitoring of information on HIV risk behaviours and prevalence in Indian prisons is strongly recommended. Evidence based treatment for drug injectors and nation-wide provision of HIV prevention strategies are urgently required. Voluntary counselling, testing and treatment for HIV and STIs should be provided.

The Maryland Division of Correction hospice program.

PubMed

Boyle, Barbara A

2002-10-01

The Maryland Division of Correction houses 24,000 inmates in 27 geographically disparate facilities. The inmate population increasingly includes a frail, elderly component, as well as many inmates with chronic or progressive diseases. The Division houses about 900 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive detainees, almost one quarter with an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) diagnosis. A Ryan White Special Project of National Significance (SPNS) grant and the interest of a community hospice helped transform prison hospice from idea to reality. One site is operational and a second site is due to open in the future. Both facilities serve only male inmates, who comprise more than 95% of Maryland's incarcerated. "Medical parole" is still the preferred course for terminally ill inmates; a number have been sent to various local community inpatient hospices or released to the care of their families. There will always be some who cannot be medically paroled, for whom hospice is appropriate. Maryland's prison hospice program requires a prognosis of 6 months or less to live, a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order and patient consent. At times, the latter two of these have been problematic. Maintaining the best balance between security requirements and hospice services to dying inmates takes continual communication, coordination and cooperation. Significant complications in some areas remain: visitation to dying inmates by family and fellow prisoners; meeting special dietary requirements; what role, if any, will be played by inmate volunteers. Hospice in Maryland's Division of Correction is a work in progress.

Transmission of tuberculosis in the prison of Antananarivo (Madagascar).

PubMed

Rasolofo-Razanamparany, V; Ménard, D; Ratsitorahina, M; Aurégan, G; Gicquel, B; Chanteau, S

2000-11-01

The prevalence of tuberculosis in the Antananarivo prison is 16 times higher than that in the general population of Madagascar. We compared the clustering of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains within and outside the prison and studied the transmission of strains in the prison. M. tuberculosis strains isolated in 1994 to 1995 from 146 prisoners and from 260 nonprisoner patients from Antananarivo were typed using the genetic markers IS6110 and direct repeat. We compared the strains isolated from prisoners and nonprisoners and found that the clustering rate was higher within (58.9%) than outside the prison (40%) suggesting that the transmission rate was higher in prison. Of the 146 incarcerated patients, 82 were grouped into 22 clusters. We checked for possible tuberculosis transmission between prisoners with identical strains by epidemiological investigation of the various prison clusters. We found that 9.5% of the incarcerated patients could have been sources of infection and that only 15.1% could have been infected in the prison. One hundred and twenty-seven prison patients were new cases. Epidemiological data suggested that 37% of them resulted from a reactivation of an old infection, due to poor living conditions or recent transmission from an index case outside the prison.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND NIGERIAN PRISONERS--ARE PRISONERS NOT HUMANS?

PubMed

Joshua, I A; Dangata, Y Y; Audu, O; Nmadu, A G; Omole, N V

2014-12-01

In Nigeria, just like in many other parts of the world, one of the most extensively discussed issues on the public agenda today is the increase in prison population. The aims of imprisonment are protection, retribution, deterrence, reformation and vindication. Investigations revealed that the prison services have been,neglected more than any other criminal justice agency in Nigeria. For example, most of the prisons were built during the colonial era for the purpose of accommodating a small number of inmates. Human Rights are the basic guarantees for human beings to be able to achieve happiness and self-respect; consequently, in most jurisdictions, the Human Rights Act confirms that these Rights do not stop at the prison gates. However, most States fail to meet the Human Rights obligations of their prisoners. As regards to health, for example, every prison should have proper health facilities and medical staff to provide dental and psychiatric care among others. This article discusses the Nigerian Prison System and challenges, trends and the related Human Rights and Ethical issues in Nigerian prisons. Some of the unmet needs of Nigerian prisoners which include, inter alia, living in unwholesome cells, delayed trial of inmates, lack of voting rights, access to information, lack of conjugal facilities for married prisoners, poor and inadequate nutrition, poor medical care, torture, inhumane treatment and the need to protect prisoners in a changing world. The present report has policy implications for reforming prison services in Nigeria, and countries that sing from the same song sheet with Nigeria on prison services, to conform to the Fundamental Human Rights of prisoners in the 21St century.

28 CFR 0.98 - Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Prison Industries. 0.98 Section 0.98 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Bureau of Prisons § 0.98 Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons is authorized as ex officio Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries and...

28 CFR 0.98 - Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Prison Industries. 0.98 Section 0.98 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Bureau of Prisons § 0.98 Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons is authorized as ex officio Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries and...

28 CFR 0.98 - Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Prison Industries. 0.98 Section 0.98 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Bureau of Prisons § 0.98 Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons is authorized as ex officio Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries and...

28 CFR 0.98 - Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Prison Industries. 0.98 Section 0.98 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Bureau of Prisons § 0.98 Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons is authorized as ex officio Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries and...

28 CFR 0.98 - Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Prison Industries. 0.98 Section 0.98 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Bureau of Prisons § 0.98 Functions of Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons is authorized as ex officio Commissioner of Federal Prison Industries and...

Toward healthy prisons: the TECH model and its applications.

PubMed

Ross, Michael W; Jo Harzke, Amy

2012-01-01

This paper aims to explore how the TECH Model (testing for and treating infectious diseases and vaccination; environmental modification to prevent disease transmission; chronic disease identification and treatment; and health maintenance and education) can be used for assessing and achieving healthy prisons. This paper explores the concepts of "health in prison" and "healthy prisons" in the context of recent research and guidance. The paper then considers the TECH Model as an approach to achieving healthy prisons. Under each of the four TECH Model domains are tasks to achieve a healthy prison. For prisons with poor or no resources, each domain contains steps that will improve prison health and move towards a healthy prison for both prisoners and staff. Implementation can thus be "low-TECH" or "high-TECH" depending on the setting and the available resources and the model is specifically designed to provide options for resource-poor as well as resource-rich correctional settings. The TECH Model is a first step in characterizing the components of a healthy prison and the processes to achieve this. This Model could be implemented in all levels of prisons internationally.

Profile of hepatitis B and C virus infection in prisoners in Lubuk Pakam correctional facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rey, I.; Saragih, R. H.; Effendi-YS, R.; Sembiring, J.; Siregar, G. A.; Zain, L. H.

2018-03-01

Prisoners in correctional facilities are predisposed to chronic viral infections because of their high-risk behaviors or unsafe lifestyle. The economic and public health burden of chronic hepatitis B and C and its sequelae need to be addressed, such as by finding the risk factors and therefore reducing the spread of HCV and HBV infection in prisons. This study aimed to see the profile of Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection in prisoners in Lubuk Pakam Correctional Facilities. This cross-sectional study was in Lubuk Pakam Correctional Facilities in 2016. From 1114 prisoners in Lubuk Pakam correctional facility, we randomly examined 120 prisoners for HBV and HCV serology markers. From 120 prisoners, six prisoners were HBV positive, 21 prisoners were HCV positive and one prisoner positive for both HCV and HBV infection. The most common risk factors for prisoners getting HBV infection are tattoos and free sex (36.4% and 36.4%, respectively). The most common risk factors for HCV infection in prisoners are tattoos and free sex (40% and 35%, respectively).

Improving public health by respecting autonomy: using social science research to enfranchise vulnerable prison populations.

PubMed

Shaw, David; Elger, Bernice

2015-05-01

It is widely recognised that prisoners constitute a vulnerable population that is subject to numerous health inequalities and merits special protection. Improving prisoners' access to healthcare by ensuring adherence to the principle of equivalence has been the main focus of efforts to ensure that their health is not jeopardised. However, another means of respecting prisoners' autonomy and improving their health is to involve them (and prison staff) in social science research within prisons. Such research not only produces valuable data which can be used to assess whether the principle of equivalence is being respected; it also enfranchises prisoners by allowing them to air concerns about perceived ill-treatment and influence their environment. If prison authorities enable such research and adjust policy accordingly, both they and prisoners will benefit from the increased level of respect for prisoners' autonomy, and the improvements in individual and public health that flow from this. Conducting social science research in prisons enables the creation of a virtuous cycle of respect that makes prisons safer and healthier places. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuberculosis in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa--the need for improved health services, surveillance and control.

PubMed

O'Grady, Justin; Hoelscher, Michael; Atun, Rifat; Bates, Matthew; Mwaba, Peter; Kapata, Nathan; Ferrara, Giovanni; Maeurer, Markus; Zumla, Alimuddin

2011-03-01

Prisons have long been associated with rapid transmission of infectious diseases. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has fuelled the spread of TB and HIV in prisons. The poor living conditions and ineffective health services in prisons in SSA are a major breeding ground of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The spread of TB between prisoners, prison staff and visitors and the emergence of drug-resistant TB in prisons now poses a threat to control efforts of national TB programmes in SSA. Accurate data required to develop appropriate interventions to tackle the ominous problem of TB in African prisons are scanty and unreliable. The health of prisoners is by default a neglected political issue. This article reviews the available literature on TB and drug-resistant TB in prisons from SSA countries, discusses the risk factors for acquiring TB and highlights the priorities for further translational research in prisons. Ethical issues pertaining to research on captive African populations are discussed. Scientific, political and funder attention is required urgently to improve prison health services. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Imprisoned and imperiled: access to HIV and TB prevention and treatment, and denial of human rights, in Zambian prisons

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Although HIV and tuberculosis (TB) prevalence are high in prisons throughout sub-Saharan Africa, little research has been conducted on factors related to prevention, testing and treatment services. Methods To better understand the relationship between prison conditions, the criminal justice system, and HIV and TB in Zambian prisons, we conducted a mixed-method study, including: facility assessments and in-depth interviews with 246 prisoners and 30 prison officers at six Zambian prisons; a review of Zambian legislation and policy governing prisons and the criminal justice system; and 46 key informant interviews with government and non-governmental organization officials and representatives of international agencies and donors. Results The facility assessments, in-depth interviews and key informant interviews found serious barriers to HIV and TB prevention and treatment, and extended pre-trial detention that contributed to overcrowded conditions. Disparities both between prisons and among different categories of prisoners within prisons were noted, with juveniles, women, pre-trial detainees and immigration detainees significantly less likely to access health services. Conclusions Current conditions and the lack of available medical care in Zambia's prisons violate human rights protections and threaten prisoners' health. In order to protect the health of prisoners, prison-based health services, linkages to community-based health care, general prison conditions and failures of the criminal justice system that exacerbate overcrowding must be immediately improved. International donors should work with the Zambian government to support prison and justice system reform and ensure that their provision of funding in such areas as health services respect human rights standards, including non-discrimination. Human rights protections against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and criminal justice system rights, are essential to curbing the spread of HIV and TB in Zambian prisons, and to achieving broader goals to reduce HIV and TB in Zambia. PMID:21314929

Imprisoned and imperiled: access to HIV and TB prevention and treatment, and denial of human rights, in Zambian prisons.

PubMed

Todrys, Katherine W; Amon, Joseph J; Malembeka, Godfrey; Clayton, Michaela

2011-02-11

Although HIV and tuberculosis (TB) prevalence are high in prisons throughout sub-Saharan Africa, little research has been conducted on factors related to prevention, testing and treatment services. To better understand the relationship between prison conditions, the criminal justice system, and HIV and TB in Zambian prisons, we conducted a mixed-method study, including: facility assessments and in-depth interviews with 246 prisoners and 30 prison officers at six Zambian prisons; a review of Zambian legislation and policy governing prisons and the criminal justice system; and 46 key informant interviews with government and non-governmental organization officials and representatives of international agencies and donors. The facility assessments, in-depth interviews and key informant interviews found serious barriers to HIV and TB prevention and treatment, and extended pre-trial detention that contributed to overcrowded conditions. Disparities both between prisons and among different categories of prisoners within prisons were noted, with juveniles, women, pre-trial detainees and immigration detainees significantly less likely to access health services. Current conditions and the lack of available medical care in Zambia's prisons violate human rights protections and threaten prisoners' health. In order to protect the health of prisoners, prison-based health services, linkages to community-based health care, general prison conditions and failures of the criminal justice system that exacerbate overcrowding must be immediately improved. International donors should work with the Zambian government to support prison and justice system reform and ensure that their provision of funding in such areas as health services respect human rights standards, including non-discrimination. Human rights protections against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and criminal justice system rights, are essential to curbing the spread of HIV and TB in Zambian prisons, and to achieving broader goals to reduce HIV and TB in Zambia.

A False Sense of Collective Security: How German Intervention in the Spanish Civil War Thwarted British Multilateral Efforts during the Phony Peace

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

Chicago Tribune on September 29, 1936, in a story entitled “Rebel Airmen Bomb Madrid; Begin New Push” reported that “bombardment of Madrid from the air...1,000 prisoners of war (Republicans) or ordering the aerial bombing of civilian sectors of the city, with up to 2,000 more killed (Nationalists). Eden...turned out to have little if any military value. While Guernica captured the world’s attention, at least four other such bombings took place the

Personal Alarm System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Trouble in the classroom is an unpleasant fact of modern life. Space technology can't stop the trouble from occurring, but it can prevent it from spreading. In recognition of this, NASA and the Sacramento, Cal. Unified School District developed a personal security system based on space telemetry technology. The first application was for schools, but the simplicity and reliability of the system has made it more widely applicable. The heart of the system is an ultrasonic pen-size transmitter. It can be used by prison guards, teachers, or others such as the handicapped and the elderly.

7 CFR 4290.845 - Maximum rate of amortization on Loans and Debt Securities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... INVESTMENT COMPANY (âRBICâ) PROGRAM Financing of Enterprises by RBICs Structuring Rbic Financing of Eligible Enterprises-Types of Financings § 4290.845 Maximum rate of amortization on Loans and Debt Securities. The...

Tuberculosis incidence and treatment completion among Ugandan prison inmates

PubMed Central

Schwitters, A.; Kaggwa, M.; Omiel, P.; Nagadya, G.; Kisa, N.; Dalal, S.

2016-01-01

SUMMARY BACKGROUND The Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) is responsible for the health of approximately 32 500 inmates in 233 prisons. In 2008 a rapid UPS assessment estimated TB prevalence at 654/100 000, three times that of the general population (183/100 000). Although treatment programs exist, little is known about treatment completion in sub-Saharan African prisons. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of Ugandan prisoners diagnosed with TB from June 2011 to November 2012. We analyzed TB diagnosis, TB-HIV comorbidity and treatment completion from national registers and tracked prison transfers and releases. RESULTS A total of 469 prisoners were diagnosed with TB over the 1.5-year period (incidence 955/100 000 person-years). Of 466 prisoners starting treatment, 48% completed treatment, 43% defaulted, 5% died and 4% were currently on treatment. During treatment, 12% of prisoners remaining in the same prison defaulted, 53% of transfers defaulted and 81% of those released were lost to follow-up. The odds of defaulting were 8.36 times greater among prisoners who were transferred during treatment. CONCLUSIONS TB incidence and treatment default are high among Ugandan prisoners. Strategies to improve treatment completion and prevent multidrug resistance could include avoiding transfer of TB patients, improving communications between prisons to ensure treatment follow-up after transfer and facilitating transfer to community clinics for released prisoners. PMID:24902552

Radical Pedagogy, Prison, and Film

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Dierdre

2015-01-01

This article explores the work of The Inside Film project. Inside Film works with a specific group of people (prisoners and ex-prisoners) in a particular set of circumstances (in prison or on parole) exploring how film making can be used within prison education or with people who have been to prison as a means of fostering a critical engagement…

Medication management and practices in prison for people with mental health problems: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Bowen, Robert A; Rogers, Anne; Shaw, Jennifer

2009-10-20

Common mental health problems are prevalent in prison and the quality of prison health care provision for prisoners with mental health problems has been a focus of critical scrutiny. Currently, health policy aims to align and integrate prison health services and practices with those of the National Health Service (NHS). Medication management is a key aspect of treatment for patients with a mental health problem. The medication practices of patients and staff are therefore a key marker of the extent to which the health practices in prison settings equate with those of the NHS. The research reported here considers the influences on medication management during the early stages of custody and the impact it has on prisoners. The study employed a qualitative design incorporating semi-structured interviews with 39 prisoners and 71 staff at 4 prisons. Participant observation was carried out in key internal prison locations relevant to the management of vulnerable prisoners to support and inform the interview process. Thematic analysis of the interview data and interpretation of the observational field-notes were undertaken manually. Emergent themes included the impact that delays, changes to or the removal of medication have on prisoners on entry to prison, and the reasons that such events take place. Inmates accounts suggested that psychotropic medication was found a key and valued form of support for people with mental health problems entering custody. Existing regimes of medication and the autonomy to self-medicate established in the community are disrupted and curtailed by the dominant practices and prison routines for the taking of prescribed medication. The continuity of mental health care is undermined by the removal or alteration of existing medication practice and changes on entry to prison which exacerbate prisoners' anxiety and sense of helplessness. Prisoners with a dual diagnosis are likely to be doubly vulnerable because of inconsistencies in substance withdrawal management. Changes to medication management which accompany entry to prison appear to contribute to poor relationships with prison health staff, disrupts established self-medication practices, discourages patients from taking greater responsibility for their own conditions and detrimentally affects the mental health of many prisoners at a time when they are most vulnerable. Such practices are likely to inhibit the integration and normalisation of mental health management protocols in prison as compared with those operating in the wider community and may hinder progress towards improving the standard of mental health care available to prisoners suffering from mental disorder.

Do condoms cause rape and mayhem? The long-term effects of condoms in New South Wales' prisons.

PubMed

Yap, Lorraine; Butler, Tony; Richters, Juliet; Kirkwood, Kristie; Grant, Luke; Saxby, Max; Ropp, Frederick; Donovan, Basil

2007-06-01

Concerns raised by opponents to condom provision in prisons have not been objectively examined and the issue continues to be debated. The long-term effects of the introduction of condoms and dental dams into New South Wales (NSW) prisons in 1996 was examined, focusing on particular concerns raised by politicians, prison officers, prison nurses and prisoners. These groups were worried that (a) condoms would encourage prisoners to have sex, (b) condoms would lead to an increase in sexual assaults in prisons, (c) prisoners would use condoms to hide and store drugs and other contraband and (d) prisoners would use condoms as weapons. Data sources included the NSW Inmate Health Survey (IHS) from 1996 and 2001 and official reports from the NSW Department of Corrective Services. The 1996 IHS involved 657 men and 132 women randomly selected from all prisons, with a 90% response rate. The 2001 survey involved 747 men and 167 women inmates, with an 85% response rate. There was a decrease in reports of both consensual male-to-male sex and male sexual assaults 5 years after the introduction of condoms into prisons in 1996. The contents of condom kits were often used for concealing contraband items and for other purposes, but this was not associated with an increase in drug injecting in prison. Only three incidents of a condom being used in assaults on prison officers were recorded between 1996 and 2005; none was serious. There exists no evidence of serious adverse consequences of distributing condoms and dental dams to prisoners in NSW. Condoms are an important public health measure in the fight against HIV and sexually transmitted diseases; they should be made freely available to prisoners as they are to other high-risk groups in the community.

Self-reported health status and access to health services in a sample of prisoners in Italy

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Self-reported health status in underserved population of prisoners has not been extensively explored. The purposes of this cross-sectional study were to assess self-reported health, quality of life, and access to health services in a sample of male prisoners of Italy. Methods A total of 908 prisoners received a self-administered anonymous questionnaire pertaining on demographic and detention characteristics, self-reported health status and quality of life, access to health services, lifestyles, and participation to preventive, social, and rehabilitation programs. A total of 650 prisoners agreed to participate in the study and returned the questionnaire. Results Respectively, 31.6% and 43.5% of prisoners reported a poor perceived health status and a poor quality of life, and 60% admitted that their health was worsened or greatly worsened during the prison stay. Older age, lower education, psychiatric disorders, self-reported health problems on prison entry, and suicide attempts within prison were significantly associated with a perceived worse health status. At the time of the questionnaire delivery, 30% of the prisoners self-reported a health problem present on prison entry and 82% present at the time of the survey. Most frequently reported health problems included dental health problems, arthritis or joint pain, eye problems, gastrointestinal diseases, emotional problems, and high blood pressure. On average, prisoners encountered general practitioners six times during the previous year, and the frequency of medical encounters was significantly associated with older age, sentenced prisoners, psychiatric disorders, and self-reported health problems on prison entry. Conclusions The findings suggest that prisoners have a perceived poor health status, specific care needs and health promotion programs are seldom offered. Programs for correction of risk behaviour and prevention of long-term effects of incarceration on prisoners' health are strongly needed. PMID:21726446

HIV testing and counselling in Estonian prisons, 2012 to 2013: aims, processes and impacts.

PubMed

Kivimets, K; Uuskula, A

2014-11-27

We present data from an observational cohort study on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and control measures in prisons in Estonia to assess the potential for HIV transmission in this setting. HIV testing and retesting data from the Estonian prison health department were used to estimate HIV prevalence and incidence in prison. Since 2002, voluntary HIV counselling and testing has routinely been offered to all prisoners and has been part of the new prisoners health check. At the end of 2012, there were 3,289 prisoners in Estonia, including 170 women: 28.5% were drug users and 15.6% were infected with HIV. Of the HIV-positive inmates, 8.3% were newly diagnosed on prison entry. In 2012, 4,387 HIV tests (including retests) were performed in Estonian prisons. Among 1,756 initially HIV-negative prisoners who were in prison for more than one year and therefore tested for HIV twice within 12 months (at entry and annual testing), one new HIV infection was detected, an incidence of 0.067 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.025–5.572). This analysis indicates low risk of HIV transmission in Estonian prisons. Implementation of HIV management interventions could impact positively on the health of prisoners and the communities to which they return.

Psychosocial Characteristics and Social Networks of Suicidal Prisoners: Towards a Model of Suicidal Behaviour in Detention

PubMed Central

Rivlin, Adrienne; Hawton, Keith; Marzano, Lisa; Fazel, Seena

2013-01-01

Prisoners are at increased risk of suicide. Investigation of both individual and environmental risk factors may assist in developing suicide prevention policies for prisoners and other high-risk populations. We conducted a matched case-control interview study with 60 male prisoners who had made near-lethal suicide attempts in prison (cases) and 60 male prisoners who had not (controls). We compared levels of depression, hopelessness, self-esteem, impulsivity, aggression, hostility, childhood abuse, life events (including events occurring in prison), social support, and social networks in univariate and multivariate models. A range of psychosocial factors was associated with near-lethal self-harm in prisoners. Compared with controls, cases reported higher levels of depression, hopelessness, impulsivity, and aggression, and lower levels of self-esteem and social support (all p values <0.001). Adverse life events and criminal history factors were also associated with near-lethal self-harm, especially having a prior prison spell and having been bullied in prison, both of which remained significant in multivariate analyses. The findings support a model of suicidal behaviour in prisoners that incorporates imported vulnerability factors, clinical factors, and prison experiences, and underscores their interaction. Strategies to reduce self-harm and suicide in prisoners should include attention to such factors. PMID:23922671

The robustness of zero-determinant strategies in Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma games.

PubMed

Chen, Jing; Zinger, Aleksey

2014-09-21

Press and Dyson (2012) discovered a special set of strategies in two-player Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma games, the zero-determinant (ZD) strategies. Surprisingly, a player using such strategies can unilaterally enforce a linear relation between the payoffs of the two players. In particular, with a subclass of such strategies, the extortionate strategies, the former player obtains an advantageous share of the total payoff of the players, and the other player׳s best response is to always cooperate, by doing which he maximizes the payoff of the extortioner as well. When an extortionate player faces a player who is not aware of the theory of ZD strategies and improves his own payoff by adaptively changing his strategy following some unknown dynamics, Press and Dyson conjecture that there always exist adapting paths for the latter leading to the maximum possible scores for both players. In this work we confirm their conjecture in a very strong sense, not just for extortionate strategies, but for all ZD strategies that impose positive correlations between the players' payoffs. We show that not only the conjectured adapting paths always exist, but that actually every adapting path leads to the maximum possible scores, although some paths may not lead to the unconditional cooperation by the adapting player. This is true even in the rare cases where the setup of Press and Dyson is not directly applicable. Our result shows that ZD strategies are even more powerful than as pointed out by their discoverers. Given our result, the player using ZD strategies is assured that she will receive the maximum payoff attainable under the desired payoff relation she imposes, without knowing how the other player will evolve. This makes the use of ZD strategies even more desirable for sentient players. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prison prescribing practice: practitioners' perspectives on why prison is different.

PubMed

Bartlett, A; Dholakia, N; England, R; Hales, H; van Horn, E; McGeorge, T; Moss, B; Ovaisi, S; Tukmachi, E; Patel, S

2014-04-01

The current prison population in England and Wales has multiple, complex healthcare needs, presenting unique challenges to those caring for prisoners. Prison numbers have increased dramatically in the last 10 years. There are now approximately 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales and 120,000 new episodes of imprisonment each year . The authors all contribute to prison healthcare. Below, we discuss a key issue arising from first-hand experience of prisoners' health and social care needs, the prescription of psycho-active drugs by primary and secondary care practitioners. This is a core medical task, but beset with difficulties. These difficulties are not necessarily encountered in other areas of prison healthcare. However, they do illustrate how providing healthcare to prisoners is complex, often lacking a research base and can have pitfalls that are not obvious to the outsider. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing the mental health awareness of prison staff in England and Wales.

PubMed

Walsh, Elizabeth; Freshwater, Dawn

2009-10-01

In 2010, the prison population in England and Wales could reach a high of 91,500, according to a recent population projection. HM Prison Service (U.K.) reports that in 2004 to 2005, there were 33,144 prison officers employed to care for the prisoners in the prison system. This article focuses on the mental health of this prisoner population and the training needs of staff caring for them. It reports the experience of a national project, funded by the Department of Health, in which the project team developed and piloted mental health awareness training for prison officers on the residential units and for staff who work with prisoners and lack a mental health background. Key findings from the posttraining evaluation are highlighted. Participant feedback demonstrates the value placed on this type of training by those working in the prison setting.

Working for citizenship: the dangers of occupational deprivation.

PubMed

Hocking, Clare

2012-01-01

To examine published case examples of occupational deprivation in relation to Wilcock's 1989 theoretical proposal that it is caused by economic and political systems, institutional policies, or advances in technology that displace workers. Eleven accounts of occupational deprivation centering on access to or maintenance of a work role. A thematic review of articles reporting access to or maintenance of a worker role as a major concern were located in an electronic search of multiple databases using the keyword `occupational deprivation'. While no examples pertaining to technological change were located, legislation enacted to protect national security or redress the ongoing affects of colonisation, a philosophy of punishing prisoners, and healthcare and employment structures were identified as causes of occupational deprivation. Economic and political systems and institutional policies are confirmed to cause occupational deprivation of worker roles in prison and indigenous populations, migrant workers and older female immigrants, young women displaced by war, refugees and asylum seekers, and people with disabilities. The ongoing economic burden of wasting human potential and the loss of cultural practices that support productive occupations are two negative outcomes.

28 CFR 0.96b - Exchange of prisoners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exchange of prisoners. 0.96b Section 0.96b Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Bureau of Prisons § 0.96b Exchange of prisoners. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons and officers of the Bureau of Prisons designated by him are authorized t...

Exploring motivations to stop injecting in English prisons: qualitative research with former male prisoners.

PubMed

Tompkins, Charlotte N E

2013-01-01

This paper aims to explore the cessation of injecting amongst male drug users when in prison in England and uncovers what influenced this behaviour and why. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 male drug users on release from prison to explore what happened to their injecting drug use in prison. The research was conducted from a pragmatic harm reduction approach using grounded theory. Not injecting in prison was identified as a pertinent finding and nine overarching themes accounted for this decline. The themes often overlapped with one another, highlighting how the decision not to inject when last in prison was multi-factorial. Running throughout the themes were participants' concerns regarding the health and social risks attributed to injecting in prison, alongside an appreciation of some of the rehabilitative measures and opportunities offered to injecting drug users when in prison. This qualitative research offers an updated perspective on illicit drug injecting in prison in England from the view of drug users since health and prison policy changes in prescribing and practice. It contributes to evidence suggesting that prisons can be used as a time of reprieve and recovery from injecting drug use.

Surveillance of tuberculosis in Malawian prisons

PubMed Central

Banda, R. P.; Gausi, F.; Salaniponi, F. M.; Harries, A. D.; Mpunga, J.; Banda, H. M.; Munthali, C.; Ndindi, H.

2012-01-01

Setting: The Malawi National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) has collaborated with the Prison Health Services (PHS) on tuberculosis (TB) control in prisons since 1996. Information on case finding and treatment outcomes is routinely collected, but there has not been any recent countrywide review of these prison data. Objectives: To determine 1) the number of prisoners registered for TB in 2007, 2) TB treatment outcomes in 2006 and 3) training of prison health care staff in all Malawian prisons. Design: Descriptive study involving a review of 2006 and 2007 data collected by the NTP during surveillance in 2008. Results: In 2007, 278 TB patients were registered in Malawian prisons, representing a TB case notification rate of 835 per 100 000 (higher than that in the general population, at 346/100 000). The treatment success rate for new smear-positive TB cases for 2006 was 73%, lower than the national average of 78%. In all, 52 prison health care staff had received 1 week of training in TB management, usually just after starting work in the prison. Conclusions: TB case notifications in Malawian prisons were higher than in the general population and treatment outcomes less favourable. The NTP and PHS need better collaboration to improve TB control in Malawian prisons. PMID:26392938

AIDS in Mexican prisons.

PubMed

Olivero, J M; Roberts, J B

1995-01-01

The human rights organization Americas Watch, which toured Mexican prisons, reported in 1991 that all prisoners with HIV infection in the Mexico City area were housed in a single AIDS ward in Santa Marta Prison. In 1991, the 16-bed facility had 15 patients; in 1993, this number had increased by 5. In Mexico City, with 3 prisons holding over 2000 male adults each, there were only 20 known infected prisoners in the AIDS ward at Santa Marta. In 1991, authorities at Matamoros, in the state of Tamaulipas, insisted that none of their inmates had ever been diagnosed as infected with HIV. The prison physician at Reynosa indicated that only 2 inmates since 1985 had ever been diagnosed as infected. In 1992, the prison in Saltillo, in the state of Coahuila, reported that here had yet to be a single positive test for HIV. The prison at Reynosa held 1500 people and only 2 inmates were diagnosed as having AIDS between 1985 and 1991. Prisons at Matamoros and Saltillo held similar numbers but had no experience of infected inmates. A survey of 2 prisons in the state of Tamaulipas indicates that around 12% of the population may use IV drugs, and 9% indicate sharing needles. It is possible for prisoners to die of diseases like pneumonia, associated with AIDS, without the connection to AIDS being diagnosed. Each state, and possibly each prison in Mexico, has its own particular AIDS policies. Santa Marta was the single facility in Mexico City used to house AIDS-infected prisoners, who were segregated. Finally, the prison at Saltillo required all women entering the facility to have a medical examination, including a test for HIV. High-level prison personnel have demonstrated ignorance and fear of AIDS and intolerance of infected prisoners. Mexico must reassess the need to provide adequate medical care to offenders who are sick and dying behind bars.

Health care help seeking behaviour among prisoners in Norway.

PubMed

Nesset, Merete Berg; Rustad, Ase-Bente; Kjelsberg, Ellen; Almvik, Roger; Bjørngaard, Johan Håkon

2011-11-04

Prisoners are associated with high health care needs compared with the general population. This study aims to investigate prisoners' use of health service. A cross-sectional study of 29 prisons in central and southern parts of Norway. A questionnaire was distributed to 1, 454 prisoners (90% response rate). Multilevel analyses were employed to analyse help seeking behaviour among the prisoners. Help seeking was substantially associated with sleep problems and drug problems. There was also a tendency for closed prisons as well as high staffing levels of healthcare professionals to be associated with elevated health care use. This study suggests that sleep problems and drug use are most frequently associated with health service use. The differences in health care use between prisons suggest that the implementation of prison health care standards should be addressed.

HIV and incarceration: prisons and detention

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The high prevalence of HIV infection among prisoners and pre-trial detainees, combined with overcrowding and sub-standard living conditions sometimes amounting to inhuman or degrading treatment in violation of international law, make prisons and other detention centres a high risk environment for the transmission of HIV. Ultimately, this contributes to HIV epidemics in the communities to which prisoners return upon their release. We reviewed the evidence regarding HIV prevalence, risk behaviours and transmission in prisons. We also reviewed evidence of the effectiveness of interventions and approaches to reduce the risk behaviours and, consequently, HIV transmission in prisons. A large number of studies report high levels of risk behaviour in prisons, and HIV transmission has been documented. There is a large body of evidence from countries around the world of what prison systems can do to prevent HIV transmission. In particular, condom distribution programmes, accompanied by measures to prevent the occurrence of rape and other forms of non-consensual sex, needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapies, have proven effective at reducing HIV risk behaviours in a wide range of prison environments without resulting in negative consequences for the health of prison staff or prisoners. The introduction of these programmes in prisons is therefore warranted as part of comprehensive programmes to address HIV in prisons, including HIV education, voluntary HIV testing and counselling, and provision of antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive prisoners. In addition, however, action to reduce overcrowding and improve conditions in detention is urgently needed. PMID:21595957

HIV and incarceration: prisons and detention.

PubMed

Jürgens, Ralf; Nowak, Manfred; Day, Marcus

2011-05-19

The high prevalence of HIV infection among prisoners and pre-trial detainees, combined with overcrowding and sub-standard living conditions sometimes amounting to inhuman or degrading treatment in violation of international law, make prisons and other detention centres a high risk environment for the transmission of HIV. Ultimately, this contributes to HIV epidemics in the communities to which prisoners return upon their release. We reviewed the evidence regarding HIV prevalence, risk behaviours and transmission in prisons. We also reviewed evidence of the effectiveness of interventions and approaches to reduce the risk behaviours and, consequently, HIV transmission in prisons. A large number of studies report high levels of risk behaviour in prisons, and HIV transmission has been documented. There is a large body of evidence from countries around the world of what prison systems can do to prevent HIV transmission. In particular, condom distribution programmes, accompanied by measures to prevent the occurrence of rape and other forms of non-consensual sex, needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapies, have proven effective at reducing HIV risk behaviours in a wide range of prison environments without resulting in negative consequences for the health of prison staff or prisoners.The introduction of these programmes in prisons is therefore warranted as part of comprehensive programmes to address HIV in prisons, including HIV education, voluntary HIV testing and counselling, and provision of antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive prisoners. In addition, however, action to reduce overcrowding and improve conditions in detention is urgently needed.

Health needs of prisoners in England and Wales: the implications for prison healthcare of gender, age and ethnicity.

PubMed

Harris, Francesca; Hek, Gill; Condon, Louise

2007-01-01

This paper aims to provide evidence of the healthcare needs of prisoners in relation to gender, age and ethnicity, drawing from a larger systematic overview of the policy and research literature concerning primary care nursing in prisons in England and Wales. The literature overview shaped the initial stages of a research project funded by the Department of Health to examine the views and perspectives of prisoners and nurses working in prisons, and to identify good primary care nursing in the prison environment. At total of 17 databases were searched using search terms related to primary healthcare in prisons (health, nurs*, primary care, healthcare, family medicine, prison*, offender*, inmate*) with terms truncated where possible in the different databases. Following this, a sifting phase was employed using inclusion/exclusion criteria to narrow and focus the literature perceived as relevant to the research questions. All papers were critically appraised for quality using standardised tools. Findings from the literature overview show that prisoners are more likely to have suffered some form of social exclusion compared to the rest of society, and there are significantly greater degrees of mental health problems, substance abuse and worse physical health in prisoners than in the general population. Women, young offenders, older prisoners and those from minority ethnic groups have distinct health needs compared to the prison population taken as a whole, with implications for the delivery of prison healthcare, and how these needs are met effectively and appropriately.

Prisons' preparedness for pandemic flu and the ethical issues.

PubMed

van't Hoff, G; Fedosejeva, R; Mihailescu, L

2009-06-01

In Europe at any given time there are about 1,8 million people imprisoned in penal institutions. About 1 million personnel are working in prisons. With prisons, from the start there are fundamental problems in many parts of Europe. Poor housing conditions in prisons and a high proportion of prisoners who already suffer from severe health problems mean the chance of an outbreak in prison during a pandemic must be quite high. We expect it can be up to 90%. In this article we explain what the characteristics are of the prison population from a health point of view. A high rate of detainees suffers from mental health disorders and/or addiction. A high prevalence of communicable and infectious diseases is the rule, not an exception. According to the European Prison Rules and many other international rules, statements and documents prison health care should be an integral part of the public health system of any country. However, it has to be accepted that the prison population is the least popular in society and in politics. In reality in many countries in Europe the situation in prison cannot meet the level strived for by the European Prison Rules. We compare preparedness on pandemic flu in The Netherlands, Latvia and Romania. We explore the problems and ethical issues that may arise if a pandemic breaks out. There are three ethical dilemmas that require consideration: equivalence of care and prisoners' right to health care; prisoners' interests verses society's interests; countries in need and calls for bilateral help.

[Tobacco reduction in a prison of France].

PubMed

Harcouët, L; Balanger, S; Meunier, N; Mourgues, A; Grabar, S; Haouili, B; Guillevin, L

2008-05-01

Little is known about free nicotine transdermal patch efficacy on tobacco reduction in prisoners. The objective is to study this efficacy in prison as well as motivations to reduce and influence of socioeconomic conditions and other addictions in prisoners' aspiration to stop smoking. A prospective study was proposed to prisoners candidate to tobacco cessation. Assessment was made by questionnaires and visits to physicians working at the prison. Nicotinic patches were systematically proposed to patients with a starting 15 mg/16 h dose (or 10 mg/16 h if the dependence was low), followed by a 10 and 5 mg/16 h dose reduction. Prisoners motivated to smoking cessation (N=73) generally had multiaddictive behaviours and precarious socioeconomic profile. Thirty percent of prisoners self-reported a reduction of 50% of their cigarettes consumption until they left prison. Median duration of this successful treatment was 45 days. Median duration of treatment response for patients who relapsed in prison (15 %) was 75 days. No predictive factor of success was found. Tobacco reduction is possible in prison even if living conditions are not favourable.

Random mandatory drugs testing of prisoners: a biassed means of gathering information.

PubMed

Gore, S M; Bird, A G; Strang, J S

1999-01-01

Our objective was to develop and test a methodology for inferring the percentage of prisoners currently using opiates from the percentage of prisoners testing positive for opiates in random mandatory drugs testing (rMDT). The study used results from Willing Anonymous Salivary HIV (WASH) studies (1994-6) in six adult Scottish prisons, and surveys (1994-5 and 1997) in 14 prisons in England and Wales. For Scottish prisons, the percentage of prisoners currently using opiates was determined by assuming, with varying empirical support, that: current users of opiates in prison were 1.5 times as many as current inside-injectors; and current inside-injectors were 0.75 times as many as ever injectors in prison. We also assumed that current inside-users' frequency of use of opiates (by any route) was equal to the frequency of inside-injecting by current inside-injectors in Aberdeen and Lowmoss Prisons in 1996, namely six times in 4 weeks. We assumed that some scheduling of heroin-use prior to weekends takes place, so that only 50% of current inside-users of opiates would test positive for opiates in rMDT: these assumptions allow us to arrive at WASH-based expectations for the total percentage of prisoners testing positive for opiates in rMDT. For England and Wales, a multiplier of 118/68 was applied which was derived from prisoners' interviews, to convert the results from ever inside-injectors, as determined by WASH studies, to the percentage of current inside users of opiates. We made the same assumptions on frequency of inside-use of opiates as in dealing with the Scottish results. We expected 202.7 opiate positive results in April to September 1997 in rMDTs at six adult prisons in Scotland, 226 were observed. We expected 227.0 at a set of 13 adult prisons and one other in England and Wales; 211 were observed. Further testing of the methodology for prisons in England and Wales will be possible when 1997 WASH data are released. So far, the methodology has performed well. From it, we infer that 24% of inmates at the six adult prisons in Scotland were current inside-users of opiates, compared to 11% at the 14 adult prisons where survey data were available in England and Wales. The corresponding April to September 1997 percentage of opiate positives in rMDT were: 13% (results from the six Scottish prisons) and 5.4% (results from 14 prisons in England and Wales), a two-fold under-estimate of % current users of opiates in prison (24% and 11%). Planning of drug rehabilitation places for prisoners should thus be based on twice the percentage of prisoners testing opiate positive in rMDT. This correction factor of two should be kept under review.

Patterns of Drug Use and HIV-Related Risk Behaviors among Incarcerated People in a Prison in Iran

PubMed Central

Farnia, Marziyeh; Torknejad, Alireza; Abbasi Alaei, Behrouz; Gholizadeh, Mehran; Kasraee, Farzad; Ono-Kihara, Masako; Oba, Koji; Kihara, Masahiro

2010-01-01

Previous research indicates that prisoners in Iran are at risk of drug-related harm, including acquisition of blood-borne infections. In response, several prevention interventions have been introduced into prisons in Iran, such as methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). MMT is now provided to opioid-dependent prisoners in 142 of the 230 prisons and correctional settings in Iran. A baseline behavioral survey was conducted in Karaj Central prison which mainly holds prisoners with drug-related charges. Overall, 203 male prisoners from randomly selected rooms in two prison blocks were interviewed using a structured questionnaire in 2007, just before the introduction of MMT program in this prison. Among participants, 7% reported never having used illicit drugs in their lifetime, but 51% had used non-injecting illicit drugs, and as high as 42% reported having injected an illicit drug. Up to 79% (160/203) of all participants reported using drugs, and about 6% (12/203) reported drug injecting during their current incarceration term. Same-gender sexual practice during current incarceration term was reported by 2.5% (5/203) of all male prisoners. Comparison between injecting and non-injecting drug-using prisoners indicated that drug injectors had higher rates of previous incarcerations, commenced drug use at a younger age, were more likely to have used illicit drugs in the previous week, were more likely to have been treated by a physician for drug addiction, had higher rates of registration for methadone treatment inside prison, and were more likely to have been tested for HIV infection. These study findings provide a behavioral profile of prisoners in regard to drug-related harm and can be considered in any plan to introduce or improve provision of MMT in prisons in Iran or other countries with similar features. PMID:20390391

Patterns of drug use and HIV-related risk behaviors among incarcerated people in a prison in Iran.

PubMed

Zamani, Saman; Farnia, Marziyeh; Torknejad, Alireza; Alaei, Behrouz Abbasi; Gholizadeh, Mehran; Kasraee, Farzad; Ono-Kihara, Masako; Oba, Koji; Kihara, Masahiro

2010-07-01

Previous research indicates that prisoners in Iran are at risk of drug-related harm, including acquisition of blood-borne infections. In response, several prevention interventions have been introduced into prisons in Iran, such as methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). MMT is now provided to opioid-dependent prisoners in 142 of the 230 prisons and correctional settings in Iran. A baseline behavioral survey was conducted in Karaj Central prison which mainly holds prisoners with drug-related charges. Overall, 203 male prisoners from randomly selected rooms in two prison blocks were interviewed using a structured questionnaire in 2007, just before the introduction of MMT program in this prison. Among participants, 7% reported never having used illicit drugs in their lifetime, but 51% had used non-injecting illicit drugs, and as high as 42% reported having injected an illicit drug. Up to 79% (160/203) of all participants reported using drugs, and about 6% (12/203) reported drug injecting during their current incarceration term. Same-gender sexual practice during current incarceration term was reported by 2.5% (5/203) of all male prisoners. Comparison between injecting and non-injecting drug-using prisoners indicated that drug injectors had higher rates of previous incarcerations, commenced drug use at a younger age, were more likely to have used illicit drugs in the previous week, were more likely to have been treated by a physician for drug addiction, had higher rates of registration for methadone treatment inside prison, and were more likely to have been tested for HIV infection. These study findings provide a behavioral profile of prisoners in regard to drug-related harm and can be considered in any plan to introduce or improve provision of MMT in prisons in Iran or other countries with similar features.

Drug and alcohol use and treatment for Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous prisoners: demand reduction strategies.

PubMed

Dolan, Kate; Rodas, Ana; Bode, Adam

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare the use of drugs and alcohol by Indigenous and non-Indigenous prisoners and examine relevant treatment in Australian prisons. Prison authorities were surveyed about alcohol and drug use by prisoners prior to and during imprisonment and drug and alcohol treatment programs in prison. The literature was review for information on alcohol and drug use and treatment in Australian prisons. In 2009, over 80 percent of Indigenous and non-Indigenous inmates smoked. Prior to imprisonment, many Indigenous and non-Indigenous inmates drank alcohol at risky levels (65 vs 47 percent) and used illicit drugs (over 70 percent for both groups). Reports of using heroin (15 vs 21 percent), ATS (21 vs 33 percent), cannabis (59 vs 50 percent) and injecting (61 vs 53 percent) were similarly high for both groups. Prison-based programs included detoxification, Opioid Substitution Treatment, counselling and drug free units, but access was limited especially among Indigenous prisoners. Drug and alcohol use was a significant issue in Australian prisons. Prisoners were over five times more likely than the general population to have a substance use disorder. Imprisonment provides an important opportunity for rehabilitation for offenders. This opportunity is especially relevant to Indigenous prisoners who were more likely to use health services when in prison than in the community and given their vast over representations in prison populations. Given the effectiveness of treatment in reducing re-offending rates, it is important to expand drug treatment and especially culturally appropriate treatment programs for Indigenous inmates. Very little is known about Indigenous specific drug and alcohol programs in Australian prisons.

Drugs and discretionary power in prisons: The officer's perspective.

PubMed

Kolind, Torsten

2015-09-01

Drugs play an increasing role in contemporary prison life. Prisoners' drug use, drug smuggling and drug selling have also had a growing impact on the work routines and practices of prison officers. This has led to critiques that prison staff have become 'too lenient' regarding drug use. Based on observational data, qualitative interviews and survey data, this study examines the role of drugs in the way Danish prison officers exercise power. Two forms of power are analysed: institutional power, by which the officers can sanction or reward inmates in everyday prison life, and personal power, by which the officers' personal authority and skills can reduce the more intrusive aspects of prison control. These forms of power are applied by officers' use of discretion in order to maintain what they consider to be adequate levels of peace and order in the prison wings. It is shown that officers are highly ambivalent towards the presence of drugs in prisons. On the one hand, they support the stricter drug policies implemented over the past two decades. On the other hand, they are aware that drug use can have a positive function in the everyday running of the prison. Officers' acceptance of inmates' drug use (mainly cannabis), therefore, is not necessarily a sign of leniency but one way in which prison officers exercise their power in prison settings. It is concluded that discretionary power is still very central to the officers' work. This conclusion contradicts recent arguments that prison officers' agency is being threatened or restricted by 'neoliberal' management reforms. The prison officers' discretion and informal power is the key to understanding their acceptance of inmates' drug use. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a Screening Instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Prisoners

PubMed Central

Robinson, Louise; Spencer, Michael D.; Thomson, Lindsay D. G.; Stanfield, Andrew C.; Owens, David G. C.; Hall, Jeremy; Johnstone, Eve C.

2012-01-01

There have been concerns that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are over-represented but not recognised in prison populations. A screening tool for ASDs in prisons has therefore been developed. Aims We aimed to evaluate this tool in Scottish prisoners by comparing scores with standard measures of autistic traits (Autism Quotient (AQ)), neurodevelopmental history (Asperger Syndrome (and High-Functioning Autism) Diagnostic Interview (ASDI)), and social cognition (Ekman 60 Faces test). Methods Prison officers across all 12 publicly-run closed prisons in Scotland assessed convicted prisoners using the screening tool. This sample included male and female prisoners and both adult and young offenders. Prisoners with high scores, along with an equal number of age and sex-matched controls, were invited to take part in interviews. Prisoners' relatives were contacted to complete a neurodevelopmental assessment. Results 2458 prisoners were screened using the tool, and 4% scored above the cut-off. 126 prisoners were further assessed using standardised measures. 7 of those 126 assessed scored 32 or above (cut-off) on the AQ. 44 interviews were completed with prisoners' relatives, no prisoner reached the cut-off score on the ASDI. Scores on the screening tool correlated significantly with AQ and ASDI scores, and not with the Ekman 60 Faces Test or IQ. Sensitivity was 28.6% and specificity 75.6%; AUC was 59.6%. Conclusions Although this screening tool measures autistic traits in this population, sensitivity for scores of 32 or above on the AQ is poor. We consider that this limits its usefulness and do not recommend that the tool is routinely used to screen for ASDs in prisons. PMID:22662113

Assessment of effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention among male prisoners in India: A randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Naik, Sachin; Khanagar, Sanjeev; Kumar, Amit; Ramachandra, Sujith; Vadavadagi, Sunil V.; Dhananjaya, Kiran Murthy

2014-01-01

Background: Tobacco smoking is an integral part of prison life and an established part of the culture. Little attention has been paid to prevention of smoking in prison. Approximately 70–80% of prisoners have been identified as current smokers. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention among male prisoners at Central Jail, Bangalore city. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention among male prisoners at Central Jail, Bangalore city. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was planned among male prisoners in Central Jail, Bangalore city. There were 1600 convicted prisoners. A self-administered questionnaire was given to the prisoners to assess their smoking behavior by which prevalence of tobacco smoking was found. Exactly 1352 tobacco users were studied. Among them, there were 1252 smokers. Based on inclusion criteria and informed consent given by the prisoners, a sample of 600 was chosen for the study by systematic random sampling. Among the 600 prisoners, 300 were randomly selected for the study group and 300 for the control group. Results: Prevalence of tobacco smoking among the prisoners was 92.60%. In the present study, after smoking cessation intervention, 17% showed no change in smoking, 21.66% reduced smoking, 16% stopped smoking, and 45.33% relapsed (P < 0.0001) at the end of 6-month follow-up in the study group. Conclusion: Tobacco use was high among the prisoners. Tobacco reduction is possible in the prison even if the living conditions are not favorable. Relatively high rate of relapse in our study indicates that some policies should be adopted to improve smokers’ information on consequences of tobacco on health and motivational intervention should be added to prisoners. PMID:25558450

Assessment of effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention among male prisoners in India: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Naik, Sachin; Khanagar, Sanjeev; Kumar, Amit; Ramachandra, Sujith; Vadavadagi, Sunil V; Dhananjaya, Kiran Murthy

2014-12-01

Tobacco smoking is an integral part of prison life and an established part of the culture. Little attention has been paid to prevention of smoking in prison. Approximately 70-80% of prisoners have been identified as current smokers. To assess the effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention among male prisoners at Central Jail, Bangalore city. To assess the effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention among male prisoners at Central Jail, Bangalore city. A randomized controlled trial was planned among male prisoners in Central Jail, Bangalore city. There were 1600 convicted prisoners. A self-administered questionnaire was given to the prisoners to assess their smoking behavior by which prevalence of tobacco smoking was found. Exactly 1352 tobacco users were studied. Among them, there were 1252 smokers. Based on inclusion criteria and informed consent given by the prisoners, a sample of 600 was chosen for the study by systematic random sampling. Among the 600 prisoners, 300 were randomly selected for the study group and 300 for the control group. Prevalence of tobacco smoking among the prisoners was 92.60%. In the present study, after smoking cessation intervention, 17% showed no change in smoking, 21.66% reduced smoking, 16% stopped smoking, and 45.33% relapsed (P < 0.0001) at the end of 6-month follow-up in the study group. Tobacco use was high among the prisoners. Tobacco reduction is possible in the prison even if the living conditions are not favorable. Relatively high rate of relapse in our study indicates that some policies should be adopted to improve smokers' information on consequences of tobacco on health and motivational intervention should be added to prisoners.

Enhanced tuberculosis case finding through advocacy and sensitisation meetings in prisons of Central India

PubMed Central

Mallick, G.; Agrawal, T. K.; Kumar, A. M. V.; Chadha, S. S.

2017-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) in prisons is a major problem. The prisons in Chhattisgarh, India, are overcrowded, and there are no formal efforts to engage them in TB control. In 2014, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and the state TB programme advocated with state prison authorities to implement an enhanced case-finding strategy in the prisons. Sensitisation meetings (one/quarter/prison) to improve awareness among prisoners about TB symptoms and services were coupled with improved access to diagnosis. Patients with presumptive TB who were examined by sputum microscopy increased by 39% per 100 000 prisoners, and TB case notification rates increased by 38%, in 2014 relative to 2013. PMID:28775946

Health care help seeking behaviour among prisoners in Norway

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Prisoners are associated with high health care needs compared with the general population. This study aims to investigate prisoners' use of health service. Methods A cross-sectional study of 29 prisons in central and southern parts of Norway. A questionnaire was distributed to 1, 454 prisoners (90% response rate). Multilevel analyses were employed to analyse help seeking behaviour among the prisoners. Results Help seeking was substantially associated with sleep problems and drug problems. There was also a tendency for closed prisons as well as high staffing levels of healthcare professionals to be associated with elevated health care use. Conclusions This study suggests that sleep problems and drug use are most frequently associated with health service use. The differences in health care use between prisons suggest that the implementation of prison health care standards should be addressed. PMID:22053920

The impact of prison staff responses on self-harming behaviours: prisoners' perspectives.

PubMed

Marzano, Lisa; Ciclitira, Karen; Adler, Joanna

2012-03-01

To further understanding of how health and correctional staff responses to self-harming behaviours influence prisoners and their subsequent actions. Participant-centred, qualitative methods were used to explore the complex and under-researched perspectives of self-harming male prisoners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 adult male prisoners who had engaged in repetitive, non-suicidal self-harm during their current prison sentence, or considered doing so. The interviews were analyzed drawing on principles of thematic analysis and discourse analysis. With some exceptions, prison officers, nurses, and doctors are portrayed by prisoners as being ill-prepared to deal with repetitive self-harm, often displaying actively hostile attitudes and behaviours. These findings underscore the need for appropriate training, support and supervision for staff working with self-harming prisoners. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

A literature review of international implementation of opioid substitution treatment in prisons: equivalence of care?

PubMed

Larney, Sarah; Dolan, Kate

2009-01-01

Opioid substitution treatment (OST) is an effective treatment for heroin dependence. The World Health Organization has recommended that OST be implemented in prisons because of its role in reducing drug injection and associated problems such as HIV transmission. The aim of this paper was to examine the extent to which OST has been implemented in prisons internationally. Literature review. As of January 2008, OST had been implemented in prisons in at least 29 countries or territories. For 20 of those countries, the proportion of all prisoners in OST could be calculated, with results ranging from less than 1% to over 14%. At least 37 countries offer OST in community settings, but not prisons. This study has identified an increase in the international implementation of OST in prisons. However, there remain large numbers of prisoners who are unable to access OST, even in countries that provide such programs. This raises issues of equivalence of care for prisoners and HIV prevention in prisons. 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Against risk-benefit review of prisoner research.

PubMed

Chwang, Eric

2010-01-01

The 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, 'Ethical Considerations for Research Involving Prisoners', recommended five main changes to current US Common Rule regulations on prisoner research. Their third recommendation was to shift from a category-based to a risk-benefit approach to research review, similar to current guidelines on pediatric research. However, prisoners are not children, so risk-benefit constraints on prisoner research must be justified in a different way from those on pediatric research. In this paper I argue that additional risk-benefit constraints on prisoner research are unnecessary: the current Common Rule regulations, omitting category-based restrictions but conjoined with the IOM report's other four main recommendations, ensure that prisoner research is as ethical as non-prisoner research is. I explain why four problems which which may be more prevalent in prisons and which risk-benefit constraints may seem to address - coercion, undue inducements, exploitation, and protection from harm - are in fact not solved by adding further risk-benefit constraints on prisoner research.

Multilevel challenges to engagement in HIV care after prison release: a theory-informed qualitative study comparing prisoners' perspectives before and after community reentry.

PubMed

Haley, Danielle F; Golin, Carol E; Farel, Claire E; Wohl, David A; Scheyett, Anna M; Garrett, Jenna J; Rosen, David L; Parker, Sharon D

2014-12-09

Although prison provides the opportunity for HIV diagnosis and access to in-prison care, following release, many HIV-infected inmates experience clinical setbacks, including nonadherence to antiretrovirals, elevations in viral load, and HIV disease progression. HIV-infected former inmates face numerous barriers to successful community reentry and to accessing healthcare. However, little is known about the outcome expectations of HIV-infected inmates for release, how their post-release lives align with pre-release expectations, and how these processes influence engagement in HIV care following release from prison. We conducted semi-structured interviews (24 pre- and 13 post-release) with HIV-infected inmates enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a case management intervention to enhance post-release linkage to care. Two researchers independently coded data using a common codebook. Intercoder reliability was strong (kappa = 0.86). We analyzed data using Grounded Theory methodology and Applied Thematic Analysis. We collected and compared baseline sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of all cohort participants who did and did not participate in the qualitative interviews using Fisher's Exact Tests for categorical measures and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous measures. Most participants were heterosexual, middle-aged, single, African American men and women with histories of substance use. Substudy participants were more likely to anticipate living with family/friends and needing income assistance post-release. Most were taking antiretrovirals prior to release and anticipated needing help securing health benefits and medications post-release. Before release, most participants felt confident they would be able to manage their HIV. However, upon release, many experienced intermittent or prolonged periods of antiretroviral nonadherence, largely due to substance use relapse or delays in care initiation. Substance use was precipitated by stressful life experiences, including stigma, and contact with drug-using social networks. As informed by the Social Cognitive Theory and HIV Stigma Framework, findings illustrate the reciprocal relationships among substance use, experiences of stigma, pre- and post-release environments, and skills needed to engage in HIV care. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive evidence-based interventions to prepare inmates to transition from incarceration to freedom, particularly those that strengthen linkage to HIV care and focus on realities of reentry, including stigma, meeting basic needs, preventing substance abuse, and identifying community resources.

US: developments in the treatment of HIV-positive prisoners in two states.

PubMed

Gibson, Katie

2005-08-01

Legal actions have been launched in Alabama and Mississippi to address living conditions and medical care of HIV-positive prisoners in state prisons. These were the only two states to allow complete segregation of HIV-positive prisoners in state prisons into the 1990s. The two cases highlight the ways in which the courts have been involved in supervising prison conditions in the United States.

Prisons, jobs and privatization: The impact of prisons on employment growth in rural US counties, 1997-2004.

PubMed

Genter, Shaun; Hooks, Gregory; Mosher, Clayton

2013-05-01

In this study of prison privatization we draw on the insights of a recent body of literature that challenges a widespread belief that prisons help to spur employment growth in local communities. We look to these studies to provide an empirically and theoretically grounded approach to addressing our research question: what are the benefits, if any, to employment growth in states that have privatized some of their prisons, compared to states with only public prisons? Our research makes use of a large, national, and comprehensive dataset. By examining the employment contributions of prisons, as recent research has done, we were able to corroborate the general findings of this research. To study prison privatization we distinguish between states in which privatization has grown rapidly and those states in which privatization has grown slowly (or not at all). Our findings lend support to recent research that finds prisons do not improve job prospects for those communities that host them. We contribute to this literature by demonstrating that new prisons in states in which privatization is surging impede employment growth in the host community. To explain this we highlight the significant reduction in prison staffing - in both private and public prisons - where privatization is growing quickly. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Methadone Maintenance for Prisoners: Prediction of Treatment Entry and Completion in Prison

PubMed Central

GORDON, MICHAEL S.; KINLOCK, TIMOTHY W.; COUVILLION, KATHRYN A.; SCHWARTZ, ROBERT P.; O’GRADY, KEVIN

2014-01-01

The present report is an intent-to-treat analysis involving secondary data drawn from the first randomized clinical trial of prison-initiated methadone in the United States. This study examined predictors of treatment entry and completion in prison. A sample of 211 adult male prerelease inmates with preincarceration heroin dependence were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: counseling only (counseling in prison; n= 70); counseling plus transfer (counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release; n= 70); and counseling plus methadone (methadone maintenance in prison, continued in a community-based methadone maintenance program upon release; n= 71). Entered prison treatment (p <. 01), and completed prison treatment (p< .001) were significantly predicted by the set of 10 explanatory variables and favored the treatment conditions receiving methadone. The present results indicate that individuals who are older in age and have longer prison sentences may have better outcomes than younger individuals with shorter sentences, meaning they are more likely to enter and complete prison-based treatment. Furthermore, implications for the treatment of prisoners with prior heroin dependence and for conducting clinical trials may indicate the importance of examining individual characteristics and the possibility of the examination of patient preference. PMID:25392605

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Methadone Maintenance for Prisoners: Prediction of Treatment Entry and Completion in Prison.

PubMed

Gordon, Michael S; Kinlock, Timothy W; Couvillion, Kathryn A; Schwartz, Robert P; O'Grady, Kevin

2012-05-01

The present report is an intent-to-treat analysis involving secondary data drawn from the first randomized clinical trial of prison-initiated methadone in the United States. This study examined predictors of treatment entry and completion in prison. A sample of 211 adult male prerelease inmates with preincarceration heroin dependence were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: counseling only (counseling in prison; n= 70); counseling plus transfer (counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release; n= 70); and counseling plus methadone (methadone maintenance in prison, continued in a community-based methadone maintenance program upon release; n= 71). Entered prison treatment (p <. 01), and completed prison treatment (p< .001) were significantly predicted by the set of 10 explanatory variables and favored the treatment conditions receiving methadone. The present results indicate that individuals who are older in age and have longer prison sentences may have better outcomes than younger individuals with shorter sentences, meaning they are more likely to enter and complete prison-based treatment. Furthermore, implications for the treatment of prisoners with prior heroin dependence and for conducting clinical trials may indicate the importance of examining individual characteristics and the possibility of the examination of patient preference.

A randomized controlled trial of prison-initiated buprenorphine: prison outcomes and community treatment entry.

PubMed

Gordon, Michael S; Kinlock, Timothy W; Schwartz, Robert P; Fitzgerald, Terrence T; O'Grady, Kevin E; Vocci, Frank J

2014-09-01

Buprenorphine is a promising treatment for heroin addiction. However, little is known regarding its provision to pre-release prisoners with heroin dependence histories who were not opioid-tolerant, the relative effectiveness of the post-release setting in which it is provided, and gender differences in treatment outcome in this population. This is the first randomized clinical trial of prison-initiated buprenorphine provided to male and female inmates in the US who were previously heroin-dependent prior to incarceration. A total of 211 participants with 3-9 months remaining in prison were randomized to one of four conditions formed by crossing In-Prison Treatment Condition (received buprenorphine vs. counseling only) and Post-release Service Setting (at an opioid treatment center vs. a community health center). Outcome measures were: entered prison treatment; completed prison treatment; and entered community treatment 10 days post-release. There was a significant main effect (p=.006) for entering prison treatment favoring the In-Prison buprenorphine Treatment Condition (99.0% vs. 80.4%). Regarding completing prison treatment, the only significant effect was Gender, with women significantly (p<.001) more likely to complete than men (85.7% vs. 52.7%). There was a significant main effect (p=.012) for community treatment entry, favoring the In-Prison buprenorphine Treatment Condition (47.5% vs. 33.7%). Buprenorphine appears feasible and acceptable to prisoners who were not opioid-tolerant and can facilitate community treatment entry. However, concerns remain with in-prison treatment termination due to attempted diversion of medication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Prison-Initiated Buprenorphine: Prison Outcomes and Community Treatment Entry

PubMed Central

Gordon, Michael S.; Kinlock, Timothy W.; Schwartz, Robert P.; Fitzgerald, Terrence; O’Grady, Kevin E.; Vocci, Frank J.

2014-01-01

Background Buprenorphine is a promising treatment for heroin addiction. However, little is known regarding its provision to pre-release prisoners with heroin dependence histories who were not opioid-tolerant, the relative effectiveness of the post-release setting in which it is provided, and gender differences in treatment outcome in this population. Methods This is the first randomized clinical trial of prison-initiated buprenorphine provided to male and female inmates in the US who were previously heroin-dependent prior to incarceration. A total of 211 participants with 3–9 months remaining in prison were randomized to one of four conditions formed by crossing In-Prison Treatment Condition (received buprenorphine vs. counseling only) and Post-release Service Setting (at an opioid treatment center vs. a community health center). Outcome measures were: entered prison treatment; completed prison treatment; and entered community treatment 10 days post-release. Results There was a significant main effect (p=.006) for entering prison treatment favoring the In-Prison buprenorphine Treatment Condition (99.0% vs. 80.4%). Regarding completing prison treatment, the only significant effect was Gender, with women significantly (p<.001) more likely to complete than men (85.7% vs. 52.7%). There was a significant main effect (p=.012) for community treatment entry, favoring the In-Prison buprenorphine Treatment Condition (47.5% vs. 33.7%). Conclusions Buprenorphine appears feasible and acceptable to prisoners who were not opioid-tolerant and can facilitate community treatment entry. However, concerns remain with in-prison treatment termination due to attempted diversion of medication. PMID:24962326

Do condoms cause rape and mayhem? The long‐term effects of condoms in New South Wales' prisons

PubMed Central

Yap, Lorraine; Butler, Tony; Richters, Juliet; Kirkwood, Kristie; Grant, Luke; Saxby, Max; Ropp, Frederick; Donovan, Basil

2007-01-01

Background Concerns raised by opponents to condom provision in prisons have not been objectively examined and the issue continues to be debated. The long‐term effects of the introduction of condoms and dental dams into New South Wales (NSW) prisons in 1996 was examined, focusing on particular concerns raised by politicians, prison officers, prison nurses and prisoners. These groups were worried that (a) condoms would encourage prisoners to have sex, (b) condoms would lead to an increase in sexual assaults in prisons, (c) prisoners would use condoms to hide and store drugs and other contraband and (d) prisoners would use condoms as weapons. Method Data sources included the NSW Inmate Health Survey (IHS) from 1996 and 2001 and official reports from the NSW Department of Corrective Services. The 1996 IHS involved 657 men and 132 women randomly selected from all prisons, with a 90% response rate. The 2001 survey involved 747 men and 167 women inmates, with an 85% response rate. Results There was a decrease in reports of both consensual male‐to‐male sex and male sexual assaults 5 years after the introduction of condoms into prisons in 1996. The contents of condom kits were often used for concealing contraband items and for other purposes, but this was not associated with an increase in drug injecting in prison. Only three incidents of a condom being used in assaults on prison officers were recorded between 1996 and 2005; none was serious. Conclusions There exists no evidence of serious adverse consequences of distributing condoms and dental dams to prisoners in NSW. Condoms are an important public health measure in the fight against HIV and sexually transmitted diseases; they should be made freely available to prisoners as they are to other high‐risk groups in the community. PMID:17179163

Transparent Walls: Library Services to Prisoners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemp, Susan J.; Montgomery, Jack G., Ed.

1996-01-01

The population of state and federal prisons quadrupled between 1971 and 1991, increasing demand for library resources. Outlines the history of prison libraries (1700s-1990s); discusses prison libraries and librarians, law collections, reference services, literacy programs, and funding; and provides a bibliography of prison librarianship covering…

Prisoners, Prison, and Religion: Religion and Adjustment to Prison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clear, Todd R.; Sumter, Melvina T.

2002-01-01

Explore the relationship between inmate religiousness and adjustment to prison and the number of disciplinary confinements they receive. Findings indicate that a significant relationship exists between inmate religiousness and multiple measures of inmate adjustment to the prison environment. (Contains 81 references and 7 tables.) (GCP)

[Guidelines for substitution treatments in prison populations].

PubMed

Michel, L; Maguet, O

2005-01-01

Care access for the drug addict patients in prison (in particular for the treatments of substitution) in France is very unequal from one establishment to another. This reflects the great variability of the practices of substitution and especially the absence of consensus on the methods of adaptation of these practices to the prison environment. Because of difficulties expressed by prisoners and medical staff on this subject and of stakes (let us recall that approximately 30% of the prisoners are dependent or abusers of one or more psychoactive substances), the formulation of recommendations or of a good practices guide of substitution in prison appeared necessary. Work that we detail here answers a ordering of the Advisory Commission of the Treatments of Substitution (September 2001) whose authors are members. It was presented at the session April 2003. It results from the confrontation of a review of the literature (including legal texts and official reports concerning substitution, the organization of the care in prison environment and the lawful framework), with a vast investigation. The latter was carried out near medical staff (22 prisons), penitentiary staff (3 prisons, 27 people met including directors of these establishments) and prisoners (7 establishments, 28 prisoners met) in the form of individual talks (semi-directing interviews with evaluation of the type of existing device and its knowledge by the penitentiary staff and the prisoners; statement of the suggestions, needs and requests of the medical, penitentiary staffs and of the prisoners). In the whole visited prisons, 7.8% (870) of the prisoners received substitution treatments (6.35% by buprenorphine, 1.44% by methadone), representing a proportion of substituted drug addicts (870 substituted for an evaluation of 3,350 prisoners drug addicts among the 11,168 prisoners of the 22 visited prisons) notably lower than that in free environment (56%, ie 96,000 substituted for an evaluated population of drug addicts for heroin of 160,000). There are however considerable variations (from 0 to 16.2%) of the proportion of substituted of one establishment for the other according to the type of prison, of its size, its localization and the type of medical device present. If a consensus exists for methadone (daily delivery with sanitary control), the organization of the care relating to the buprenorphine is extremely variable from one establishment to another, often putting in difficulty as well the medical teams as the prisoners. One recommendation is essential: the formulation of an individualized therapeutic project. Thirteen other recommendations are made in the following fields: renewal of substitution treatments, initiation of substitution treatments, urinary controls, methods of prescription, methods of delivery, co-prescriptions, global care, confidentiality, files, exits and transfers, extractions, formation, accompaniment of the teams. These recommendations being formulated, many medical concerns remain present and several questions open. The report of joint mission IGAS/IGSJ of June 2001 on the health of the prisoners underlines the principal persistent gaps: hygiene and public health, treatment of the mental disorders, the follow-up of the sexual delinquents, handling ageing, handicap and the end of lifetime. In the same way, the difficulties listed in prison environment concerning substitution are only the exacerbation of those existing outside: the misuses and traffics are common in free environment, risk reduction in prison, as outside, handle with obstacles related to the penalization of the drug use and can hardly evolve except questioning the law of 1970. The prison practice opens also questions: that of the "duration" of the substitution, frequently posed by the prisoners; concern to see the prison becoming a privileged place of access to the care, combining sanction and care whereas the law of 1970 allows the alternative (care or sanction); that of the clinic of the misuse, particularly "readable" in prison environment; and finally the question of the shared secrecy, extremely delicate in prison context although clarified by the law of March 04, 2002.

Online Learning and Recidivism Rates: Commentary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sellers, Martin P.

2016-01-01

Return-to-prison rates are high. This indicates that imprisonment is not succeeding at rehabilitation, however return to prison is significantly reduced when prisoners receive education while in prison, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and other related research (Aos et al., 1999; Brown, Forrester, Hull, Jobe, & McCullen, 2000; Clark…

Creating Decent Prisons: A Serendipitous Finding about Prison Hospice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Kevin N.; Bronstein, Laura

2007-01-01

Limited research has been conducted on the creation or impact of "decent" prisons, institutions where prisoners are treated with care and respect. This study set out to explore organizational factors associated with locating hospice programs into prison settings. Yet, the research produced unexpected findings about the contribution of hospice to…

Aging in Correctional Custody: Setting a Policy Agenda for Older Prisoner Health Care

PubMed Central

Stern, Marc F.; Mellow, Jeff; Safer, Meredith; Greifinger, Robert B.

2012-01-01

An exponential rise in the number of older prisoners is creating new and costly challenges for the criminal justice system, state economies, and communities to which older former prisoners return. We convened a meeting of 29 national experts in correctional health care, academic medicine, nursing, and civil rights to identify knowledge gaps and to propose a policy agenda to improve the care of older prisoners. The group identified 9 priority areas to be addressed: definition of the older prisoner, correctional staff training, definition of functional impairment in prison, recognition and assessment of dementia, recognition of the special needs of older women prisoners, geriatric housing units, issues for older adults upon release, medical early release, and prison-based palliative medicine programs. PMID:22698042

Social and custodial needs of older adults in prison.

PubMed

Hayes, Adrian J; Burns, Alistair; Turnbull, Pauline; Shaw, Jenny J

2013-09-01

older prisoners are a fast-growing group but there is limited evidence for how well their needs are being met. to quantify the social and custodial needs of older prisoners and suggest improvements for service provision. cross-sectional study. twelve prisons holding adult males in North West England. two hundred and sixty-two prisoners; 97 aged between 50 and 59, 165 aged 60 and over. interview and case-note review for issues of social and custodial need and quality of life in prison, including Forensic Camberwell Assessment of Need and Lubben Scale for social networks. many had problems mixing with younger prisoners, accommodation and activities, and limited contact with friends and family. A small group had personal care needs which were not well managed in prison. older prisoners have distinct social and custodial needs which need to be addressed by a national strategy for their care and management.

Availability of Health-Related Programs in Private and Public Prisons.

PubMed

Baćak, Valerio; Ridgeway, Greg

2018-01-01

Little is known about the resources available to protect inmates' health in private prisons compared to their public counterparts. This is the first national-level study that exclusively examined the availability of health-related programs in private and public prisons in the United States. We applied propensity score weighting and doubly robust estimation to compare private prisons to comparable public prisons. Data were self-reported by prison administrators as part of the 2005 Census of State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities. We found that private prisons offered fewer substance dependency, psychological/psychiatric, and HIV/AIDS-related programs. But the differences were progressively reduced when the comparison was limited to public prisons most similar on a variety of facility-level characteristics. The extent to which the two types of prisons differ is closely tied to the characteristics of the facilities that are compared.

A natural experiment of the consequences of concentrating former prisoners in the same neighborhoods.

PubMed

Kirk, David S

2015-06-02

More than 600,000 prisoners are released from incarceration each year in the United States, and most end up residing in metropolitan areas, clustered within a select few neighborhoods. Likely consequences of this concentration of returning prisoners include higher rates of subsequent crime and recidivism. In fact, one-half of released prisoners return to prison within only 3 y of release. The routine exposure to criminogenic influences and criminal opportunities portends a bleak future for individuals who reside in neighborhoods with numerous other ex-prisoners. Through a natural experiment focused on post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana, I examine a counterfactual scenario: If instead of concentrating ex-prisoners in geographic space, what would happen to recidivism rates if ex-prisoners were dispersed across space? Findings reveal that a decrease in the concentration of parolees in a neighborhood leads to a significant decrease in the reincarceration rate of former prisoners.

A natural experiment of the consequences of concentrating former prisoners in the same neighborhoods

PubMed Central

Kirk, David S.

2015-01-01

More than 600,000 prisoners are released from incarceration each year in the United States, and most end up residing in metropolitan areas, clustered within a select few neighborhoods. Likely consequences of this concentration of returning prisoners include higher rates of subsequent crime and recidivism. In fact, one-half of released prisoners return to prison within only 3 y of release. The routine exposure to criminogenic influences and criminal opportunities portends a bleak future for individuals who reside in neighborhoods with numerous other ex-prisoners. Through a natural experiment focused on post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana, I examine a counterfactual scenario: If instead of concentrating ex-prisoners in geographic space, what would happen to recidivism rates if ex-prisoners were dispersed across space? Findings reveal that a decrease in the concentration of parolees in a neighborhood leads to a significant decrease in the reincarceration rate of former prisoners. PMID:25976097

“Up yours”: smuggling illicit drugs into prison

PubMed Central

George, Sanju; Clayton, Steve; Namboodiri, Vasudevan; Boulay, Sylvie

2009-01-01

A significant proportion of patients who are heroin-dependant and receiving treatment in the community serve prison sentences at some point in their lives, meaning their treatment continues “on the inside”. Although prison inmates are promised the same quality of care as they would get “on the outside”, this is not always the case. Some drawbacks of the drug treatments offered in prisons can lead to people smuggling drugs into prisons. The present work describes how a patient, who is heroin dependant and attending a community drug and alcohol team for methadone maintenance treatment, smuggled methadone and heroin into prison, his reasons for doing that, his personal description of the extent of drug use in prisons and finally what can be done to stop it from treatment and policy perspectives. Drug misuse is common in prisons. Much more can be done at treatment and policy levels to prevent people smuggling drugs into prison. PMID:21954402

"Up yours": smuggling illicit drugs into prison.

PubMed

George, Sanju; Clayton, Steve; Namboodiri, Vasudevan; Boulay, Sylvie

2009-01-01

A significant proportion of patients who are heroin-dependant and receiving treatment in the community serve prison sentences at some point in their lives, meaning their treatment continues "on the inside". Although prison inmates are promised the same quality of care as they would get "on the outside", this is not always the case. Some drawbacks of the drug treatments offered in prisons can lead to people smuggling drugs into prisons. The present work describes how a patient, who is heroin dependant and attending a community drug and alcohol team for methadone maintenance treatment, smuggled methadone and heroin into prison, his reasons for doing that, his personal description of the extent of drug use in prisons and finally what can be done to stop it from treatment and policy perspectives. Drug misuse is common in prisons. Much more can be done at treatment and policy levels to prevent people smuggling drugs into prison.

An overview of the prison population and the general health status of prisoners.

PubMed

Heidari, E; Dickinson, C; Dickson, C; Newton, T

2014-07-11

This article is the first in a series of four, which explore the oral and dental health of male prisoners in the United Kingdom. The series comprises: an overview of the general and oral health status of male prisoners, a discussion on how multi-disciplinary team working can be used to benefit the care of patients in prison environments and a description of the future planning of dental services for male prisoners. The oral health of prisoners is linked to their general health status, due in part to the presence of common risk factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol and in some cases use of recreational drugs, poor dietary and poor oral hygiene habits. Barriers to healthcare services can all have an effect on oral disease in this group. This paper highlights some of the common medical problems that oral healthcare providers face when treating prisoners in male UK prison establishments.

Procedural justice and prisoners' mental health problems: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Beijersbergen, Karin A; Dirkzwager, Anja J E; Eichelsheim, Veroni I; van der Laan, Peter H; Nieuwbeerta, Paul

2014-04-01

Given the high prevalence of mental health problems among prisoners, knowledge on its determinants is important. Prior cross-sectional studies suggest that procedurally just treatment within prison is a significant predictor; however, longitudinal research is lacking. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the longitudinal relationship between prisoners' perceptions of procedural justice--including fairness, respect, humanity and relationships with officers--and their mental health and (2) the moderating role of coping style in this relationship. Data were obtained from the Prison Project, a longitudinal study of adult male prisoners in the Netherlands, interviewed both 3 weeks and 3 months after their reception into pre-trial detention (N = 824). A cross-lagged structural equation model was employed to investigate associations. Prisoners who reported experiencing a higher level of procedural justice 3 weeks after their arrival in custody reported fewer mental health problems after 3 months. No evidence was found that coping style moderated this relationship. These findings suggest a causal relationship between procedural justice and psychological well-being. Fair and respectful treatment of prisoners is a predictor not only of prison order and prisoners' compliance but also of prisoners' psychological well-being. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hepatitis C in European prisons: a call for an evidence-informed response

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Globally, over 10 million people are held in prisons and other places of detention at any given time. People who inject drugs (PWID) comprise 10-48% of male and 30-60% of female prisoners. The spread of hepatitis C in prisons is clearly driven by injection drug use, with many infected prisoners unaware of their infection status. Risk behaviour for acquisition of hepatitis C via common use of injecting equipment is widespread in many prison settings. In custodial settings, effective and efficient prevention models applied in the community are very rarely implemented. Only approximately 60 out of more than 10,000 prisons worldwide provide needle exchange. Thus, HCV prevention is almost exclusively limited to verbal advice, leaflets and other measures directed to cognitive behavioural change. Although the outcome of HCV antiviral treatment is comparable to non-substance users and substance users out of prison, the uptake for antiviral treatment is extremely low. Based on a literature review to assess the spread of hepatitis C among prisoners and to learn more about the impact for the prison system, recommendations regarding hepatitis C prevention, screening and treatment in prisons have been formulated in this article. PMID:25252822

Smoking-Related Behaviors and Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation Therapy Among Prisoners and Prison Staff.

PubMed

Turan, Onur; Turan, Pakize Ayse

2016-04-01

Smoking is a serious problem in prisons. This work aimed to assess smoking-related behaviors and the effectiveness of tobacco cessation therapy in prison. This study includes four visits to a prison in Bolvadin-Afyon, Turkey. Pharmacologic options for tobacco cessation were offered to the participants who wanted to quit smoking. One hundred seventy-nine subjects (109 prisoners and 70 prison staff) with 68.7% current smokers were included. There was an increase of cigarette smoking in 41.8% (the most common reason was stress) and decrease in 18.7% (the most common reason was health problems) of the participants after incarceration. Fifty-nine participants accepted the offered tobacco cessation treatment. Only 2 participants started their planned medications, but they could not quit smoking. The most common reason for failed attempts to quit was the high prices of cessation therapies. Factors like stress and being in prison may provoke smoking. A smoking ban does not seem to be a total solution for preventing tobacco use in prisons. Tobacco cessation programs may be a better option. Cost-free cessation medications may increase quitting rates among prisoners and prison staff. Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Prevalence of mental disorder in remand prisoners: consecutive case study.

PubMed Central

Birmingham, L.; Mason, D.; Grubin, D.

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To define the prevalence of mental disorder and need for psychiatric treatment in new remand prisoners and to determine to what extent these are recognised and addressed in prison. DESIGN: Study of consecutive male remand prisoners at reception using a semistructured psychiatric interview. SETTING: Large remand prison for men (HMP Durham). SUBJECTS: 669 men aged 21 years and over on remand, awaiting trial. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of mental disorder at reception, prisoners need for psychiatric treatment, identification of mental disorder by prison reception screening, and numbers placed appropriately in the prison hospital. RESULTS: 148 (26%) men had one or more current mental disorders (excluding substance misuse) including 24 who were acutely psychotic. The prison reception screening identified 34 of the men with mental disorder and six of those with acute psychosis. 168 men required psychiatric treatment, 50 of whom required urgent intervention; 16 required immediate transfer to psychiatric hospital. Of these 50, 17 were placed on the hospital wing because of mental disorder recognised at prison screening. CONCLUSION: Not only is the prevalence of mental disorder, in particular severe mental illness, high in this population, but the numbers identified at reception are low and subsequent management in prison is poor. PMID:8978227

Psychotherapy and despair in the prison setting.

PubMed

Gee, Joanna; Loewenthal, Del; Cayne, Julia

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to outline research which aimed to explore psychotherapists' experience of working with despair, in the UK prison setting, through a qualitative phenomenological approach. Within the forensic psychological literature, despair is considered a pathology, associated with suicide and self-harm, resulting from the prisoners histories and the coercive prison setting. In turn, therapeutic writings outline the importance of therapy in the prison setting with despair in providing coping skills, containment and learning opportunities for the prisoners involved. Within the study, ten psychotherapists were interviewed as to their experience of working with clients in despair in the prison setting. The data were analysed via the phenomenological research method Empirical Phenomenological Analysis (EPA), and a secondary analysis through reverie. Through the analysis by EPA, despair emerged in the prison setting as a destabilising phenomenon to which there was no protocol for working with it. Participants also described the prisoners' despair and the despairing prison setting, touching on their own sense of vulnerability and despair. However, drawing on the secondary analysis by reverie, the researcher also became aware of how the phenomenon of despair emerged not simply through the said, but also through the intersubjective. It was therefore through the secondary analysis by reverie that the importance of the attendance to aspects of intersubjectivity in prison research emerged. This paper contributes to the therapeutic writings on despair in the prison setting, alongside holding implications for qualitative research in the prison setting.

Inpatient care of mentally ill people in prison: results of a year's programme of semistructured inspections

PubMed Central

Reed, John L; Lyne, Maggi

2000-01-01

Objective To investigate the facilities for inpatient care of mentally disordered people in prison. Design Semistructured inspections conducted by doctor and nurse. Expected standards were based on healthcare quality standards published by the Prison Service or the NHS. Setting 13 prisons with inpatient beds in England and Wales subject to the prison inspectorate's routine inspection programme during 1997-8. Main outcomes measures Appraisals of quality of care against published standards. Results The 13 prisons had 348 beds, 20% of all beds in prisons. Inpatient units had between 3 and 75 beds. No doctor in charge of inpatients had completed specialist psychiatric training. 24% of nursing staff had mental health training; 32% were non-nursing trained healthcare officers. Only one prison had occupational therapy input; two had input from a clinical psychologist. Most patients were unlocked for about 3.5 hours a day and none for more than nine hours a day. Four prisons provided statistics on the use of seclusion. The average length of an episode of seclusion was 50 hours. Conclusion The quality of services for mentally ill prisoners fell far below the standards in the NHS. Patients' lives were unacceptably restricted and therapy limited. The present policy dividing inpatient care of mentally disordered prisoners between the prison service and the NHS needs reconsideration. PMID:10764360

[Prevalence and predictors of psychoactive substance use among men in prisons].

PubMed

Caravaca-Sánchez, Francisco; Falcón Romero, María; Luna, Aurelio

2015-01-01

The use of psychoactive substances among the prison population is an important public health issue because of its magnitude and health consequences. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of psychoactive substance use among the prison population and to analyse its association with sociodemographic and penitentiary factors, particularly the size of the prison. Data were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire among 2,484 random male inmates in eight prisons of different sizes in Spain. The prevalence of psychoactive substance use with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) during the last 6 months in prison were estimated. Prevalence ratios were used to estimate the association between psychoactive substance use and sociodemographic and penitentiary characteristics. The prevalence of psychoactive substance use in the past 6 months in prison was 59.9% (95% CI: 57.9-62.0). Notable among the sociodemographic variables associated with substance use were drug consumption prior to imprisonment (6.90; 95% CI: 5.51-8.65) and recidivism in prison (2.41; 95% CI: 2.04-2.85). The largest prisons showed a higher frequency of drug use than other prisons. A high prevalence of psychoactive substance use was found in prisons and significant differences were found according to delinquent profile and the size of the prison. Copyright © 2015 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Addressing the Aging Crisis in U.S. Criminal Justice Healthcare

PubMed Central

Williams, Brie A.; Goodwin, James S.; Baillargeon, Jacques; Ahalt, Cyrus; Walter, Louise C.

2012-01-01

The U.S. criminal justice population is aging at a significantly more rapid rate than the overall U.S. population: the population of older adults in prison has more than tripled since 1990. This increase is at the root of a prison healthcare crisis that is spilling into communities and public healthcare systems as nearly 95% of prisoners are eventually released. The graying prison population is also straining state and local budgets. In prison, older prisoners cost approximately three times as much as younger prisoners to incarcerate, largely due to healthcare costs. In the community, older former prisoners present the least risk of recidivism yet are vulnerable to serious and costly social and medical challenges such as housing instability, poor employability, multiple chronic health conditions, and health-related mortality. Older current and former prisoners, however, are largely ignored in the current geriatrics evidence base. Knowledge about the health, functional and cognitive status of older prisoners is limited, with even less known about risk factors for long term poor health outcomes during and after incarceration. This article provides an overview of aging in the criminal justice system. It then describes how geriatric models of care could be adapted to address the mounting older prisoner healthcare crisis and identifies areas where additional research is needed to explore prison-specific models of care for older adults. PMID:22642489

The Role of Prison Industries Now and in the Future: A Planning Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgetown Univ. Law Center, Washington, DC. Inst. of Criminal Law and Procedure.

The Institute of Criminal Law and Procedure analyzes the merits, limitiations, and problems of various approaches to prison industry and recommends measures and programs to improve industries. Federal and State legislation affecting prison industries were examined, several prison industries were visited, and the literature of prison industries was…

Developments in Prison Service Education and Training. Coombe Lodge Report. Volume 22, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Ian; And Others

1990-01-01

Ten papers are provided on the prison education service in the United Kingdom. "Developments in Prison Service Management" (Ian Benson) describes changes in the past 5 years. "Prison Libraries" (Peter Blunt) describes the background to prison libraries and provides information on the present position. Current approaches to…

Psychiatry in prisons.

PubMed

Goldstein, N

1983-12-01

In the midst of the critical struggle over the failures of rehabilitation and the impotency of the prison system, the role of the psychiatrist in the prison has become increasingly unclear. This article presents a persuasive argument for working in prisons and discusses ethical considerations, treatment approaches, and the special problems and challenges provided by prison psychiatry.

Prisons as Organizational Cultures: A Literature Review of a Vastly Unexplored Organizational Communication Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bedore, Joan M.

This literature review examines prisons as organizations and prisons as cultures, for as J. M. Shafritz and J. S. Ott (1992) point out, "a strong organizational culture literally controls organizational behavior." The review investigates the research of prison, organizational, and communication scholars to see how prison cultures shape…

An Outbreak of Syphilis in Alabama Prisons: Correctional Health Policy and Communicable Disease Control

PubMed Central

Wolfe, Mitchell I.; Xu, Fujie; Patel, Priti; O'Cain, Michael; Schillinger, Julia A.; St. Louis, Michael E.; Finelli, Lyn

2001-01-01

Objectives. After syphilis outbreaks were reported at 3 Alabama State men's prisons in early 1999, we conducted an investigation to evaluate risk factors for syphilis infection and describe patterns of syphilis transmission. Methods. We reviewed medical, patient interview, and prison transfer records and documented sexual networks. Presumptive source cases were identified. Odds of exposure to unscreened jail populations and transfer from other prisons were calculated for case patients at 1 prison. Results. Thirty-nine case patients with early syphilis were identified from 3 prisons. Recent jail exposure (odds ratio [OR] = 8.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.3, 158.7, P = .14) and prison transfer (OR = 32.0, 95% CI = 1.6, 1668.1, P < .01) were associated with being a source case patient. Conclusions. Probable sources of syphilis introduction into and transmission within prisons included mixing of prisoners with unscreened jail populations, transfer of infected inmates between prisons, and multiple concurrent sexual partnerships. Reducing sexual transmission of disease in correctional settings is a public health priority and will require innovative prevention strategies. PMID:11499107

Mental disorders in Italian prisoners: results of the REDiMe study.

PubMed

Macciò, Annalisa; Meloni, Francesca Romana; Sisti, Davide; Rocchi, Marco Bruno Luigi; Petretto, Donatella Rita; Masala, Carmelo; Preti, Antonio

2015-02-28

The goal of the study was to estimate the prevalence of current and lifetime mental disorders in a consecutive sample (n=300) of detainees and prison inmates held in an Italian prison and compare it with the prevalence observed in a sample randomized from the community (n=300) within the same age interval (18-55 years) and sex proportion of prisoners, and with a similar socio-economic status. Psychiatric disorders were identified with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Current psychiatric disorders were present in 58.7% of prisoners and 8.7% of the comparison group. Lifetime psychiatric disorders were present in 88.7% of prisoners and 15.7% of the comparison group. Current anxiety disorders and current stress-related disorders were related to prisoners serving their first-ever prison sentence. A variable fraction of prisoners with an ongoing psychopathology is not diagnosed or does not receive proper treatment. The provision of effective treatment to prisoners with psychiatric disorders might have potentially substantial public health benefits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism

PubMed Central

Kallis, Constantinos; Coid, Jeremy

2015-01-01

Background Violence among released prisoners with psychosis is an important public health problem. It is unclear whether treatment in prison can influence criminal behaviour subsequent to release. Aims To investigate whether treatment in prison can delay time to reoffending. Method Our sample consisted of 1717 adult prisoners in England and Wales convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence. We used Cox regression to investigate the effects of treatment received in prison on associations between mental illness and time to first reconviction following release. Results Prisoners with current symptoms of schizophrenia reoffended quicker following release. Nevertheless, treatment with medication significantly delayed time to violence (18% reduction). Treatment for substance dependence delayed violent and non-violent reoffending among prisoners with drug-induced psychosis. Conclusions Identifying prisoners with psychosis and administering treatment in prison have important protective effects against reoffending. Repeated screening with improved accuracy in identification is necessary to prevent cases being missed. Declaration of interest None. Copyright and usage © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence. PMID:27703740

The paradox of control: An ethnographic analysis of opiate maintenance treatment in a Norwegian prison.

PubMed

Mjåland, Kristian

2015-08-01

Opiate maintenance treatment (OMT) is increasingly being offered in prisons throughout Europe. The benefits of OMT in prison have been found to be similar to those produced by OMT in community settings. However, prison-based OMT has been a controversial issue because of fear of the diversion of OMT medications and the development of black markets for prescription drugs such as buprenorphine and methadone. Prison-based OMT thus involves a delicate balance between the considerations of control and treatment. This article reports on an ethnographic study of a prison-based OMT programme in a closed Norwegian prison. The data include field notes from eight months of participant observation in the prison as well as qualitative interviews with 23 prisoners and 12 prison staff. Midway through the fieldwork, the prison authorities established a separate unit for OMT-enrolled prisoners to reduce the widespread diversion of buprenorphine. This "natural experiment" is explored in the analysis. The prison-based OMT programme was characterised by strict and repressive control to prevent the diversion of buprenorphine, and the control became even stricter after the establishment of the OMT unit. However, the diversion of buprenorphine increased rather than decreased after the establishment of the OMT unit. To understand this "paradox of control", the article engages with theories of legitimacy, power and resistance. The excessive and repressive control was perceived as illegitimate and unfair by the majority of study participants. In various ways, many prisoners protested, confronted and subverted the OMT programme. The increase in buprenorphine diversion is interpreted as a form of collective resistance towards the perceived unfairness of the OMT programme. The article demonstrates that an unbalanced and control-dominated approach to prison-based OMT may have the opposite effect of what is intended. Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multidisciplinary team working in an adult male prison establishment in the UK.

PubMed

Heidari, E; Dickinson, C; Newton, T

2014-08-01

The first two articles in this series exploring the oral and dental health of male prisoners in the UK demonstrated how the general and oral health of prisoners is compromised compared to those of a similar age who are not prisoners. In caring for the oral health needs of this group the high demand for emergency dental services often precludes the delivery of preventive and routine care. Comprehensive oral care for this population requires a level of training to gain the skills and knowledge to manage prisoners' complex medical, dental and social needs and the heightened dental anxiety that prisoners exhibit. The type of training that might be required for prison dentistry will be discussed in the final article. This article will describe a number of cases selected to demonstrate the complex problems presented by male prisoners in Her Majesty's Prison (HMP), Brixton. This article will also discuss the establishment of a primary care inter-professional relationship network (IRN) developed within a prison setting involving a dentist and other healthcare professionals. After informal discussions between the dentist and other prison healthcare professionals, it became apparent that vulnerable patients were not accessing dental services. These patients also cancel/fail to attend their dental appointments more frequently. In order to improve access and provision of dental care for this group of prisoners, an IRN was developed between the dentist, diabetic nurse, forensic psychology team, communicable disease lead, general medical practitioner (GMP), prison officers and healthcare manager within HMP Brixton. The nature of the IRN is presented along with reviews with relevant patient cases. The IRN allowed information sharing between professionals and an open care culture. The network was valued by prisoners. Prison populations show higher rates of general and oral disease, therefore an IRN can help to identify vulnerable groups and allow healthcare providers to give appropriate, targeted and focused care in a timely fashion.

Opt-out HIV testing in prison: informed and voluntary?

PubMed

Rosen, David L; Golin, Carol E; Grodensky, Catherine A; May, Jeanine; Bowling, J Michael; DeVellis, Robert F; White, Becky L; Wohl, David A

2015-01-01

HIV testing in prison settings has been identified as an important mechanism to detect cases among high-risk, underserved populations. Several public health organizations recommend that testing across health-care settings, including prisons, be delivered in an opt-out manner. However, implementation of opt-out testing within prisons may pose challenges in delivering testing that is informed and understood to be voluntary. In a large state prison system with a policy of voluntary opt-out HIV testing, we randomly sampled adult prisoners in each of seven intake prisons within two weeks after their opportunity to be HIV tested. We surveyed prisoners' perception of HIV testing as voluntary or mandatory and used multivariable statistical models to identify factors associated with their perception. We also linked survey responses to lab records to determine if prisoners' test status (tested or not) matched their desired and perceived test status. Thirty-eight percent (359/936) perceived testing as voluntary. The perception that testing was mandatory was positively associated with age less than 25 years (adjusted relative risk [aRR]: 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24, 1.71) and preference that testing be mandatory (aRR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.41, 2.31) but negatively associated with entry into one of the intake prisons (aRR: 0.41 95% CI: 0.27, 0.63). Eighty-nine percent of prisoners wanted to be tested, 85% were tested according to their wishes, and 82% correctly understood whether or not they were tested. Most prisoners wanted to be HIV tested and were aware that they had been tested, but less than 40% understood testing to be voluntary. Prisoners' understanding of the voluntary nature of testing varied by intake prison and by a few individual-level factors. Testing procedures should ensure that opt-out testing is informed and understood to be voluntary by prisoners and other vulnerable populations.

Randomized controlled pilot trial of naloxone‐on‐release to prevent post‐prison opioid overdose deaths

PubMed Central

Parmar, Mahesh K. B.; Strang, John; Choo, Louise; Meade, Angela M.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background and Aims Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used for emergency resuscitation following opioid overdose. Prisoners with a history of heroin injection have a high risk of drug‐related death soon after release from prison. The NALoxone InVEstigation (N‐ALIVE) pilot trial (ISRCTN34044390) tested feasibility measures for randomized provision of naloxone‐on‐release (NOR) to eligible prisoners in England. Design. Parallel‐group randomized controlled pilot trial. Setting English prisons. Participants A total of 1685 adult heroin injectors, incarcerated for at least 7 days pre‐randomization, release due within 3 months and more than 6 months since previous N‐ALIVE release. Intervention Using 1 : 1 minimization, prisoners were randomized to receive on release a pack containing either a single ‘rescue’ injection of naloxone or a control pack with no syringe. Measurements Key feasibility outcomes were tested against prior expectations: on participation (14 English prisons; 2800 prisoners), consent (75% for randomization), returned prisoner self‐questionnaires (RPSQs: 207), NOR‐carriage (75% in first 4 weeks) and overdose presence (80%). Findings Prisons (16) and prisoners (1685) were willing to participate [consent rate, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 70–74%]; 218 RPSQs were received; NOR‐carriage (95% CI = 63–79%) and overdose presence (95% CI = 75–84%) were as expected. We randomized 842 to NOR and 843 to control during 30 months but stopped early, because only one‐third of NOR administrations were to the ex‐prisoner. Nine deaths within 12 weeks of release were registered for 1557 randomized participants released before 9 December 2014. Conclusions Large randomized trials are feasible with prison populations. Provision of take‐home emergency naloxone prior to prison release may be a life‐saving interim measure to prevent heroin overdose deaths among ex‐prisoners and the wider population. PMID:27776382

Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV and risk factors in entrants to Irish prisons: a national cross sectional survey

PubMed Central

Long, Jean; Allwright, Shane; Barry, Joseph; Reynolds, Sheilagh Reaper; Thornton, Lelia; Bradley, Fiona; Parry, John V

2001-01-01

Objectives To determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen, hepatitis C virus, and HIV in entrants to Irish prisons and to examine risk factors for infection. Design Cross sectional, anonymous survey, with self completed risk factor questionnaire and oral fluid specimen for antibody testing. Setting Five of seven committal prisons in the Republic of Ireland. Participants 607 of the 718 consecutive prison entrants from 6 April to 1 May 1999. Main outcome measures Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen, hepatitis C virus, and HIV in prison entrants, and self reported risk factor status. Results Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen was 37/596 (6%; 95% confidence interval 4% to 9%), to hepatitis C virus was 130/596 (22%; 19% to 25%), and to HIV was 12/596 (2%; 1% to 4%). A third of the respondents had never previously been in prison; these had the lowest prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (4/197, 2%), to hepatitis C (6/197, 3%), and to HIV (0/197). In total 29% of respondents (173/593) reported ever injecting drugs, but only 7% (14/197) of those entering prison for the first time reported doing so compared with 40% (157/394) of those previously in prison. Use of injected drugs was the most important predictor of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen and hepatitis C virus. Conclusions Use of injected drugs and infection with hepatitis C virus are endemic in Irish prisons. A third of prison entrants were committed to prison for the first time. Only a small number of first time entrants were infected with one or more of the viruses. These findings confirm the need for increased infection control and harm reduction measures in Irish prisons. What is already known on this topicHigh rates of using injected drugs, initiation of use of injected drugs, and sharing injecting equipment occur in Irish prisonsInjecting drug users have high rates of infection with hepatitis B and C viruses, and hepatitis C is endemic in injecting drug users and in Irish prisonersWhat this study addsThe prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen, to hepatitis C, and to HIV in prison entrants who had previously been imprisoned was similar to that found in the recent national survey of Irish prisoners, but the prevalence of these antibodies was much lower in the third of prison entrants who had never previously been in prisonTattooing in prison is an independent risk factor for hepatitis C infection in prisoners who have never used injected drugs PMID:11719410

[Suicidal behaviour among prisoners: prevalence and association with psychological distress in Flemish prisons].

PubMed

Favril, L; Vander Laenen, F; Audenaert, K

Internationally, the prevalence of suicidal behaviour (suicidal ideation, suicide plan and attempted suicide) is significantly elevated among prisoners compared to the community at large. To estimate the prevalence of suicidal behaviour among prisoners in the Flanders region of Belgium, to identify differences according to gender and custodial status, and to examine the association of recent suicidal ideation and suicide plan with psychological distress. We performed a cross-sectional survey using a representative sample of 1,326 prisoners, randomly selected from 15 Flemish prisons. During their lifetime, an estimated 44.4% of prisoners in Flanders reported suicidal ideation, 30.2% made a suicide plan, and one-fifth (21.8%) attempted suicide at least once. Past-year suicidal ideation in prison was endorsed by one-fourth (24.9%) of all prisoners, and 14.3% made a recent suicidal plan during their current incarceration. Approximately one in ten prisoners (9.5%) attempted suicide while in prison. Recent suicidal ideation and suicide plan were significantly associated with high levels of psychological distress. Generally, female prisoners reported significant higher levels of suicidal behaviour than men, while differences according to custodial status were less unequivocal. Corroborating international research findings, high rates of suicidal behaviour were identified among prisoners in Flanders, compared to the general population. Not only is suicidal behaviour a significant risk factor for suicide, it is also important in its own right as an indicator of profound psychological distress. Suicidal behaviour should therefore be an important target for prevention and intervention in this at-risk population.

Is gender a factor in perceived prison officer competence? Male prisoners' perceptions in an English dispersal prison.

PubMed

Boyd, Elizabeth; Grant, Tim

2005-01-01

The introduction of women officers into HM Prison Service raised questions regarding women's ability to perform what had traditionally been a male role. Existing research is inconclusive as to whether female prison officers are as competent as male prison officers, and whether there are gender differences in job performance. This study examined prisoners' perceptions of male and female prison officers' performance. The hypotheses were that overall competence and professionalism ratings would not differ for men and women officers, but that there would be differences in how men and women were perceived to perform their roles. Women were expected to be rated as more communicative, more empathic and less disciplining. The Prison Officer Competency Rating Scale (PORS) was designed for this study. Ratings on the PORS for male and female officers were given by 57 adult male prisoners. There was no significant difference in prisoners' ratings of overall competence of men and women officers. Of the PORS subscales, there were no gender differences in Discipline and Control, Communication or Empathy, but there was a significant difference in Professionalism, where prisoners rated women as more professional. The failure to find any differences between men and women in overall job competence, or on communication, empathy and discipline, as perceived by prisoners, suggests that men and women may be performing their jobs similarly in many respects. Women were rated as more professional, and items contributing to this scale related to respecting privacy and keeping calm in difficult situations, where there may be inherent gender biases.

‘From Defensive Paranoia to …Openness to Outside Scrutiny’: Prison Medical Officers in England and Wales, 1979–86

PubMed Central

Duvall, Nicholas

2018-01-01

This article examines how a branch of medicine based within the criminal justice system responded to a society which by the 1970s and 1980s was increasingly critical of the prison system and medical authority. The Prison Medical Service, responsible for the health care of prisoners in England and Wales, was criticised by prison campaigners and doctors alike for being unethical, isolated, secretive, and beholden to the interests of the Home Office rather than those of their patients. While prison doctors responded defensively to criticisms in the 1970s and 1980s, comparing their own standards of practice favourably with those found in the NHS, and arguing that doctors from outside would struggle to cope in the prison environment, by 1985 their attitudes had changed. Giving evidence to a House of Commons committee, prison doctors displayed a much greater willingness to discuss how the prison system made their work more difficult, and expressed a pronounced desire to engage openly with the rest of the profession to address these problems. The change of attitude partly reflects a desire by the Home Secretary William Whitelaw to make the Prison Service more open, and an acceptance of a need for greater accountability in medicine generally. Most important, however, was a greater interest in prison health care and appreciation of the difficulties of prison practice among the wider medical profession, encouraging prison doctors to speak out. This provides a case study of how a professional group could engage openly with criticisms of their work under favourable circumstances. PMID:29199926

Short- and long-term effects of imprisonment on future felony convictions and prison admissions.

PubMed

Harding, David J; Morenoff, Jeffrey D; Nguyen, Anh P; Bushway, Shawn D

2017-10-17

A substantial contributor to prison admissions is the return of individuals recently released from prison, which has come to be known as prison's "revolving door." However, it is unclear whether being sentenced to prison itself has a causal effect on the probability of a subsequent return to prison or on criminal behavior. To examine the causal effect of being sentenced to prison on subsequent offending and reimprisonment, we leverage a natural experiment using the random assignment of judges with different propensities for sentencing offenders to prison. Drawing on data on all individuals sentenced for a felony in Michigan between 2003 and 2006, we compare individuals sentenced to prison to those sentenced to probation, taking into account sentence lengths and stratifying our analysis by race. Results show that being sentenced to prison rather than probation increases the probability of imprisonment in the first 3 years after release from prison by 18 percentage points among nonwhites and 19 percentage points among whites. Further results show that such effects are driven primarily by imprisonment for technical violations of community supervision rather than new felony convictions. This suggests that more stringent postprison parole supervision (relative to probation supervision) increases imprisonment through the detection and punishment of low-level offending or violation behavior. Such behavior would not otherwise result in imprisonment for someone who had not already been to prison or who was not on parole. These results demonstrate that the revolving door of prison is in part an effect of the nature of postprison supervision.

Prison Nursing: Formation of a Stable Professional Identity.

PubMed

Choudhry, Khurshid; Armstrong, David; Dregan, Alexandru

The aim of this study was to analyze how working within prison environments can influence the self-identity and professional identity of nurses. The prison environment can be a difficult environment for nurses to deliver care within, with nurses having to carry out activities that seem to go against their professional role, while at the same time providing care to prisoners who have greater health needs than the general population. There is a lack of theoretical consideration of how prison nurses carry out their role in the face of such challenges. This study used a review of literature published over the last 11 years exploring nurses' beliefs, thoughts, and feelings toward delivering care within prison environment. With time, nurses working within prison environments develop specific skills to be able to deliver appropriate care to their patients. These skills include adapting to both the prison environment and the prison culture. Ultimately, adaptations lead to a change in identity allowing nurses to work effectively within prison. Providers of prison healthcare should ensure that induction (orientation) processes for new nurses are designed to address specific challenges that nurses face including the potential for cognitive dissonance. They should ensure that nurses receive training to develop and acquire the skills highlighted in this review. Ensuring that this training is in place may increase nurse retention.

The quality of health care in prison: results of a year's programme of semistructured inspections.

PubMed Central

Reed, J.; Lyne, M.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To assess, as part of wider inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, the extent and quality of health care in prisons in England and Wales. DESIGN: Inspections based on a set of "expectations" derived mainly from existing healthcare quality standards published by the prison service and existing ethical guidelines; questionnaire survey of prisoners. SUBJECTS: 19 prisons in England and Wales, 1996-7. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Appraisals of needs assessment and the commissioning and delivery of health care against the inspectorate's expectations. RESULTS: The quality of health care varied greatly. A few prisons provided health care broadly equivalent to NHS care, but in many the health care was of low quality, some doctors were not adequately trained to do the work they faced, and some care failed to meet proper ethical standards. Little professional support was available to healthcare staff. CONCLUSIONS: The current policy for improving health care in prisons is not likely to achieve its objectives and is potentially wasteful. The prison service needs to recognise that expertise in the commissioning and delivery of health care is overwhelming based in the NHS. The current review of the provision of health care in prisons offers an opportunity to ensure that prisoners are not excluded from high quality health care. PMID:9418090

[Evaluation of the need for periodontal treatment in prisons near Dakar, Senegal].

PubMed

Diouf, M; Cissé, D; Lo, C M M; Faye, D; Faye, B; Benoist, H M; Souaré, N

2009-12-01

Oral diseases qualify as major public health problems due to their high prevalence and incidence. They usually affect poor and marginal segments of the population. This study focused on the prison population that is characterized by poor living conditions and malnutrition. The aim of study was to assess the need for periodontal care in prisoners serving time in the Dakar region of Senegal. This cross-sectional study included 375 prisoners serving in three facilities, i.e. the penal camp, Liberte VI prison for women, and Rufisque prison for women. Data were collected using a modified WHO information sheet. The community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) was used for scoring. Statistical analysis with stratification by sex and age was performed and tests were considered as significant for p < or = 0.05. There were 335 men (89.3%) and 40 women (10.7%) with a sex ratio of 8.3. Mean age was 35 years +/- 11.5 (range, 16-88). Mean prison time was 39.29 months +/- 17.73. The proportion of prisoners needing periodontal treatment increased gradually according to prison time with significant differences (p < 0.05) even after stratification. Better management taking into account the environment and prison time would reduce the need for periodontal treatment in prisons in Dakar.

Psychiatric morbidity in prisoners

PubMed Central

Kumar, Vinod; Daria, Usha

2013-01-01

Background: Prisoners are having high percentage of psychiatric disorders. Majority of studies done so far on prisoners are from Western countries and very limited studies from India. Aim: Study socio-demographic profile of prisoners of a central jail and to find out current prevalence of psychiatric disorders in them. Materials and Methods: 118 prisoners were selected by random sampling and interviewed to obtain socio-demographic data and assessed on Indian Psychiatric Interview Schedule (IPIS) with additional required questions to diagnose psychiatric disorders in prisoners. Results: Mean age of prisoners was 33.7 years with 97.5% males, 57.6% from rural areas and 65.3% were married. Average education in studied years was 6.6 years and 50.8% were unskilled workers. 47.4% were murderers while 20.3% of drugs related crimes. 47.5% were convicted and history of criminal behavior in family was in 32.2% prisoners. Current prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 33%. Psychotic, depressive, and anxiety disorders were seen in 6.7%, 16.1%, and 8.5% prisoners respectively. 58.8% had history of drug abuse/dependence prior to imprisonment. Conclusion: One prison of Hadoti region of Rajasthan is full of people with mental-health problems who collectively generate significant levels of unmet psychiatric treatment need. Prisons are detrimental to mental-health. Beginning of reforms is the immediate need. PMID:24459308

Stakeholder perceptions and operational barriers in the training and distribution of take-home naloxone within prisons in England.

PubMed

Sondhi, Arun; Ryan, George; Day, Ed

2016-02-03

The aim of the study was to assess potential barriers and challenges to the implementation of take-home naloxone (THN) across ten prisons in one region of England. Qualitative interviews deploying a grounded theory approach were utilised over a 12- to 18-month period that included an on-going structured dialogue with strategic and operational prison staff from the ten prisons and other key stakeholders (n = 17). Prisoner perceptions were addressed through four purposive focus groups belonging to different establishments (n = 26). Document analysis also included report minutes and access to management information and local performance reports. The data were thematically interpreted using visual mapping techniques. The distribution and implementation of THN in a prison setting was characterised by significant barriers and challenges. As a result, four main themes were identified: a wide range of negative and confused perceptions of THN amongst prison staff and prisoners; inherent difficulties with the identification and engagement of eligible prisoners; the need to focus on individual prison processes to enhance the effective distribution of THN; and the need for senior prison staff engagement. The distribution of THN within a custodial setting requires consideration of a number of important factors which are discussed.

All-cause and cause-specific mortality among Black and White North Carolina state prisoners, 1995-2005

PubMed Central

Wohl, David A.; Schoenbach, Victor J.

2011-01-01

Purpose We compared mortality rates among state prisoners and other state residents to identify prisoners’ healthcare needs Methods We linked North Carolina prison records with state death records for 1995-2005 to estimate all-cause and cause-specific death rates among Black and White male prisoners aged 20-79 years, and used standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) to compare these observed deaths with the expected number based on death rates among state residents Results The all-cause SMR of Black prisoners was 0.52 (95%CI: 0.48 0.57), with fewer deaths than expected from accidents, homicides, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The all-cause SMR of White prisoners was 1.12 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.25) with fewer deaths than expected for accidents, but more deaths than expected from viral hepatitis, liver disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and HIV. Conclusions Mortality of Black prisoners was lower than that of Black state residents for both traumatic and chronic causes of death. Mortality of White prisoners was lower than that of White state residents for accidents, but higher for several chronic causes of death. Future studies should investigate the effect of prisoners’ pre-incarceration and in-prison morbidity, the prison environment, and prison healthcare on prisoners’ patterns of mortality. PMID:21737304

[Hospital pharmaceutical practice in prison].

PubMed

Harcouët, L

2010-09-01

Since 1994, hospital pharmaceutical teams have been in charge of pharmaceutical tasks in "unités de consultation et de soins ambulatoires" (UCSA), which are hospital consulting care units in French prisons. In 2008, pharmaceutical team in Parisian prisons received 6500 prescriptions and prepared 85,000 nominative bags containing drugs. Prisoners were 1.3% to receive treatments against HIV, 8.2% cardiovascular drugs, 7.2% opioid substitution treatments, and 52.9% psychoactive drugs, including 39.3% hypnotics, 40.5% anxiolytics, 11.3% antidepressants and 12.2% neuroleptics. In prison, the dichotomy between somatic and mental care is marked, attitudes of prisoners about their medicines are complex (important claims, embezzlement, etc.) and it is difficult for law defendants to maintain treatment confidentiality and to prepare prison outing in terms of health. To attenuate the heterogeneity of drug distribution systems in French prisons, we propose pharmaceutical analysis of prescriptions and nominative dispensation, computerization in UCSA in coordination with hospitals, a better contribution of prison medical and pharmaceutical staff in hospital "drug committees" and the redaction of pharmaceutical guidelines. Acting in concert with multidisciplinary medical staff in UCSA, pharmaceutical teams have to develop epidemiological studies to improve knowledge in prisoner's health and also prevention and health care in prison. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Reducing the use of seclusion for mental disorder in a prison: implementing a high support unit in a prison using participant action research

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Vulnerable prisoners and mentally disordered offenders who present with risk of harm to self or others were accommodated in Special Observation Cells (SOCs) isolated from others for considerable periods of time. This practice has been criticised by the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture. The objective of this initiative was to reduce the use of seclusion within the prison and to improve the care of vulnerable and mentally ill prisoners within the prison. Results The prison studied is a committal centre for sentenced prisoners with an official bed capacity of 630. The forensic mental health in-reach team, in co-operation with the prison health service followed the 'spiral' of planning, action and fact finding about the results of the action. In December 2010 a 10 bed High Support Unit (HSU) was established within the prison. During the first year, 96 prisoners were admitted. A third (35%) reported psychotic symptoms, 28% were referred due to the immediate risk of self-harm, 17% were accommodated for medical treatments and increased observation, 13% received specialised treatment by the Addiction Psychiatry team, 6% presented with emotional distress. One prisoner was accommodated on the HSU due to the acute risk he posed to others. A major mental illness was diagnosed in 29%, 20% required short-term increased support for crisis intervention and were found not to have a mental illness. A further 10% were deemed to be feigning symptoms of mental illness to seek refuge in the HSU. 7% had personality disorder as their primary diagnosis and 4% had a learning disability. Stratifying risk within the prison population through the provision of the HSU decreased the total episodes of seclusion in the prison by 59% (p < 0.001) in addition to providing a more effective psychiatric in-reach service to the prison. Pathways between the prison and the forensic psychiatric hospital saw no change in activity but improved continuity of care. Conclusions The next step is to further stratify risk by establishing a low support unit to serve as a step-down from the high support unit. PMID:22487212

Self-harm in prisons in England and Wales: an epidemiological study of prevalence, risk factors, clustering, and subsequent suicide

PubMed Central

Hawton, Keith; Linsell, Louise; Adeniji, Tunde; Sariaslan, Amir; Fazel, Seena

2014-01-01

Summary Background Self-harm and suicide are common in prisoners, yet robust information on the full extent and characteristics of people at risk of self-harm is scant. Furthermore, understanding how frequently self-harm is followed by suicide, and in which prisoners this progression is most likely to happen, is important. We did a case-control study of all prisoners in England and Wales to ascertain the prevalence of self-harm in this population, associated risk factors, clustering effects, and risk of subsequent suicide after self-harm. Methods Records of self-harm incidents in all prisons in England and Wales were gathered routinely between January, 2004, and December, 2009. We did a case-control comparison of prisoners who self-harmed and those who did not between January, 2006, and December, 2009. We also used a Bayesian approach to look at clustering of people who self-harmed. Prisoners who self-harmed and subsequently died by suicide in prison were compared with other inmates who self-harmed. Findings 139 195 self-harm incidents were recorded in 26 510 individual prisoners between 2004 and 2009; 5–6% of male prisoners and 20–24% of female inmates self-harmed every year. Self-harm rates were more than ten times higher in female prisoners than in male inmates. Repetition of self-harm was common, particularly in women and teenage girls, in whom a subgroup of 102 prisoners accounted for 17 307 episodes. In both sexes, self-harm was associated with younger age, white ethnic origin, prison type, and a life sentence or being unsentenced; in female inmates, committing a violent offence against an individual was also a factor. Substantial evidence was noted of clustering in time and location of prisoners who self-harmed (adjusted intra-class correlation 0·15, 95% CI 0·11–0·18). 109 subsequent suicides in prison were reported in individuals who self-harmed; the risk was higher in those who self-harmed than in the general prison population, and more than half the deaths occurred within a month of self-harm. Risk factors for suicide after self-harm in male prisoners were older age and a previous self-harm incident of high or moderate lethality; in female inmates, a history of more than five self-harm incidents within a year was associated with subsequent suicide. Interpretation The burden of self-harm in prisoners is substantial, particularly in women. Self-harm in prison is associated with subsequent suicide in this setting. Prevention and treatment of self-harm in prisoners is an essential component of suicide prevention in prisons. Funding Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research, National Offender Management Service, and Department of Health. PMID:24351319

Exploring the Influence of Ethnicity, Age, and Trauma on Prisoners' World Assumptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Sandy

2011-01-01

In this study, the author explores world assumptions of prisoners, how these assumptions vary by ethnicity and age, and whether trauma history affects world assumptions. A random sample of young and old prisoners, matched for prison location, was drawn from the New Jersey Department of Corrections prison population. Age and ethnicity had…

Iraqi Prisoners in Norway: Educational Background, Participation, Preferences and Barriers to Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westrheim, Kariane; Manger, Terje

2014-01-01

The article aimed to develop knowledge of the educational background, participation and preferences of Iraqi prisoners in Norwegian prisons and obstacles to participating in education. The study is based on interviews with 17 prisoners in three prisons. An important finding is that war and political unrest appear to have been significant causes…

32 CFR 720.12 - Request for delivery of members serving sentence of court-martial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... certainty about a prisoner's future. The Act provides a way for a prisoner to be tried on charges pending... custodial official to inform the prisoner of the existence of any detainer and of the prisoner's right to... or the delivery would severely prejudice the prisoner's appellate rights. Execution of the agreement...

32 CFR 720.12 - Request for delivery of members serving sentence of court-martial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... certainty about a prisoner's future. The Act provides a way for a prisoner to be tried on charges pending... custodial official to inform the prisoner of the existence of any detainer and of the prisoner's right to... or the delivery would severely prejudice the prisoner's appellate rights. Execution of the agreement...

32 CFR 720.12 - Request for delivery of members serving sentence of court-martial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... certainty about a prisoner's future. The Act provides a way for a prisoner to be tried on charges pending... custodial official to inform the prisoner of the existence of any detainer and of the prisoner's right to... or the delivery would severely prejudice the prisoner's appellate rights. Execution of the agreement...

32 CFR 720.12 - Request for delivery of members serving sentence of court-martial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... certainty about a prisoner's future. The Act provides a way for a prisoner to be tried on charges pending... custodial official to inform the prisoner of the existence of any detainer and of the prisoner's right to... or the delivery would severely prejudice the prisoner's appellate rights. Execution of the agreement...

32 CFR 720.12 - Request for delivery of members serving sentence of court-martial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... certainty about a prisoner's future. The Act provides a way for a prisoner to be tried on charges pending... custodial official to inform the prisoner of the existence of any detainer and of the prisoner's right to... or the delivery would severely prejudice the prisoner's appellate rights. Execution of the agreement...

All Aboard the Desistance Line: First Stop, Producing Prosocial Prison Attachments within an HIV Prison-Based Peer Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collica-Cox, Kimberly

2016-01-01

This article explores the importance of social bonds in facilitating an investment in prosocial behavior amongst female prisoners working as HIV peer educators. Female prisoners can lack strong prosocial attachments to both individuals and institutions prior to incarceration. Absent this bond, little prevents the female prisoner from recidivating.…

Captive Students: Education and Training in America's Prisons. Policy Information Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Paul E.; Coley, Richard J.

The United States has a history of vacillating between rehabilitation and punishment for prisoners. The current mood is to devote resources to building more prisons and to strengthen law enforcement and sentencing policies. Within the last 15 years, the U.S. prison population has tripled, with minority groups being overrepresented in prisons.…

Dentition status and treatment needs of prisoners of Haryana state, India.

PubMed

Bansal, Vikram; Sogi, G M; Veeresha, K L; Kumar, Adarsh; Bansal, Shelly

2012-01-01

This paper aims to explore prisoner dental health in Haryana, India. The authors assessed the prevalence of dental caries and the treatment needs of prisoners in all 19 prisons in Haryana. The results were compared with the prison populations of other countries and the general population of Haryana. The mean age of 1,393 subjects examined was 35.26±12.29 years. A large number of the subjects reported to be in need of dental treatment. The number of decayed teeth was found to be similar to the general population of Haryana but the number of filled teeth was quite low. The number of teeth missing and the need for tooth extraction was high. Social implications - Long-standing prisoner dental problems indicated a need for dental treatment in prisons. This is the first study of its kind covering all 19 prisons in Haryana, India. The results indicate that the government needs to further consider and address the oral health needs of prisoners.

Home is Hard to Find: Neighborhoods, Institutions, and the Residential Trajectories of Returning Prisoners

PubMed Central

Harding, David J.; Morenoff, Jeffrey D.; Herbert, Claire W.

2012-01-01

Poor urban communities experience high rates of incarceration and prisoner reentry. This paper examines the residences where former prisoners live after prison, focusing on returns to pre-prison social environments, residential mobility, and the role of intermediate sanctions. Drawing on a unique dataset that follows a cohort of Michigan parolees released in 2003 over time using administrative records, we examine returns to pre-prison environments, both immediately after prison and in the months and years after release. We then investigate the role of intermediate sanctions – punishments for parole violations that are less severe than returning to prison – in residential mobility among parolees. Our results show low rates of return to former neighborhoods and high rates of residential mobility after prison, a significant portion of which is driven by intermediate sanctions resulting from criminal justice system supervision. These results suggest that, through parole supervision, the criminal justice system generates significant residential mobility. PMID:23645931

Women prisoners, mental health, violence and abuse.

PubMed

Macdonald, Morag

2013-01-01

This article examines the specific experiences of women in prison, focusing on previous (and continuing) physical and mental abuse, the consequent health care requirements of women prisoners, the policy response and the availability of suitable health care in prisons across the EU. It draws from an extensive review of the literature on women prisoners across Europe that was part of an on-going European Project funded by the DAPHNE programme of the European Commission, entitled 'DAPHNE Strong'. It also uses the field research from the project collected via surveys and in-depth interviews with key personnel in organisations that work with women prisoners or ex-prisoners and staff with a strategic overview of activity from the ministries of justice, police, prison service and women's support organisations. There are probably many more women prisoners with a history of domestic abuse than is officially recognised. Many of the women prison population who have experienced violence and abuse mask this by problematic drug or alcohol use as well as self-injury. These are key areas that training for prison staff needs to address. The availability of services for this group of women is inconsistent within and between countries of the EU. The political will to address the situation of women in prison, as distinct from the norms applied to men, is variable and it seems to take the determined efforts of active lobby groups to make inroads into an area of latent inertia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Working with women prisoners who seriously harm themselves: ratings of staff expressed emotion (EE).

PubMed

Moore, Estelle; Andargachew, Sara; Taylor, Pamela J

2011-02-01

Prison staff are repeatedly exposed to prisoners' suicidal behaviours; this may impair their capacity to care. Expressed emotion (EE), as a descriptor of the 'emotional climate' between people, has been associated with challenging behaviour in closed environments, but not previously applied to working alliances in a prison. To investigate the feasibility of rating EE between staff and suicidal women in prison; to test the hypothesis that most such staff-inmate alliances would be rated high EE. All regular staff on two small UK prison units with high suicidal behaviour rates were invited to participate. An audiotaped five-minute speech sample (FMSS) about work with one nominated suicidal prisoner was embedded in a longer research interview, then rated by two trained raters, independent of the interview process and the prison. Seven prison officers and 8 clinically qualified staff completed interviews; 3 refused, but 17 others were not interviewed, reasons including not having worked long enough with any one such prisoner. Participants and non-participants had similar relevant backgrounds. Contrary to our hypothesis, EE ratings were generally 'low'. As predicted, critical comments were directed at high frequency oppositional behaviour. EE assessments with prison staff are feasible, but our sample was small and turnover of prisoners high, so the study needs replication. Attributions about problem behaviour to illness, and/or traumatic life experience, tend to confirm generally supportive working relationships in this sample. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cross-sectional dietary deficiencies among a prison population in Papua New Guinea.

PubMed

Gould, Camilla; Tousignant, Benoit; Brian, Garry; McKay, Robert; Gibson, Rosalind; Bailey, Karl; Venn, Bernard J

2013-04-22

To investigate the dietary adequacy of prisoners of Beon Prison, Madang, Papua New Guinea in response to a report of possible nutritional deficiency. We undertook an observational, cross-sectional study. All 254 male inmates (May 2010) were eligible to answer a validated interview-based questionnaire; to have a comprehensive dietary assessment; and to provide blood for biochemical analysis (α-tocopherol, β-carotene, lutein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, homocysteine, zinc, ferritin, and vitamins A, B12 and C). Prison guards were invited to participate as a comparison group. 148 male prisoners (58.3%) and 13 male prison guards participated. Prison rations consisted of white rice fortified with thiamin, niacin, and iron, tinned tuna, tinned corned beef, water crackers, and black tea, with occasional intakes of fruit and vegetables. Some prisoners received supplementary food from weekend visitors. From assessment of the prisoners dietary data, median intakes of calcium (137 mg), potassium (677 mg), magnesium (182 mg), riboflavin (0.308 mg), vitamin A (54.1 μg), vitamin E (1.68 mg), vitamin C (5.7 mg) and folate (76.4 μg) were found to be below estimated average requirements (EAR). The prisoners diets are likely lacking in several micronutrients and recommendations for dietary change have been made to the prison authorities. Ongoing vigilance is required in prisons to ensure the basic human right of access to a nutritionally adequate diet is being observed.

Alternatives to current HIV/AIDS policies and practices in South African prisons.

PubMed

Goyer, K C; Gow, Jeff

2002-01-01

Prisoners in South Africa face problems of overcrowding, violence and poor nutrition. Added to this burden in recent times is the increased threat from HIV. The HIV epidemic has been relatively late in coming to South Africa but infection rates are now 20% in the adult population. However, there is no data available on the level of HIV infection in the prison population. Overseas studies suggest that the characteristics of prisoners place them at much greater risk of HIV infection. Factors which contribute to increased levels of HIV infection include poor health care facilities, lack of condoms and lack of disinfectants. Current policies and practices on HIV in prison attempt to balance the constraints of limited resources with the need to preserve prisoner human rights. The outcomes include: mass testing not freely available, HIV education is limited, and early release of prisoners with advanced AIDS is not allowed. Constraints on the implementation of effective HIV prevention strategies include: bureaucratic inefficiency, lack of resources, and a reluctance by prison authorities to address the issue of HIV in prison. These problems can possibly be overcome by addressing the issue from both management and prisoner perspectives. On the management side, increased resources, increased training of prison officials, and increased political commitment to address the issue are required. Outside partnerships are probably required for an effective response. Prisoners require better nutrition, better living conditions, better health care, freely available condoms and disinfectants.

Why do not more prisoners participate in adult education? An analysis of barriers to education in Norwegian prisons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manger, Terje; Eikeland, Ole Johan; Asbjørnsen, Arve

2018-06-01

From a lifelong learning perspective, education during incarceration is crucial for prisoners' rehabilitation. This article describes the authors' development of their Perceived Barriers to Prison Education Scale (PBPES) and examines what deters prisoners from participating in education during their incarceration, how their perceptions differ depending on gender, age, educational level, learning difficulties, length of prison sentence, and whether the prisoners express a desire to participate in education or not. Within a larger survey conducted in all Norwegian prisons among all prisoners with Norwegian citizenship, the authors focused on those who did not participate in education (n = 838). To reveal the underlying constructs that comprise perceived barriers, they hypothesised a three-factor model to which they applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The analysis confirmed the model, which comprised institutional barriers (e.g. insufficient practical arrangements; lack of access to computers and to the Internet), situational barriers (e.g. education is not considered to be of help in the current situation) and dispositional barriers (e.g. having difficulties in mathematics, reading, writing and concentrating), with good fit to the data. The authors used mixed-model analyses of variance to examine differences between subgroups of prisoners. Gender, age, educational level, learning difficulties and length of prison sentence were found to influence perceived barriers. The authors also observed that prisoners who wished to participate in education were more likely than others to perceive institutional barriers and less likely to perceive situational barriers.

Health status of the prisoners in a central jail of South India.

PubMed

Kumar, Sunil D; Kumar, Santosh A; Pattankar, Jayashree V; Reddy, Shrinivas B; Dhar, Murali

2013-10-01

Health care in prisons is one of the neglected health areas in our country. Looking into the health problems of prisons will show us a way for the approach in providing the heath care for prisoners. To assess the health status of convicted inmates of prison and to study their sociodemographic profile. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the inmates of central prison over a period of 1 year. Study population comprised of 300 convicted life-term prisoners. The inmates were interviewed using predesigned and pretested proforma. Sociodemographic data were analyzed by frequencies and percentages along with 95% confidence interval using statistical package SPSS18. In health status, 29 (9.6%) inmates suffered from acute upper respiratory tract infections and 15 (5%) from acute lower respiratory tract infections. A total of 54 (18%) inmates had ascariasis. Diseases of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue contributed to 26 (8.7%) of inmates. A total of 252 (84%) prisoners had anemia. In sociodemographic profile, it was found that rural people, unmarried, illiterates, lower socioeconomic status people were more likely to have committed the crime resulting in the conviction for life. As there is an increase in number of prisoners and morbidities among them, there is an urgent need for prison health care services in developing countries like India and provide training to the health care providers to manage the commonly existing health problems among prisoners in the prisons.

Prison privatization and HIV prevention in Australia.

PubMed

Cregan, J

Prison privatization is being increasingly discussed as an alternative that might help drive down the cost of corrections in Canada. An Australian conference recently addressed prison privatization. Australia has a long history with privatizing corrections and historically being the site of private penal colonies. Private and State-owned corporations own and manage Australian prisons and the balance of private and public sector activity within the prisons is discussed. HIV/AIDS care and prevention programs provide bleach distribution, education programs for staff and inmates, and safety training. Moral issues debating how much time and money is allocated to HIV/AIDS are addressed. Private operators of prisons have no financial incentive to educate, rehabilitate, or release prisoners.

Cognitive Group Therapy Based on Schema-Focused Approach for Reducing Depression in Prisoners Living With HIV.

PubMed

Jalali, Farzad; Hasani, Alireza; Hashemi, Seyedeh Fatemeh; Kimiaei, Seyed Ali; Babaei, Ali

2018-06-01

Depression is one the most common mental disorders in prisons. People living with HIV are more likely to develop psychological difficulties when compared with the general population. This study aims to determine the efficacy of cognitive group therapy based on schema-focused approach in reducing depression in prisoners living with HIV. The design of this study was between-groups (or "independent measures"). It was conducted with pretest, posttest, and waiting list control group. The research population comprised all prisoners living with HIV in a men's prison in Iran. Based on voluntary desire, screening, and inclusion criteria, 42 prisoners living with HIV participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group (21 prisoners) and waiting list control group (21 prisoners). The experimental group received 11 sessions of schema-focused cognitive group therapy, while the waiting list control group received the treatment after the completion of the study. The various groups were evaluated in terms of depression. ANCOVA models were employed to test the study hypotheses. Collated results indicated that depression was reduced among prisoners in the experimental group. Schema therapy (ST) could reduce depression among prisoners living with HIV/AIDS.

Child maltreatment histories among female inmates reporting inmate on inmate sexual victimization in prison: the mediating role of emotion dysregulation.

PubMed

Walsh, Kate; Gonsalves, Valerie M; Scalora, Mario J; King, Steve; Hardyman, Patricia L

2012-02-01

Despite data indicating that child maltreatment (CM) in various forms is associated with adult sexual victimization among community women, few studies have explicitly explored how types of CM might relate to prison sexual victimization. Because little is known about how CM might give rise to prison sexual victimization, the present study also examined emotion dysregulation emanating from early abuse experiences as a potential mediator in the link between early CM and inmate-on-inmate prison sexual victimization. Approximately 168 incarcerated women completed self-report inventories assessing various types of childhood maltreatment, emotion dysregulation, and coerced or forced sexual experiences in prison. Nearly 77% of the sample endorsed experiencing at least one form of CM, with 64% of inmates reporting that they experienced two or more forms of CM. Approximately 9% of inmates reported sexual coercion and 22% reported a forced sexual experience in prison. Each form of CM was associated with prison sexual coercion; however, fewer associations emerged between CM and forced prison sexual experiences. Emotion dysregulation was found to mediate links between CM, particularly co-occurring CM, and sexual coercion in prison, but it was unrelated to forced prison sexual experiences. Implications are discussed.

Mental health in-reach in an urban UK remand prison.

PubMed

Forrester, Andrew; Singh, Jagmohan; Slade, Karen; Exworthy, Tim; Sen, Piyal

2014-01-01

Prison mental health in-reach teams (MHITs) have developed in England and Wales over the last decade. Services have been nationally reviewed, but detailed descriptions of their work have been scarce. The purpose of this paper is to describe the functions of one MHIT in a busy, ethnically diverse, male remand prison in London, UK. Clinical and demographic data were collected for prisoners referred to the MHIT using a retrospective design over an 18-week period in 2008/2009 (n=111). Foreign national prisoners and sentenced prisoners were significantly under-referred. Most referrals were already known to community mental health services, although around a quarter accessed services for the first time in prison. Around a third presented with self-harm/suicide risks. Substance misuse problems were common. Although the MHIT had evolved systems to promote service access, prisoner self-referrals were limited. Foreign national prisoners require enhanced investment to improve service access. MHITs identify people with mental disorders for the first time in prisons, but better screening arrangements are needed across systems. An evaluation of multiple MHIT models could inform a wider delivery template. Originality/value - One of the first ground-level evaluations of MHITs in England and Wales.

Is mental heal care in women's prisons adequate?

PubMed

Sims, Joyce

Some individuals and groups, find it difficult to seek healthcare, including prisoners. This group is recognised as needing input but are often difficult to engage, yet failure to meet their needs can be devastating for the health of individuals and have wider implications on society. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of female prisoners who had not yet consulted the mental health team. I aimed to find out what support these women seek out while in prison, what difficulties they encountered in getting psychological help and whether they avoided statutory mental health services. Participants revealed during semistructured interviews that continuing to have a caring role for their families encouraged them to feel more positive and supported. Support from family members, specialist prison officers and the multi-faith centre staff team was also highly regarded. Some of the participants reported experiencing problems self-referring to prison mental health services, for example when transferred to a new prison. They identified the prison application system and inreach administrative failings as weaknesses, alongside other variables. I found that prisoners did not avoid mental health services and often once settled in the prison, they reconsidered their need for statutory support.

Value for money in drug treatment: economic evaluation of prison methadone.

PubMed

Warren, Emma; Viney, Rosalie; Shearer, James; Shanahan, Marian; Wodak, Alex; Dolan, Kate

2006-09-15

Although methadone maintenance treatment in community settings is known to reduce heroin use, HIV infection and mortality among injecting drug users (IDU), little is known about prison methadone programs. One reason for this is the complexity of undertaking evaluations in the prison setting. This paper estimates the cost-effectiveness of the New South Wales (NSW) prison methadone program. Information from the NSW prison methadone program was used to construct a model of the costs of the program. The information was combined with data from a randomised controlled trial of provision of prison methadone in NSW. The total program cost was estimated from the perspective of the treatment provider/funder. The cost per heroin free day, compared with no prison methadone, was estimated. Assumptions regarding resource use were tested through sensitivity analysis. The annual cost of providing prison methadone in NSW was estimated to be 2.9 million Australian dollars (or 3,234 Australian dollars per inmate per year). The incremental cost effectiveness ratio is 38 Australian dollars per additional heroin free day. From a treatment perspective, prison methadone is no more costly than community methadone, and provides benefits in terms of reduced heroin use in prisons, with associated reduction in morbidity and mortality.

Prison suicides in Germany from 2000 to 2011.

PubMed

Opitz-Welke, Annette; Bennefeld-Kersten, Katharina; Konrad, Norbert; Welke, Justus

2013-01-01

In many countries, suicide is the most frequent cause of prison deaths; moreover, the respective national penal suicide rates are consistently several times higher than the suicide rates in the general population. To assess the situation in German prisons, an assessment of all suicides in German prisons by means of a survey was carried out for the time from 2000 to 2011. The mean rate per year of prison suicides in Germany from 2000 to 2011 was 105.8 per 100,000 male inmates and 54.7 per 100,000 female inmates. Male prisoner suicide rates significantly declined during the period under investigation; no significant trend was evident for female prisoners in pre-trial detention but a noteworthy increase was apparent in the suicide rate of female sentenced prisoners. A significant positive relationship can be demonstrated between occupation density and the suicide rate for both men and women. These results should be taken as a challenge for further research on the reasons for the unexpected increase of suicide rate in female sentenced prisoners and as well on the effect of population density on prison suicide rate. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Can theory predict the process of suicide on entry to prison? Predicting dynamic risk factors for suicide ideation in a high-risk prison population.

PubMed

Slade, Karen; Edelman, Robert

2014-01-01

Each year approximately 110,000 people are imprisoned in England and Wales and new prisoners remain one of the highest risk groups for suicide across the world. The reduction of suicide in prisoners remains difficult as assessments and interventions tend to rely on static risk factors with few theoretical or integrated models yet evaluated. To identify the dynamic factors that contribute to suicide ideation in this population based on Williams and Pollock's (2001) Cry of Pain (CoP) model. New arrivals (N = 198) into prison were asked to complete measures derived from the CoP model plus clinical and prison-specific factors. It was hypothesized that the factors of the CoP model would be predictive of suicide ideation. Support was provided for the defeat and entrapment aspects of the CoP model with previous self-harm, repeated times in prison, and suicide-permissive cognitions also key in predicting suicide ideation for prisoners on entry to prison. An integrated and dynamic model was developed that has utility in predicting suicide in early-stage prisoners. Implications for both theory and practice are discussed along with recommendations for future research.

What motivates dentists to work in prisons? A qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Smith, P A; Themessl-Huber, M; Akbar, T; Richards, D; Freeman, R

2011-08-26

To explore what motivates dentists to work in prisons using Vroom's theoretical model of motivation as an explanatory framework. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten of the 15 dentists working in Scottish prisons. The focus was to explore their motivations to work in Scottish prisons. The data were analysed using a thematic framework based on the three motivational dimensions of expectancy, instrumentality and valence. The dentists had the skills to help improve their prisoner-patients' oral health but their efforts were often hindered by institutional rationing and the requirement to fit in with prison routines and procedures (expectancy). Despite these institutional difficulties the dentists experienced work rewards associated with the improvement in the prisoners' oral health (instrumentality). Finally, the dentists experienced a feeling of personal worth and a sense of commitment to providing care to Scottish prisoners (valence). The dentists' motivation to work in Scottish prisons may be explained by Vroom's Expectancy Theory. The dentists' motivation is characterised by their beliefs that their work will improve clinical outcomes which will be rewarded by the satisfaction experienced when they overcome environmental obstacles and provide oral health care for their prisoner-patients.

Prison health service directors' views on research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research in prison: outcomes of a national deliberative roundtable.

PubMed

Simpson, Paul Leslie; Guthrie, Jill; Butler, Tony

2017-06-12

Purpose Given that prisoners have significant health needs across most areas, the paucity of prisoner health research, and the difficulties involved in the conduct of research in this setting, there is a need to develop research priorities that align with key stakeholder groups. One such group are those responsible for health service provision in prisons - prison health service directors. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Prison health service directors in each Australian state and territory were invited to participate in a national (deliberative) roundtable where the consensus building nominal group technique was utilized. This involved the identification of research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research with prisoners, and ranking research priorities. A thematic analysis was conducted on organizational issues. Findings In total, 13 participants attended the roundtable. Participants identified 28 research priorities and 12 organizational issues. Top ranked research priorities were mental health, cognitive and intellectual disability, post-release health maintenance, ageing prisoners, chronic health conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Themes identified from the organizational issues included prisoner access to research participation, health and research literacy of custodial staff, and institutional protectionism in response to research that may discover negative information about the custodial setting. Research limitations/implications These findings should inform future efforts to improve research infrastructures to undertake research to improve the health of people in Australian prisons, and help to align researchers' efforts with those of a key organizational stakeholder. Originality/value This is the first paper to determine the research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research in prisons of prison health service directors.

Social-cognitive determinants of help-seeking for mental health problems among prison inmates.

PubMed

Skogstad, Philip; Deane, Frank P; Spicer, John

2006-01-01

Prisoners experience high rates of mental health problems and suicidal behaviours. Failure to seek help may exacerbate these problems and limit opportunities to participate in offending-related programmes. To assess whether prisoners'; intentions to seek help for a personal-emotional problem, including suicidal feelings, can be predicted using variables from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). These TPB variables were supplemented by measures of emotional distress, prior contact with a psychologist and demographic variables. Male inmates from six New Zealand prisons were asked to participate, with approximately 50% (n = 527) of those who initially expressed an interest in the study completing the self-report questionnaire. Most participants completed the questionnaire in small-group meetings in the prison units and returned them to the researchers immediately after completion.Results On average, participants reported higher levels of current emotional distress than comparison student samples. TPB variables predicted help-seeking intentions for suicidality and personal-emotional problems. Those with prior contact with prison psychologists had lower intentions to seek help for suicidal feelings than prisoners without such contact. Older prisoners, those with more years of education, and those who had previous contact with a psychologist outside prison tended to have higher intentions to seek psychological help. Social-cognitive factors predicted intentions to seek help among New Zealand prisoners but prison-specific issues, such as relative reluctance to seek help when suicidal and reluctance to seek help from prison psychologists, were also identified. Implications for practice Prisoners'; access to services could be improved, for example, through directly working on attitudinal barriers. Strategies to ensure access to specialized forensic mental health in-reach services could also be an alternative or additional route to ensure that this disadvantaged group seeks appropriate help.

Improving collaboration between professionals supporting mentally ill offenders.

PubMed

Hean, Sarah; Ødegård, Atle; Willumsen, Elisabeth

2017-06-12

Purpose Interprofessional collaboration is necessary when supporting mentally ill offenders but little is understood of these interactions. The purpose of this paper is to explore prison officers' perceptions of current and desirable levels of interprofessional collaboration (relational coordination (RC)) to understand how collaboration between these systems can be improved. Design/methodology/approach Gittell's RC scale was administered to prison officers within the Norwegian prison system ( n=160) using an adaptation of the instrument in which actual and desired levels of RC are evaluated. This differentiates between prison officers' expectations of optimum levels of collaboration with other professional groups, dependent on the role function and codependence, vs actual levels of collaboration. Findings Prison officers reported different RC levels across professional groups, the lowest being with specialist mental health staff and prison doctors and highest with nurses, social workers and other prison officers. Significant differences between desired and actual RC levels suggest expertise of primary care staff is insufficient, as prison officers request much greater contact with mental health specialists when dealing with the mentally ill offender. Originality/value The paper contributes to limited literature on collaborative practice between prison and health care professionals. It questions the advisability of enforcing care pathways that promote the lowest level of effective care in the prison system and suggest ways in which mental health specialists might be better integrated into the prison system. It contributes to the continued debate on how mental health services should be integrated into the prison system, suggesting that the current import model used in Norway and other countries, may not be conducive to generating the close professional relationships required between mental health and prison staff.

45 CFR 506.11 - “Prisoner of war” defined.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... OF THE WAR CLAIMS ACT OF 1948, AS AMENDED ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPENSATION Prisoners of War § 506.11 “Prisoner of war” defined. Prisoner of war means any regularly appointed, enrolled, enlisted or...

Jailed again.

PubMed

Ruggieri, M

Mike Ruggieri writes from prison that he fared badly on the outside and returned to prison after quitting sobriety and abusing legal and illegal drugs. He warns incarcerated people with AIDS to have plenty of support to lean on when outside prison. He also recommends going to a semi-controlled environment like a halfway house, hospice, or treatment facility when leaving prison to make the transition a little easier. A positive attitude helps to keep him going, and he looks forward to the support of family and friends when he leaves prison. A list of PWA prisoner resources follows the article.

Prison hunger strikes: why the motive matters.

PubMed

Annas, G J

1982-12-01

Force feeding of hunger-striking prisoners is discussed in the context of three 1982 state appellate court decisions involving the right to refuse treatment. The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted a prisoner's argument; courts in New York and West Virginia found a compelling state interest that justified force feeding, as did an earlier Massachusetts decision that rejected a prisoner's refusal of renal dialysis. The author contends that the Georgia court erred in not distinguishing the motivation of the prisoner--to manipulate the prison system--from that of patients who refuse treatment.

Tuberculosis incidence in prisons: a systematic review.

PubMed

Baussano, Iacopo; Williams, Brian G; Nunn, Paul; Beggiato, Marta; Fedeli, Ugo; Scano, Fabio

2010-12-21

Transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in prisons has been reported worldwide to be much higher than that reported for the corresponding general population. A systematic review has been performed to assess the risk of incident latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and TB disease in prisons, as compared to the incidence in the corresponding local general population, and to estimate the fraction of TB in the general population attributable (PAF%) to transmission within prisons. Primary peer-reviewed studies have been searched to assess the incidence of LTBI and/or TB within prisons published until June 2010; both inmates and prison staff were considered. Studies, which were independently screened by two reviewers, were eligible for inclusion if they reported the incidence of LTBI and TB disease in prisons. Available data were collected from 23 studies out of 582 potentially relevant unique citations. Five studies from the US and one from Brazil were available to assess the incidence of LTBI in prisons, while 19 studies were available to assess the incidence of TB. The median estimated annual incidence rate ratio (IRR) for LTBI and TB were 26.4 (interquartile range [IQR]: 13.0-61.8) and 23.0 (IQR: 11.7-36.1), respectively. The median estimated fraction (PAF%) of tuberculosis in the general population attributable to the exposure in prisons for TB was 8.5% (IQR: 1.9%-17.9%) and 6.3% (IQR: 2.7%-17.2%) in high- and middle/low-income countries, respectively. The very high IRR and the substantial population attributable fraction show that much better TB control in prisons could potentially protect prisoners and staff from within-prison spread of TB and would significantly reduce the national burden of TB. Future studies should measure the impact of the conditions in prisons on TB transmission and assess the population attributable risk of prison-to-community spread. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Substance use in remand prisoners: a consecutive case study.

PubMed Central

Mason, D.; Birmingham, L.; Grubin, D.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of drug and alcohol use among newly remanded prisoners, assess the effectiveness of prison reception screening, and examine the clinical management of substance misusers among remand prisoners. DESIGN: A consecutive case study of remand prisoners screened at reception for substance misuse and treatment needs and comparison of findings with those of prison reception screening and treatment provision. SETTING: A large adult male remand prison (Durham). SUBJECTS: 548 men aged 21 and over awaiting trial. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of substance misuse; treatment needs of substance misusers; effectiveness of prison reception screening for substance misuse; provision of detoxification programmes. RESULTS: Before remand 312 (57%) men were using illicit drugs and 181 (33%) met DSM-IV drug misuse or dependence criteria; 177 (32%) men met misuse or dependence criteria for alcohol. 391 (71%) men were judged to require help directed at their drug or alcohol use and 197 (36%) were judged to require a detoxification programme. The prison reception screen identified recent illicit drug use in 131 (24%) of 536 men and problem drinking in 103 (19%). Drug use was more likely to be identified by prison screening if an inmate was using multiple substances, using opiates, or had a diagnosis of abuse or dependence. 47 (9%) of 536 inmates were prescribed treatment to ease the symptoms of substance withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of substance misuse in newly remanded prisoners is high. Prison reception health screening consistently underestimated drug and alcohol use. In many cases in which substance use is identified the quantities and numbers of different substances being used are underestimated. Initial management of inmates identified by prison screening as having problems with dependence producing substances is poor. Few receive a detoxification programme, so that many are left with the option of continuing to use drugs in prison or facing untreated withdrawal. PMID:9233320

Historical development and current status of organ procurement from death-row prisoners in China.

PubMed

Allison, Kirk C; Caplan, Arthur; Shapiro, Michael E; Els, Charl; Paul, Norbert W; Li, Huige

2015-12-03

In December 2014, China announced that only voluntarily donated organs from citizens would be used for transplantation after January 1, 2015. Many medical professionals worldwide believe that China has stopped using organs from death-row prisoners. In the present article, we briefly review the historical development of organ procurement from death-row prisoners in China and comprehensively analyze the social-political background and the legal basis of the announcement. The announcement was not accompanied by any change in organ sourcing legislations or regulations. As a fact, the use of prisoner organs remains legal in China. Even after January 2015, key Chinese transplant officials have repeatedly stated that death-row prisoners have the same right as regular citizens to "voluntarily donate" organs. This perpetuates an unethical organ procurement system in ongoing violation of international standards. Organ sourcing from death-row prisoners has not stopped in China. The 2014 announcement refers to the intention to stop the use of organs illegally harvested without the consent of the prisoners. Prisoner organs procured with "consent" are now simply labelled as "voluntarily donations from citizens". The semantic switch may whitewash sourcing from both death-row prisoners and prisoners of conscience. China can gain credibility only by enacting new legislation prohibiting use of prisoner organs and by making its organ sourcing system open to international inspections. Until international ethical standards are transparently met, sanctions should remain.

Human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in an Indonesian prison: prevalence, risk factors and implications of HIV screening.

PubMed

Nelwan, Erni J; Van Crevel, Reinout; Alisjahbana, Bachti; Indrati, Agnes K; Dwiyana, Reiva F; Nuralam, Nisaa; Pohan, Herdiman T; Jaya, Ilham; Meheus, Andre; Van Der Ven, Andre

2010-12-01

To determine the prevalence and behavioural correlates of HIV, HBV and HCV infections among Indonesian prisoners and to examine the impact of voluntary counselling and testing for all incoming prisoners on access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). In a non-anonymous survey in an Indonesian prison for drug-related offences, all incoming prisoners and symptomatic resident prisoners were counselled and offered testing for HIV, hepatitis B and C. Screening was performed in 679 incoming prisoners, of whom 639 (94.1%) agreed to be tested, revealing a seroprevalence of 7.2% (95% CI 5.2-9.2) for HIV, 5.8% (95% CI 3.9-7.6) for HBsAg and 18.6% (95% CI 15.5-21.6) for HCV. Of 57 resident prisoners tested, 29.8% were HIV-positive. HIV infection was strongly associated with injecting drug use (IDU; P < 0.001), but not with a history of unsafe sex. Screening of incoming prisoners was responsible for diagnosing and treating HIV in 73.0%, respectively, and 68.0% of HIV-positive individuals. HIV and HCV are highly prevalent among incoming Indonesian prisoners and almost entirely explained by IDU. Our study is the first to show that voluntary HIV counselling and testing during the intake process in prison may greatly improve access to ART in a developing country. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Primary medical care in Irish prisons.

PubMed

Barry, Joe M; Darker, Catherine D; Thomas, David E; Allwright, Shane P A; O'Dowd, Tom

2010-03-22

An industrial dispute between prison doctors and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) took place in 2004. Part of the resolution of that dispute was that an independent review of prison medical and support services be carried out by a University Department of Primary Care. The review took place in 2008 and we report here on the principal findings of that review. This study utilised a mixed methods approach. An independent expert medical evaluator (one of the authors, DT) inspected the medical facilities, equipment and relevant custodial areas in eleven of the fourteen prisons within the IPS. Semistructured interviews took place with personnel who had operational responsibility for delivery of prison medical care. Prison doctors completed a questionnaire to elicit issues such as allocation of clinician's time, nurse and administrative support and resources available. There was wide variation in the standard of medical facilities and infrastructure provided across the IPS. The range of medical equipment available was generally below that of the equivalent general practice scheme in the community. There is inequality within the system with regard to the ratio of doctor-contracted time relative to the size of the prison population. There is limited administrative support, with the majority of prisons not having a medical secretary. There are few psychiatric or counselling sessions available. People in prison have a wide range of medical care needs and there is evidence to suggest that these needs are being met inconsistently in Irish prisons.

Bridging community and prison for older adults: invoking human rights and elder and intergenerational family justice.

PubMed

Maschi, Tina; Viola, Deborah; T Harrison, Mary; Harrison, William; Koskinen, Lindsay; Bellusa, Stephanie

2014-01-01

Older adults in prison present a significant health and human rights challenge for the criminal justice system. To date, there is no known study that provides a comprehensive examination or portrait of older persons in prison. The purpose of this paper is to understand individual, family, system, and community vulnerabilities that can complicate successful community reintegration for these individuals. This study provides a cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of biopsychosocial, spiritual, and prison use characteristics associated with a sample of 677 older prisoners, aged 50+, in a state-wide prison system. Results indicate the extent of diversity within this population based on demographic, clinical, social, legal profiles, prison service use patterns, and professional and personal contacts. Due to the diversity within this population, an interdisciplinary approach is needed to address the complex social and health care needs of an aging prison population and to plan for their reentry. Practical implications - These findings suggest the need for holistic prevention, assessment, and interventions to interrupt the social-structural disparities that foster and support pathways to incarceration and recidivism. The human rights implications for the current treatment of older adults in prison include providing in-prison treatment that promotes safety, well-being, reconciliation, and seamless bridges between prison and community for older adults and their families. The True Grit Program is presented as an example of a humanistic and holistic approach of such an approach.

Self-perceived role and function of Christian prison chaplains and Buddhist volunteers in Hong Kong prisons.

PubMed

Chui, Wing Hong; Cheng, Kevin Kwok-yin

2013-02-01

Although there have been a handful of studies examining the work of chaplains and prison volunteers in a Western setting, few have endeavored to conduct research into the experiences of religious workers in Asian penitentiaries. To fill this gap, this article reports on exploratory research examining the work of a selected group of religious workers in Hong Kong prisons. A total of 17 religious workers were interviewed: 10 prison chaplains and 7 Buddhist volunteers who paid regular prison visits. Qualitative findings generated from in-depth interviews present three themes: the range of religious activities performed, the importance of religion for the rehabilitation of inmates, and the hope of continued religious support to prisoners after discharge. The significance of this research is that it sheds light on the understudied work of prison chaplains and volunteers in Hong Kong and portrays the difference between the works of the Christian ministry and Buddhist volunteers.

A Commentary on Age Segregation for Older Prisoners

PubMed Central

Kerbs, John J.; Jolley, Jennifer M.

2014-01-01

The growing number of older prisoners in state and federal prisons has fostered an important discussion in literature regarding the potential benefits of age-segregated living arrangements for older inmates. This article begins with a brief review of the reasons for America's aging prison population. Thereafter, it uses a multidisciplinary literature review to clarify a 4-point rationale for age-segregated prisons: (a) cost savings via centralized health care for older prisoners; (b) the reduction of civil liabilities for correctional systems that centralize disability services as per requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; (c) the advancement of prisoner safety for older inmates; and (d) the promotion of rehabilitation by advancing treatment opportunities with a group that is most likely to desist from future criminal activity (in part) due to age-related desistance from crime. Conclusions focus on age segregation within the historical context of segregation in prison based on sociodemographic characteristics. PMID:28316366

Collaborative research to prevent HIV among male prison inmates and their female partners.

PubMed

Grinstead, O A; Zack, B; Faigeles, B

1999-04-01

Despite the need for targeted HIV prevention interventions for prison inmates, institutional and access barriers have impeded development and evaluation of such programs. Over the past 6 years, the authors have developed a unique collaborative relationship to develop and evaluate HIV prevention interventions for prison inmates. The collaboration includes an academic research institution (the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California, San Francisco), a community-based organization (Centerforce), and the staff and inmate peer educators inside a state prison. In this ongoing collaboration, the authors have developed and evaluated a series of HIV prevention interventions for prison inmates and for women who visit prison inmates. Results of these studies support the feasibility and effectiveness of HIV prevention programs for inmates and their partners both in prison and in the community. Access and institutional barriers to HIV intervention research in prisons can be overcome through the development of collaborative research partnerships.

Mental health in prisons: A public health agenda.

PubMed

Fraser, A

2009-01-01

Mental illness affects the majority of prisoners. Mental health issues are beginning to take a central position in the development of prison health services, reflecting this burden of disease. This change in focus is not before time. But prison mental health services cannot exist in isolation. Public health systems should lead provision of care for patients with acute and severe illness. A whole prison approach to health and, specifically, mental health will offer the greatest likelihood that offenders will thrive, benefit from imprisonment, and lead law-abiding lives after release. Public awareness of the scale and commitment of prisons to mental health and illness, and understanding of prisons' role in society, are necessary developments that would protect and enhance public mental health, as well as creating a healthier and safer society. This article draws on recent reviews, information and statements to set out a public health agenda for mental health in prisons.

Education and Criminal Justice: The Educational Approach to Prison Administration. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morin, Lucien; Cosman, J. W.

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners do not express the basic principle that would support a serious educational approach to prison administration. The crucial missing rationale is the concept of the inherent dignity of the individual human prisoner. This concept has certain basic educational implications,…

Prison Education in England and Wales. (2nd Revised Edition). Mendip Papers MP 022.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ripley, Paul

In response to prison disturbances in England and Wales in the late 1980s, the education program for prisoners was improved and more prisoners were given access to educational services. Although education is a relatively new phenomenon in the English and Welsh penal system, by the 20th century, education had become an integral part of prison life.…

What Affects Reintegration of Female Drug Users after Prison Release? Results of a European Follow-Up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zurhold, Heike; Moskalewicz, Jacek; Sanclemente, Cristina; Schmied, Gabriele; Shewan, David; Verthein, Uwe

2011-01-01

The main objective of this follow-up study is to explore factors influencing the success or failure of women in reintegrating after their release from prison. Female drug users in five European cities were tracked after being released from prison. Out of 234 female prisoners contacted in prisons, 59 were included in the follow-up study. Structured…

Predictors of Mortality within Prison and after Release among Persons Living with HIV in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Culbert, Gabriel J.; Crawford, Forrest W.; Murni, Astia; Waluyo, Agung; Bazazi, Alexander R.; Sahar, Junaiti; Altice, Frederick L.

2017-01-01

Objectives HIV-related mortality is increasing in Indonesia, where prisons house many people living with HIV and addiction. We examined all-cause mortality in HIV-infected Indonesian prisoners within prison and up to 24 months post-release. Materials and Methods Randomly selected HIV-infected male prisoners (n=102) from two prisons in Jakarta, Indonesia completed surveys in prison and were followed up for 2 years (until study completion) or until they died or were lost to follow-up. Death dates were determined from medical records and interviews with immediate family members. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression models were analyzed to identify mortality predictors. Results During 103 person-years (PYs) of follow-up, 15 deaths occurred, including ten in prison. The crude mortality rate within prison (125.2 deaths per 1,000 PYs) was surpassed by the crude mortality rate in released prisoners (215.7 deaths per 1,000 PYs). HIV-associated opportunistic infections were the most common probable cause of death. Predictors of within-prison and overall mortality were similar. Shorter survival overall was associated with being incarcerated within a specialized “narcotic” prison for drug offenders (hazard ratio [HR] 9.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–76.5; P=0.03), longer incarceration (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.1; P=0.01), and advanced HIV infection (CD4+ T-cell count<200cells/μL; HR 4.8, 95% CI 1.2–18.2; P=0.02). Addiction treatment was associated with longer survival (HR 0.1, 95% CI 0.01–0.9; P=0.03), although treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART) or methadone was not. Conclusions Mortality in HIV-infected prisoners is extremely high in Indonesia, despite limited provision of ART in prisons. Interventions to restore immune function with ART and provide prophylaxis for opportunistic infections during incarceration and after release would likely reduce mortality. Narcotics prisons may be especially high-risk environments for mortality, emphasizing the need for universal access to evidence-based HIV treatments. PMID:29238241

Drug treatment or alleviating the negative consequences of imprisonment? A critical view of prison-based drug treatment in Denmark.

PubMed

Kolind, Torsten; Frank, Vibeke Asmussen; Dahl, Helle

2010-01-01

The availability of prison-based drug treatment has increased markedly throughout Europe over the last 15 years in terms of both volume and programme diversity. However, prison drug treatment faces problems and challenges because of the tension between ideologies of rehabilitation and punishment. This article reports on a study of four cannabis treatment programmes and four psychosocial drug treatment programmes in four Danish prisons during 2007. The data include the transcripts of 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews with counsellors and prison employees, prison statistics, and information about Danish laws and regulations. These treatment programmes reflect the 'treatment guarantee' in Danish prisons. However, they are simultaneously embedded in a new policy of zero tolerance and intensified disciplinary sanctions. This ambivalence is reflected in the experiences of treatment counsellors: reluctantly, they feel associated with the prison institution in the eyes of the prisoners; they experience severe opposition from prison officers; and the official goals of the programmes, such as making clients drug free and preparing them for a life without crime, are replaced by more pragmatic aims such as alleviating the pain of imprisonment felt by programme clients. The article concludes that at a time when prison-based drug treatment is growing, it is crucial that we thoroughly research and critically discuss its content and the restrictions facing such treatment programmes. One way of doing this is through research with counsellors involved in delivering drug treatment services. By so doing, the programmes can become more pragmatic and focused, and alternatives to prison-based drug treatment can be seriously considered.

[Hunger striking in prisons: ethics and the ethical and legal aspects].

PubMed

García-Guerrero, J

2013-01-01

Hunger strike is a common form of protest in prisons and is a potential cause of many types of problems, both for the prison administration and the doctors who care for prisoners who participate in one. Issues of conflict of rights and obligations involved, and how to treat people who are subject to the Administration, which in this case takes the position of guarantor, have created major controversies over doctrine. Conscientious objection and the conflict of dual loyalty of doctors working in prisons are also issues closely linked to a prison hunger strike. In this paper we review the solution given to the problem of treatment of a prison hunger strike from three perspectives: ethics, ethical and legal.

"Signs of honor" among Russian inmates in Israel's prisons.

PubMed

Shoham, Efrat

2010-12-01

The unique nature of Israeli society as an immigrant society has also affected the prison population in Israel. This article focuses on a social and cultural phenomenon that particularly characterizes the prisoners of Russian origin, the phenomenon of tattoos. Using postmodernist theories, the article examines the function of the tattoo among Russian prisoners and the role it plays in constructing the criminal self-identity of these inmates in Israeli prisons. The tattoos observed during 2005-2006 among the Russian prisoners in four major Israeli prisons reflect the values of the Russian criminal subculture from which they evolved and were imported. This subculture is characterized by a hierarchical class structure and manifestations of machismo, domination, defiance, rebellion, and open antagonism against the Establishment and its representatives.

X-ray BodySearch eliminates strip search in Montana prison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Moulpied, David S.; Rothschild, Peter J.; Smith, Gerald J.

1998-12-01

Work release details at prisons have been a continuing source of inspection problems for prison wardens. At the Montana State Prison in deer Lodge 400 prisoners leave the prison in the morning to work outside the walls. They return at lunch and again in the evening. Past practice has been to do a 100% pat search and selective strip searches. These procedures are an irritant to both prisoners and prison personnel involved. However, they were felt to be essential based on the quantity of contraband materials being brought into the prison by these work release inmates. BodySearch is an x-ray scanning system which uses backscatter x-ray to form an image of prisoners as they stand next to the system. Typically prisoners are scanned two at a time, with one scan being taken from the back and the second from the front. Although privacy was considered to be an issue, the prisoners have been relived not to have to go through full pat searches and periodic strip searches. The automatic equipment has also sped up the inspection process and eliminated some of the waiting lines. The problem was so bad that one warden was contemplating having all prisoners issued two sets of clothing (a several hundred thousand dollar investment), which they would change on the way in and out of the prison facility. The new system has all but eliminated any attempt by prisoners to smuggle contraband into the prison by concealing it on their person as they return from work detail. Operationally, a pencil beam is generated by a rotating chopper, which scans horizontally as it is moved vertically. Scintillator detectors mounted adjacent and parallel to the direction of the scanning beam collect the scattered radiation. The result is a photo-like image of the body surface facing the system. The use of a scanning pencil beam in a backscatter geometry with a 140 kV x-ray source eliminates any issue of radiation safety. In fact, the dose delivered by the system (under 10 micro rem for a two-scan inspection) is less than 1% of the dose a person standing outside at sea level receives from background radiation in a day.

Adapting Animal-Assisted Therapy Trials to Prison-Based Animal Programs.

PubMed

Allison, Molly; Ramaswamy, Megha

2016-09-01

Prison-based animal programs have shown promise when it comes to increased sociability, responsibility, and levels of patience for inmates who participate in these programs. Yet there remains a dearth of scientific research that demonstrates the impact of prison-based animal programs on inmates' physical and mental health. Trials of animal-assisted therapy interventions, a form of human-animal interaction therapy most often used with populations affected by depression/anxiety, mental illness, and trauma, may provide models of how prison-based animal program research can have widespread implementation in jail and prison settings, whose populations have high rates of mental health problems. This paper reviews the components of prison-based animal programs most commonly practiced in prisons today, presents five animal-assisted therapy case studies, evaluates them based on their adaptability to prison-based animal programs, and discusses the institutional constraints that act as barriers for rigorous prison-based animal program research implementation. This paper can serve to inform the development of a research approach to animal-assisted therapy that nurses and other public health researchers can use in working with correctional populations. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Health and beyond…strategies for a better India: using the "prison window" to reach disadvantaged groups in primary care.

PubMed

Bhaumik, Soumyadeep; Mathew, Rebecca J

2015-01-01

As of 2013, the latest statistics available, more than 400,000 individuals are lodged in Indian prisons. Prisoners represent a heterogeneous population, belonging to socially diverse and economically disadvantaged sections of society with limited knowledge about health and healthy lifestyles. There is considerable evidence to show that prisoners in India have an increased risk of mental disorders including self-harm and are highly susceptible to various communicable diseases. Coupled together with abysmal living conditions and poor quality of medical services, health in prisons is a matter of immense human rights concern. However, the concept and the subsequent need to view prison health as an essential part of public health and as a strategic investment to reach persons and communities out of the primary health system ambit is poorly recognized in India. This article discusses the current status of prison healthcare in India and explores various potential opportunities the "prison window" provides. It also briefly deliberates on the various systematic barriers in the Indian prison health system and how these might be overcome to make primary healthcare truly available for all.

Mental Health of Prisoners: Identifying Barriers to Mental Health Treatment and Medication Continuity

PubMed Central

Connell, Nadine M.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We assessed mental health screening and medication continuity in a nationally representative sample of US prisoners. Methods. We obtained data from 18 185 prisoners interviewed in the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities. We conducted survey logistic regressions with Stata version 13. Results. About 26% of the inmates were diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point during their lifetime, and a very small proportion (18%) were taking medication for their condition(s) on admission to prison. In prison, more than 50% of those who were medicated for mental health conditions at admission did not receive pharmacotherapy in prison. Inmates with schizophrenia were most likely to receive pharmacotherapy compared with those presenting with less overt conditions (e.g., depression). This lack of treatment continuity is partially attributable to screening procedures that do not result in treatment by a medical professional in prison. Conclusions. A substantial portion of the prison population is not receiving treatment for mental health conditions. This treatment discontinuity has the potential to affect both recidivism and health care costs on release from prison. PMID:25322306

What is the latent structure of alcohol use disorders? A taxometric analysis of the Personality Assessment Inventory Alcohol Problems Scale in male and female prison inmates.

PubMed

Walters, Glenn D; Diamond, Pamela M; Magaletta, Philip R

2010-03-01

Three indicators derived from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Alcohol Problems scale (ALC)-tolerance/high consumption, loss of control, and negative social and psychological consequences-were subjected to taxometric analysis-mean above minus below a cut (MAMBAC), maximum covariance (MAXCOV), and latent mode factor analysis (L-Mode)-in 1,374 federal prison inmates (905 males, 469 females). Whereas the total sample yielded ambiguous results, the male subsample produced dimensional results, and the female subsample produced taxonic results. Interpreting these findings in light of previous taxometric research on alcohol abuse and dependence it is speculated that while alcohol use disorders may be taxonic in female offenders, they are probably both taxonic and dimensional in male offenders. Two models of male alcohol use disorder in males are considered, one in which the diagnostic features are categorical and the severity of symptomatology is dimensional, and one in which some diagnostic features (e.g., withdrawal) are taxonic and other features (e.g., social problems) are dimensional.

Pilot Study of Treatment for Major Depression Among Women Prisoners with Substance Use Disorder

PubMed Central

Johnson, Jennifer E.; Zlotnick, Caron

2012-01-01

This study, the largest randomized controlled trial of treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) in an incarcerated population to date, wave-randomized 38 incarcerated women (6 waves) in prison substance use treatment with MDD to group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) or to an attention-matched control. Intent-to-treat analyses found that IPT participants had significantly lower depressive symptoms at the end of 8 weeks of in-prison treatment than did control participants. Control participants improved later, after prison release. IPT's rapid effect on MDD within prison may reduce serious in-prison consequences of MDD. PMID:22694906

[Liaison psychiatry in the prison of Rottenburg (Germany)].

PubMed

Schäfer, Gerd; Schubert, Wigbert; Bartels, Mathias; Foerster, Klaus

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to get an idea of the need of psychiatric therapy in a prison. We report on the period May 2000 to January 2002. 60 medical files with the sociodemographic variables and the psychiatric diagnosis were evaluated. 45 % of the examined prisoners had a diagnosis of drug- or alcohol dependency and 31.3 % had a diagnosis of a schizophrenia. In 26.7 % the therapy was successful and the prisoners improved. This results show a great need of psychiatric therapy in a prison. Also in a prison improvements in the course of psychic disturbances are possible.

Prevention of Suicidal Behavior in Prisons

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract. Background: Worldwide, prisoners are at high risk of suicide. Research on near-lethal suicide attempts can provide important insights into risk and protective factors, and inform suicide prevention initiatives in prison. Aims: To synthesize findings of research on near-lethal attempts in prisons, and consider their implications for suicide prevention policies and practice, in the context of other research in custody and other settings. Method: We searched two bibliographic indexes for studies in any language on near-lethal and severe self-harm in prisoners, supplemented by targeted searches over the period 2000–2014. We extracted information on risk factors descriptively. Data were not meta-analyzed owing to heterogeneity of samples and methods. Results: We identified eight studies reporting associations between prisoner near-lethal attempts and specific factors. The latter included historical, prison-related, and clinical factors, including psychiatric morbidity and comorbidity, trauma, social isolation, and bullying. These factors were also identified as important in prisoners' own accounts of what may have contributed to their attempts (presented in four studies). Conclusion: Factors associated with prisoners' severe suicide attempts include a range of potentially modifiable clinical, psychosocial, and environmental factors. We make recommendations to address these factors in order to improve detection, management, and prevention of suicide risk in prisoners. PMID:27278569

Child Maltreatment Histories Among Female Inmate Reporting Inmate on Inmate Sexual Victimization in Prison: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation

PubMed Central

Walsh, Kate; Gonsalves, Valerie M.; Scalora, Mario J.; King, Steve; Hardyman, Patricia L.

2012-01-01

Despite data indicating that child maltreatment (CM) in various forms is associated with adult sexual victimization among community women, few studies have explicitly explored how types of CM might relate to prison sexual victimization. Because little is known about how CM might give rise to prison sexual victimization, the present study also examined emotion dysregulation emanating from early abuse experiences as a potential mediator in the link between early CM and inmate-on-inmate prison sexual victimization. Approximately 168 incarcerated women completed self-report inventories assessing various types of childhood maltreatment, emotion dysregulation, and coerced or forced sexual experiences in prison. Nearly 77% of the sample endorsed experiencing at least one form of CM, with 64% of inmates reporting that they experienced two or more forms of CM. Approximately 9% of inmates reported sexual coercion and 22% reported a forced sexual experience in prison. Each form of CM was associated with prison sexual coercion; however, fewer associations emerged between CM and forced prison sexual experiences. Emotion dysregulation was found to mediate links between CM, particularly co-occurring CM, and sexual coercion in prison, but it was unrelated to forced prison sexual experiences. Implications are discussed. PMID:21987505

Developing an attitude towards bullying scale for prisoners: structural analyses across adult men, young adults and women prisoners.

PubMed

Ireland, Jane L; Power, Christina L; Bramhall, Sarah; Flowers, Catherine

2009-01-01

Few studies have attempted to explore attitudes towards bullying among prisoners, despite acknowledgement that attitudes may play an important role. To evaluate the structure of a new attitudinal scale, the Prison Bullying Scale (PBS), with adult men and women in prison and with young male prisoners. That attitudes would be represented as a multidimensional construct and that the PBS structure would be replicated across confirmatory samples. The PBS was developed and confirmed across four independent studies using item parceling and confirmatory factor analysis: Study I comprised 412 adult male prisoners; Study II, 306 adult male prisoners; Study III, 171 male young offenders; and Study IV, 148 adult women prisoners. Attitudes were represented as a multidimensional construct comprising seven core factors. The exploratory analysis was confirmed in adult male samples, with some confirmation among young offenders and adult women. The fit for young offenders was adequate and improved by factor covariance. The fit for women was the poorest overall. The study notes the importance of developing ecologically valid measures and statistically testing these measures prior to their clinical or research use. The development of the PBS holds value both as an assessment and as a research measure and remains the only ecologically validated measure in existence to assess prisoner attitudes towards bullying.

Hepatitis C virus infection in South Australian prisoners: seroprevalence, seroconversion, and risk factors.

PubMed

Miller, Emma Ruth; Bi, Peng; Ryan, Philip

2009-03-01

To determine entry antibody seroprevalence and seroconversion to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and associated risk factors in newly incarcerated prisoners. Males and females entering South Australian prisons completed risk factor surveys and were offered HCV-antibody testing. Participants completed additional surveys and, if HCV-negative at last test, underwent further antibody tests at 3-monthly intervals for up to 15 months. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate techniques. HCV seroprevalence among 662 prison entrants was estimated at 42%. Previous injecting history was highly prevalent at entry (64%) and both community and prison injecting independently predicted entry HCV status. Tattooing was not an important risk factor. While community exposure could not be ruled out, three seroconversions were noted in 148 initially HCV-seronegative individuals occurring in a median 121 days--4.6 per 100 person-years. Prison injecting was infrequently reported, but HCV-seropositive participants were significantly more likely to commence IDU in prison than seronegative participants (p=0.035). Entry HCV seroprevalence in South Australian prisoners is extremely high and may have contributed to a 'ceiling effect', minimizing the observable seroconversion rate. Greater frequency of injecting among those already infected with HCV represents a significant threat to other prisoners and prison staff.

Treatment in England of Canadian Patients Addicted to Narcotic Drugs

PubMed Central

Frankau, Lady

1964-01-01

The method of treatment and the results obtained from the treatment of 50 Canadian patients addicted to narcotic drugs who went to England are recorded. These patients were first stabilized on the minimal dose of narcotic drug which permitted them to work, and to acquire security and self-respect. Then, after psychiatric treatment dealing with the basic problem of their personality disorder, complete withdrawal treatment of the narcotic drug was undertaken. Nine of 10 patients aged between 20 and 30, of good social and cultural background, have been relieved of dependence on drugs for over two years. The other 40 patients came from a different background. Nearly all had been imprisoned for drug offences and they had come to England to obtain treatment and to avoid further prison sentences in Canada. The 31 patients whose prison sentences had been directly connected with drug offences are working steadily and leading an apparently normal life. The remaining nine patients had been convicted of criminal acts before becoming addicted to narcotic drugs and, with two exceptions, the results of their treatment compare unfavourably with the other patients, seven having been convicted and imprisoned in London. PMID:14123667

Implementing methadone maintenance treatment in prisons in Malaysia.

PubMed

Wickersham, Jeffrey A; Marcus, Ruthanne; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Zahari, Muhammad Muhsin; Altice, Frederick L

2013-02-01

In Malaysia, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is highly concentrated among people who inject opioids. For this reason, the country undertook a three-phase roll-out of a methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programme. In Phase 3, described in this paper, MMT was implemented within prisons and retention in care was assessed. After developing standard operating procedures and agreement between its Prisons Department and Ministry of Health, Malaysia established pilot MMT programmes in two prisons in the states of Kelantan (2008) and Selangor (2009) - those with the highest proportions of HIV-infected prisoners. Community-based MMT programmes were also established in Malaysia to integrate treatment activities after prisoners' release. Having failed to reduce the incidence of HIV infection, in 2005 Malaysia embarked on a harm reduction strategy. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES WERE MODIFIED TO: (i) escalate the dose of methadone more slowly; (ii) provide ongoing education and training for medical and correctional staff and inmates; (iii) increase the duration of methadone treatment before releasing prisoners; (iv) reinforce linkages with community MMT programmes after prisoners' release; (v) screen for and treat tuberculosis; (vi) escalate the dose of methadone during treatment for HIV infection and tuberculosis; and (vii) optimize the daily oral dose of methadone (> 80 mg) before releasing prisoners. Prison-based MMT programmes can be effectively implemented but require adequate dosing and measures are needed to improve communication between prison and police authorities, prevent police harassment of MMT clients after their release, and improve systems for tracking release dates.

Self-reported injection practices among people who use drugs in French prisons: Public health implications (ANRS-Coquelicot survey 2011-2013).

PubMed

Michel, Laurent; Trouiller, Philippe; Chollet, Aude; Molinier, Marie; Duchesne, Lucie; Jauffret-Roustide, Marie

2018-04-01

The aims of this study were to describe the prevalences of injection practices and needle/syringe sharing in people who use drugs in French prisons, and to investigate associated factors. Using the ANRS-Coquelicot survey (2011-2013), a random sample of 1718 people who used drugs in free society was included. Information regarding a history of incarceration, drug-injection practices inside prison and needle/syringe sharing was collected during interviews. In our sample, 65.5% reported a history of injection and 57.4% had been incarcerated at least once. Among those who reported both of these conditions, 14% reported injection practices inside prison, 40.5% of whom had shared needles/syringes. In the multivariable model, the following variables were associated with injection practices inside prison: being a Russian-speaking detainee, having spent more time in prison, and having started to inject before 1996 and especially before 1987. Being Russian speaking was also associated with needle/syringe sharing in prison. The prevalences of injection practices and needle/syringe sharing in prisons are alarmingly high. Effective interventions to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases among people who use drugs in the prison setting are essential. The implementation of international recommendations on the principle of equivalence between prisons and the community is still very limited in most countries, and should be complemented with tailored interventions for the most vulnerable prison populations, especially Russian-speaking detainees. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research funding of prison health research: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Kouyoumdjian, Fiona G; McIsaac, Kathryn E; Foran, Jessica E; Matheson, Flora I

2017-01-01

Health research provides a means to define health status and to identify ways to improve health. Our objective was to define the proportion of grants and funding from the Government of Canada's health research investment agency, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), that was awarded for prison health research, and to describe the characteristics of funded grants. In this descriptive study, we defined prison health research as research on the health and health care of people in prisons and at the time of their release. We searched the CIHR Funding Decisions Database by subject and by investigator name for funded grants for prison health research in Canada in all competitions between 2010 and 2014. We calculated the proportion of grants and funding awarded for prison health research, and described the characteristics of funded grants. During the 5-year study period, 21 grants were awarded that included a focus on prison health research, for a total of $2 289 948. Six of these grants were operating grants and 6 supported graduate or fellowship training. In total, 0.13% of all grants and 0.05% of all funding was for prison health research. A relatively small proportion of CIHR grants and funding were awarded for prison health research between 2010 and 2014. If prison health is a priority for Canada, strategic initiatives that include funding opportunities could be developed to support prison health research in Canada.

Peer social support training in UK prisons.

PubMed

Stewart, Warren; Lovely, Rachel

2017-10-11

To undertake a service evaluation to assess the effect of peer social support training using two separate learning programmes, which were designed to assist prisoners to support older prisoners and prisoners with disabilities. The service evaluation used an action research approach to support planning, delivery and data collection. Eleven interviews with nine prisoners who had undertaken the peer social support training programmes and two members of prison staff (one nurse manager and one prison officer) were recorded and transcribed by the researchers. This data was coded and thematically analysed to evaluate the findings. Recommendations were made regarding the format and content of the training. The training was well received by the peer social support worker trainees and had several positive outcomes, including increased peer social support, improved relationships between peer social support workers and older prisoners and prisoners with disabilities, increased self-esteem, measured as 'social capital', among peer social support workers, and effective teamworking. The peer social support training programmes were considered to be a positive intervention and were effective in supporting peer social support roles. Recommendations for future training of prisoner peer support workers include involving existing peer social support workers in training and recruitment, and enhancing the role of peer social support workers in prisons by providing them with job descriptions. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Primary medical care in Irish prisons

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background An industrial dispute between prison doctors and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) took place in 2004. Part of the resolution of that dispute was that an independent review of prison medical and support services be carried out by a University Department of Primary Care. The review took place in 2008 and we report here on the principal findings of that review. Methods This study utilised a mixed methods approach. An independent expert medical evaluator (one of the authors, DT) inspected the medical facilities, equipment and relevant custodial areas in eleven of the fourteen prisons within the IPS. Semistructured interviews took place with personnel who had operational responsibility for delivery of prison medical care. Prison doctors completed a questionnaire to elicit issues such as allocation of clinician's time, nurse and administrative support and resources available. Results There was wide variation in the standard of medical facilities and infrastructure provided across the IPS. The range of medical equipment available was generally below that of the equivalent general practice scheme in the community. There is inequality within the system with regard to the ratio of doctor-contracted time relative to the size of the prison population. There is limited administrative support, with the majority of prisons not having a medical secretary. There are few psychiatric or counselling sessions available. Conclusions People in prison have a wide range of medical care needs and there is evidence to suggest that these needs are being met inconsistently in Irish prisons. PMID:20307311

Dealing food: Female drug users’ narratives about food in a prison place and implications for their health

PubMed Central

Smoyer, Amy B.; Blankenship, Kim M.

2015-01-01

Background Prison is a major “place” for drug users in the US, yet remarkably little is known about the lived experience of incarceration. More information about prison life is needed to improve health outcomes for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Methods Thirty (30) formerly incarcerated women were interviewed about prison food. All interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. Qualitative data analysis software was used to code and organize the data using thematic analysis. Results As described in these participants’ narratives, prison food systems contributed to the construction of boundaries that distinguished the prison place from places and life outside the institution's walls. Participants also described boundaries within the prison that resulted in a patchwork of interior places, each with their own unique structure, meaning, and food system. These places, constructed by physical location, movement, and power, or lack thereof, included various micro-geographies that further defined women's individual prison experience. The boundaries that separated these places were not fixed: Women shifted and diminished internal and external borders by resisting food policies and reproducing their outside lives inside. Conclusion These findings call for public policy officials and prison administrators to reexamine the prison place in order to facilitate healthier eating behaviors and lay the groundwork for more positive communication between inmates and correctional staff and administration. More research is needed to measure how these types of changes to the prison food environment impact nutritional, mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice outcomes. PMID:24412007

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kercel, S.W.; Baylor, V.M.; Labaj, L.E.

Enclosed Space Detection System (ESDS) is a fast, inexpensive, and reliable device for detecting human occupants hidden in vehicles. Operation requires less than two minutes. ESDS is used to foil attempts at smuggling illegal aliens, terrorists, and escaping prisoners. It is being tested at nuclear weapons facilities and has been operated at several prisons and international border crossings. ESDS is the first practical electronic alternative to physical searches of vehicles for hidden passengers. At critical checkpoints, a thorough physical search of a single fully loaded truck requires a team of from two to six people, and may take as longmore » as eight hours. Despite this level of security, experience has shown that the search can occasionally be foiled. Due to the enormous time and expense of thorough physical searches of vehicles, they are seldom conducted at any but the most critical of locations, simply leaving many sites vulnerable to crime and terrorism. Prior to the development of the ESDS, the only other effective alternative to physical search was the use of specially-trained canines, which can be vastly superior to the physical search in both time and accuracy. However, as discussed in this paper, canine inspection is not really a competitive substitute for ESDS because canine reliability (80% at most) is not as high as that of the ESDS (99%+), while the costs, training requirements, and operator skill needed are significantly higher with canines than with the ESDS. In addition, the ESDS has straightforward self-diagnostic tests to ensure the system is operating correctly; such tests are not currently available with either canine or human inspectors. ESDS offers an attractive supplement or alternative to meet current security requirements for vehicle searches at portals at government, nuclear, industrial, and other facilities where concealed persons may pose a threat either by entering or leaving.« less

45 CFR 46.306 - Permitted research involving prisoners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Permitted research involving prisoners. 46.306... HUMAN SUBJECTS Additional Protections Pertaining to Biomedical and Behavioral Research Involving Prisoners as Subjects § 46.306 Permitted research involving prisoners. (a) Biomedical or behavioral research...

[Incidence of suicide in Catalan prisons: a descriptive and comparative study].

PubMed

Bedoya, A; Martínez-Carpio, P A; Humet, V; Leal, M J; Lleopart, N

2009-10-01

The prevention of suicide in prison is one of the most important challenges facing prison health care services in developed countries. The aim of this study is to analyse the incidence of suicide in Catalan prisons and accumulate data about a number of variables that have also been studied in other prison populations. Retrospective study of suicide cases in prisons administrated by the Catalan Regional Government (Generalitat de Catalunya) between 1990 and 2005 (n=65). Comparative study of incidence with European countries using published data. The average annual incidence for the period is of 59/100.000, multiplying by eight the level corresponding to the general population. Entry into prison is the most important event trigger for suicide. Other data open the way to new research.

Vaccinations in prisons: A shot in the arm for community health

PubMed Central

Sequera, Víctor-Guillermo; Valencia, Salomé; García-Basteiro, Alberto L; Marco, Andrés; Bayas, José M

2015-01-01

From the first day of imprisonment, prisoners are exposed to and expose other prisoners to various communicable diseases, many of which are vaccine-preventable. The risk of acquiring these diseases during the prison sentence exceeds that of the general population. This excess risk may be explained by various causes; some due to the structural and logistical problems of prisons and others to habitual or acquired behaviors during imprisonment. Prison is, for many inmates, an opportunity to access health care, and is therefore an ideal opportunity to update adult vaccination schedules. The traditional idea that prisons are intended to ensure public safety should be complemented by the contribution they can make in improving community health, providing a more comprehensive vision of safety that includes public health. PMID:26158401

Scotland's national naloxone program: The prison experience.

PubMed

Horsburgh, Kirsten; McAuley, Andrew

2018-05-01

Launched in 2011, the Scottish national naloxone program marked an important development in public health policy. Central to its design were strategies to engage prisoners given their elevated risk of drug-related death in the weeks following liberation. Implementation across Scottish prisons has posed particular challenges linked to both operational issues within prison establishments and individual factors affecting staff delivering, and prisoners engaging, with the program. Barriers have been overcome through innovation and partnership working. This commentary has described how the development of the program in prisons has adapted to these challenges to a point where a largely consistent model is in place and where prisoners-on-release are reaping the benefits in terms of reduced opioid-related mortality. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Counterintuitive findings from a qualitative study of mental health in English women's prisons.

PubMed

Caulfield, Laura S

2016-12-19

Purpose Large numbers of women in prison report significant emotional and mental health problems, and there is evidence to suggest that the prison environment may exacerbate the incidence and severity of these issues (Armour, 2012). However, there has been limited exploration of the extent to which women's mental health problems exist prior to incarceration, whether symptoms first occur in incarceration, and how incarceration affects this. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with 43 women incarcerated in three English prisons and a thematic analysis of the data was conducted. Review of official prison records provided a form of data triangulation. Findings Analysis of the data revealed that while many women who experienced mental health issues in prison had experienced these issues in the past, a number of women reported first experiencing mental health and emotional problems only after entering prison. Although these problems often recede, this demonstrates the significant impact that entering prison can have upon the mental health of women. Unusually, the data highlighted many positive experiences of support within prison. However, there was some lack of consistency in the treatment and support offered to women. Originality/value The data presented here are in many ways more positive than previous research and - as opposed to much of the existing literature that simply states the prevalence women's issues in prison - provides insight into the lived experiences of women in prison. This paper documents how prison can present an opportunity for women to engage with treatment, but there is a need for a clearer understanding of women's needs and consistent and appropriate support.

Within-prison drug injection among HIV-infected male prisoners in Indonesia: a highly constrained choice.

PubMed

Culbert, Gabriel J; Waluyo, Agung; Iriyanti, Mariska; Muchransyah, Azalia P; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L

2015-04-01

In Indonesia, incarceration of people who inject drugs (PWID) and access to drugs in prison potentiate within-prison drug injection (WP-DI), a preventable and extremely high-risk behavior that may contribute substantially to HIV transmission in prison and communities to which prisoners are released. This mixed method study examined the prevalence, correlates, and social context of WP-DI among HIV-infected male prisoners in Indonesia. 102 randomly selected HIV-infected male prisoners completed semi-structured voice-recorded interviews about drug use changes after arrest, drug use cues within prison, and impact of WP-DI on HIV and addiction treatment. Logistic regression identified multivariate correlates of WP-DI and thematic analysis of interview transcripts used grounded-theory. Over half (56%) of participants reported previous WP-DI. Of those, 93% shared injection equipment in prison, and 78.6% estimated sharing needles with ≥ 10 other prisoners. Multivariate analyses independently correlated WP-DI with being incarcerated for drug offenses (AOR = 3.29, 95%CI = 1.30-8.31, p = 0.011) and daily drug injection before arrest (AOR = 5.23, 95%CI = 1.42-19.25, p = 0.013). Drug availability and proximity to drug users while incarcerated were associated with frequent drug craving and escalating drug use risk behaviors after arrest. Energetic heroin marketing and stigmatizing attitudes toward methadone contribute to WP-DI and impede addiction and HIV treatment. Frequent WP-DI and needle sharing among these HIV-infected Indonesian prison inmates indicate the need for structural interventions that reduce overcrowding, drug supply, and needle sharing, and improve detection and treatment of substance use disorders upon incarceration to minimize WP-DI and associated harm. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV prevalence and related risk behaviours among prisoners in Iran: results of the national biobehavioural survey, 2009

PubMed Central

Navadeh, Soodabeh; Mirzazadeh, Ali; Gouya, Mohammad Mehdi; Farnia, Marziyeh; Alasvand, Ramin; Haghdoost, Ali-Akbar

2013-01-01

Objectives To estimate the prevalence of HIV and related risk behaviours among prisoners in Iran in 2009. Methods Using multistage random sampling, we recruited 5,530 prisoners from 27 prisons in Iran. Behavioural data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire-based interview, and HIV status was determined by ELISA of dried blood spots. Weighted estimates were calculated based on the sampling probability and response rate. Results HIV prevalence was 2.1% (95% CI 1.2 to 3.6). One in eight prisoners (12.3%, 95% CI 8.0% to 16.6%) had been tested for HIV in the last year and received results, 20.5% (95% CI 15.1 to 27.4%) had comprehensive knowledge about HIV and 24.7% (95% CI 17.9% to 32.9%) reported condom use at last vaginal/anal sex in prison. Although 16.5% (95% CI 12.5% to 21.5%) acknowledged a lifetime history of drug injection, only 22 prisoners reported drug injection inside the prison in the month preceding the interview. Of note, 12.9% (95% CI 10.6% to 15.6%) had been tattooed in prison. There were significant associations between HIV prevalence and a history of drug injection (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 7.8, 95% CI 4.7 to 13.2), tattooing (AOR: 2.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.2) and age over 30 years (AOR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.9). Conclusions Considerable HIV prevalence among prisoners is found in Iran. Expanding harm reduction programmes inside prisons with inclusion of sexual risk reduction programmes and post-release programmes will help directly prevent acquisition and transmission of infection inside prisons and indirectly slow onward transmission in the outside communities. PMID:23986417

Looking behind the bars: emerging health issues for people in prison.

PubMed

Stürup-Toft, S; O'Moore, E J; Plugge, E H

2018-03-01

There are more than 10 million people imprisoned worldwide. These individuals experience a higher burden of communicable and non-communicable disease, mental health and substance misuse problems than the general population and often come from marginalized and underserved groups in the community. Prisons offer an important opportunity for tackling health problems in a way that can deliver benefits to the individual and to the community. This paper focuses specifically on emerging health issues for prisons across the world. This paper uses sources of international data from published systematic reviews and research studies, the Ministry of Justice for England and Wales, the Prisons and Probations Ombudsmen Review and other United Kingdom government briefing papers. Deaths in custody are a key concern for the justice system as well as the health system. Suicide is the leading cause of mortality in prisons worldwide but non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, are increasing in importance in high-income countries and are now the leading cause of mortality in prisons in England and Wales. The prison population is ageing in most high-income countries. Older people in prison typically have multiple and complex medical and social care needs including reduced mobility and personal care needs as well as poor health. Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between sentencing patterns, the ageing prison population and deaths in custody; to model its impact on prisons and healthcare provision in the future and to determine effective and cost-effective models of care. Research into the health of prisoners is important in improving the health of prisoners but there is considerable variation in quantity and quality between countries. Recent innovations seek to address this disparity and facilitate the sharing of good practice.

Within-Prison Drug Injection among HIV-infected Male Prisoners in Indonesia: A Highly Constrained Choice

PubMed Central

Culbert, Gabriel J.; Waluyo, Agung; Iriyanti, Mariska; Muchransyah, Azalia P.; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L.

2016-01-01

Background In Indonesia, incarceration of people who inject drugs (PWID) and access to drugs in prison potentiate within-prison drug injection (WP-DI), a preventable and extremely high-risk behavior that may contribute substantially to HIV transmission in prison and communities to which prisoners are released. Aims This mixed method study examined the prevalence, correlates, and social context of WP-DI among HIV-infected male prisoners in Indonesia. Methods 102 randomly selected HIV-infected male prisoners completed semi-structured voice-recorded interviews about drug use changes after arrest, drug use cues within prison, and impact of WP-DI on HIV and addiction treatment. Logistic regression identified multivariate correlates of WP-DI and thematic analysis of interview transcripts used grounded-theory. Results Over half (56%) of participants reported previous WP-DI. Of those, 93% shared injection equipment in prison, and 78.6% estimated sharing needles with ≥10 other prisoners. Multivariate analyses independently correlated WP-DI with being incarcerated for drug offenses (AOR=3.29, 95%CI=1.30–8.31, p=0.011) and daily drug injection before arrest (AOR=5.23, 95%CI=1.42–19.25, p=0.013). Drug availability and proximity to drug users while incarcerated were associated with frequent drug craving and escalating drug use risk behaviors after arrest. Energetic heroin marketing and stigmatizing attitudes toward methadone contribute to WP-DI and impede addiction and HIV treatment. Conclusions Frequent WP-DI and needle sharing among these HIV-infected Indonesian prison inmates indicate the need for structural interventions that reduce overcrowding, drug supply, and needle sharing, and improve detection and treatment of substance use disorders upon incarceration to minimize WP-DI and associated harm. PMID:25659895

A model of population dynamics of TB in a prison system and application to South Africa.

PubMed

Witbooi, Peter; Vyambwera, Sibaliwe Maku

2017-11-29

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to spread in South African prisons in particular, as prisons are over-capacitated and have poor ventilation. The awaiting trial detainees are not screened on admission and are at high risk of getting infected with TB. We propose a compartmental model to describe the population dynamics of TB disease in prisons. Our model considers the inflow of susceptible, exposed and TB infectives into the prison population. Removal of individuals out of the prison population can be either by death or by being released from prison, as compared to a general population in which removal is only by death. We describe conditions, including non-inflow of infectives into the prison, which will ensure that TB can be eradicated from the prison population. The model is calibrated for the South African prison system, by using data in existing literature. The model can be used to make quantitative projections of TB prevalence and to measure the effect of interventions. Illustrative simulations in this regard are presented. The model can be used for other prison populations too, if data is available to calculate the model parameters. Various simulations generated with our model serve to illustrate how it can be utilized in making future projections of the levels of prevalence of TB, and to quantify the effect of interventions such as screening, treatment or reduction of transmission parameter values through improved living conditions for inmates. This makes it particularly useful as there are various targets set by the World Health Organization and by governments, for reduction of TB prevalence and ultimately its eradication. Towards eradication of TB from a prison system, the theorem on global stability of the disease-free state is a useful indicator.

Mental disorders in Australian prisoners: a comparison with a community sample.

PubMed

Butler, Tony; Andrews, Gavin; Allnutt, Stephen; Sakashita, Chika; Smith, Nadine E; Basson, John

2006-03-01

The plight of those with mental health problems and the possible role of prisons in "warehousing" these individuals has received considerable media and political attention. Prisoners are generally excluded from community-based surveys and to date no studies have compared prisoners to the community. The objective was to examine whether excess psychiatric morbidity exists in prisoners compared to the general community after adjusting for demographics. Prison data were obtained from a consecutive sample of reception prisoners admitted into the state's correctional system in 2001 (n = 916). Community data were obtained from the 1997 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (n = 8168). Mental health diagnoses were obtained using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and a number of other screening measures. Weighting was used in calculating the 12-month prevalence estimates to control for demographic differences between the two samples. Logistic regression adjusting for age, sex and education was used to compare the prison and community samples. The 12-month prevalence of any psychiatric illness in the last year was 80% in prisoners and 31% in the community. Substantially more psychiatric morbidity was detected among prisoners than in the community group after accounting for demographic differences, particularly symptoms of psychosis (OR = 11.8, 95% CI 7.5-18.7), substance use disorders (OR = 11.4, 95% CI 9.7-13.6) and personality disorders (OR = 8.6, 95% CI 7.2-10.3). Mental functioning and disability score were worse for prisoners than the community except for physical health. This study found an overrepresentation of psychiatric morbidity in the prisoner population. Identifying the causes of this excess requires further investigation.

The association between imported factors and prisoners' mental health: Implications for adaptation and intervention.

PubMed

Bowler, Nicholas; Phillips, Ceri; Rees, Paul

In the United Kingdom (UK) the prison population has increased by around one third since the turn of the millennium amid growing concern over the correctional mission of prisons, the number of prisoners exhibiting mental health difficulties and high levels of recidivism. This study aims to explore the relationship between 'imported' (pre-prison) factors and prisoner mental health status. Prisoners (N = 756) from two UK prisons completed an established measure of mental health (General Health Questionnaire: GHQ-12) and a bespoke survey on pre-prison characteristics and experiences (for example, dispositions, childhood abuse, substance misuse, learning difficulties and employment). Prevalence of mental health difficulties was high, with 40.3% reaching the 'caseness' threshold. Binary logistic regression and odds ratio analyses were used to explore the ability of imported factors to predict mental health 'caseness' and the direction of influence. Collectively, the imported factors correctly predicted the caseness category of 76.5% of participants (p < .001). Pre-prison dispositions proved to be strong predictors of caseness as did childhood sexual abuse and learning difficulties at school. We found the direction of influence of three imported factors differed from all others: unemployment, prior experience of prison and a history of substance misuse. These three factors are associated with a lower rate of mental health caseness. It is of concern that, on release, these same factors are likely to militate against re-integration into society. Imported factors can serve as powerful predictors of 'within-prison' mental health status, but practitioners need to be cognisant of the relative importance and direction of influence of factors, as evidenced by these findings. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A stepped wedge cluster randomized control trial of dried blood spot testing to improve the uptake of hepatitis C antibody testing within UK prisons

PubMed Central

Whitaker, Rhiannon; Perrett, Stephanie; Zou, Lu; Hickman, Matthew; Lyons, Marion

2015-01-01

Background: The prevalence of hepatitis C (HCV) is elevated within prison populations, yet diagnosis in prisons remains low. Dried blood spot testing (DBST) is a simple procedure for the detection of HCV antibodies; its impact on testing in the prison context is unknown. Methods: We carried out a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized control trial of DBST for HCV among prisoners within five male prisons and one female prison. Each prison was a separate cluster. The order in which the intervention (training in use of DBST for HCV testing and logistic support) was introduced was randomized across clusters. The outcome measure was the HCV testing rate by prison. Imputation analysis was carried out to account for missing data. Planned and actual intervention times differed in some prisons; data were thus analysed by intention to treat (ITT) and by observed step times. Results: There was insufficient evidence of an effect of the intervention on testing rate using either the ITT intervention time (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.68–1.03; P = 0.088) or using the actual intervention time (OR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.71–1.06; P = 0.153). This was confirmed by the pooled results of five imputed data sets. Conclusions: DBST as a stand-alone intervention was insufficient to increase HCV diagnosis within the UK prison setting. Factors such as staff training and allocation of staff time for regular clinics are key to improving service delivery. We demonstrate that prisons can conduct rigorous studies of new interventions, but data collection can be problematic. Trial registration: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register (ISRCTN number ISRCTN05628482). PMID:25061233

Youth in crisis: dimensions of self-destructive conduct among adolescent prisoners.

PubMed

Johnson, R

1978-01-01

Self-mutilation and attempted suidcide among adolescent prisoners are explored in relation to concrete coping tests posed in prison and to self-esteem problems posed by failure of external (family) and internal (peer) support systems. Crisis sequences are traced using verbatim excerpts from interviews with self-destructive prisoners and conceptualized in terms of enduring adolescent needs and concerns. Some general observations regarding strategies of intervention with crisisprone prisoners are included.

"Never Really Had a Good Education You Know, Until I Came in Here": Educational Life Histories of Young Adult Male Prisoner Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrigan, Jane; Maunsell, Catherine

2014-01-01

This article focuses on the educational life histories of nine prisoner learners aged between 18 and 21 years which were collated as part of doctoral work which sought to access the life histories of adult male prisoners who were attending a prison school while incarcerated in prison. The nine life histories of the young men were collated not only…

The extramedical use and diversion of opioid substitution medications and other medications in prison settings in Australia following the introduction of buprenorphine-naloxone film.

PubMed

White, Nancy; Ali, Robert; Larance, Briony; Zador, Deborah; Mattick, Richard P; Degenhardt, Louisa

2016-01-01

Around 65% of people incarcerated in prisons in Australia, America and Europe have a history of drug dependence, sometimes treated with opioid substitution treatment (OST) medications. Studies report that those in treatment in prison do engage in some level of diversion to others, whether on a voluntary or coerced basis. We aimed to examine the use of prescribed and non-prescribed OST medications by those in prisons, especially buprenorphine-naloxone film (BNX-F); the extent of non-adherence and diversion and reasons for such practices; and the impact of the introduction of BNX-F into the prison system. Mixed methods study drawing on: (i) structured interviews with current OST clients (n = 60) who reported being incarcerated in the 12 months prior to being interviewed and (ii) qualitative interviews with key experts working in corrections and prison (or justice) health settings. The majority were prescribed OST medications in prison, with 25% removing all or part of their supervised dose on at least one occasion, and 44% reporting use of non-prescribed medications. Some reported intravenous use (14% injected). One-third of OST recipients reported selling/sharing OST medications with others in prison. The introduction of BNX-F into the prison system saw different diversion methods used and removal from dosing within prison. Despite prison being a highly regulated and controlled environment, some level of diversion and sharing of psychoactive medication occurs among prisoners. The buprenorphine formulations used in OST present particular challenges with respect to supervised dosing in this setting. [White N, Ali R, Larance B, Zador D, Mattick RP, Degenhardt L. The extramedical use and diversion of opioid substitution medications and other medications in prison settings in Australia following the introduction of buprenorphine-naloxone film. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;●●:●●-●●]. © 2015 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

A descriptive model of patient readiness, motivators, and hepatitis C treatment uptake among Australian prisoners.

PubMed

Yap, Lorraine; Carruthers, Susan; Thompson, Sandra; Cheng, Wendy; Jones, Jocelyn; Simpson, Paul; Richards, Alun; Thein, Hla-Hla; Haber, Paul; Lloyd, Andrew; Butler, Tony

2014-01-01

Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) has a significant global health burden with an estimated 2%-3% of the world's population infected, and more than 350,000 dying annually from HCV-related conditions including liver failure and liver cancer. Prisons potentially offer a relatively stable environment in which to commence treatment as they usually provide good access to health care providers, and are organised around routine and structure. Uptake of treatment of HCV, however, remains low in the community and in prisons. In this study, we explored factors affecting treatment uptake inside prisons and hypothesised that prisoners have unique issues influencing HCV treatment uptake as a consequence of their incarceration which are not experienced in other populations. We undertook a qualitative study exploring prisoners' accounts of why they refused, deferred, delayed or discontinued HCV treatment in prison. Between 2010 and 2013, 116 Australian inmates were interviewed from prisons in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. Prisoners experienced many factors similar to those which influence treatment uptake of those living with HCV infection in the community. Incarceration, however, provides different circumstances of how these factors are experienced which need to be better understood if the number of prisoners receiving treatment is to be increased. We developed a descriptive model of patient readiness and motivators for HCV treatment inside prisons and discussed how we can improve treatment uptake among prisoners. This study identified a broad and unique range of challenges to treatment of HCV in prison. Some of these are likely to be diminished by improving treatment options and improved models of health care delivery. Other barriers relate to inmate understanding of their illness and stigmatisation by other inmates and custodial staff and generally appear less amenable to change although there is potential for peer-based education to address lack of knowledge and stigma.

A Descriptive Model of Patient Readiness, Motivators, and Hepatitis C Treatment Uptake among Australian Prisoners

PubMed Central

Yap, Lorraine; Carruthers, Susan; Thompson, Sandra; Cheng, Wendy; Jones, Jocelyn; Simpson, Paul; Richards, Alun; Thein, Hla-Hla; Haber, Paul; Lloyd, Andrew; Butler, Tony

2014-01-01

Background Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) has a significant global health burden with an estimated 2%–3% of the world's population infected, and more than 350,000 dying annually from HCV-related conditions including liver failure and liver cancer. Prisons potentially offer a relatively stable environment in which to commence treatment as they usually provide good access to health care providers, and are organised around routine and structure. Uptake of treatment of HCV, however, remains low in the community and in prisons. In this study, we explored factors affecting treatment uptake inside prisons and hypothesised that prisoners have unique issues influencing HCV treatment uptake as a consequence of their incarceration which are not experienced in other populations. Method and Findings We undertook a qualitative study exploring prisoners' accounts of why they refused, deferred, delayed or discontinued HCV treatment in prison. Between 2010 and 2013, 116 Australian inmates were interviewed from prisons in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. Prisoners experienced many factors similar to those which influence treatment uptake of those living with HCV infection in the community. Incarceration, however, provides different circumstances of how these factors are experienced which need to be better understood if the number of prisoners receiving treatment is to be increased. We developed a descriptive model of patient readiness and motivators for HCV treatment inside prisons and discussed how we can improve treatment uptake among prisoners. Conclusion This study identified a broad and unique range of challenges to treatment of HCV in prison. Some of these are likely to be diminished by improving treatment options and improved models of health care delivery. Other barriers relate to inmate understanding of their illness and stigmatisation by other inmates and custodial staff and generally appear less amenable to change although there is potential for peer-based education to address lack of knowledge and stigma. PMID:24586281

Adding Spice to the Porridge: The development of a synthetic cannabinoid market in an English prison.

PubMed

Ralphs, Rob; Williams, Lisa; Askew, Rebecca; Norton, Anna

2017-02-01

In 2014, the annual report of the Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMIP) for England and Wales raised concerns regarding New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) use in custody, specifically the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids. To date, however, the use of these substances in prison populations, and the markets that have emerged to facilitate it, have been under-researched. Our research was conducted in an English adult male prison using multi-method techniques. These included: in-depth interviews and focus groups with prison staff and prisoners; observations of prisoner-led focus groups, workshops and restorative justice circles involving discussion of synthetic cannabinoid use and markets; and analysis of routinely collected prison data measuring drug seizures, incidents of violence and incidents of self-harm. The findings highlight: (1) the scale and nature of synthetic cannabinoid markets in a custodial setting and the motivations for establishing them; (2) the nature and motivations for synthetic cannabinoids use in prison; and (3) the impact synthetic cannabinoid markets in this setting have upon prisoners, the prison system and the wider criminal justice system. The policy implications of the stated motivations for use and reported problems are discussed in relation to both prison and community settings, and the recently implemented Psychoactive Substance Act (2016). The paper concludes that the rise in synthetic cannabinoid use in custody and the size of the drug market are posing significant challenges to the management of offenders; including healthcare, appropriate detection techniques, license recall and sanctions for both use and supply. We argue that the primary motivation for consumption in this setting is the avoidance of drug use detection, and that this is likely to supersede other motivations for consumption in the future. We propose a revision of the use of mandatory drug tests (MDTs) both in prisons and in the management of offenders in the community. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tuberculosis knowledge, attitudes, and practices among northern Ethiopian prisoners: Implications for TB control efforts.

PubMed

Adane, Kelemework; Spigt, Mark; Johanna, Laturnus; Noortje, Dorscheidt; Abera, Semaw Ferede; Dinant, Geert-Jan

2017-01-01

Although awareness is an important component in tuberculosis (TB) control, we do not know how much Ethiopian prisoners know about TB. This study assessed the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of prisoners about TB in eight northern Ethiopian prisons. Data were collected cross-sectionally from 615 prisoners using a standardized questionnaire between March and May 2016. The outcome variables were defined considering the basic elements about TB. Out of 615 prisoners, only 37.7% mentioned bacteria as a cause of TB while 21.7% related TB to exposure to cold wind. Eighty-eight per cent correctly mentioned the aerial route of TB transmission and 27.3% had perceived stigma towards TB. The majority (63.7%) was not aware of the possibility of getting multi-drug-resistant strains when they would not adhere to treatment. Overall, only 24% knew the basic elements about TB, 41% had favorable attitudes, and 55% had a good practice. Prisoners who were urban residents were generally more knowledgeable than rural residents (adjusted OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.15-4.06). Illiterates were found to be less knowledgeable (adjusted OR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.06-0.46), less likely to have a favorable attitude (adjusted OR = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.15-0.64), and less good practice (adjusted OR = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.18-0.69). Significant differences were also observed between the different study prisons. Knowledge of prisoners regarding the cause of TB and consequences of non-adherence to TB treatment was low. Knowledge on the transmission, symptoms, and prevention was fairly high. Health education interventions, focused on the cause and the translation of the knowledge to appropriate practices, are needed in all the study prisons. Special attention should be given to less educated prisoners, and to prisons with a high number of prisoners and those in remote areas.

Smoking status and the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in prison.

PubMed

Turan, Onur

2015-01-01

Smoking, with a prevalence ranging from 42% to 91%, and secondhand smoke (SHS), with a high exposure level of 3 to 11 μg/m, are frequently seen in prisons. We aimed at investigating the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among inmates and prison staff. This study included prisoners and prison staff in Bolvadin Closed and Open Prison in Turkey. All volunteers went through a standard spirometry and completed the Fagerstrom Test for nicotine dependence. A total of 179 volunteers, 109 of whom were prisoners and 70 prison staff, were involved in the study. Average age was 35.6 ± 11.9 years. There were 123 smokers (68.7%), 26 ex-smokers (14.5%), and 30 nonsmokers (16.8%). Up to 89.4% of participants reported that they were exposed to SHS. Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) value was found to be 3.68 ± 0.80 (93.9 ± 15.1%), forced vital capacity (FVC) value to be 3.87 ± 0.83 (83.1 ± 14.3%), and FEV1/FVC to be 98.4 ± 19.6. Eighteen inmates and 2 prison staff members had the diagnosis of COPD; 22 prisoners (20.2%) and 4 prison staff members (5.7%) had COPD. There were pulmonary symptoms in 49.2% of the volunteers; the symptoms were statistically higher in smokers when compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers (P = 0.000). There was a statistically significant relationship between exposure to SHS and presence of COPD (P = 0.043), and pulmonary symptoms (P = 0.008). The frequency of smoking in this prison was considerably high (68.7%, compared against 22%-31% in non-incarcerated populations). The prevalence of COPD was also found high among inmates (20.2% vs 4.2%-23% in non-incarcerated populations). Therefore, pulmonary symptoms should be examined carefully when screening prisoners, including consideration for the use of lung spirometry and screening for tobacco use disorder.

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among prisoners in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Behzadifar, Masoud; Gorji, Hasan Abolghasem; Rezapour, Aziz; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi

2018-05-09

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major public health problems both in developed and developing countries. Prison represents a high-risk environment for prisoners, in that it is characterized by high-risk behaviors such as injecting drug use (IDU), tattooing, unprotected sexual intercourses, or sharing syringes. The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the prevalence of HCV among Iranian prisoners conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched different scholarly databases including Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, ISI/Web of Sciences, the Cochrane library, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO as well as Iranian bibliographic thesauri (namely, Barakatns, MagIran, and SID) up to December 2017. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the studies included. HCV prevalence rate with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated using the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model, with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Egger's regression test was used to evaluate publication bias. Finally, 17 articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, 18,693 prisoners were tested. Based on the random-effects model, the prevalence of HCV among Iranian prisoners was 28% (CI 95% 21-36) with heterogeneity of I 2  = 99.3% (p = 0.00). All studies used an ELISA test for the evaluation of HCV antibodies. The findings of this study showed that the highest prevalence rate (53%) was among prisoners who inject drugs. The findings of our study showed that the prevalence of HCV among Iranian prisoners is dramatically high. Managing this issue in Iran's prisons requires careful attention to the availability of health facilities and instruments, such as screening, and harm reduction policies, such as giving sterile syringes and needles to prisoners. An integrated program of training for prisoners, prison personnel and medical staff is also needed to improve the level of health condition in prisons.

Adult Offender Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conrad, John P.; Cavros, Joann

Two of America's most serious problems--crime and illiteracy--converge in our prisons. The majority of prisoners have serious educational deficits. Although prison educational programs exist, they are often ineffective because of poor program development, lack of administrative support, or small numbers of prisoners served. One innovation in…

Prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and anger in Turkish prisoners.

PubMed

Unver, Yener; Yuce, Mehmet; Bayram, Nuran; Bilgel, Nazan

2013-09-01

In Turkey, prison studies are rare and the mental health status of prisoners has not received proper attention. The purpose of this cross-sectional and descriptive study was to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and anger among a group of Turkish prisoners. Two self-reporting instruments (the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 and Multidimensional Anger Scale) were filled out by 685 prisoners. Prisoners in the study group were found to be depressive, anxious, and stressed. Anger symptoms and aggressive behaviors were found to be at a moderate level. Prisoners with a history of being subjected to domestic violence in childhood had higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores than those without such a history. Young prisoners, those who had been previously imprisoned, with substance dependency and higher stress and anxiety levels reported more anger symptoms than others. Psychological support, together with stress and anger management programs, seems to be essential. © 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Guards in Prisons: A Risk Group for Latent Tuberculosis Infection.

PubMed

Arroyave, Luisa; Keynan, Yoav; Sanchez, Deny; López, Lucelly; Marin, Diana; Posada, Maryluz; Rueda, Zulma Vanessa

2018-05-04

To determine the prevalence and incidence of LTBI among prison guards and to the risk factors associated with infection. Two male prisons in Medellín and Itaguí, Colombia. A cohort study was conducted in adult prison guards that consented to participate. Exclusion criteria included: previous or current active TB, or conditions that preclude TST administration. We screened 194 guards and completed 155 TST administrations. The prevalence of LTBI was 55.8% in prison one, and 39.1% in prison two. The risk factors associated with LTBI diagnosis included drug use at least once in a lifetime (PR: 1.75; 95% CI 1.42-2.15) and male sex (PR: 2.16; 95% CI 1.01-4.62). The cumulative incidence of TST conversion over 6 months was 3.2%. All conversions occurred in prison 1. Our findings suggest an occupational risk for LTBI prevalence and incidence among guards (different prevalence and incidence according to the prison they work).

Correlates and Experiences of HIV Stigma in Prisoners Living with HIV in Indonesia: A Mixed Method Analysis

PubMed Central

Culbert, Gabriel J.; Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Wulanyani, Ni Made Swasti; Wegman, Martin P.; Waluyo, Agung; Altice, Frederick L.

2015-01-01

In Indonesia, the syndemic nature of HIV, drug use, and incarceration may influence experiences of stigma for HIV-infected prisoners. This mixed method study explores HIV stigma in prisoners living with HIV in Indonesia. Randomly selected male HIV-infected prisoners (n = 102) from two large prisons in Jakarta completed in-depth interviews and a structured HIV stigma survey. Quantitative results found 4 groups of HIV-infected prisoners with significantly higher HIV stigma levels, including those: (a) with drug-related offenses, (b) seeking help to decrease drug use, (c) diagnosed with HIV before the current incarceration, and (d) who had not disclosed their HIV status to family members or friends. Qualitative results highlighted the prominent role of HIV stigma in decisions to disclose HIV status to family members, partners, and other prisoners. Interventions should address HIV stigma in HIV-infected prisoners in Indonesia to achieve HIV treatment as prevention goals. PMID:26304049

Correlates and Experiences of HIV Stigma in Prisoners Living With HIV in Indonesia: A Mixed-Method Analysis.

PubMed

Culbert, Gabriel J; Earnshaw, Valerie A; Wulanyani, Ni Made Swasti; Wegman, Martin P; Waluyo, Agung; Altice, Frederick L

2015-01-01

In Indonesia, the syndemic nature of HIV, drug use, and incarceration may influence experiences of stigma for HIV-infected prisoners. This mixed-method study explores HIV stigma in prisoners living with HIV in Indonesia. Randomly selected male HIV-infected prisoners (n = 102) from two large prisons in Jakarta completed in-depth interviews and a structured HIV stigma survey. Quantitative results found four groups of HIV-infected prisoners with significantly higher HIV stigma levels, including those: (a) with drug-related offenses, (b) seeking help to decrease drug use, (c) diagnosed with HIV before the current incarceration, and (d) who had not disclosed their HIV status to family members or friends. Qualitative results highlighted the prominent role of HIV stigma in decisions to disclose HIV status to family members, partners, and other prisoners. Interventions should address HIV stigma in HIV-infected prisoners in Indonesia to achieve HIV treatment as prevention goals. Copyright © 2015 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Materials Applications for Non-Lethal: Aqueous Foams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

GOOLSBY,TOMMY D.; SCOTT,STEVEN H.

High expansion aqueous foam is an aggregation of bubbles that has the appearance of soap suds and is used to isolate individuals both visually and acoustically. It was developed in the 1920's in England to fight coal mine fires and has been widely used since for fire fighting and dust suppression. It was developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in the 1970's for nuclear safeguards and security applications. In the mid-1990s, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the Department of Justice, began a project with SNL to determine the applicability of high expansion aqueous foam formore » correctional applications. NIJ funded the project as part of its search for new and better less-than-lethal weapons for responding to violent and dangerous individuals, where other means of force could lead to serious injuries. The phase one objectives of the project were to select a low-to-no toxicity foam concentrate (foaming agent) with physical characteristics suited for use in a single cell or large prison disturbances, and to determine if the selected foam concentrate could serve as a carrier for Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) irritant. The phase two objectives were to conduct an extensive toxicology review of the selected foam concentrate and OC irritant, and to conduct respiration simulation experiments in the selected high expansion aqueous foam. The phase three objectives were to build a prototype individual cell aqueous foam system and to study the feasibility of aqueous foams for large prison facility disturbances. The phase four and five objectives were to use the prototype system to do large scale foam physical characteristics testing of the selected foam concentrate, and to have the prototype single cell system further evaluated by correctional representatives. Prison rather than street scenarios were evaluated as the first and most likely place for using the aqueous foam since prisons have recurrent incidents where officers and inmates might be seriously injured during violent confrontations. The very low density of the high expansion foam also makes it more suitable for indoor use. This paper summarizes the results of the project.« less

CANFOR Portuguese version: validation study.

PubMed

Talina, Miguel; Thomas, Stuart; Cardoso, Ana; Aguiar, Pedro; Caldas de Almeida, Jose M; Xavier, Miguel

2013-05-30

The increase in prisoner population is a troublesome reality in several regions of the world. Along with this growth there is increasing evidence that prisoners have a higher proportion of mental illnesses and suicide than the general population. In order to implement strategies that address criminal recidivism and the health and social status of prisoners, particularly in mental disordered offenders, it is necessary to assess their care needs in a comprehensive, but individual perspective. This assessment must include potential harmful areas like comorbid personality disorder, substance misuse and offending behaviours. The Camberwell Assessment of Need - Forensic Version (CANFOR) has proved to be a reliable tool designed to accomplish such aims. The present study aimed to validate the CANFOR Portuguese version. The translation, adaptation to the Portuguese context, back-translation and revision followed the usual procedures. The sample comprised all detainees receiving psychiatric care in four forensic facilities, over a one year period. A total of 143 subjects, and respective case manager, were selected. The forensic facilities were chosen by convenience: one prison hospital psychiatric ward (n=68; 47.6%), one male (n=24; 16.8%) and one female (n=22; 15.4%) psychiatric clinic and one civil security ward (n=29; 20.3%), all located nearby Lisbon. Basic descriptive statistics and Kappa weighted coefficients were calculated for the inter-rater and the test-retest reliability studies. The convergent validity was evaluated using the Global Assessment of Functioning and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores. The majority of the participants were male and single, with short school attendance, and accused of a crime involving violence against persons. The most frequent diagnosis was major depression (56.1%) and almost half presented positive suicide risk. The reliability study showed average Kappa weighted coefficients of 0.884 and 0.445 for inter-rater and test-retest agreement, respectively. The convergent validity study presented highly significant correlations between unmet needs scores, GAF and BPRS scores. The CANFOR Portuguese version revealed similar psychometric properties to the original English version. Moreover, the results of the reliability and validity studies indicate that the tool is appropriate for individual care needs assessment and as a guide for the mental health and social interventions in forensic psychiatric services.

Effects of employer-sponsored health insurance costs on Social Security taxable wages.

PubMed

Burtless, Gary; Milusheva, Sveta

2013-01-01

The increasing cost of employer contributions for employee health insurance reduces the share of compensation subject to the Social Security payroll tax. Rising insurance contributions can also have a more subtle effect on the Social Security tax base because they influence the distribution of money wages above and below the taxable maximum amount. This article uses the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to analyze trends in employer health insurance contributions and the distribution of those costs up and down the wage distribution. Our analysis shows that employer health insurance contributions increased faster than overall compensation during 1996-2008, but such contributions grew only slightly faster among workers earning less than the taxable maximum than they did among those earning more. Because employer health insurance contributions represent a much higher percentage of compensation below the taxable maximum, health insurance cost trends exerted a disproportionate downward pressure on money wages below the taxable maximum.

HIV counselling in prisons.

PubMed

Curran, L; McHugh, M; Nooney, K

1989-01-01

HIV presents particular problem in penal establishments: the nature of the population; conditions in prison; media attention and misinformation; the possibility of transmission within and beyond the prison population; the extra issues that apply to female prisoners. These are discussed in the context of prison policy regarding HIV and the broad strategic approach which is being adopted to manage the problem of HIV within penal institutions. Counselling has a key role in the overall strategy. Pre- and post-test counselling with prisoners is described and the particular problems presented by inmates are discussed and illustrated by reference to case histories. Developments in counselling provision for inmates are outlined.

A prevalence survey for smear-positive tuberculosis in Thai prisons.

PubMed

Jittimanee, S X; Ngamtrairai, N; White, M C; Jittimanee, S

2007-05-01

Twenty-seven prisons in Thailand. To measure the prevalence of smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) and to compare its detection using the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for prisons or the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ISTC) criteria. Prisoners who were not on TB medications and who had not been treated for TB in the previous 6 months were enrolled in the survey. Prison nurses conducted a one-time mass screening using the WHO questionnaire, with follow-up sputum collection in TB suspects. Of 71594 prisoners, 22132 (30.9%) were identified as TB suspects, and 254 were confirmed by sputum smear, for a prevalence of 354.8/100000. Males were most likely to be diagnosed with TB disease (OR 2.6), as were those transferring in from another prison versus new prisoners (OR 3.0). The positive predictive value of the WHO criteria was 1.2%, and that of the ISTC standard was 5.9%. TB prevalence in this survey remained high. WHO guidelines, recognised as a standard, require health workers to question prisoners and measure height and weight. The ISTC standard, a single question about cough >or=2 weeks, is simple, may be asked by non-health personnel and may be a better alternative.

Health and beyond…strategies for a better India: using the “prison window” to reach disadvantaged groups in primary care

PubMed Central

Bhaumik, Soumyadeep; Mathew, Rebecca J.

2015-01-01

As of 2013, the latest statistics available, more than 400,000 individuals are lodged in Indian prisons. Prisoners represent a heterogeneous population, belonging to socially diverse and economically disadvantaged sections of society with limited knowledge about health and healthy lifestyles. There is considerable evidence to show that prisoners in India have an increased risk of mental disorders including self-harm and are highly susceptible to various communicable diseases. Coupled together with abysmal living conditions and poor quality of medical services, health in prisons is a matter of immense human rights concern. However, the concept and the subsequent need to view prison health as an essential part of public health and as a strategic investment to reach persons and communities out of the primary health system ambit is poorly recognized in India. This article discusses the current status of prison healthcare in India and explores various potential opportunities the “prison window” provides. It also briefly deliberates on the various systematic barriers in the Indian prison health system and how these might be overcome to make primary healthcare truly available for all. PMID:26288765

Gender differences among prisoners in drug treatment.

PubMed

Langan, N P; Pelissier, B M

2001-01-01

Nearly all prison-based substance abuse treatment programs have been designed with male prisoners in mind. Administering these male-oriented programs to women prisoners has been the standard correctional practice. Recently, this practice has received considerable criticism. Critics argue that female prisoners have special needs that are not met by programs originally designed for male prisoners. However, most of the empirical support for the existence of such special needs rely on two inappropriate samples: prisoners who are not in treatment and treatment participants who are not incarcerated. Findings from these two different groups may not be generalizable to the population of prisoners in treatment. This paper directly addresses this generalizability problem with an examination of gender differences among 1,326 male and 318 female federal prisoners who were enrolled in a substance abuse treatment program. Women used drugs more frequently, used harder drugs, and used them for different reasons than men. Women also confronted more difficulties than men in areas linked to substance abuse such as educational background, childhood family environment, adult social environment, mental health, and physical health. We find support for the argument that substance abuse treatment programs which were originally designed for men may be inappropriate for the treatment of women.

[Health situation of prisoners at a prison compliance centre, Chile].

PubMed

Osses-Paredes, C; Riquelme-Pereira, N

2013-02-01

There are population groups nowadays that are regarded as vulnerable, one of which is the prison population, considered to have major health needs. Nonetheless, people deprived of liberty maintain inherent human rights such as that of health care, which in some situations may take second place. Cross-sectional descriptive study, carried out at El Manzano Prison compliance centre, Concepción, from October 2011 to February 2012 with the implementation of a preventive health exam and a socio-demographic and health questionnaire, for 18+, female and male prisoners in a closed system, on reception of written informed consent. in the study, the population was 85% men, the average age was 34 years, 91.2% receive visits, average term of imprisonment 38 months. At least 45% have a diagnosed disease, prioritizing mental disorders, and respiratory and circulatory system diseases. 56% of prisoners have requested health care infrequently, 33% of which were very satisfied and 32% satisfied with prison health services. The health of the prison population is more impaired than that of the general population, with a larger number of needs that are also different, but there is a positive perception of health by prisoners and a high degree of satisfaction with health services.

The Prison Project: A Proposed Model for a Clinical Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macey, Nora Lafley; And Others

1977-01-01

During the 1973-74 school year 10 law students taught a course in criminal law and prisoners' rights to interested inmates at the Indiana Women's Prison. Experiences of the Prison Project are described and its feasibility as a clinical course with credit is suggested. (LBH)

Inmate Movements and Prison Uprisings: A Comparative Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pederson, William D.

1978-01-01

Fifteen "criminal" and political uprisings from inmate movements in American, Soviet, and German prisons are compared. Conditions of deprivation related to prison violence are linked with attitudinal, structural, and temporal factors. Findings are that inmate movements are a rare phenomenon in comparison with isolated prison uprisings. (KC)

28 CFR 97.16 - Clothing requirements for transported violent prisoners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Clothing requirements for transported... transported violent prisoners. Companies covered under this part must ensure that all violent prisoners they transport are clothed in brightly colored clothing that clearly identifies them as violent prisoners, unless...

28 CFR 97.16 - Clothing requirements for transported violent prisoners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Clothing requirements for transported... transported violent prisoners. Companies covered under this part must ensure that all violent prisoners they transport are clothed in brightly colored clothing that clearly identifies them as violent prisoners, unless...

Developing a sleep apnoea clinic for prisoners.

PubMed

Reynolds, Sue

People in prison may experience barriers in accessing health services. By exploring some of these barriers and how they have been overcome, this article describes how prisoners were made aware of obstructive sleep apnoea and the associated risks, and how a clinic was set up in a prison healthcare centre. It shows how access to a community service was made available to the prisoners, and details how the service was set up, how it operates and what the outcomes achieved.

Medical Support to Failed States: Start with the Prisons

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-11

treatment to prisoners are the list of former prisoners turned national leaders. Perhaps most well known is Nelson Mandela , the former president of...South African who served 14 years in Robben Island prison. In addition to Mandela there is Dilma Rousseff, president of Brazil, a prisoner for five...http://www.unodc.org/documents/hiv- aids/Toolkit%20ADVANCE%20COPY%20NOV%202007%20WEB.pdf (accessed January 29, 2011). 36 “ Mandela appeals for ex

Assessment of the Reproductive Health Status of Adult Prison Inmates in Osun State, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Olugbenga-Bello, A. I.; Adeoye, O. A.; Osagbemi, K. G.

2013-01-01

Introduction. All over the world, numbers of prisoners have being increasing with majority in the sexually active age group; hence diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis are more prevalent in prisons than in the community. This study thus aims to provide an overview of the reproductive health status of adult prison inmates in Osun State. Methodology. This is a cross-sectional study among adult inmates in Osun State prison. Data was obtained from 209 selected respondents using pre-tested semi structured questionnaire. Result. Majority of the respondents were in the age group 20–39 years with mean age of 30.9 + 7.5. 73.2% are aware of STIs, 93.3% HIV/AIDS and 81.3% contraception. 54.6% had multiple sexual partners before incarceration and 23.3% of them used condom always. 89.5% were not involved in any sexual practice inside the prison, 9.1% masturbated and 1.4% had homosexual partners. Less than 6% had access to male condoms gotten from prison staffs and prison clinics. Conclusion and recommendation. No comprehensive reproductive health care system to address reproductive health services in prisons. Respondents' knowledge about STIs, HIV/AIDS and contraception is good, but their condom usage is low compared with the knowledge. Government should put in place specific reproductive health programmes in prisons. PMID:25763387

The practice of positive criminology: a Vipassana course in prison.

PubMed

Ronel, Natti; Frid, Noa; Timor, Uri

2013-02-01

Positive criminology is a new term for a perspective associated with theories and models that relate to socially inclusive, positively experienced influences that assist individuals in desisting or refraining from criminal and deviant behavior. A qualitative phenomenological study of prisoners who were in recovery from substance dependency and who participated in a Vipassana course in a rehabilitative prison introduces features of positive criminology. A total of 22 male prisoners participated in a 10-day Vipassana course run by volunteers in prison. Deep interviews were conducted with participants before, immediately after, and 3 to 4 months after the course. The findings describe components of positive criminology that had meaningful impact on the prisoners in rehabilitation: perceived goodness, positive relationship with the prison staff, positive social atmosphere, and overcoming an ordeal. Implications for practice and further research are outlined.

Social Work and Prison Labor: A Restorative Model.

PubMed

Sliva, Shannon M; Samimi, Ceema

2018-04-01

The prison industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, fueled largely by prison privatization. UN guidelines and U.S. federal policy outline standards for prison workers, but evidence suggests that protections have been ignored or circumvented. The current prison labor system allows corporations to profit from punishment that is disproportionately allocated to people of color and the poor. This article provides a critical analysis of prison labor policies in the United States and proposes a position for social workers on the ethical and restorative use of inmate labor. This model uses the framework of restorative justice to explore how successful models of social enterprise can benefit inmates and their communities. Meaningful prison enterprises may offer the ability to return resources to communities depleted by crime and incarceration, and to restore inmates to full citizenship.

Cognitive function is associated with prison behaviour among women in prison but not with subjective perception of adjustment to prison.

PubMed

Rocha, Nuno B F; Fonseca, Duarte A; Marques, Alina B; Rocha, Susana A; Hoaken, Peter N S

2015-12-01

There is considerable evidence that aspects of cognitive function, especially executive function, are associated with antisocial behaviour and violence, but most research to date has measured current cognition and previous criminal behaviour. Furthermore, this research has been conducted almost exclusively with male offenders. The aim of this study is to examine relationships between a wide range of cognitive functions and behaviours among women in prison. Our hypotheses were that cognitive functioning would be associated with both more-or-less contemporaneously observed behaviour problems and self-rated adjustment to the environment. Forty-five drug-free imprisoned female offenders were individually assessed on a battery of cognitive measures. Prison staff rated their behaviour on the Prison Behaviour Rating Scale and the women rated their own sense of adjustment to the environment on the Prison Adjustment Questionnaire. Stepwise hierarchical regressions indicated that attention was independently associated with behaviours reflecting tension, depression, isolation, fear, victimisation and worry, whereas processing speed was independently associated with behaviours reflecting lack of energy, mental slowness and lack of awareness of the surrounding environment and total Prison Adjustment Questionnaire score. There was no relationship between cognitive functioning and subjective perception of adjustment to prison. Results indicate that cognition contributes to some of the behavioural problems displayed by inmates in the prison context. Future studies should evaluate the role of programmes to improve cognitive processes in also improving prison behaviour and also test for continuities and discontinuities with post-release integrative success. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Links between depressive symptoms and unmet health and social care needs among older prisoners

PubMed Central

O'Hara, Kate; Forsyth, Katrina; Webb, Roger; Senior, Jane; Hayes, Adrian Jonathan; Challis, David; Fazel, Seena; Shaw, Jenny

2016-01-01

Background: absolute numbers of older prisoners and their proportion of the total prison population are increasing. They have multiple health and social care needs that are prominent on entry into prison. No previous studies have identified older prisoners' health and social care needs at this crucial point. Objective: to examine unmet health and social care needs among older men entering prison and their links with depressive symptoms. Methods: a cross-sectional survey across nine prisons in the North of England was completed. One hundred male prisoners aged between 60 and 81 were interviewed, using the Camberwell Assessment of Need—Forensic short version (CANFOR-S) and Geriatric Depression Scale—Short Form (GDS-15). Descriptive statistics were generated and χ2 tests performed. Results: participants reported high levels of unmet needs as measured with the CANFOR-S, notably in the domains of knowledge about their condition and treatment (38%); psychological distress (34%); daytime activities (29%); benefits (28%); food (22%) and physical health (21%). The mean total number of unmet needs was 2.74, with a median of 2.0. More than half the sample (56%, 95% CI 45–66%) exhibited clinical signs of depression. A significant association between depressive symptomology and an unmet physical health need, as measured by the CANFOR-S, was detected (χ2 = 6.76, df = 1, P < 0.01). Conclusions: high levels of depressive symptoms were experienced by older prisoners on entry into prison. Personalised health and social care needs assessment and discrete depression screening are required on prison entry to facilitate effective management of unmet needs. PMID:26764402

Concerns About Lung Cancer Among Prisoners.

PubMed

Renault, Luc; Perrot, Emmanuel; Pradat, Eric; Bartoli, Christophe; Greillier, Laurent; Remacle-Bonnet, Anne; Telmon, Norbert; Mazières, Julien; Molinier, Laurent; Couraud, Sébastien

2018-02-01

Few studies have looked at lung cancer in prisoners, despite this population is possibly at increased risk of malignancy. In a previous study, we found an early onset of lung cancer in prisoners. Thus, the present CARCAN study was aimed at assessing the epidemiological characteristics, management, prognosis, and incidence of lung cancer in prisoners compared to a sample of non-prisoner patients. We performed a multi-center observational case-control study. Cases were prisoners diagnosed with lung cancer from 2005 to 2013. Controls were non-prisoner lung cancer patients selected from hospital databases and randomly matched to cases (targeted case-control ratio: 1:3). Incidence rates in both groups were calculated using national statistics. Seventy-two cases and 170 controls met inclusion criteria. Cases were mainly men (99%). Mean age at diagnosis was 52.9 (± 11.0) in cases and 64.3 (± 10.1) in controls (p < 0.0001). More case patients were current smokers compared to control patients (83% vs 53%; p < 0.0001). We found no significant differences between the two groups as concerns histologic types, TNM stages at diagnosis, initially-employed treatments, times to management or survival. Incidence rates (2008-2012) in male prisoners were higher than those in the general population in all concerned age groups. There is a shift of lung cancer toward young people in prisons. However, the presentation, management, and prognosis of lung cancer are similar between prisoners and non-prisoners. These finding could justify a specific screening policy for the incarcerated populations.