American Correctional Facilities Research Articles

Compounding Racialized Vulnerability: COVID-19 in Prisons, Jails, and Migrant Detention Centers.

Carceral institutions are among the largest clusters of COVID-19 in the United States. In response, activists and detainees have rallied around decarceration demands: the release of detainees and inmates to prevent exposure to COVID-19. This article theorizes the compounding racial vulnerability that has led to such a marked spread behind bars, mainly among race-class subjugated (RCS) communities. The authors provide an in-depth account of COVID-19 in American correctional facilities and the mobilization to reduce contagions. They also use two survey experiments to describe public support for harm reduction and decarceration demands and to measure the effects of information about racial inequalities in prison and poor conditions inside migrant detention centers. The authors found only one-third to one-half of respondents believe that response to COVID-19 in prisons and immigrant detention centers should be a high priority. They also found Americans are more supportive of harm reduction measures than decarceration efforts. Information about racial disparities increases support decarceration. They did not find any significant effect of information about poor conditions in migrant detention centers. The conditions in carceral institutions during the pandemic-and public opinion about them-highlight the realities of compounding racialized vulnerability in the United States.

Integration or Isolation: Black Shi'ism in the American Diaspora

In a country that claims to be founded on Judeo-Christian values, the experiences of minority groups such as Muslims are often relegated to the margins of discourses on religion. The sense of negligence of marginalized communities is even greater when a group is a minority within a minority, as it is relegated to a double-minority status. This article will argue that due to their double-minority status, American Shi‘is have been occupied more with safeguarding and protecting rather than disseminating their distinctive beliefs and practices. They have been more concerned with preserving than expanding their religious boundaries. The article will also demonstrate that, due to various factors, there has been an increasing number of members of the African American community accepting Twelver Shi’ism. It will further examine for the reasons for this phenomenon and highlight instances of Black Shi‘i–Sunni altercations and hostilities in American correctional facilities.

A Basic Study on Sequential Visitation Area in Correctional Facilities -Focused on case study of American correctional facilities

A Basic Study on Sequential Visitation Area in Correctional Facilities -Focused on case study of American correctional facilities

A Study on Sequential ITR Function of Correctional Facilities - Focused on ITR Architectural Particulars of American Correctional Facilities -

구치소 및 교도소의 기능에 있어서 입소, 출정, 출소를 담당하는 ITR (Intake, Transfer, Release) 영역은 사동 및 행정 영역과 함께 교정시설의 핵심을 이루는 중요한 기능을 담당하는 공간구조의 한 부분이다. 합리적인 기능의 배분과 적절한 공간의 배정 및 기능의 수행은 교정시설의 운영에 있어서 핵심적인 사항이다. 그러나 오늘날 대한민국 교정시설의 ITR기능은 여러 측면 에서 불합리한 구조적인 문제점을 지니고 있는 것이 현실이다. 본 연구의 목적은 현 대한민국 교정시설의 ITR 기능의 문제점을 분석하고 미국 건축계획 각론사항을 연구하여 순차적 ITR 기능의 건축계획각론을 고찰하는 것이다. ITR기능이 원활하고 순차적으로 이루어지면서 동시에 유연하게 기능하기 위해서는 현 미국에서 시행된 건축계획각론의 사항과 디자인 고려사항이 충분히 반영되어야 하며, 장기적으로는 도심형 복합 구치소(검찰기능 + 간이법정 포함)와 관련시설(지방법원 + 행정관청 + 경찰서)이 인접하면서 물리적인 연결다리로 연계되어 있는 기능이 복합화 되어 있는 법조타운이 계획되어야 할것이다. 그것이 진정한 의미의 ITR의 기능을 더욱 명확하게 수행할 수 있게 만드는 조건이 될 것이다.It is a matter of common knowledge that ITR(Intake, Transfer, Release) is one of the key function in correctional facilities(prison, detention center, etc) But, until today, there exists lots of irrational problems in correctional facilities mainly because of strict NIMBY phenomenon for new construction site. The purpose of this study is to analyse advanced sequential ITR function process in the eye of architectural particulars. For sequential and effective ITR function, it should be considered advanced ACA standards and architectural particulars for ITR of correctional facilities. In the long term viewpoint, urban detention center(mix-use of prosecutor and court) should be connected in one district in urban downtown as a mixed use complex. It would be the basic condition to be conducted for effective ITR function.

Analyzing For-Profit Colleges and Universities that Offer Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorates to Inmates Incarcerated in American Correctional Facilities

Postsecondary education for inmates is championed as an important path to rehabilitation and a factor minimizing recidivism. Over the past four decades, several for-profit colleges and universities have offered degree-based programs to inmates at American correctional facilities. This article reviews the history of these educational institutions, the typical inmates who enroll in these kinds of courses, the appeals that these businesses make to convicts, the channels for their advertisements, and the experiences of inmates who have enrolled and (sometimes) graduated from these courses. This study takes both an historical and an autoethnographic approach to its subject matter. The authors conclude by speculating on appropriate policy responses to for-profit postsecondary education institutions that provide this kind of service to inmates, and alternatives that may be better methods for college degree instruction and delivery in jails and prisons.

Assessing Need for Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opiate-Dependent Prison Inmates

ABSTRACT Individuals with a history of heroin dependence are overrepresented in American correctional facilities and 75% of inmates with a drug use disorder do not receive treatment during incarceration or after release. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with opiate agonists, such as methadone or buprenorphine, constitutes standard of care; to guide planning for an expansion of drug treatment services in correctional facilities, a needs assessment was conducted at the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DCR) of Puerto Rico (PR). The authors report on the research process, the findings that informed their recommendations for the DCR to expand MAT for eligible inmates, and lessons learned.

Perceptions of German Prison Officials While Visiting American Correctional Facilities

In June 2007, a group of 15 prison psychologists, social workers, wardens, and correctional administrators from across Germany visited the northeast United States for the purpose of conducting tours of various kinds of correctional facilities. The trip was organized through a collaborative effort from the authors over a period of 2 years. This article describes the correctional facilities visited and observations made by the Germans during their correctional facility tours and will focus on the similarities and differences between the German and American correctional systems. The article clearly reflects how international academic collaborations can provide a variety of benefits for those willing to physically venture beyond boarders.

Preserving or Extending Boundaries: The Black Shi‘is of America

While much has been written regarding the rise and experience of the African-American Muslim community in America, Western scholarship has paid little attention to the Black Shi‘is in the country. This paper will attempt to redress this imbalance. First, the paper will discuss Shi‘i institutions and their proselytization activities in America. It will be argued that, being a minority within the Muslim community in America, the Shi‘i community is highly introverted and more concerned with preserving rather than extending its boundaries. In addition, the ethnic divisions within the Shi‘i community and the fact that Shi‘ism is highly reliant on the foreign based ayatollahs means that the Shi‘i community has not been concerned with reaching out to potential converts. Drawing upon the results of a survey conducted for this study, it will be argued that the Wahhabis, by their vehement attacks on the Shi‘is, have aroused the curiosity of many converts who had not previously heard of Shi‘ism. Paradoxically, this has led to their conversion to Shi‘ism. The paper will also review the situation of Shi‘ism in the Correctional Facilities and analyze the works of a major Shi‘i proselyte whose enormous impact on inmates of American correctional facilities has yet to be acknowledged.

Methadone and buprenorphine prescribing and referral practices in US prison systems: Results from a Nationwide Survey

Background More than 50% of incarcerated individuals have a history of substance use, and over 200,000 individuals with heroin addiction pass through American correctional facilities annually. Opiate replacement therapy (ORT) with methadone or buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opiate dependence and can reduce drug-related disease and recidivism for inmates. Provision of ORT is nevertheless a frequently neglected intervention in the correctional setting. Objective and methods We surveyed the 50 state; Washington, District of Columbia (DC); and Federal Department of Corrections’ medical directors or their equivalents about their facilities’ ORT prescribing policies and referral programs for inmates leaving prison. Results We received responses from 51 of 52 prison systems nationwide. Twenty-eight prison systems (55%) offer methadone to inmates in some situations. Methadone use varies widely across states: over 50% of correctional facilities that offer methadone do so exclusively for pregnant women or for chronic pain management. Seven states’ prison systems (14%) offer buprenorphine to some inmates. The most common reason cited for not offering ORT was that facilities “prefer drug-free detoxification over providing methadone or buprenorphine.” Twenty-three states’ prison systems (45%) provide referrals for some inmates to methadone maintenance programs after release, which increased from 8% in 2003; 15 states’ prison systems (29%) provide some referrals to community buprenorphine providers. Conclusion Despite demonstrated social, medical, and economic benefits of providing ORT to inmates during incarceration and linkage to ORT upon release, many prison systems nationwide still do not offer pharmacological treatment for opiate addiction or referrals for ORT upon release.

A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: Results at 1-month post-release

Background Despite its effectiveness, methadone maintenance is rarely provided in American correctional facilities. This study is the first randomized clinical trial in the US to examine the effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment provided to prisoners with pre-incarceration heroin addiction. Methods A three-group randomized controlled trial was conducted between September 2003 and June 2005. Two hundred eleven Baltimore pre-release inmates who were heroin dependent during the year prior to incarceration were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to the following: counseling only: counseling in prison, with passive referral to treatment upon release ( n = 70); counseling + transfer: counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release ( n = 70); and counseling + methadone: methadone maintenance and counseling in prison, continued in a community-based methadone maintenance program upon release ( n = 71). Results Two hundred participants were located for follow-up interviews and included in the current analysis. The percentages of participants in each condition that entered community-based treatment were, respectively, counseling only 7.8%, counseling + transfer 50.0%, and counseling + methadone 68.6%, p < .05. All pairwise comparisons were statistically significant (all ps < .05). The percentage of participants in each condition that tested positive for opioids at 1-month post-release were, respectively, counseling only 62.9%, counseling + transfer 41.0%, and counseling + methadone 27.6%, p < .05, with the counseling only group significantly more likely to test positive than the counseling + methadone group. Conclusions Methadone maintenance initiated prior to or immediately after release from prison appears to have beneficial short-term impact on community treatment entry and heroin use. This intervention may be able to fill an urgent treatment need for prisoners with heroin addiction histories.

Circumferential change scores in phallometric assessment: normative data.

Phallometric testing is a procedure that has enjoyed considerable popularity as an objective component in the assessment of sexual offenders. The value of this procedure may be most notably compromised in the realm of interpretation, and problems in interpretation are particularly acute for those participants where full arousal is not obtained during testing. The calculation of Percent Full Erection (PFE) scores has of necessity involved a speculative component in such cases. Eliminating this speculation through empirical investigation was the purpose of the current research. Circumferential change scores (from flaccidity to full erection) were obtained for 724 respondents at nine North American correctional facilities, allowing for the calculation of descriptive statistics and a determination of the distribution characteristics of these scores. The results provide an empirical basis for calculating PFE scores and interpreting phallometric data in those cases where full arousal is not obtained, and specific confidence levels associated with interpretation are offered. It is suggested that only through a more rigorous application of the principles of science will the procedure of phallometric assessment fulfill its true potential.

Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Understand The STD Risk Behaviors Of Incarcerated Women

Women in American correctional facilities make up an at-risk group for STDs/HIV, both in terms of disease history and STD risk behaviors. Using a sample of incarcerated women in two southern states, a theoretically driven model of incarcerated women’s risk behaviors prior to and during incarceration was described and tested. The model is based on links among beliefs, attitudes, perceived behavioral control and norms, and behavioral intentions. Results indicated that beliefs related to condoms were associated with favorable attitudes toward condoms. Condom attitudes were related to positive behavioral intentions to use condoms and also mediated some belief/intention associations. Perceived behavioral control and norms were also associated with intentions; norms were especially strongly related. The model provides a structure for measuring the predicates of incarcerated women’s risk behaviors and for testing the efficacy of risk reduction interventions.

Vitamin-mineral intake and intelligence: a macrolevel analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Two independent groups suspected that poor diets in school children might impair intelligence. Because dietary changes produce psychological effects, both groups conducted randomized trials in which children were challenged with placebo or vitamin-mineral tablets. Both reported significantly greater gains in intelligence among the actives. The findings were important because of the apparent inadequacy of diet they revealed, and the magnitude of the potential for increased intelligence. However, 5 of 11 replications were not significant, leaving the issue in doubt. To determine if school children who receive low-dose vitamin-mineral tablets produce significantly higher IQ scores than children who receive placebo. A macrolevel analysis of the 13 known randomized, double-blind trials was undertaken. A total of 15 public schools in Arizona, California, Missouri, Oklahoma, Belgium, England, Scotland, and Wales participated, with 1477 school children, aged 6 to 17 years, and 276 young adult males, aged 18 to 25 years, in 2 American correctional facilities. All studies used 1 of 3 standardized tests of nonverbal intelligence: the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, or the Calvert Non-verbal test. The activities in each study performed better, on average, than placebo in nonverbal IQ, regardless of formula, location, age, race, gender, or research team composition. The probability of 13 randomly selected experimental groups always performing better than 13 randomly selected independent control groups is one-half to the 13th power (p = 0.000122). The mean difference across all studies is 3.2 IQ points. Furthermore, the standard deviation in the variable "IQ change" was also consistently larger in each active group when compared to its controls. This confirms that a few children in each study, presumably the poorly nourished minority, were producing large differences, rather than a 3.2 point gain in all active children. There are important health risks when school children's dietary habits depart substantially from government guidelines; poor dietary habits may lead to impaired intelligence. Low-dose vitamin-mineral supplementation may restore the cognitive abilities of these children by raising low blood nutrient concentrations. However, there is also evidence that supplementation has no measurable effect on the intelligence of well-nourished children with normal blood nutrient concentrations.

IV. Historical Criminology

Perceptions of German Prison Officials While Visiting American Correctional Facilities: An Example of a Fruitful International Collaboration