Correctional Reform Research Articles

Handbook of Correctional Mental Health

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book ReviewFull AccessHandbook of Correctional Mental HealthAngela M. Vuotto D.O.Angela M. Vuotto D.O.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Nov 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2006.57.11.1662AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Mental health providers face significant challenges in providing care to underserved and misunderstood patient populations. Populations in correctional settings present particular challenges.Handbook of Correctional Mental Health is the collaborative effort of experts in the fields of mental health and the law. Thought provoking and intellectually stimulating, this text is a guide to professionals at any level of expertise who are interested in correctional mental health. The opening chapters explain the language used in correctional mental health—such as distinctions between jails and prisons and between misdemeanor crimes and felony crimes—as well as the theories of punishment and inmate classification. The book has a smooth transition from definitions and theories of correctional mental health to the psychosocial dynamics encountered within the correctional culture. Ken L. Appelbaum thoroughly explores the practice of psychiatry within such a culture. The authors provide a detailed review of mental health assessment, screening, and referral. In this section the authors also explore the use of unaided clinical violence risk assessment, actuarial violence risk assessment instruments, and risk assessments based on professional judgment.Individual chapters on suicide, psychopharmacology, and malingering in correctional facilities help identify key points pertinent to successful treatment outcomes in the correctional environment. The book covers therapeutic interventions, such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and recreational therapy. The authors provide tables organizing the group therapies and desired treatment outcomes to assist the reader in developing a solid understanding of such interventions.This clinical guide has a section on special populations of inmates, such as female offenders and those with developmental disabilities. This section offers a solid understanding of clinical and political atmospheres surrounding the delivery of mental health care to such special populations.Maximum and super-maximum security settings for people with mental illnesses are introduced in a delicate manner. The authors discuss the harsh realities found in such settings while encouraging the reader with hope that further correctional reform will continue so that safety and security can be ensured in a more humane fashion.The penultimate chapter offers an understanding to outpatient management of offenders. The authors explain mental health courts, court ordered medication management, and management of insanity acquittees within the community. The final chapter reviews the legal aspects of correctional mental health and is a perfect ending to this clinical guide. Constitutional rights surrounding mental health treatment and prevention are discussed under specific topics such as right to treatment, confidentiality, and right to refuse treatment.As an educational tool this is an excellent clinical guide. The book has chapters that end with highlighted key points, discussion of relevant landmark cases, as well as tables and clinical case vignettes that assist the reader in achieving a richer and fuller understanding of important issues.Ms. Vuotto is a forensic psychiatrist at the Anne Klein Forensic Center, Special Treatment Unit, Avenel, New Jersey. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 57Issue 11 November, 2006Pages 1662-1662PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES November 2006 Volume 57 Number 11 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 November 2006 Published in print 1 November 2006

Introduction

This introduction discusses the purposes and goals of boot camps within the historical context of correctional reforms. A historical review of circumstancessuch as the sharp rise in crime and overtaxed budgetsideological concerns, and political climate offers an understanding of why these programs were adopted. Philosophical themes that arose in the ‘70s in reaction to high crime rates and disillusionment with rehabilitation efforts are recounted within this context. Existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of boot camp programs is presented, along with male and female inmates’ perception of the benefits of these programs. A discriminant analysis of non-recidivists, felony recidivists, and parole violators is discussed in terms of potential value to practice. Deficits and problems in boot camp programs are examined, including abuses, with particular emphasis on gender differences. Finally, the salient methodological problems beleaguering research on boot camps are enumerated for consideration in future research. These problems are intricate and complex, requiring sophisticated understanding of statistical procedures and underlying assumptions, but seemingly not insurmountable.

Leadership & Correctional Reform

Leadership & Correctional Reform

The least dangerous branch?: consequences of judicial activism

Preface Introduction: Hamilton, Bickel, Democracy and the Courts Hamilton's Wager and the Rise of Judicial Activism Brown, Busing, and the Consequences of Desegregation Affirmative Action and the Consequences of Racial Preference Prisoners' Rights and the Consequences of Correctional Reform Mental Health and the Consequences of Deinstitutionalization The Courts and Criminal Procedure Courts, Voting Rights, and the Consequences of Racial Redistricting The Courts and Institutional Reform Bibliography Index

The sociology of prison and the self-referential approach to prison organization and to correctional reforms

This article is an attempt to answer the question whether prison constitutes an autopoietic system by showing how it differs from the external environment. For this purpose, and on the basis of both American and European research, the prison is examined internally as a microsociety and externally in its relation to the wider social context. The formation of subcultural groups is analysed, as well as the failure to reform penal institutions over recent decades by focusing on the functions which the prison system fulfils. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The sociology of prison and the self‐referential approach to prison organization and to correctional reforms

This article is an attempt to answer the question whether prison constitutes an autopoietic system by showing how it differs from the external environment. For this purpose, and on the basis of both American and European research, the prison is examined internally as a microsociety and externally in its relation to the wider social context. The formation of subcultural groups is analysed, as well as the failure to reform penal institutions over recent decades by focusing on the functions which the prison system fulfils. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lawful order: a case study of correctional crisis and reform

Lawful order: a case study of correctional crisis and reform

College in Black and White: Campus Environment and Academic Achievement of African American Males

Research on African American males in U.S. higher education is generally relegated to explorations of the quantitative indicators of enrollment and attrition. Correspondingly little is known about the qualitative experience of these men on the nation's college campuses. Given the potential impact school experiences have on social and economic consequences throughout the life course, how African American males cope with the stresses of these environments merits important consideration. Higher education settings provide a useful context to examine the influence of such factors on academic outcomes, both within and beyond the bounds of school. The view that campus environments influence the educational experiences of college students is a consistent thread throughout research on African Americans in higher education. Specifically, campus social environments have been related to differential educational outcomes for African American college students (Allen, 1991). Of particular importance has been the notion of institutional support and how it relates to academic achievement. While institutional support has been shown to have significant consequences for educational outcomes, little attention has been paid to the differential experiences of African American males in college. Research on the experience of African American students in higher education has concentrated primarily on two areas: (1) the differential experience of these students relative to White students, and (2) the differential effects of attending a predominantly White institution as opposed to an historically Black one. Very little work has focused on the variations in the gender experiences of higher education for African American students. The existing research generally focuses on the declining participation and increased attrition rates of African American males in higher education (Green & Wright, 1992), while paying scant attention to the qualitative aspects of these students' schooling experiences. HIGHER EDUCATION AND AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES Given the social and economic problems faced by African American males in the United States, their experiences in college have become major sources of concern and challenge for many institutions of higher education. African American males presently account for 3.5% of the total enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities; however, they are disproportionately represented among students who are forced to withdraw, those with relative lower academic performance, and those who have more negative college experiences (Allen, Epps, & Haniff, 1991; Fleming, 1984). Interestingly, an increase in the college enrollments of African American males occurred at the end of the 1980s. From fall 1980 through fall 1990, the college enrollment rate of Black males actually increased by 7%; however, more recent data show that the proportion of African American male high school graduates who actually enrolled in college dropped almost 5% from 1990 to 1992 (American Council on Education [ACE], 1994). Specifically, only 29.7% of Black males who graduated from high school in 1992 enrolled in an institution of higher education, compared to 32.2% in 1991 and 34.4% in 1990. While these data are informative, they often mask variations in the quality of the college educational experience for Black males. Increased educational opportunities for African Americans have occurred since desegregation policies changed the demographics of most higher education institutions. However, only four decades after these corrective reforms began, the nation is witnessing a distressing ebb in the tide of increased educational opportunity for African Americans. Paradoxically, this is occurring at a time when progress toward desegregation has wrought progressively sharper increases in the number of African American students attending predominantly White institutions such that these numbers currently surpass Black enrollment at predominantly Black institutions (American Council on Education, 1994; Anderson, 1984). …

Review Article: Financial Liberalization, Development, and Marketization: A Review of McKinnon's The Order of Economic Liberalization: Financial Control in the Transition to a Market Economy (1991)

We present critical review of McKinnon's (1991) perspective on the correct reform sequence for financially repressed economies is presented, distinguishing between its application to less developed countries (LDCs) and reforming centrally planned economies (RCPEs). Empirical support for McKinnon's view is questioned on microeconomic and political grounds. We evaluate the importance of both predetermined and endogenous political and economic pressures on the reform sequence, underscoring some unique conditions of the RCPEs: greater systemic uncertainty, for example, that impose limitations on financial liberalization.

Intermediate punishment: Redistributing or extending social control?

During the past two decades, a major area of debate has been about the meaning and consequences of the community corrections movement that has now evolved into intermediate punishment. A question underlying this debate is whether or not this movement accomplishes its expressed purpose of reducing reliance on prisons by redistributing control into the community or merely extends community control without altering previous reliance on prisons. This study assesses Florida's intermediate punishment strategy of home confinement. Data from observations of program practices and interviews with home confinement officers, offenders on the program and various family members living in the home address the operational features of the program. Pre and post program statistics (1980–1987) on state population, felony convictions and forms of correctional sanctions explore the program's impact upon the state's characteristic sanctioning trends. The findings provide no support that home confinement has reduced Florida's reliance on prisons. Specifically, throughout the decade of the 1980s, and despite the operation of a home confinement program that has involved over 100,000 offenders, Florida's use of prisons experienced major increases disproportionate to the state's population, and conviction increases. The paper concludes with discussion of ironies associated with correctional reforms and related empirical and theoretical implications.

Is incarceration really worse? Analysis of offenders' preferences for prison over probation

Recent correctional reforms have ameliorated the deprivations of prison and indirectly have caused states to toughen probation because many offenders must be diverted from incarceration to meet court-defined limits on prison crowding. These changes raise the possibility that offenders increasingly may view prison as easier or less punitive than probation. Using interview data from newly incarcerated Texas offenders, this analysis examines the extent to which offenders prefer incarceration when presented with choices between paired prison and probation sentences. Though a number of demographic and experiential variables are examined, multivariate analysis reveals that being African-American is the strongest predictor of a preference for prison. Implications of these results are discussed.

Book Review: Are Prisons Any Better? Twenty Years of Correctional Reform

Book Review: Are Prisons Any Better? Twenty Years of Correctional Reform

Are Prisons Any Better? Twenty Years of Correctional Reform.

The Prison - Clemens Bartollas Disorder Personified Legal Mandates and Changes in Prisons - Dennis L Peck and John O Smykla Changes in Prison Facilities as a Function of Correctional Philosophy - Randall I Atlas and Roger G Dunham Developments in Prison Administration - David England Philosophical Issues Related to Prison Reform - Algis Mickunas The Idea of Community Correctional Reform - Dan A Lewis and Cheryl Darling How Rhetoric and Reality Join The Privatization of Prisons - T Don Hutto Behavioral and Psychological Considerations in the Success of Prison Reform - Edward Zamble Treatment Modalities Within Prison - T Paul Louis and Jerry R Sparger Conclusion - John W Murphy and Jack E Dison

Book Review: Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change

Book Review: Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change

A Critical Look at the Idea of Boot Camp as a Correctional Reform

There is growing interest in modeling a military boot camp experience in correctional settings. Prior research on the history of military approaches in correctional settings and military basic training and on the images of masculinity that are encouraged in correctional boot camps raises questions about the efficacy of the correctional boot camp reform. The military model may set the stage for abuse of power and encourage increased aggression by both staff and offenders. Research does not provide indications that there will be beneficial effects. The potential for negative outcomes has clear implications for the design and evaluation of correctional boot camps.

Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change. Edmund F. McGarrell

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsJuvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change. Edmund F. McGarrell Frederic G. ReamerFrederic G. Reamer Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Social Service Review Volume 64, Number 1Mar., 1990 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/603754 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 1990 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article: Andrea L. Bonnicksen. 1989. In Vitro Fertilization: Building Policy from Laboratories to Legislatures. Jacques S. Gansler. 1989. Affording Defense. Harrel R. Rodgers, Jr. (ed.). 1988. Beyond Welfare: New Approaches to the Problem of Poverty in America. Alan C. Lamborn and Stephen P. Mumme. 1988. Statecraft, Domestic Politics, and Foreign Policy‐Making: The El Chamizal Dispute. Edmund F. McGarrell. 1988. Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change. Robert D. Tollison (ed.). 1988. Clearing the Air: Perspectives on Environmental Tobacco Smoke.

Delinquency and Community: Creating Opportunities and Controls.

Introduction Varieties of Correctional Subcultures Recidivism An Analytical Approach to the Natural History of Correctional Reform Conceptualizing Social Control in the Community Community Change, Social Control, and Juvenile Delinquency A Research Agenda for the 1980s

Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change.Edmund F. McGarrell

<i>Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change.</i>Edmund F. McGarrell

Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change.

Juvenile Correctional Reform: Two Decades of Policy and Procedural Change.