Prison Research Articles

О трансформации жизненных планов осуждённых в местах лишения свободы

Abstract: Introduction. The relevance of the research topic is due to the importance of studying the transformation of the life plans of convicts in detention facilities and insufficient elaboration of the research topic in legal psychology. The purpose of the present research was to study the transformation of the life plans of convicts in detention facilities. The study was conducted on the basis of federal government institution “Correctional colony-5” of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Ryazan region. The study engaged 64 male convicts serving their sentences in the strict regime prison colony. The average term for serving punishment by convicts was 4.5 years. The scientific problem is to identify the psychological characteristics of convicts who have negative and positive life plans.
 Methods. In the course of the research the following methods were used: observation, conversation, questioning, personal records analysis, expert staff survey, and “Motivation for Success and Fear of Failure” technique (A. A. Rean).
 During the expert staff survey, we identified the most significant external (environmental) conditions influencing the transformation of the life plans of convicts in detention facilities: 1) conditions and procedure for serving a criminal sentence; 2) micro- and macro-environment of convicts; 3) adaptation of convicts to the conditions of a correctional institution; 4) socially useful activities of convicts.
 Results. By using “Motivation for Success and Fear of Failure” technique by A. A. Rean, it was established that the first group of convicts has negative motivation due to being placed in a correctional facility. Such convicts are characterized by increased anxiety, uncertainty in themselves and their own abilities. In this regard, we believe that convicts of the first group (the first two months in a correctional institution) need timely psycho-correctional work with their life plans.
 The second group of convicts, compared to the first one has a clearly expressed tendency to be motivated to succeed, which is primarily due to the upcoming release from prison, and therefore they have a need to achieve constructive results.

Trends in COVID-19 and influenza vaccine ordering and distribution in Massachusetts jails

Incarcerated populations are highly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and influenza. We evaluated COVID-19 and influenza vaccine ordering and administration rates among 13 of 14 Massachusetts county jails and compared them with rates in the general population. Results showed heterogeneity in the number of vaccines ordered per incarcerated individual across institutions, with small to medium-sized jails ordering more vaccines per person. Vaccine administration in jails utilized approximately 41% of the total vaccines ordered by jails. Additionally, the study revealed disparities in vaccine brand distribution between incarcerated and non-incarcerated populations, potentially perpetuating historical health inequities in carceral settings. Considering that vaccine hesitancy among incarcerated individuals and jail staff has been identified as a significant barrier to vaccination, these findings underscore the need for equitable and comprehensive vaccine distribution strategies in carceral settings, necessitating collaboration between public health and correctional systems to ensure the health and well-being of incarcerated individuals.

Infectious Diseases Telemedicine to the Arizona Department of Corrections During SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic. A Short Report.

The University of Arizona infectious diseases provides telemedicine clinics to the Arizona Department of Corrections (DOC) and Pima County Jail. Beginning in January 2020 there was a sharp drop in the number of monthly consultations following the public health emergency regarding the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Only since ending the emergency have the number of consults risen each month to pre-pandemic numbers. However, the nature of consult requests has changed. In this report we document the change from predominately human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) consults to a broader spectrum of infectious-related issues, most noteworthy being infective endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and chronic hepatitis B and C infection, the majority of cases due to intravenous drug injection. Although the DOC and jail underwent major upheavals intramurally due to the pandemic, medical outcomes with the diseases listed above, were excellent. The telemedicine infectious diseases clinics continued to provide timely, effective care for inmates.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Juvenile Correctional and Detention Facilities: A Scoping Review.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has shown preliminary success in the treatment of youth in forensic settings. However, the implementation of DBT varies considerably from facility to facility. A scoping review was conducted to detail DBT intervention protocols in juvenile correctional and detention facilities. We described eight works' treatment setting, study design, youth characteristics, staff training, DBT approach, DBT skills modules, and main findings. All works involved DBT skills sessions, but few incorporated other DBT components such as individual therapy or skills coaching. Outcomes included reducing problematic behaviors such as aggression, improving mental health, and largely positive feedback regarding the DBT intervention from youth and staff. Our results consolidate the existing literature regarding DBT intervention in forensic settings for youth and inform future implementation and research of DBT in such facilities.

Short-Term Brain-Based Growth Mindset Pilot Intervention Indicates Potential of Diversion Programs For Early Offenders in the Juvenile Justice System

The goal of the present research was to determine if a Brain-Based Growth Mindset Pilot Intervention implemented in a juvenile detention facility could change a set of beliefs surrounding self-efficacy and knowledge over one’s brain. Previous studies show that growth mindset interventions are most effective with youth from low socioeconomic households, and targeting changes in beliefs is particularly effective during adolescence because of the developmental milestones that accompany puberty. Detained juveniles tend to be adolescent minorities of low-income backgrounds with a higher number of adverse childhood experiences. Twenty-six detained juveniles participated in the pilot intervention. The intervention consisted of four, 30-minute lessons on neuroanatomy of the brain, neural plasticity, emotional regulation, and long-term neuronal development. Impact of the intervention was quantified by a Brain Health Intervention Scale (BHIS). The scale consisted of 31 affirm/deny statements that were designed to measure the knowledge gained or opinion changed by the participant about the brain. Analysis of pre- and postintervention scores on the BHIS indicate that this pilot intervention was a success with significant increases in knowledge from preintervention scores to post- intervention scores. Success in the intervention was negatively correlated with the number of previous detainments. Interventions that occur within the context of juvenile detentions must occur early, before multiple detainments have made it difficult to reverse the fixed mindset in previously detained youth. Results add further evidence that successful growth mindset interventions can be low-cost and light-touch. Brain-based growth mindset interventions must be explored early on as a diversion alternative for juvenile offenders.

Risk Factors for Alcohol Withdrawal-related Hospital Transfer in a Correctional Setting.

A major health concern among individuals with alcohol use disorder is alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), where individuals with physical dependence on alcohol may experience withdrawal signs and symptoms upon stopping or reducing alcohol use. AWS has a range of severity, with the most severe cases referred to as complicated AWS, presenting as seizure or signs and symptoms indicative of delirium or new onset of hallucinations. In the general community, risk factors or predictors of complicated AWS among hospitalized patients have been described, but there is no literature that examines such risk factors in a correctional population. The Los Angeles County Jail (LACJ) is the nation's largest jail system and manages 10-15 new patients per day for AWS. Here we aim to identify the risk factors associated with alcohol withdrawal-related hospital transfers among incarcerated patients being managed for AWS in the LACJ. From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020, data were gathered about LACJ patients who required transfer to an acute care facility for alcohol withdrawal-related concerns while on the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol revised (CIWA-Ar) protocol. Log regression analysis was performed to generate an odds ratio for acute care facility transfer for the following variables: race, sex assigned at birth, age, CIWA-Ar scores, highest systolic blood pressure (SBP), and highest heart rate (HR). Out of 15,658 patients on CIWA-Ar protocol during this 2-year timeframe, a total of 269 (1.7%) were transferred to an acute care facility for alcohol withdrawal-related concerns. Of those 269 patients, significant risk factors associated with withdrawal-related hospital transfer included: Other race (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.5), male sex assigned at birth (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.5), age ≥ 55 years (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.9), CIWA-Ar score 9-14 (OR 4.1, 95% CI 3.1-5.3), CIWA-Ar score ≥ 15 (OR 21.0, 95% CI 12.0-36.6), highest SBP ≥ 150 mmHg (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8-3.0), highest HR ≥ 110 bpm (OR 2.8, 95% CI 2.2-3.8). Among patients studied, the higher CIWA-Ar score was the most significant risk factor associated with alcohol withdrawal-related hospital transfer. Other significant risk factors identified are race other than Hispanic, white, and African American; male sex assigned at birth; age ≥ 55 years; highest SBP ≥ 150mmHg; and highest HR ≥ 110 bpm.

Comparison of the point prevalences of psychiatric comorbidities in younger versus older incarcerated adult patients at a large county jail

Comparison of the point prevalences of psychiatric comorbidities in younger versus older incarcerated adult patients at a large county jail

Neurocognitive Care to Reverse Solitary Confinement in Prison: Case Report

Inmate populations have been found to have mental health problems and substance abuse much higher than non-incarcerated populations. Caring for incarcerated patients is problematic, given the limitations on access to healthcare services within detention facilities. A case report of a patient with psychomotor agitation and psychoactive substances use, prone to hetero and self-aggression, is presented. The patient was treated for a month in a Mexican state detention center by nursing students, under supervision and pedagogical support. Using the nursing process, focused on psychosocial health needs, six priority diagnoses were identified: anxiety, ineffective health maintenance behaviors, acute confusion, risk of self-directed violence and violence directed at others, as well as discomfort. Based on these diagnoses, care plans using cognitive stimulation was carried out with the goals of decreased anxiety, increased self-care, increased self-responsibility, better anger control, management of hallucination. The cognitive stimulation was a primary intervention that helped with other interventions to achieve holistic goals, such as improving hygiene. Improvements in the patient’s general ability to function led to, among other aspects, the release of solitary confinement and adaptation to social environment of the prison. Patient improvements reflect the importance of professional nursing care in mental health care in correctional healthcare.

Not a Rare Disease Anymore? A Case of Ocular Syphilis at the Correctional Facility.

Los Angeles County has been facing a syphilis crisis since 2018. Cases of ocular syphilis have become increasingly identified and reported in the past few years, predominantly in HIV-positive men. Here we report a case of ocular syphilis in an otherwise healthy 49-year-old male in the Los Angeles County jail. This case study emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness of ocular syphilis so that it can be diagnosed promptly to prevent irreversible vision loss. Health care providers who work in the correctional facility setting need to be aware of this disease entity given that they serve a population with high risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This case study further stresses the importance of initial screening for sexual history and/or history of STDs within this population.

Major Mental Illness as a Predictor of Recidivism: Reactive Criminal Thinking as a Mediator and Substance Abuse as a Moderator of This Relationship

ABSTRACT Reactive criminal thinking (RCT) represents the impulsive, irrational, and emotional aspects of antisocial cognition. The current study tested major mental illness and its interaction with prior substance abuse as possible predictors of future recidivism, with RCT serving as a mediator and substance abuse as a moderator. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, it was determined that RCT mediated the relationship between major mental illness and recidivism in a group of 1,435 male federal prison inmates. Substance abuse × mental illness interaction did not predict RCT or recidivism at the traditional .05 level of significance. Findings from this study indicate that major mental illness promotes recidivism by stimulating increased levels of RCT which then goes on to predict recidivism.

“Worst experience in my life”: Conditions of Confinement in Incarcerated Settings During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Much is unknown about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the carceral experience. Firsthand accounts, however, can illuminate how the virus traveled through correctional institutions and how operational changes intended to mitigate virus transmission altered daily life for incarcerated people. Analyzing semi-structured interviews with 53 individuals released from state prisons, county jails, and halfway houses in a northeastern U.S. state between October 2020 and June 2021, this study explores the shifting conditions of confinement in the early months of the pandemic, as well as how incarcerated individuals experienced the pandemic in terms of their mental and physical health, safety, and trust in correctional institutions. Interviewees described the spread of COVID-19 in correctional environments and how it led to several pandemic-related changes, such as stoppages or adjustments to programs, visits, recreation time, and movement around the facility. The data ultimately suggest that pandemic lockdown measures, instituted to prevent virus transmission, led to environments akin to solitary confinement and compromised the ability of incarcerated individuals to connect with loved ones, exacerbated their fears about contracting the virus, and further eroded their trust in correctional institutions.

Conditional Probability of Challenging Behavior in a Juvenile Justice Facility: Analysis by Days of Week and Time of Day

ABSTRACT In the United States, overhalf a million delinquency cases are opened annually. Of those cases, an estimated 26% involve detention in some manner. Adolescents who have been adjudicated delinquent are detained based on their display of illegal behavior. This repertoire, which includes illegal behavior, may give rise to challenging behavior while residing in the detention facility. Moreover, challenging behavior displayed by adolescents in detention facilities often gives rise to severe consequences including physical or psychological harm, facility instability, increased duration of detention, and parole denial. The present study is a descriptive assessment of behavioral data collected by dormitory staff at a juvenile residential treatment facility. We used conditional probabilities and statistical analyses to identify conditional events that predict increased likelihood of challenging behavior (e.g. days of the week, time of day). The findings may allow clinicians and administrators within the facility to allocate resources strategically to prevent and respond to challenging behavior effectively. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Disability Justice and the Americans with Disabilities Act: An Opportunity for Social Work.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 61 million Americans have a disability, which translates to about 26 percent of the national population. The most common types of disability are physical (13.7 percent), or those that impact mobility, and intellectual (10.8 percent), or those related to cognitive processing. The Bureau of Justice Statistics has reported that 32 percent of people in state prisons and 40 percent of people in county jails have at least one disability, rates that demonstrate alarming disproportionality. Yet the history of the disability rights movement, the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act for people with disabilities who are involved with the criminal justice system, and the implications of disability justice and critical disability theory for the field of social work are not well understood. The purpose of this article is to review these under-recognized topics and offer recommendations for addressing this neglected area of social work education, research, policy, and practice.

Теоретическое обоснование организации выявления случаев туберкулёза и ВИЧ-инфекции в изоляторах временного содержания территорий с низкой плотностью населения.

Detection of cases of tuberculosis in temporary detention facilities (TDF) and police reception centers (PR) makes it possible to identify TB patients among socially vulnerable segments of the population with high efficiency; a similar result is expected for HIV infection. This is especially true for low-density entities where the population is exposed to specific risk factors. However, at present there are no calculations showing the potential effectiveness of implementing the method in them. T h e p u r p o s e o f t h e s t u d y : to develop theoretical prerequisites for the introduction of a survey of detainees, suspects and accused in order to detect tuberculosis and HIV infection in PR and TDF. M a t e r i a l s a n d m e t h o d s . We used information from official statistical observation to analyze the detection rate of tuberculosis and HIV in pre-trial detention centers. Information about the number of offenders according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and estimates of the detection of tuberculosis patients according to statistical materials. 95% confidence limits (95% CI) were used as limits for the 95% uncertainty interval. R e s u l t s . From 2018 to 2022 2,512 newly arrested people passed through the pre-trial detention center in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, among whom 94 people living with HIV were identified for the first time (detection rate is 37,4 per 1,000 examined; for comparison, in public health care – 2,1 per 1,000 examined) and 54 patients tuberculosis (detection rate is 21,5 per 1000 examined; for comparison, in public health care – 0,29 per 1000 examined). During this time, the police detained 16,282 people who, one way or another, went through the PR and IVS. Their examination would make it possible to additionally identify from 80 to 108 PLHIV and from 34 to 71 TB patients annually. C o n c l u s i o n . Screening for the detection of tuberculosis and HIV infection in TDFs and PRs is a potentially extremely effective tool that can lead to a significant improvement in the detection of patients with socially significant infectious diseases with the potential to interrupt the infection chain among socially vulnerable part of the population.

HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening and Eligibility for HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Women Incarcerated in an Urban County Jail.

Incarcerated women experience high rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs); few are offered HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We aimed to examine HIV/STI screening rates in this population and identify PrEP eligibility. Results of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) urine and HIV/syphilis screening in cisgender women in the Dallas County Jail were compiled from January to October 2020. An electronic health record review was conducted for a subgroup in March 2020 to identify PrEP eligibility. Overall, 4398 of 13,292 women were screened for CT and 4389 of 13,292 for GC, and among them, 479 (11%) screened for HIV and 562 (13%) for syphilis. Furthermore, 462 of 4398 (11%) were positive for CT, 323 of 4389 (7%) were positive for GC, 10 of 479 (2%) had positive HIV test results, of whom 6 (1.3%) were new diagnoses and 75 (13%) had a reactive rapid plasma reagin test. In March 2020, of 541 women screened, 90 tested positive for CT or GC. Of these 90, 70 (78%) did not receive HIV or syphilis screening, including women with these risk factors: 10 (14%) were homeless, 11 (16%) reported heroin use, and 10 (14%) reported methamphetamine use. Based on the presence of an acute bacterial STI, 17% (96 of 541) were PrEP eligible. Incarcerated women had high STI rates and other risk factors for HIV acquisition, although only 1 in 5 with acute STIs (11% overall) was also screened for HIV or syphilis. HIV prevention efforts should include comprehensive STI/HIV screening, linkage to treatment, and identification of PrEP candidates.

ДЕЯКІ АСПЕКТИ ФОРМУВАННЯ НОВОЇ МОДЕЛІ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ОХОРОНИ, РЕЖИМУ І БЕЗПЕКИ УСТАНОВ ВИКОНАННЯ ПОКАРАНЬ ТА СЛІДЧИХ ІЗОЛЯТОРІВ, З УРАХУВАННЯМ ВИМОГ МІЖНАРОДНИХ НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВИХ АКТІВ

This publication is dedicated to the concept and provision of regime management in penal institutions and detention centers. It identifies a range of directions related to improving the organization of regimes, security, and order maintenance in correctional and detention facilities. The aim of the article is to explore the concepts of regime, security, and protection in international normative and legal acts, as well as publications by domestic and foreign scholars, and propose conceptual harmonization of these concepts in the process of criminal punishment execution. The article examines the model of the system’s procedures and means for organizing regimes, security, and safety in correctional facilities. To enhance the domestic concept of regime organization, security, and safety, the authors recommend referring to the principles and approaches set out in international legal documents, particularly in the Mandela Rules (the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners), the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as the European Prison Rules. The article also highlights the role of understanding the concept of “regime” and its objectives for the effective implementation of the mentioned requirements. In particular, the regime is positioned as a tool for shaping socially acceptable behavior of convicts and prisoners. Attention is drawn to the need for the correct use of the terms “security” and “safety” in the national concept. Thus, the difference between these concepts is proposed to be understood through the prism of considering the “influence on the objectives of intentional and unintentional circumstances.” This publication contributes to understanding the importance of improving the penitentiary system and offers conceptual recommendations for enhancing the organization of regimes, security, and safety in penal institutions and detention centers in line with international standards. Key words: Regime in penal institutions, Improving safety and security, Conceptual harmonization of concepts «safety» and «security», Model of regime, security, and safety organization.

Behind Locked Doors: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Persons Deprived of Liberty in Detention and Correctional Facilities

Individual difficulties and significant effects on physical, emotional, and social well-being characterize the experiences of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). They usually experience a loss of autonomy, limited mobility, and restricted access to opportunities and resources when they are housed in correctional facilities or detention centers. This study aimed to determine the lived experiences of PDL inside the jail using a phenomenological qualitative research approach. Five PDL, five custodial/police officers, and two human rights officers from southern part of the Philippines were the informants of the study. Results revealed that the PDL have been treated well by the custodial or police officers, however, inadequate food and poor facilities such as ventilation, toilet, and detention centers are evident. The facilities do not have space where the PDL can do some physical exercise. The facility has also not established a program that promotes the mental and emotional wellbeing of its PDL. Although they are given quiet time to pray in their cells, there is no place dedicated for the inmates to practice whatever religion they have. Also, close visits with the inmates have been prohibited during Covid-19 pandemic andonly the cell leaders and police officers keep the PDL sanity and well-being. Therefore, it is recommended that the authorities adhere carefully to the national standards for detention facilities in order to provide a compassionate supply of basic necessities and ensure the mental and emotional health of the PDL.

Institute of compensation for violation of conditions in places of detention and correctional facilities: problems of law enforcement practice

Institute of compensation for violation of conditions in places of detention and correctional facilities: problems of law enforcement practice

Organized Care as Antidote to Organized Violence: An Engaged Clinical Ethnography of the Los Angeles County Jail System.

The field of medical action extends beyond the clinical encounter. Rather, clinical encounters are organized by wider regimes of governance and expertise, and broader geographies of care, abandonment and violence. Clinical encounters in penal institutions condense and render visible the fundamental situatedness of all clinical care. This article considers the complexity of clinical action in carceral institutions and their wider geographies through an examination of the crisis of mental health care in jails, an issue of significant public concern in the United States and much of the world. We present findings from our engaged, collaborative clinical ethnography, which was informed by and seeking to inform already existing collective struggles. Revisiting the concept of "pragmatic solidarity" (Farmer in Partner to the poor: a Paul Farmer reader, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2010) in an era of "carceral humanitarianism" (Gilmore in Futures of Black Radicalism, Verso, New York, 2017, see also Kilgore in Repackaging mass incarceration, Counterpunch, June 6-8, http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/06/06/repackaging-mass-incarceration/ , 2014), we draw on theorists who consider prisons to be institutions of "organized violence" (Gilmore and Gilmore in: Heatherton and Camp (eds) Policing the planet: why the policing crisis led to Black lives matter, Verso, New York, 2016). We argue that clinicians may have an important role in joining struggles for "organized care" that can counter institutions of organized violence.

Gender and the Release from Jail: Predicting the Likelihood of a Probation Violation versus a New Offense

ABSTRACT The current study utilizes a dataset of 1,300 individuals who have been released from a Pennsylvania county jail between 2015 to 2017 to assess the competing risks of returning to jail on a probation violation versus committing a new offense. The study also examines differences between males and females. The findings suggest that while traditional predictors of recidivism help to explain male behavior, they do not allow for an understanding of women’s recidivism. Future research must continue to explore gender-specific factors to provide more clarity on the experiences of men and women upon release.