Federal Correctional Institution Research Articles

Attributable fractions for substance use in relation to crime.

AimsBuilding upon an existing methodology and conceptual framework for estimating the association between the use of substances and crime, we calculated attributable fractions that estimate the proportion of crimes explained by alcohol and six other categories of psychoactive substances.DesignCross‐sectional surveys.SettingCanadian federal correctional institutions.ParticipantsCanadian men (n = 27 803) and women (n = 1335) offenders who began serving a custodial sentence in a Canadian federal correctional institution between 2006 and 2016.MeasurementsOffenders completed the computerized assessment of substance abuse, a self‐report tool designed to assess (1) whether the offence for which they were convicted would have occurred had they not been intoxicated from alcohol or another substance, (2) whether they committed the offence to support their alcohol or other substance use and (3) whether they were dependent on alcohol (alcohol dependence scale) or another substance (drug abuse screening test). Offences were grouped into four mutually exclusive categories: violent crimes, non‐violent crimes, impaired driving and substance‐defined crimes. This study focused on violent and non‐violent crime categories. Substances assessed were: alcohol, cannabis, opioids, other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, cocaine, other CNS stimulants and other substances.FindingsAccording to offender self‐report, 42% of all violent and non‐violent crime would probably not have occurred if the perpetrator had not been under the influence of, or seeking, alcohol or other substances. Between 2006 and 2016, 20% of violent crimes and 7% of non‐violent crimes in Canada were considered attributable to alcohol. In contrast, all other psychoactive substance categories combined were associated with 26% of all violent crime and 25% of non‐violent crime during the same time‐frame.ConclusionsAttributable fraction analyses show that more than 42% of Canadian crime resulting in a custodial sentence between 2006 and 2016 would probably not have occurred if the perpetrator had not been under the influence of or seeking alcohol or other drugs. Attributable fractions for alcohol and substance‐related crime are a potentially useful resource for estimating the impact of alcohol and other substances on crime.

Understanding overdose incidents in Canadian federal custody

BackgroundWhile the community effects of the opioid-related drug crisis in Canada are well documented, limited detailed data is available on overdose trends among custodial populations. Given that this crisis has disproportionate impacts on justice involved persons, research is needed to understand the implications of this crisis within institutional settings. MethodsWe examined all overdose incidents that occurred between the 2012/2013 and 2018/2019 fiscal years in a federal correctional institution in Canada. An incident report search was conducted to identify overdose related incidents during this period. Information about the incident and characteristics of the victim was collected from incident reports, investigations, and victim case files. ResultsOver the period under examination, overdose incidents steadily increased (i.e., from 40 in 2012/2013, to 110 non-fatal incidents in 2018/2019), although there was considerable regional and institutional variation. The number of incidents involving opioids, particularly fentanyl, increased both in raw numbers and as a percentage of overall incidents (i.e., from 3% in 2012/2013 to 47% in 2017/2018, and 34% of non-fatal incidents in 2018/2019). Other substances continue to contribute to overdose incidents; in fact, non-opioid prescription medications (i.e., non-illicit medications such as anti-convulsant drugs and anti-depressants) remain the most common among intentional non-fatal incidents. Relative to the general in-custody population, victims of overdose incidents tended to be younger and were more likely to be serving a determinate sentence, be on a repeat federal sentence, and be serving time for robbery. Mental health conditions and histories of substance use were common. ConclusionThe effects of the overdose crisis are pronounced within certain Canadian federal institutions, illustrated by a growing number of fentanyl-related incidents. Institutional variation and variation in incidents (e.g., substance and intentionality) highlight diversity in drug activities among this custodial population and the need for multi-faceted responses that are reflective of local situations.

Cell Block Brushes: Art Therapy-Based Murals for Indigenous and Incarcerated Men in Federal Correctional Services (Pinceaux de bloc cellulaire : peintures murales fondées sur l'art-thérapie avec des hommes autochtones incarcérés dans les services correctionnels fédéraux)

Facilitated by a Kanien'kehá:ka First Nations art therapist and framed by her cultural knowledge, this article explores the impact of co-creating two murals on the identity development, wellness and pro-social interaction for 32 Indigenous male participants within a Canadian Federal correctional institution. This project aimed to address the Indigenous overrepresentation within correctional systems and the potential impacts of colonization on crime, including addiction, trauma and other mental health conditions. By correlating court findings with research on cultural safety for Indigenous populations, this project suggested that healing the impacts of colonization and crime can be connected to cultural accessibility and multigenerational trauma awareness in sentencing and programming. As such, the following participatory mural making project was presented and delivered by and for Indigenous, incarcerated men. Bringing cultural knowledge, teachings from the land and drawing from the ancestral wisdom of the participants, the mural was created as a space to explore the interconnected web of relationships between the self, community and the land. The outcome of the experience seemed to suggest the importance of setting a therapeutic frame for mural making as well as the benefit of cultural access, symbolism and community building for Indigenous men within the correctional setting.

Prevention in Prison: The Diabetes Prevention Program in a Correctional Setting.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an adaptation of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) could be successfully implemented in a correctional environment to promote weight loss, lower A1C, and improve other cardiometabolic outcomes. A quasi-experimental, staggered-start control study was conducted in a female and male federal correctional institution. Twenty-six male and 21 female incarcerated, overweight individuals with prediabetes or at high risk for developing diabetes were randomly assigned to two groups. Data were measured at 6-month intervals starting at baseline for 18 months. Group 1 participated in the 12-month Group Lifestyle Balance intervention program from baseline to 12 months. Group 2 served as a control group from baseline for 6 months and then completed the intervention program from months 6 to 18. Participants were ethnically diverse and mostly >44 years of age. At baseline, members of the two study groups were not significantly different with regard to sex, race/ethnicity, age, or prediabetes status. About half of participants (51%) completed the program, with participants in group 1 significantly more likely to be completers (P <0.05). At 6 months, participants in the intervention group had significantly more weight loss on average (12 lb) than those in the control/delayed-start group (5 lb) (P <0.001). However, both groups (active intervention and control) experienced significant decreases in weight, BMI, triglycerides, and A1C levels after 6 months. In combined analysis, after the 12-month intervention, participants in both groups demonstrated significant decreases in BMI (P <0.001) and A1C (P <0.001) from baseline. The DPP may be an effective method for reducing the impact of diabetes in the correctional environment addressed. Larger studies should be conducted to confirm these outcomes. Study findings were affected by high attrition rates, primarily due to transfers and releases from the institution.

'Purgatory Cannot Be Worse than Hell': How the Commitment and Treatment Program Violates the Due Process Rights of Civilly Committed Sex Offenders

This Comment is a constitutional inquiry of the Commitment and Treatment Program (CTP) in place at Butner Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina. Participation in the CTP is exclusively for sex offenders who have been civilly committed under the Adam Walsh Act. This Comment argues that the current application of the CTP is ineffective in providing meaningful treatment to civilly committed inmates. This Comment further argues that, under current legal precedent, the program’s failure to provide adequate treatment is a violation of due process under the United States Constitution.

Prevalence and Incidence of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Federally Sentenced Women in Canada

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a complex behavior that is not uncommon in the general population, yet little is known about the prevalence of this behavior among incarcerated women. Two studies were conducted to determine the prevalence and incidence of NSSI in federally sentenced Canadian women. In Study 1, a mixed-methods design that included a qualitative interview and a written questionnaire with a sample of 150 incarcerated women was used. In Study 2, archival data were analyzed for a random sample of 400 incarcerated women. Results indicated lifetime prevalence rates of NSSI ranging from 24% to 38%. Incidence of self-injury in a federal institution over a 1-year period was found to be 3.6 per 27.4 person-years (i.e., number of years incarcerated). Both studies indicated that for the majority of women in both samples, NSSI was first initiated in the community, prior to incarceration in a federal correctional institution.

Black–white differences in positive outcome expectancies for crime: A study of male federal prison inmates

Purpose This study was designed to assess whether black inmates hold more positive outcome expectancies for crime than white inmates in an effort to inform the debate on the nature of well documented differences in criminal involvement between blacks and whites. Methods Positive outcome expectancies for crime were measured in 393 black male inmates and 154 white male inmates housed in a medium security federal correctional institution using the Outcome Expectancies for Crime (OEC: Walters, 2003b) inventory. Results Black inmates reported significantly stronger positive outcome expectancies for crime than white inmates after controlling for preexisting group differences in age, education, marital status, confining offense, response style, general criminal thinking, and negative outcome expectancies for crime. Anticipation of social benefits for crime in the form of love, respect, and security were particularly salient in distinguishing between black and white inmates. Conclusions It is speculated that an interaction of motivational (high achievement motivation), structural (blocked economic opportunities), and cultural (peer reinforcement) factors may be responsible for black–white differences in crime with important implications for theory, research, and clinical practice.

Taxometric analysis of alcohol dependence in male prisoners: Measuring latent structure with indicators from DSM-IV

This study assessed the latent structure of alcohol dependence using indicators from a structured interview (DSM-IV alcohol dependence criteria) in a group of 505 male inmates consecutively admitted to a medium security federal correctional institution over a 9-month period. Three indicators derived from the DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence were subjected to taxometric analysis using the following three procedures: traditional and summed input mean above minus below a cut, traditional maximum covariance, and latent mode factor analysis. Results showed consistent support for taxonic (categorical) latent structure in the alcohol dependence construct.

The relationship of cigarette smoking to postoperative complications from dental extractions among female inmates

The purpose of this study is to assess the contribution of smoking to postoperative complications, including alveolar osteitis (dry socket), after dental extractions. In addition, it attempts to determine the effect of the ban imposed on tobacco use in the prison on postoperative complications. All inmates having dental extractions at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, CT, during the period January 2004 to April 2005, were included in this study (N = 219; mean age = 37.7 years). Data on postextraction complications were analyzed for association with smoking by using the chi-square test. Significance was set at P < .05. The incidences of overall complications and alveolar osteitis were 19.6% and 5.0%, respectively. It was found that (1) there was a significant difference in overall complications between smokers and nonsmokers (P = .02), (2) there was a significant difference in the incidence of alveolar osteitis between mandibular third molar and other extractions, regardless of smoking status (P = .02), (3) surgical trauma contributed significantly to both an increase in total complications (P = .05) and alveolar osteitis (P = .01), and (4) smoking appeared to be a contributing factor to increased complications among multiple extractions (P = .03). In this study, smoking, mandibular third molars, and surgical trauma were significantly associated with the increased incidence of overall complications including alveolar osteitis.

Incremental validity of the psychological inventory of criminal thinking styles and psychopathy checklist: Screening version in predicting disciplinary outcome.

A group of 136 male inmates housed in a medium security federal correctional institution were followed for a period of 24 months for evidence of disciplinary infractions (incident reports) after completing the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) and being scored on the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV). Age, prior incident reports, the PICTS General Criminal Thinking (GCT) score, and the PCL:SV total score were included in a series of negative binomial regressions and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses of three increasingly more serious outcomes: total incident reports, major incident reports, and aggressive incident reports. Results indicated that the PICTS GCT score and PCL:SV total score were incrementally valid predictors of all three outcomes, with the strongest effects occurring when more severe incident reports were predicted. On the other hand, only the PICTS GCT score and Proactive Criminal Thinking (P) scale produced more than one significant ROC finding.

Relationship of Cigarette Smoking to Dental Caries in a Population of Female Inmates

This study investigates the relationship of cigarette smoking to dental caries among female inmates of a federal correctional institution. Two-hundred inmates (age range 19-62) entering the institution were given an oral examination and a self-administered questionnaire. A high percentage, 64%, of inmates were current or former smokers. In the bivariate analyses, tobacco use, as measured by the number of pack-years smoked, was significantly correlated with a higher DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) index (r = .46, p < .0001). The difference in mean DMFT scores for current smokers and nonsmokers, 12.1 (SD = 7.0) and 10.1 (SD = 7.4), respectively, was significant (p = .02). In the multiple regression analysis, sociodemographic and sociobehavioral risk indicators (age, country of birth, number of pack-years smoked, consumption of coffee or tea with sugar, and the perception of risks of oral cancer from smoking) explained 41% of the variance in the DMFT index. Although this study did not establish a causative relationship, cigarette smoking was shown to be associated with the experience of caries.

Use of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles to Predict Disciplinary Adjustment in Male Inmate Program Participants

The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) was administered to program participants in two different federal prisons-a medium-security federal correctional institution and a maximum-security penitentiary-who were subsequently followed for a period of 24 months for evidence of disciplinary adjustment problems. Disciplinary outcome was measured by the total number of incident reports, the number of nonaggressive incident reports, and the number of aggressive incident reports received during the 24-month follow-up. Negative binomial regression was used to test the relationship between the eight PICTS thinking style scales and three disciplinary outcome measures because the total and nonaggressive disciplinary report distributions showed signs of overdispersion. The only PICTS thinking style scale to achieve statistical significance in this study was the Cutoff scale that successfully predicted total, nonaggressive, and aggressive incident reports in both samples.

An Evaluation of Relations Among Antisocial Behavior, Psychopathic Traits, and Alcohol Problems in Incarcerated Men

Background The association between antisocial behavior and alcohol problems is well established, but the role that psychopathic traits and other factors such as drinking patterns and motives and family history play in this relationship has not been subjected to much empirical scrutiny.Methods A large sample (n= 329) of male Federal Correctional Institution inmates participated in structured interviews designed to permit diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder and to assess facets of psychopathic personality as defined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised. Prisoners also completed self‐report questionnaires that addressed alcohol use, drinking problems, motives for drinking, and paternal alcoholism history.Results Analyses revealed that the relation between antisocial behavior and alcohol problems was moderated by scores on the emotional detachment component of psychopathy, and that self‐descriptions of drinking for the purpose of coping with negative emotions mediated the positive relation between antisociality and self‐reported alcohol problems.Conclusions These findings highlight complexities in the link between antisociality and drinking problems and encourage consideration of distinct facets of psychopathy to enhance understanding of it. They further suggest possible mechanisms (e.g., paternal alcoholism history, coping motives) that may contribute to the development and maintenance of alcohol problems in criminal populations.

An Evaluation of Relations Among Antisocial Behavior, Psychopathic Traits, and Alcohol Problems in Incarcerated Men

Background The association between antisocial behavior and alcohol problems is well established, but the role that psychopathic traits and other factors such as drinking patterns and motives and family history play in this relationship has not been subjected to much empirical scrutiny. Methods A large sample (n= 329) of male Federal Correctional Institution inmates participated in structured interviews designed to permit diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder and to assess facets of psychopathic personality as defined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised. Prisoners also completed self-report questionnaires that addressed alcohol use, drinking problems, motives for drinking, and paternal alcoholism history. Results Analyses revealed that the relation between antisocial behavior and alcohol problems was moderated by scores on the emotional detachment component of psychopathy, and that self-descriptions of drinking for the purpose of coping with negative emotions mediated the positive relation between antisociality and self-reported alcohol problems. Conclusions These findings highlight complexities in the link between antisociality and drinking problems and encourage consideration of distinct facets of psychopathy to enhance understanding of it. They further suggest possible mechanisms (e.g., paternal alcoholism history, coping motives) that may contribute to the development and maintenance of alcohol problems in criminal populations.

Dental caries experience of female inmates.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of dental caries and level of unmet dental need among female offenders in a federal prison in Connecticut. All inmates admitted into the Federal Correctional Institution at Danbury, Connecticut, from May 31, 1997, to May 21, 1998, were given oral screening examinations (n=500; age range=20-65 years). The data were analyzed in terms of race/ethnicity and age groupings. DMF and D/DF scores were determined. The mean DMFT and DMFS scores were 16.8 and 57.0, respectively; the scores were higher for non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics than non-Hispanic blacks, and increased with age. The mean DT/DFT and DS/DFS scores were 36.8 percent and 36.0 percent, respectively. These scores were higher for non-Hispanic blacks than non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics, and decreased with age. Female prisoners had high levels of dental caries and racial disparities persisted in the prison.

Self-Identified Alcohol Abusers in a Low-Security Federal Prison: Characteristics and Treatment Implications

One hundred fifteen male inmates arriving at a low-security federal correctional institution in 1998 completed the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) as part of a standard psychological intake battery that included a background questionnaire, the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Version 3 (MCMI-III), and the Conflict Tactics Scale. The majority of inmates screened positive for alcohol problems on the MAST (61%). Self-identified alcohol abusers were more likely to evidence antisocial personality patterns, anxiety disorders, domestic violence histories, and other substance misuse. Roughly 1 in 4 (24%) showed a combination of antisocial personality and low anxiety on the MCMI, suggestive of primary psychopathic disorder. The findings suggest that low-security inmates who screen positive on the MAST often present with other substance use problems, personality pathology, and domestic violence histories that potentially inform treatment efforts by mental health professionals in federal prisons.

Performance of a Large Parabolic Trough Solar Water Heating System at Phoenix Federal Correctional Institution

At Phoenix Federal Correctional Institution in Arizona, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBP) completed a 1,584 m2 (17,040 square feet) parabolic trough solar water heating system financed, installed and operated under an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Industrial Solar Technology Corp (IST). The ESPC was developed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The system incorporates a 87 m3 (23,000 gallon) storage tank. The system delivered 1,161,803 kWh (3,964 million Btu) of solar heat from March 1, 1999 to February 29, 2000. This energy would have cost $77,805.74 if purchased from the utility (based on the monthly average $/kWh cost). Sale of this energy to the prison provided $70,025.18 in revenue to IST (a rate negotiated at 90 percent of the monthly average $/kWh utility cost). Thus, the prison saved $7,780.56 (the remaining 10 percent). A photograph of the collector system is presented in Figure 1. Results show that the system delivers heat reliably, with only minor operational problems which are listed and discussed. The system delivered a minimum of 80,315 kWh (274 Btu) in January 2000 to a maximum of 130,979 kWh (447 Million Btu) in October 1999. The prison pays IST for energy delivered by the solar system at a rate equal to 90 percent of the monthly average utility rate (10 percent guaranteed savings), over 20 years. Details of the establishment of the payment structure and the cost savings to the prison are discussed. Annual Emissions Savings are estimated by EPA multipliers [1] for Arizona as 627,374 kg/yr of CO2, 2,324 kg/yr of SO2 and 2,297 kg/yr of NOx. Other benefits to the prison are also discussed, such as reduced operations and maintenance on the electric water heaters and a greater capacity to deliver hot water. [S0199-6231(00)00704-8]

The Effects of Parent Education on Parental Locus of Control and Satisfaction of Incarcerated Fathers

Incarcerated fathers have largely been ignored in parent education efforts. Yet, rehabilitation efforts aimed at improving family relationships have implications for the reduction of recidivism. This experimental study to assess positive benefits of parent education was conducted with 42 fathers incarcerated in a minimum security federal correctional institution. After pretesting of experimental and control group participants, 21 men completed an eightsession parenting class. All participants were posttested. It was shown through pairedt tests that the control group did not advance from pretest to posttest. The experimental group scored significantly higher at posttesting on a content/knowledge test and on certain subscales of the Parental Locus of Control Scale and the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale. Research efforts in the future should include giving follow-up posttests, assessing behavioral change and recidivism, and examining the effects of parent education on children of inmates.

Prison segregation: administrative detention remedy or mental health problem?

AbstractThis research was performed as a follow‐up study of general psychological distress levels for inmates housed in restricted environments. Previous research has found increased levels of psychological distress in more restrictive environments, as measured by the global indices of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). This study supported previous findings and found increased distress within three of the nine primary symptom dimensions of the BSI in the current conditions of a federal correctional institution and its segregation unit. This research is the first to report on the psychological distress symptom of interpersonal sensitivity and present the possibility that more severe levels of restriction may be increasing the problems within prisons rather than relieving them. The implications of these findings and the direction of future research are discussed. Copyright © 1997 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Religion and older men in prison

AbstractThe objective of the study was to examine the religious characteristics and background of inmates age 50 or over confined to a federal correctional institution. Ninety‐six of 106 eligible inmates (91%) consented and received complete evaluations. Forensic, demographic and health data were collected on all inmates, including detailed information on religious affiliation, background, belief, public and private activities, experience, intrinsic religiosity and religious coping. Over 80% of inmates were currently affiliated with a denomination different from the one in which they were raised, with a net movement from conservative Protestant to mainline traditions. Contrary to expectation, religious characteristics of older inmates were not greatly different from those of non‐incarcerated older adults. There was weak support for a relationship between religiousness and positive forensic factors (first prison term, fewer disciplinary actions). Religion was reported by 32% of inmates to be the most important factor that enabled them to cope. Inmates' intrinsic religiosity and perceived importance of religion to their primary caretaker (person who raised them) were both inversely related to depressive symptoms. This study suggests that religious background, belief, activities, experience and intrinsic religiosity are important factors to the adjustment and behavior of older prisoners.