Inmates In State Research Articles

An Examination of the Intersectional Experience of Incarcerated Parents

ABSTRACTData from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, consisting of 9,262 incarcerated parents, were used to explore patterns of anger, with a particular focus on understanding the interplay between emotional distress and other predictors of anger among incarcerated parents through the lens of General Strain Theory. Through a conjunctive analysis of case configurations (CACC), results from the current study show that 1) reports of anger cluster moderately among specific situational profiles, which are defined by the unique combination of variable attributes; 2) incarcerated parents most likely to report anger have consistently reported emotional distress, but incarcerated parents least likely to report anger rarely described emotional distress; and 3) incarcerated parents who report emotional distress can increase their chances of reported anger by as much as 12% in some situational contexts, but can have almost no influence on feelings of anger in others. Current findings are discussed considering existing scholarship on the well-being of incarcerated parents and recommendations for policy and future areas of research are offered.

Influence of Gender on the Adversity Quotient (AQ) of Inmates in Delta State, Nigeria

This study is to determine the influence of gender on the Adversity Quotient of inmates in Delta State. One research question and corresponding hypothesis guided the study. The design of the study was a descriptive research design. A sample of 525 inmates was drawn from a population of 7,348 inmates in all the custodian centres in Delta State. The researchers adopted purposive and non-proportionate stratified simple random sampling techniques for the sample size determination. The instrument for the study was titled Adversity Quotient Scale for Prisoners (AQSP). The AQSP is made up of 96 items delineating inmates feeling adversity. Almost half of the items of the AQSP were positively keyed while the othesr half was negatively keyed. The face and content validities of the instrument were established. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using internal consistency reliability via Cronbach Alpha technique. A coefficient of 0.95 was obtained. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, independent sample t–test technique. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the male and female inmates on their Adversity Quotient. This implies that there is nothing to worry about when comparing the adversity level of male and female inmates. The study therefore recommended among others that prison warders should encourage the inmates by giving assignments on biographies of people within and outside the immediate environment of inmates who have distinguished themselves through dint of discipline, hard-work and sheer bravery.

Prison Religion: Exploring the Link Between Pre- and In-prison Experiences to Religious Activity

Participation in prison-based religious programs has received a wealth of scholarly attention. Evidence shows that participation can provide critical coping mechanisms and access to a social support network. But despite a wealth of research, less work explores the pre-prison and in-prison attributes and experiences that may increase overall religious activity while in prison. We use data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to explore the covariates of religious engagement, uncovering the critical role of adverse experiences including pre-prison physical abuse and in-prison depression. Our findings highlight the need to further explore the influence of extra religious attributes and contribute to scholarship on the role of faith based prison programing in the lives of incarcerated individuals.

An Exploratory Factor Analysis of a Prison Rape Elimination Act Survey in a Women's Prison

Even with the dramatic increase in the number of female inmates in state and federal correctional institutions in recent decades, the criminal justice system continues to develop policies based on empirical research from male inmate programming. A shift in focus toward gender-responsive programming is challenging corrections to address women's needs. This study's data are a result of a settlement agreement between the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) and a state Department of Corrections (DOC) to explore female inmates’ perceptions of sexual and physical safety in the state's largest correctional faculty. The Prison Rape Elimination Act Survey Instrument (PSI) was designed with 15 categories and 76 questions, including demographic data, sexual and physical safety factors, and items related to programs. Results of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicate that the instrument has four factors detecting 41% of the variance explained. Recommendations are to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assure that the instrument is psychometrically sound and the factors are verified.

Outcome of Tuberculosis Case Surveillance at Kano Central Correctional Center, North-west Nigeria: A Need for Routine Active Case Findings for TB in Nigerian Correctional Centers

Aim: To demonstrate the need for routine active TB case finding in Nigerian correctional centers through a TB case surveillance intervention at the largest correctional centre in the most populous state in Nigeria by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria.
 Study Design: It was a retrospective review of public health intervention data derived from the mass TB screening of Kano central correctional centre inmates in Kano state, Nigeria. Methodology: A digital X-ray with artificial intelligence (AI) was used for mass TB screening of 1,967 consenting inmates at the Kano central correctional centre in Kano state, Nigeria, from 21st September to 2nd October 2020. Participants with CAD4TB score ≥ 60 had a GeneXpert assessment of their sputa for TB diagnosis. Where sputum production was not possible, or GeneXpert result was negative, expert clinical evaluation of the presumptive radiogram was carried out by experienced radiologist. Data from the project were extracted and analysed for this report. Proportions and means were compared with Fisher Exact test and Student t-test, respectively. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
 Results: Overall, 1,967 inmates were screened for TB and 92 (4.7%) presumptive were identified - males (4.8%, 91/92), females (1.9%, 1/92). Out of the 92 presumptive, 21 males were diagnosed as TB cases giving a TB prevalence of 1.1% among the inmates and 22.8% among presumptive. One of the TB cases had multi-drug resistant TB. The number needed to screen (NNS) was 94. All TB cases were enrolled in treatment.
 Conclusion: The prevalence of TB at the Kano central correctional centre during the mass TB screening project was high. The National Tuberculosis Control Programme of Nigeria should accelerate the planned paradigm shift from passive to active case-finding for TB in Nigerian correctional centers.

Examining prison rule violations among incarcerated veterans with a history of brain injury, alcohol, and substance use

Background: To investigate how the independent variables: veteran status, brain injury, drug use, and alcohol use predict risk for rule violations and assaulting jail or prison staff while incarcerated. This study used aggregated and disaggregated data to demonstrate relationships between exposure and outcomes. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data was collected from the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SISFCF), 2004 (n = 14499). Chi-square, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH), and logistic regression were conducted to determine the relative contribution of the independent variables in predicting rule violations and assaulting jail or prison staff while incarcerated. The research study tested a number of hypotheses that are listed in the hypotheses section of the research study. Results: The findings from the logistic regression conducted in this study demonstrate a significant relationship between veteran status, alcohol use, and brain injury status and the dependent variable: found guilty or written up for jail or prison rule violations while incarcerated. Conclusion: Alcohol use and brain injury present serious risks for maintaining public health and safety of incarcerated veterans and non-veterans. Daily or almost daily consumption of alcohol was the strongest predictor of jail or prison rule violations. Therefore, researchers and practitioners should continue to develop interventions and policies for reducing alcohol consumption of individuals in contact with the criminal justice system.

Factors Associated with Repeat Sexual Offending among U.S. Military Veterans Compared to Civilians

Veterans have higher rates of incarceration for sexual offenses than non-veterans, but little is known about the factors associated with repeat sexual offending among veterans. This study used the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to examine whether the factors associated with repeat sexual offending differ between veterans and non-veterans. In a multivariate logistic regression, there were significant interactions between veteran status and both age and race. Diagnosis of personality disorder and history of violation of conditional release were also associated with repeat offense status. Findings can help inform intervention and risk management with veterans.

Did mass incarceration lead to the disproportionate admission of minorities and marginal offenders?

Research SummaryWe examine the effects of mass incarceration on the admission of minority and marginal (i.e., first‐time) offenders to state prisons. Our analyses are based on six waves of data from the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities from 1973 to 2004. The results suggest that the era of mass incarceration led to increased incarceration of Hispanic offenders relative to White offenders, but not Black offenders relative to White offenders. Disproportional incarceration did occur, however, during some periods. For example, during the early period of mass incarceration, there was a disproportional increase in the admission of Hispanics and marginal offenders. In the late 1980s, during the “War on Drugs,” the likelihood that admissions were Black or Hispanic drug offenders increased, but the likelihood that admissions were marginal offenders did not.Policy ImplicationsOur results provide further evidence of the perils of punitive policies. The tendency to overreact to crime problems sometimes, but not always, leads to the disproportionate incarceration of minority and marginal offenders.

Maternal incarceration trajectories and the intergenerational transmission of imprisonment: A nationwide study

Abstract While children with maternal incarceration experiences have substantially higher rates of criminal justice involvement than children without maternal incarceration experiences, research on the association between maternal imprisonment and children’s criminal justice involvement reveals divergent findings. The inconsistencies are potentially attributable to the widespread use of a dichotomized maternal incarceration measure that masks different experiences across samples. This study used incarceration trajectories over the life course to determine the nature and array of maternal imprisonment histories associated with intergenerational incarceration. Using the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities dataset (N = 881), we conducted logistic regression to examine the relationship between maternal incarceration trajectories and children’s risk of imprisonment. Findings suggested that children whose mothers followed the young-adulthood-peak trajectory had higher odds of being incarcerated than children whose mothers followed the moderate declining path. Moreover, the mother’s experiences of sexual abuse and juvenile justice involvement were significantly associated with intergenerational incarceration. This study suggests the need to use comprehensive longitudinal maternal incarceration measures to understand its consequences. Rehabilitative rather than punishment-oriented interventions for mothers may lower the odds od intergenerational incarceration. Prevention programs that target the unique challenges od mothers following the young-adulthood-peak trajectory may also interrupt intergenerational imprisonment. Moreover, criminal justice reform should consider systematic racism and socioeconomic inequalities to reduce the criminal justice involvement of children from disadvantaged communities in the US.

A Real Second Chance

Amendments to the compassionate release provisions of the federal First Step Act and Second Chance Acts provide some opportunity for release for elderly and infirm federal inmates. This article examines the reentry successes of three Pennsylvania state inmates, all convicted of homicide, who won their release as re-sentenced juvenile lifers or through commutation. The author came to know them through a reentry group affiliated with a Pittsburgh university. Their success and scholarship about the low recidivism rates for violent offenders over the age fifty suggest that the criminal justice system should abolish the imposition of life sentences. More than avoid recidivism, each of these returning citizens has made positive contributions to their communities, both in and out of prison. They are working, obtaining educations, engaging in charitable work and political advocacy, and writing about their experiences. Their example and their description of many similarly-situated older inmates still in prison teach that society should not rest the argument for their release solely on compassion and pity. Rather, older inmates have learned coping skills that can help restore the communities that their crimes harmed and that they were taken from during their incarceration. For these reasons, the author suggests that prison sentences generally should provide for release after an inmate serves twenty-five years and attains the age of fifty.

The Victim-Offender Overlap in Prison: Examining the Factors Associated With Group Membership.

Historically, criminologists have examined offending and victimization in the community as separate outcomes. Recently, however, researchers have begun to explore the shared commonalities of being an offender and a victim. The victim-offender overlap literature shows that victimization and offending are not different and distinct outcomes, but rather these outcomes share numerous risk factors. A close examination of the victim-offender overlap has not been done within the prison literature. Thus, it remains unclear whether there are commonalities among prisoners who offend while incarcerated and those who experience victimization. The focus of the current study is to (a) identify the proportion of the prisoners who were victims-only, offenders-only, victim-offenders, or neither victim nor offender and (b) identify the factors that predict membership into the four categories of the overlap. The current study used the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities with multinomial logistic regression analyses to examine which factors are associated with group membership into the victim-only, offender-only, or victim-offender groups in prison. Findings show that although the victim-offender overlap exists among prisoners, the majority of prisoners were neither a victim nor an offender. Victim-offenders and victims-only comprise only a small proportion of the sample. Findings also indicate that there are few unique factors across the groups. Results of the study have implications policy and future research.

ADVERSITY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AS PREDICTORS AND MEDIATORS OF RULE VIOLATIONS IN U.S. PRISONS.

This study explores how typologies of adversity and mental health/substance use disorders impact rule violations during incarceration. Data come from the 2004 cross-sectional Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SI-SFCF). Logistic regression and structural equation modeling were used for analysis. Results link history of adverse experiences to rule violations during incarceration and demonstrate how mental health and substance use disorders mediate this relationship. Incarcerated people with severe histories of adverse experiences had the highest odds of rule violations, relative to people with low adversity, for all typologies. More severe adversity typologies predicted mental health and substance use disorders. Alcohol and substance use disorders predicted drug violations, whereas substance use and mental health disorders predicted major violations. Serious mental illness did not predict rule violations when accounting for adversity. Findings suggest that addressing adverse experiences, mental health, and substance use disorders may prevent rule violations.

Typologies of adversity in childhood & adulthood as determinants of mental health & substance use disorders of adults incarcerated in US prisons

BackgroundIncarcerated people have disproportionately high rates of adverse experiences, mental health and substance use disorders. ObjectiveThis study identifies typologies of adversity among adults incarcerated in US prisons. Typologies are used to predict mental health and substance use disorders. Disparities by gender, race and ethnicity are also examined. Participants and SettingData come from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SI-SFCF), a cross sectional survey of incarcerated adults (n = 18,185). MethodsBivariate statistics compared rates of adverse experiences, mental health and substance use disorders by gender, race and ethnicity. Latent class analysis was conducted using adverse experiences as indicators of latent classes of adversity. Using multinomial regression, latent class membership was predicted by gender, race and ethnicity. Finally, logistic regression predicted mental health and substance use disorders by latent classes. ResultsIncarcerated people identifying as either women or white experienced higher rates of nearly all types of adverse experiences, as compared to either men or non-white people. Women also had higher rates of mental health and substance use disorders, except for alcohol use disorder. Four typologies of adverse experiences were found: Class-1) low exposure, Class-2) moderate deprivation, high violence exposure, Class-3) high deprivation, low violence exposure, and Class-4) high exposure. As compared to the low exposure group, all other typologies predicted mental health and substance use disorders. ConclusionsGiven that incarcerated people experience high rates of adverse experiences, mental health and substance use disorders, findings can inform how to tailor services to typologies of adversity.

Identifying Poly-Victimization Among Prisoners: An Application of Latent Class Analysis.

Research suggests that people in prison may be especially vulnerable to victimization and may be more likely to report exposure to multiple types, known as poly-victimization. However, the literature surrounding patterns of victimization among prisoners is limited. Before we can fully understand the variation in victimization experiences among prisoners, a necessary first step is to identify victim profiles within prisons. The current study utilizes data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities and employs latent class analysis to identify unique victim profiles among prisoners to understand the variation in victimization experiences, with a focus on identifying those exposed to poly-victimization. The findings of this study indicate (a) that there are four distinct victim profiles-poly-victimization (2%), physical victimization in adulthood (31%), physical victimization in childhood (17%), and low/no victimization (49%); (b) that some prisoners experience poly-victimization, although this consists of a small proportion of prisoners; and (c) that there are clear demographic differences between the latent classes, with some of the largest differences among those in the poly-victimization profile. The findings of the current study are important because they add more depth to the knowledge regarding poly-victimization among prisoners, a topic that has received little attention from researchers. The current study suggests that correctional policy may need to be tailored in a way that recognizes the different needs of prisoners who have been exposed to different forms of victimization.

Moral Communities and Institutional Misconduct: A Reassessment of Religious Contextual Influences on Inmate Behavior

Most of the research into religious influences on inmate misconduct has been undertaken with respect to personal religious participation. However, the religious environment of prisons offers potential influences on inmate behavior by providing social control and support. Currently, the literature is mixed regarding the association between religious context and inmate behavior. This article reconciles the divergent findings regarding religious contexts, and integrates recently emergent directions in religious contextual research. Using nationally representative data of inmates in state and federal prisons, I estimate multilevel models of several different forms of misconduct. The results indicate a relationship between religious context and each form of misconduct, highlighting the role of cultural contexts on inmate behavior.

Service Experience Varies: Exploring the Association between Military Service and Prison Misconduct among State Inmates

ABSTRACT Military service is a life event that has the ability to shape veterans’ criminal trajectories. Institutional behavior has implications for community adjustment and can provide insight into offending patterns of inmates’ post-release. This study explores whether military service variables affect the likelihood and frequency of prison misconduct among a nationally representative sample of U.S. state prisoners. Results suggest that variations in the military experience affect prison misconduct, especially for those who served for longer periods of time and who enter service at an older age. Recommendations for future research and suggestions for correctional policy and practice are offered.

Education and Health Conditions among the Currently Incarcerated and the Non-Incarcerated Populations.

Previous research has found a strong link between educational attainment and health, where the highly educated live longer and healthier lives than those with lower levels of education. Because such research has relied on samples of the non-institutionalized population, previous research has not explored the association between education and specific chronic and infectious health conditions among the currently incarcerated. Analyzing the relationship between education and health conditions among the incarcerated, whom tend to be less healthy and for whom many of the intermediate mechanisms between education and health are held relatively constant in prison, may yield new insights. Using the 2002-2004 National Health Interview Study (N=74,881), the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (N=17,553), and interaction terms from logistic regression models, I compared the strength of the association between educational attainment and the presence of chronic and infectious health conditions among the incarcerated and non-incarcerated populations. These models indicated generally stronger negative associations between educational attainment and chronic conditions among the non-incarcerated, while the negative relationship between education and hepatitis was stronger for the incarcerated. These results suggest that while education may play a lesser role for chronic conditions for the incarcerated, it can still important for avoiding risky health behaviors.

Conditions of Confinement in American Prisons and Jails

Research on the consequences of incarceration for inmates and ex-inmates, their families, and their communities has proliferated in just the last 20 years. Yet little of this research has documented variation across facilities in conditions of confinement or how these variations in conditions of confinement shape the consequences of incarceration for inmates and ex-inmates, their families, and their communities. Also, the conditions of confinement that have to this point been considered represent a very incomplete portrait of the range of conditions of confinement inmates could face. In this review, we fill this gap in four ways. First, we provide a partial overview of possible variations in conditions of confinement. Second, we use data from multiple years of the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to provide an assessment of how much conditions of confinement vary across American jails, state prisons, and federal prisons, with an emphasis on variation within as well as between facility types. Third, we briefly review research on conditions of confinement in the United States and, as appropriate, other developed democracies. Finally, we conclude by providing a road map for future research to further enliven this research area.

Mental Health and the Role of Religious Context among Inmates in State and Federal Prisons: Results from a Multilevel Analysis

Inmates confined to correctional institutions are exposed to stressors that induce psychological distress. One factor that may be important for inmate mental health is religion. Accordingly, scholars have examined the role of participation in religious activities on inmate mental health. Yet, the role of the religious concentration of prisons on inmate mental health remains unexamined, in spite of research showing that religious contexts impact adjustment to prison. Using data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, this paper presents a multilevel analysis of mental health and religion. The results indicated a mostly positive yet slightly inconsistent relationship between individual religious practice and mental distress. Findings regarding the religious context of prisons indicated a curvilinear relationship whereby inmates in highly religious and highly nonreligious prisons were less likely to report mental distress, while inmates in facilities more evenly mixed between religious and irreligious inmates were most likely to report distress. These findings yield insight into the operation of religion within total institutions.

The Victim–Offender Overlap Behind Bars: Linking Prison Misconduct and Victimization

Despite a growing body of research on the victim–offender overlap, limited scholarship has examined this phenomenon in the context of the prison. This paper advances theory and scholarship on the victim–offender overlap and prison social order by examining linkages between prison misconduct and victimization. Examination of the overlap in the prison context extends the generality of the model and provides greater insight into the implications of the prison experience on behavior. This paper uses nationally representative data from the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities and bi-probit analyses to estimate whether the overlap exists within the prison setting and whether victimization and misconduct can be explained using the same theoretical framework. Findings suggest that common and unique risk factors exist for victimization and misconduct. Results have implications for theory, research, and policy related to understanding the relationship between victims and offenders and deviance in the prison setting.