Israeli Prisons Research Articles

From Subcultures to Toolkits: Ethnicity and Violence in Israeli Prisons

Research on violence in US prisons frequently finds higher rates of violence among ethnic minorities compared to whites. Explanations focus on a “subculture of violence,” sometimes referred to as an honor culture or code of the street, whereby minorities import a deeply internalized, violent subculture into prison. Subcultural theories of violence have been challenged by scholarship that views culture as providing a “toolkit” of frames and scripts that individuals draw upon in different social contexts. According to this model, the importation of violence is far from inevitable, because violence results from the interplay between social context and cultural toolkits. We assess the ability of these two cultural models to explain ethnic differences in prison violence in a different national context by comparing rates of violence among Arab Muslim and Jewish criminal prisoners in Israel. Subcultural models lead us to expect higher rates of violence among Arab Muslim prisoners, while a toolkit-based explanation that draws on social identity research predicts lower rates of violence. We test these hypotheses using both logistic regression and propensity score matching on data covering over 16,000 prisoners, supplemented by in-depth interviews with prisoners and staff. Our results conflict with the expectations of subcultural theories and lend support to culture-as-toolkit explanations. We conclude by discussing the relevance of our findings for research on prison violence, theories of the relationship between culture and violence, and the usefulness of incorporating social identity into toolkit theory.

From the Small Zinzana to the Bigger Zinzana: Israeli Prisons, Palestinian Prisons

The Palestinian experience has been aptly characterized as carceralism, in both literal and metaphorical senses. It is arguable that ever since the 1967 occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the most consensual pillar of national Palestinian discourse has been the issue of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. After Hamas's so-called takeover of Gaza in 2007, however, a new, intra-Palestinian carceralism emerged. This article traces the shifts in Palestinian representations and experiences of the carceral post-2007, their historical resonances in the late Oslo era, and their implications for Palestinian unity after nine years of division.

Sonia Nimr: Author – Palestine

Sonia NimrAuthor – Palestine You Chengcheng Click for larger view View full resolution sonia nimr is a prominent Palestinian author and storyteller, writing for children and youth both in Arabic and English. She was born in 1955 in a small town of Palestine where she finished her elementary and high school education. In her second year at Birzeit University in 1975, she was sentenced to three years in an Israeli prison for political reasons. During those three years, she developed a strong interest in writing children’s books. Still, she did not start writing children’s books until she worked as an education officer at the Museum of Mankind in 1989. In 1990, she received her PhD in Oral History from Exeter University. Currently, she teaches at the Department of Cultural Studies, Birzeit University. Aside from writing fiction, she is also passionate about translating children books from English into Arabic. Sonia Nimr’s preoccupation with oral history motivates her to collect traditional tales from around the world. She is masterful in weaving familiar ingredients of “rich imagery, patterned language and repeated action” into her telling and retelling of stories against the backdrop of Arabian land, culture, and folklore. Nimr hopes that these stories will challenge stereotypes and stimulate the sharing and valuing of folktales from diverse groups of people. Instilling humor and humanistic concerns in the traditional stories, Nimr tries to make each tale attractive to children. By the same token, she resists conservative teaching methods and encourages teachers to meet the children on more open and flexible premises, answering their needs with fantasy and folktales. Throughout her career as a children’s writer, Nimr has published a large number of books for children and young adults and accumulated several awards. She is the recipient of the 2014 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature, one of the most important and prestigious awards for children’s literature in the Arab world, for her young adults book Rihlat Ajeeba Fi Al Bilad Al Ghareeba [Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands]. This novel and Qisah Awalha khayal wa Akherha Khyal [Story that Begins and Ends with Lies] made the IBBY Honor List in 2014 and 2004. Viewing her writings as a mission meant for Palestinian children in particular and also for children that live in zones of conflict and war in general, Nimr is committed to exercising their imagination and keeping them in touch with their cultural heritage. A humanistic perspective emanates from her stories for children. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Story that Begins and Ends with Lies. Ramallah, Palestine: Tamer Institute, 2002. Print. Google Scholar A Little Piece of Ground. Sonia Nimr with Elizabeth Laird. London: Macmillan Children’s Books,2003. Print. Google Scholar Ghaddar the Ghoul, and other Palestinian Stories. London: Frances Lincoln Children’s books, 2007. Print. Google Scholar Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands. 2013. Ramallah, Palestine: Tamer Institute, 2014. Print. Google Scholar King of Tales. Ramallah, Palestine: Tamer Institute, 2014. Print. [End Page 46] Google Scholar Copyright © 2016 Bookbird, Inc.

Imprisoned Husbands: Palestinian Wives and Experiences of Difficulties.

This study aimed to investigate difficulties experienced by the wives of Palestinian men arrested and held in Israeli prisons. 16 captives' wives were interviewed using a semi-structured interview to provide them with a greater opportunity to speak about their experiences. Three main research questions were discussed; community difficulties, social support, and coping strategies. A thematic analysis was used throughout the interviews. We concluded that in addition to the stress of being separated from their husbands, the frustrating visitation process to prison and the ongoing political conflict, the wives expressed a frustrating social network characterized by constant interferences in their personal lives and the choices they make. Most women expressed a lack in psychosocial support given through governmental and non-governmental organizations; in addition they expressed a need for that kind of support. Coping strategies ranged from religious, acceptance, distraction, to planning strategies.

Captive revolution: Palestinian women’s anti-colonial struggle within the Israeli prison system, by Nahla Abdo, London, Pluto, 2014, 264 pp., ISBN 978-0-7453-3493-6 (pbk)

This book provides a compelling account of the role of women in resistance movements, focusing specifically on Palestinian women imprisoned by the Israelis between the 1960s and the 1980s. The book...

Between Homeland and Prisoners of War: remaking terror

The Israeli series Prisoners of War (Hatufim, Keshet, Israel, Gideon Raff, 2009–2011) and Homeland (Showtime, US 2011–2013; developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa based on the Israeli series with Gideon Raff as one of the producers) is a special case of hypertextuality (Genette 1982). Both serial dramas revolve around prisoners of war who have returned home and their families, intelligence agency operatives and terror organizations operating behind the scenes. In these serializations of the thriller genre, narratives of paranoia and conspiracy render invisible terror visible on the screen. The focalization of the various plots and sub-plots as well as their reception spaces are different however. Prisoners of War tells the story of three soldierswho are kidnapped, held captive for 17 years and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder on their return home. The series was broadcast at a time when intensive negotiations were underway for the release of three IDF soldiers who had been kidnapped. Homeland, on the other hand, places centre stage a female CIA operative (Claire Danes) who suffers from bipolar disorder. The first season was broadcast in post-9/11 America while American soldiers were still fighting in Iraq. Both series therefore directly address their audiences and relate to the public sphere outside the studio. The reception of these texts incorporates their meaning as reconstructed by their publics. Thus, while both series involve a ritual of scapegoating as a means of resolving conflict, each reflects and produces its own repertoire of reality (‘realemes’). Interestingly, a traumatic excess is inscribed on both male and female bodies as each series rewrites its own society's myth: the binding of Isaac in the Israeli Prisoners of War and Joan of Arc in the American Homeland.

HIV/AIDS prevalence in Israeli prisons: Is there a need for universal screening?

This study aimed to assess HIV/AIDS point-prevalence among inmates and evaluate costs related to universal screening as currently practiced and appraise its necessity. All inmates newly incarcerated in Israel (2003-2010) underwent HIV tests and their medical files were cross-matched the with the national HIV/AIDS registry to who had been newly infected and detected on prison entry. They were classified by key risk-groups. Of 108,866 new inmates during the period, 215 (0.2 per cent) were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, 44 of those (0.04 per cent) were not aware of their infection. A large majority (94.2 per cent) of the infected inmates were members of a key-risk group: drug-users, homosexuals, or originating from a high-HIV prevalence country. The direct cost of detecting a single HIV-infected inmate who was not previously recorded was [euro ]12,386. The HIV/AIDS-screening process can be improved by interviewing the new inmates and performing targeted HIV-testing for those who are members of a known risk-group. These data from Israel are pertinent to developed countries with low HIV prevalence, because they present a picture of all newly infected inmates over an 8-year period within the paradigm of a fully functional HIV surveillance system.

Who Knows Who Cares for Me

One fundamental measure of a liberal democracy concerns its guarantee of civil and health liberties to prisoners. The study examines the Israeli legislation regarding prisoners’ human rights and access to health services, and analyzes the reasons for the gap between the regulations and their de facto implementation. The main findings include the following: (a) A significant gap exists between the Israeli Prison Service formal regulations for prisoners’ civil and health rights and their actual implementation, and (b) the Israeli Prison Service and the Israeli legislation lack a pragmatic instrument aimed at the protection and preservation of Israeli inmates’ fundamental human rights.

The association between parental imprisonment and the mental health of Palestinian adolescents.

Since 1967, the Palestinian Occupied Territories are marked by a protracted political conflict. During this conflict, about one fifth of the Palestinian population has been detained; a considerable part of them having children outside prison. Although parental detention negatively impacts children's psychological well-being, little is known about this impact within contexts of protracted armed conflict. Therefore, this study aimed at gaining insight into the impact of parental detention onto adolescents' psychological well-being. Of 314 (11- to 18-year old) Palestinian adolescents who took part, the fathers of 204 adolescents were detained in Israeli prisons. The adolescents completed two self-report questionnaires: the UCLA-PTSD-Reaction Index, investigating symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, looking at overall psychological problems. Several hierarchical regression analyses investigated mental health differences between both the groups, and possible associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the witnessing of the father's arrest, and the mental health outcomes. Parental detention largely impacted adolescents' mental health, with one fifth to two thirds of the adolescents reporting considerable mental health problems. Witnessing the arrest of the father even increased this risk considerably. Above, girls, younger adolescents, participants living in refugee camps, and those living with extended families also reported higher scores on both questionnaires. Detention of fathers in the context of protracted armed conflicts has a large impact on adolescents' mental health. Besides an overall plea to end armed conflicts as fast as possible, the study also delineates considerable implications for the support and care for these adolescents and their families.

Palestinian Prisoners' Hunger-Strikes in Israeli Prisons: Beyond the Dual-Loyalty Dilemma in Medical Practice and Patient Care

Palestinian Prisoners' Hunger-Strikes in Israeli Prisons: Beyond the Dual-Loyalty Dilemma in Medical Practice and Patient Care

A tapestry of Palestinian life: remembering Samar Alhallaq

A tapestry of Palestinian life: remembering Samar Alhallaq

Addictive Adjustment to Imprisonment and Recidivism. Addiction to Imprisonment, Addiction to the Criminal Life Style, Addiction to Specific Crime

Objectives: The research aimed to investigate the ways of adjustment to imprisonment and recidivism. Method: 233 adult male prisoners in Israeli prisons completed a series of questionnaires. Results: Two ways of adjustment to prison life were identified: (1) addictive adjustment; (2) normative adjustment. Findings indicated that a perception of social affiliation, coping style and the characteristic of codependence correlated with adjustment to imprisonment and recidivism. Conclusions: Main contributions to knowledge include: (1) a high and medium level of codependence amongst Israeli prisoners (2) addictive adjustment is a common way of adjustment (3) recidivism is partially due to addiction to imprisonment, addiction to the criminal life style and addiction to a specific crime (sex crime).

From violence to hope: the construction of professional knowledge in treating imprisoned male batterers in Israel.

The treatment of incarcerated batterers has not been as thoroughly studied as that of men who take part in community treatment programs. The current study describes and analyzes the “practice wisdom” of professionals in a special unit that focuses on treating batterers in an Israeli prison. The analysis is based on in-depth semistructured interviews aimed at facilitating a self-reflective process among the participating social workers. In understanding the construction of tacit knowledge by the social workers, we observe four major dialectical themes in their construction of their practice knowledge: (a) the dialectics of behavior modification and psychodynamic change, (b) the paradoxical use of authority in the service of treatment, (c) the multiple meanings of gender, and (d) the question of change--what really makes the difference? While such opposites might never be fully reconciled, the tension and changes can contribute to construction of professional knowledge.

P6.058 Universal HIV Screening of Inmates in Israeli Prisons: Should the Policy Be Updated?

Background HIV rates among inmates are mostly higher than the general population. Israel is a relative low-HIV prevalence country (107:100,000 population, 2011 data). All criminal inmates incarcerated in prisons/gaols at the Israeli Prison Services (IPS) are routinely screened for HIV. This retrospective study evaluates the necessity of the current policy of universal HIV-testing policy. Methods We reviewed all inmates diagnosed with HIV/AIDS upon incarceration in Israel between 2003 and 2010, and assessed their risk-behaviours and the date of diagnosis. Results During the 8 years follow-up, 108,866 new criminal inmates were incarcerated in 31 correctional facilities, and it is estimated that 95% of those were tested for HIV. Of those, 201 (0.2%) were tested positively with HIV, in a direct testing cost of 622,000 (US$). Of all 201 HIV-infected inmates, 118 (58.7%) were intra-venous drug-users (IVDU), 55 (27.4%) originated in high-prevalence countries, 13 (6.5%) were men who have sex with men (MSM), 12 (6.0%) were heterosexuals not originating in endemic country, 2 (0.1%) the risk-group was undetermined and one (0.5%) was infected vertically. Of all 201 HIV-infected inmates, 157 (78.2%) were diagnosed in the community, prior to their imprisonment, and were re-tested in prison; while 44 (21.8%) were firstly diagnosed in prison. Of those 44 inmates, 25 (56.8%) were IVDU, 13 (29.5%) originated in endemic country, three (9.1%) were MSM and in two (4.5%) the risk-group was not determined. Conclusion HIV-infection rate is prison is twice higher than the general population. The majority (98.5%) of all inmates was diagnosed prior to their incarceration or had a key risk-behaviour exposing them to HIV. Therefore, questioning each new inmate upon incarceration about previous HIV-diagnosis, and targeted testing for other inmates who are IVDU, MSM or originating in endemic countries for HIV can detect almost all HIV-infected prisoners, presuming they respond reliably.

"Our Life is Prison"

In focus groups and individual interviews with the wives and mothers of Palestinian political prisoners, we find that their narratives describe a triple captivity—of the Israeli colonial system, the Israeli prison, and the post-Oslo Palestinian political landscape with its isolating effects in their own communities. Wives and mothers of prisoners mediate between prison and family life by navigating through the multiple dynamics of Israeli securitization and geographic incarceration, political invisibility in the Palestinian field, and social isolation in their communities. In particular, the visit from the West Bank to prisons inside Israel emerges as an ordeal that haunts and structures daily life. We draws on Jacques Ranciere’s notion to highlight the vanishing of the political, the dominance of policing, and the diminishing value of imprisonment in the post Oslo years, signaling an absence of the Palestinian emancipatory project.

Rape and Consensual Sex in Male Israeli Prisons

Prisons deprive male inmates of heterosexual relationships and, thus, prevent them from asserting their masculinity via “traditional” means. Accordingly, many prisoners experience extreme emotional, psychological, and physical distress, which can lead to intimidation, aggression, and reestablishment of their sense of dominance through homosexual activities with consenting or coerced partners. This quantitative and qualitative study, based on research undertaken in a random sample of 30% of the male prisons in Israel, analyzes the neglected issue of homosexual relationships in Israeli prisons. The findings indicate that sexual harassment or homosexual rapes rarely take place in Israeli prisons and consensual homosexual relationships are rare. Furthermore, Israeli inmates view homosexual relationships in prison as disgusting and disgraceful and conceptualize them in highly negative emotional terms.

From the “Greenhouse” to Reality

Beit-Hatikva (BH) is a special unit within the Israeli prison system, and houses violent men who were sentenced to prison time for domestic violence. The goal of BH is to bring about behavioral and identity changes. The study explores the lived experiences of BH graduates. Twelve BH graduates were interviewed using an in-depth qualitative interview, at least one year following their release from prison. Interviewees were asked about meaningful experiences they underwent following their release from prison. Going out to the reality of life outside of BH, the graduates encounter narratives that challenge the BH narrative of changed identity and transformation. Focusing on their past, their stigma as ex-convicts, and disregarding their past normative achievements, this external and challenging societal narrative attempts to draw the graduate back into old patterns of thinking and behaving, challenging them to face temptations, provocations, expectations, and assumptions of social reality.

Physical and mental health of long-term Palestinian political prisoners: a qualitative study

Background 4489 Palestinians are political prisoners in Israeli prison facilities (IPS). Incarceration causes physical and emotional strain on the prisoners during and after detention. Little research has been focused on the health effects of imprisonment on Palestinians. The aim in this study was to assess the physical and mental health of long-term detainees in IPS, especially with respect to nutrition and conditions of the facilities. Methods Individuals were selected from a register of 477 ex-detainees released in a prisoner exchange deal on Oct 18, 2011, with convenience sampling—ie, dependent on availability and consent of the person. People who had served less than 8 years in prison or resided outside the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory, were excluded. 99 prisoners were eligible for the study. Because of budget constraints, only the first ten prisoners, eight men and two women, who consented and were available participated in the study. The participants' testimonies and recollections of events and medical diagnoses were gathered qualitatively with semistructured interviews with a 75-item questionnaire. The questionnaire was reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees, Ramallah, West Bank, which also facilitated the consent of the participants. The questions were modelled on WHO's quality of life 26-item questionnaire and RAND Health's 116-item medical outcomes survey. The focus of the interviews was on post-detention physical health (as assessed at a hospital of the Palestinian Authority), feelings, and a composite account of prison conditions. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Summary statistics and qualitative analysis were used and responses were analysed thematically. Verbal informed consent was obtained from the participants and recorded. Findings The mean age of the prisoners was 46·9 years (SD 7·9) and imprisonment time was 20·6 years (5·7). Since Feb 26, 2012, five of ten ex-detainees were still receiving treatment for illnesses they contracted during imprisonment. While in prison, four individuals developed peptic ulcers, three had various stomach ailments—colitis, digestive complications, and gallstones; they attributed these problems, diagnosed after release, to nutritional deficiencies. Although some prisoners were diagnosed while in prison after reporting symptoms at clinics for several years, all prisoners confirmed their diagnosis and were treated on release. All respondents had dental problems, with three reporting periodontal disease that was diagnosed by a dentist after release. Eight respondents reported feeling tense, with seven having this feeling regularly within the previous month. Eight individuals felt emotionally stable within the previous month; however, reacclimatisation to societal norms was stressful. All respondents reported that the IPS used the prison clinics to coerce political information from them in exchange for treatment, causing many of the detainees to avoid these clinics except in dire circumstances. Other crucial factors in the prisoners' abstention from clinic attendance were frequent denial of treatment and their distrust of the effectiveness of the medical care provided by the IPS. Individuals who did seek medical treatment had to wait several months and sometimes many years before being permitted to visit a prison hospital and receive treatment. As a consequence, small medical issues became dangerous health complications that required intensive treatment or hospital admission after release from prison. One prisoner was denied treatment for 1·5 years for what he described as serious stomach pain that forced him to be bedridden for days at a time. 1 month after his release, he had a cholecystectomy in a hospital of the Palestinian Authority. His surgeons told him that if he had waited any longer for treatment, his gallbladder would have ruptured. Another prisoner was given incomplete treatment for periodontitis during 10 years. Her ailments became so severe that on release, she had to have several operations. During their interviews, respondents described overcrowding, humidity, pest infestation, and general lack of hygiene as widespread, and felt that poor prison conditions negatively affected their overall health. Interpretation The prison environment exacerbates the physical health problems of detainees. Insufficient nutrition over a long period is the main contributing factor in the types of ailments, particulary dental hygiene and digestive or stomach problems, affecting prisoners. Inadequate provision of health care in Israeli prisons seems to be the cause of poor health in prisoners. Continued follow-up of long-term prisoners is needed to monitor and improve their physical health. Funding None.

Female inmates' perspectives toward consensual same-sex sexual relationships in an Israeli prison

Consensual same-sex sexual relationships in female prisons have long been of interest to researchers, and most of the research in the subject has been conducted in US prisons. This study aims to continue this course of research in a female prison in Israel, where same-sex sexual relationships among female inmates have so far been overlooked. Particularly, the study aims to examine female inmates' attitudes toward same-sex sexual relations in prison and their motivations to engage in such relationships. The findings of this study reveal that: (1) Israeli female inmates perceive consensual same-sex sexual relationships in prison as a frequent phenomenon. (2) Although the inmates claim that consensual same-sex sexual relations are frequent in prison, most of them express negative attitudes toward these relationships. (3) Consensual same-sex sexual relationships of inmates who serve short-term sentences are perceived by their peers as based on economic exploitation; in contrast, consensual sexual relationships of long-term inmates are deemed to be based on love and companionship. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Overlooked factors in the analysis of parole decisions

Danziger et al. (1) concluded that meal breaks taken by Israeli parole boards influence the boards’ decisions. This conclusion depends on the order of cases being random or at least exogenous to the timing of meal breaks. We examined data provided by the authors and obtained additional data from 12 hearing days (n = 227 decisions).* We also interviewed three attorneys, a parole panel judge, and five personnel at Israeli Prison Services and Court Management, learning that case ordering is not random and that several factors contribute to the downward trend in prisoner success between meal breaks. The most important is that the board tries to complete all cases from one prison before it takes a break and to start with another prison after the break. Within each session, unrepresented prisoners usually go last and are less likely to be granted parole than prisoners with attorneys. Using the same decision rules as Danziger et al., our data indicate that unrepresented prisoners account for about one-third of all cases, but they prevail only 15% of the time, whereas prisoners with counsel prevail at a 35% rate.