Prison Practices Research Articles

From Penal to "Civil": A Legacy of Private Prison Policy in a Landscape of Migrant Detention

Texas has more migrant detention centers and migrant prisons than any other state in the Union. This essay focuses on the construction and design of migrant detention facilities in Texas since the 1960s in relation to immigration policy and private prison practices. Using archival and ethnographic methods that include historical newspaper articles, ICE contracts and documents, satellite imagery, field observations and interviews, this genealogy of the construction of detention facilities reveals the government’s abdication of design responsibilities, as private prison corporations and construction companies assume authority and responsibility for making critical design decisions that affect migrants’ daily lives. I argue that the construction and design of facilities in Texas has formalized and institutionalized the “penal turn” and “criminalization of migration” reflected in immigration policy into an intractable material reality with long-term consequences. Not only has the evolving design of detention facilities contributed to today’s increasingly punitive experience of detention, but also the building of detention facilities and their related contracts shapes both a US civic “spatial imagination” and immigration policy itself.

Philosophical Practice and Aporia in Prison

In this paper we discuss how through our bi-weekly Socratic dialogue groups with inmates at the Metropolitan Correctional Center downtown San Diego, we were able to bring the inmates to a sense of aporia or puzzlement. Not only did the dialogues help to uncover assumptions, uncovering the dots, so to speak, but also to help reconnect the dots and see their world from a different perspective. It allowed them to question their lives in a safe and non-judgmental environment. They felt empowered by these dialogues to become their own life’s judges, freeing themselves from feeling oppressed by the judgments of others.

What’s in the bag? Reflective practice in church and prison

ABSTRACTWhat does good theological reflective practice look like? What difference does it make to me, to the rest of the world and the discipline? How are we formed as reflective practitioners and how do we form others? All these aspects are touched upon in this short reflective piece prepared for the BIAPT Conference 2018 which asked these questions. I address them by charting the growth of reflective practice in my own life and then look at the use of reflective practice in the Church of Scotland formation process through the introduction of the Parabolic Loop. The article starts and ends with short autothenographic pieces on the reflective practitioner’s bag.

THE PENITENTIARY FUNCTION OF MONASTERIES IN THE YENISEI PROVINCE IN THE SECOND HALF OF XIX – EARLY XX CENTURIES

The research features the prison practice in the monasteries of the Yenisei diocese in the second half of XIX – early XX centuries. The research objective was to study the composition of the prison population in the Orthodox monasteries of the Yenisei diocese and the legal rules governing the status of the epitimizes in the mansions of the region. The work uses the comparative historical method and critical analysis of historical sources, which made it possible to specify the number of those under penance (epitimia) in the monasteries of the diocese, the conditions of their detention, and to highlight the main features of the prison work of the monasteries. The analysis revealed that the penal role of the monasteries had decreased by the beginning of XX century. Eventually, the monasteries of the Yenisei diocese were relieved of this function, which corresponded with the national trends.

On the Force-Feeding of Prisoners on Hunger Strike.

Roughly 80,000 U.S. prisoners are held in solitary confinement at any given time. A significant body of research shows that solitary confinement has severe, long-term effects, and the United Nations has condemned the practice of solitary confinement as torture. For years, prisoners have been organizing hunger strikes in order to protest solitary confinement. But such action is not without consequences, and some inmates have suffered serious injury or death. The question I raise in this paper is whether we ought to force-feed hunger striking prisoners when serious harm is imminent. Both the World Medical Association and the American Medical Association have denounced the practice of force-feeding prisoners on hunger strike, and yet, the practice is common. Such prevalence is likely a result of the tension between the person-as-patient and person-as-prisoner and cannot easily be resolved. Instead, we must take seriously the complaint that solitary confinement is inhumane and avoid placing health professionals in the position where they must choose to force-feed the prisoner against his will or not. I argue that a conventional bioethics debate centering on polarizing principles of prisoner autonomy and a duty-to-protect the prisoner from harm is an inadequate framework for this complex issue. Instead, we must examine the prisoner's intent and his right to freedom of speech. I argue that when the prisoner's intent is to raise awareness and communicate with others, his hunger strike is a form of speech. Protest-as-speech is constitutionally protected-even for prisoners-and remains a minimum ethical obligation for society to uphold.

Impact of Educational Program on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Prisoners, Officers and Soldiers at Menoufia Governorate Prison, Egypt

AbstractBackground: Prisons are considered facilities liable of high risk of infectious disease. Investigations carried out in prisons around the world have shown a high prevalence of blood borne hepatitis viruses. As there are few studies about-blood borne hepatitis viruses knowledge among prisoners and security personnel. Those carried with other populations, point out that the lack of knowledge about the illness is one of the main barriers to the perception of the symptoms, early diag-nosis, treatment adherence and cure.Aim of Study: To estimate the level of knowledge, attitudes and practice related to HBV and HCV infections before and after an educational intervention among security personnel and prisoners.Patients and Methods: Self-administered questionnaire was used to assess KAP of HBV and HCV infection of 324 prisoners and 68 security personals pre and post educational intervention. SPSS (Version 20) was used for analysis of data.Results: The mass media were the major source of infor-mation (44.5%). Regarding knowledge and attitude about HBV and HCV infection, highly significant improvement (p 0.05); however there was improvement in the practice of security personnel (p <0.001). Knowledge and attitude scores of security personnel were evident irrespective of socio-demographic characteristics and history of hepatitis infections. Security personnel who were of urban residence had significantlybetter pre-intervention practice (p=0.006). Overall KAP scores among prisonerswere evident irrespective of socio-demographic characteristics. HBV & HCV infected prisoners (p<0.001) were significantly more knowledgeable about these viruses before educational intervention.Conclusions: We are reporting inadequate level of HBV and HCV awareness among the studied groups. The study confirms the necessity of continuous periodic health education programs as well as immunization programs, infectious disease screening, treatment, and promotion of living conditions in prisons.

The prison as a therapeutic music scene: Exploring musical identities in music therapy and everyday life in a prison setting

Whilst most research into music therapy with offenders focuses on music interventions in forensic mental health settings, less research exists into affordances of supporting musicking as an everyday practice in prisons. This article explores the prison as a music scene supported by a music therapist, showing how musicking forms an important part of the prison’s emotional geography. Through the presentation of findings from an ethnographic study of musical life in a low secure prison in Norway, the article shows how prisoners engage in music as a technology of self, affording the performance of caring and autonomous identities. We argue that supporting everyday musicking in the prison through music therapy fosters a therapeutic music scene, and that drawing on music as data in criminological research can contribute to more nuanced understandings of prisons.

'Teabacco': Smoking of nicotine-infused tea as an unintended consequence of prison smoking bans.

Following the introduction of smoke-free policies in prisons in several countries, there have been anecdotal reports of prisoners creating cigarettes by mixing nicotine patches or lozenges with tea leaves ('teabacco'). Among a sample of people recently released from smoke-free prisons in Queensland, Australia, the aims of this study were to explore the perceived popularity of teabacco use, motivations for its use and describe the process of creating teabacco to identify potential associated health risks. This study used a mixed-methods design. Eighty-two people recently released from prison in Queensland, Australia completed surveys at parole offices measuring teabacco use while incarcerated. Twenty-one teabacco smokers took part in follow-up, qualitative interviews to explore survey responses in greater depth. The majority of survey participants (57%) reported smoking teabacco while incarcerated, with 37% smoking teabacco frequently (> once per week). Teabacco use was primarily motivated by cigarette cravings. Participants described the perceived inevitability of prisoners finding substitutes for tobacco. Multivariate analyses found that self-rated poor physical health, having been incarcerated five or more times, experiencing cigarette cravings while incarcerated, and use of illicit drugs while incarcerated were positively associated with frequent teabacco use in prison. Our findings suggest that teabacco use has become common practice in Queensland's smoke-free prisons. Correctional smoking bans are an important public health initiative but should be complemented with demand and harm reduction measures cognisant of the risk environment.

Psychological therapy in prisons: Professionals’ perceptions

ABSTRACTThis study explored professionals’ perceptions of providing psychological therapy in prisons. Eight professionals, affiliated with counselling as well as counselling, clinical and forensic psychology, were interviewed. A social constructionist paradigm was used to understand how social and discursive practices shaped professionals’ accounts, allowing for critical engagement with taken-for-granted practices. Participants’ accounts were analysed using a social constructionist informed thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed: (a) performing therapy, (b) humanising the client, (c) frames inside frames and (d) a challenging but rewarding experience. The findings of this investigation indicated that therapy provision was interwoven with the socio-political ideals governing prison, which created a conflict between therapeutic values and penal values. This conflict has important implications for establishing and maintaining ethical and deontological practices in prison, particularly surrounding the dynamics power. The study indicated it is important for professionals to monitor and manage potential stigma and discrimination within therapy or service delivery. The results also found that working in prisons is a complex experience, which requires careful consideration for enhancing professional development for the prison therapist.

“Homeliness, hope and humour” (H3) – ingredients for creating a therapeutic milieu in prisons

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to build a new theoretical framework for inscribing the constituents of therapeutic community (TC) practice in prisons and other secure psychiatric settings looking at three core element: homeliness, hope and humour.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on theory building, review of related literature, including research and policy, and synthesis from related funded research projects (Sociology of Health and Illness, Arts Humanities Research Council).FindingsHome-as-method, and the concept of transitional home, highlights how a well-designed therapeutic environment looks and feels and can act as a base for effective rehabilitation. The TC aspires to offer a corrective new synthesis of home superseding the resident’s prior experience. A through-going definition of hope-as-method is outlined. It is argued that hope is co-constructed on the TC, and that there is a necessary challenge in gauging fluctuations in hope across time. Humour is a much overlooked idea but arguably an integral ingredient of healthy transactions between prisoners and staff. The particularities of humour present a challenge and an opportunity for harnessing the conditions when humour can flourish and conversely, the chain of events when mal humour damages community atmosphere.Practical implicationsH3 provides a new framework for reflecting on current TC practice, and also a model for developing novel ways of seeing, including the development of research and policy guidance. H3 also provides a philosophical base for developing a curriculum for education and training.Originality/valueThe 3Hs offers a rubric for positively narrating the aspirations of a prison milieu. The idea is purposively simple, and so far the authors have found that staff, prisoners and service directors are receptive to the concept, and there are plans for the 3Hs are set to be a narrative descriptor for developing practice in prisons.

Accounting for crime in the US: Race, class and the spectacle of fear

Abstract Expanding critical accounting research on incarceration, this paper explores the consequences of neoliberal techniques and discourses intersecting with race and class in prison practices. As crime is socially constructed we concentrate on two intertwined terrains of struggle: first, the privatization of prisons and second, the “creation of the other”. Controversies over privatization are pervasive and we illustrate that a raison d’etre of privatization – minimizing costs – is discredited and distorted. The devastating consequences of privatization further the divide in communities between those privileged and those vulnerable based on race and class. Through this neoliberal process of privatization and racialization of crime there is a creation of the other – a powerful and hostile discourse. We are troubled that a crime-control dynamic mythologizing and fearing the other has become so institutionalized that domination and injustices are normalized. Accounting contributes to these processes with techniques claiming objectivity, but with undeniable moral impacts. Illustrating these dynamics, we review policies surrounding a four-decade “war on drugs” in the US, appraised as an assault on marginalized (poor) populations. Contrasting to white collar-financial crimes we make visible how incarceration displaces certain groups from significant entitlements of citizenship. While statistics indisputably reveal prejudicial treatment, this is only part of the story. Numbers reduce phenomena to simplistic representations erasing humane meaning and obscuring social dimensions of discrimination and power permeating incarceration practice. Acknowledging these complexities, one aim is developing counter accounts to promote new visibilities to advance social justice.

Higher Education in Prison Contexts: The Prison Situation as Limit Experience

The prison experience is not exclusive to those, for whom the State has removed their freedom. According to Heidegger, humans can live in a prison for our entire existence. The family of origin, the one you build, school, among others, may be true prisons from which it is incredibly difficult to separate. However, the actual experience of being enclosed by walls has peculiar qualities; therefore, the central concern of this research work is on the limit situation occurred within prison and the return home from it. One can say that certain events that occur inside the prison come to be, for some inmates, a limit situation. However, one must ask: What kinds of events are we talking about? What is it that occurs and how do these events reveal a threshold, a limit? How is this type of situation made to happen through speech? And how do you return home after a limit situation? Moreover, we assume that the return home is not merely a biographical accident, we do not only speak of the customs and 'prison practices' learned during confinement or of the punishment, penalties or multiple activities, tasks and encounters the newly freed have to undertake on their return. Above all, it tells us about the suffering that comes from failing to reach what is desired; of those appropriator events that occurred during imprisonment, those certain processes of subjectivation that have to do with the relationship that is established with oneself and with others, with the different and complex ways of relating and becoming a subject of one's own existence; it tells us of the 'vision of oneself' and notices how the 'narrative identity' is formed through the 'given speech'.

Procena rizika recidivizma kod osuđenih na zatvorsku kaznu

The rise in crime and recidivism rates is indicative of insufficiency of prison sentence effectiveness. The punishment has not achieved its desired effect in either the primary or secondary prevention. Furthermore, there is a tendency among citizens to feel that the state is not able to provide them with an adequate protection from crime, especially in its more severe forms, thus more prominent negative and punitive stereotypes towards the offenders arise. In Serbia, sentences of up to three years of prison are predominantly issued, while the alternative sanctions are passed in a more sporadic and reluctant manner. Such a state is not in tune with present safety risks and needs hence it maintains the excess retributive attitude. Therefore, a need for better-quality criminal recidivism risk assessment poses itself, with the aim of achieving more effective implementation and evaluation of the penal treatment and recidivism risk assessment as potential feasibility of threatening citizens' safety after the release. The three Effective Intervention Principles are concerned with the key questions in the convicts' treatment: Risk, Need and Responsivity (RNR) Principles. Since the focus of the paper has been set on the recidivism risk analysis, a realistic possibility of application of the principles in our prison practice has been considered. Recidivism risk assessment is conducted by the prison experts at the very admission of a convict to their sentence serving, as well as at a later stage of the treatment evaluation. Statistic and dynamic risk factors are also analyzed and recidivism probability is calculated. In our prison practice, recidivism risk assessment is based on an adjusted broader or specific version of Offender Assessment System (OASys) instrument. In this paper, a global recidivism risk assessment practice has been demonstrated and the recidivism risk levels distribution among those sentenced to prison terms has been analyzed in three representative prison institutions of Serbia. The sample included the convicts (271) serving their sentences in Užice Municipal Prison (25.1%), Sremska Mitrovica Detention and Rehabilitation Facility (55.3%) and Padinska Skela Detention and Rehabilitation Facility (19.6%), the duration of the sentence being within the range of two months to 35 years. The sentences of up to three years in prison dominated (81.9%); up to six months of prison being the most frequent (36.5%). The sentences of over three years in prison made up 18.1% of the cases. In this group, the most frequent sentences were those between three and five years of incarceration (10%). The penal recidivism was present in somewhat more than the half of the tested sample (52%). The criminal recidivism risk was most commonly assessed as being low (42.1%), then median (40.6%) and lastly high (17.3%). A paradox of the convicts most frequently being assigned to closed treatments was noted, even though the fewest number of them had been assessed as highly risky, meaning, they were seldom assigned to an open treatment despite mostly being assessed as displaying low risks, which is all in stark contrast to the Risk Principles of the convicts' treatment. There was an additional paradox of risk level and recidivism risk factors determination being conducted with high quality, however, the issue commences when the penal treatment aiming at dynamic risk factors is to be applied. No systematically determined plans or penal treatment specialized programs exist, leading to a situation in which prison sentence implementation boils down to a minimum of prison routines and simplified disabling of the convict from committing new crimes whilst in prison. A statistical analysis has proved that the convicts significantly differ in their recidivism risk levels and the matched treatment and prison type, recidivism and violent behavior tendencies. Such data may be helpful in the course of penal practice planning, which should be directed towards better convicts distribution and specified treatment application adjusted according to the predetermined dynamic criminal recidivism risk factors. The results of the research once more emphasize the imperative of scientifically proved empirical findings regarding recidivism risks and the need for them to be applied in the creation, realization and evaluation of the prison treatment. This would increase the feeling of safety of both individuals and the community where the convicts are released after serving their prison sentence.

Sanitary conditions and inmates' knowledge and attitude towards hygiene practices in a maximum-security prison in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria

Context: The study was conducted in a maximum-security prison in southwest Nigeria, where inmates were held in lawful custody by a court of competent jurisdiction. The inmates are vulnerable, and their health is conditioned not only on their nutrition and health-care services but also on available water and sanitation services, personal and collective hygiene behaviour, within the prison environment. Aim: The study assessed the living and sanitary conditions and hygiene practices of inmates in a maximum-security prison in Nigeria. Settings and Design: The study was descriptive, cross-sectional in design and elicited information on knowledge, attitude and hygiene practice of consented prison inmates. Methods: The questionnaire response was 94.8% and was identified through a multistage sampling technique and inmates were stratified by detention status with the minimum sample allocated by the proportional to size method. Systematic sampling was used for serial recruitment without replacement. The data collection tool was a validated, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Knowledge and attitudes were measured on a 24- and 55-point scales and rated as poor (≤11) and good (>11); negative (≤33) and positive (>33), respectively. Summary data were presented by descriptive, Chi-square and logistic regression at P Results: Inmates mean age was 31.6 ± 8.2 years and mostly, males (98.3%) with 47.2% and 50.8% respectively married and completed secondary education. The main water source to inmates was hand-dug wells, while all-male conveniences were dirty. The major illnesses were malaria, ringworm and diarrhoea. In addition, sanitary knowledge was a significant predictor of attitude towards hygiene practices (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.298-0.905). Conclusions: The good knowledge and positive attitudes of inmates contrast poor sanitary conditions, perhaps due to poor sanitation and hygiene infrastructure and overcrowding conditions.

The Ukrainian Response to Sykes: Prisoner Hierarchy and Self-Rule—Power, Legitimacy, and Dynamics

Although the political and economic bankruptcy of the erstwhile Leninist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe has triggered radical societal transformations, the effect on daily prison life remains largely uncharted. This semi-ethnographic study, one of the first of its genre in the region, documents a prisoner hierarchy in post-Soviet Ukraine. Originating in the slums and prisons of the Russian Empire and solidifying in communist gaols and labour camps, the Ukrainian prison underworld continues to evolve. In this article, I argue that the post-independence shifts in penal policies and prison practices, combined with changes in prisoner demographics, have been altering the Ukrainian prisoner power structure. I contend that while functional and deeply institutionalized, the prisoner hierarchy is facing serious challenges, not least a legitimacy deficit, and I discuss the potential repercussions for internal power dynamics and prison order.

Hope, harmony and humanity: creating a positive social climate in a democratic therapeutic community prison and the implications for penal practice

PurposeThere has been growing attention given to the concept of social climate as an element of prison practice. Research has indicated that more positive social climates can improve safety, psychological well-being, quality of life and contribute towards reduced reoffending. The purpose of this paper is to consider how the more positive social climates found in democratic therapeutic communities are constructed and how these practices can be replicated in other settings.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a reflective practice approach. The intention is to look back at the concept of social climate in prisons and in particular within a prison-based democratic therapeutic community (DTC); draw upon research and theory in order to critically evaluate the nature and effectiveness of that social climate, and; draw wider lessons about the nurturing and maintenance of social climates that may have broader relevance in prisons.FindingsIt is concluded that understanding and managing social climate is an essential aspect of improving the safety and effectiveness of prisons. Developing practices that enhance social climate requires looking beyond mainstream prison practices, towards niches such as specialist units and prisons, including DTCs and other therapeutic communities, and psychologically informed environments, as well as looking at practices in other settings including forensic mental health. Taking this wider perspective can be source of ideas and practice that could inform a profound culture change.Originality/valueThe paper offers an attempt to understand the distinct practices that create a more positive social climate in DTCs and consider how elements of this could be exported to other prisons. This has implications for both penal theory and practice.

'From Defensive Paranoia to…Openness to Outside Scrutiny': Prison Medical Officers in England and Wales, 1979-86.

This article examines how a branch of medicine based within the criminal justice system responded to a society which by the 1970s and 1980s was increasingly critical of the prison system and medical authority. The Prison Medical Service, responsible for the health care of prisoners in England and Wales, was criticised by prison campaigners and doctors alike for being unethical, isolated, secretive, and beholden to the interests of the Home Office rather than those of their patients. While prison doctors responded defensively to criticisms in the 1970s and 1980s, comparing their own standards of practice favourably with those found in the NHS, and arguing that doctors from outside would struggle to cope in the prison environment, by 1985 their attitudes had changed. Giving evidence to a House of Commons committee, prison doctors displayed a much greater willingness to discuss how the prison system made their work more difficult, and expressed a pronounced desire to engage openly with the rest of the profession to address these problems. The change of attitude partly reflects a desire by the Home Secretary William Whitelaw to make the Prison Service more open, and an acceptance of a need for greater accountability in medicine generally. Most important, however, was a greater interest in prison health care and appreciation of the difficulties of prison practice among the wider medical profession, encouraging prison doctors to speak out. This provides a case study of how a professional group could engage openly with criticisms of their work under favourable circumstances.

Brave New Worlds. Shakespearean Tempests in Italian Prisons

Shakespeare is a pivotal and much staged playwright by theatre companies of prisoners in Italy, even though the practice of theatre in prison in Italy has a much shorter tradition than in the Anglo-Saxon world. Among the many Shakespearean plays, Tempest is a favourite, being obviously able to shine a new light on the themes of revenge, freedom and forgiveness that are central issues in a prison context. Undeniably, in Italy, productions of Tempest in prison have deeply instilled new life into the staging of the Elizabethan playwright. The list includes different kinds of experiences ranging from drama therapy, where the process towards rehabilitation and reintegration is more important than the finished aesthetic product, to productions by theatre directors who are primarily concerned with the artistic medium of the theatre and its aesthetic qualities. A survey of Shakespeare theatrical practice in Italian prisons can help investigate and understand not only the aesthetic but also the political, social and economic consequences of the function of prison nowadays, and provides the first step towards an analysis of Shakespeare practice in Italian prisons in a broader context. By comparison with other European countries, we may also discover that some Italian experiences, such as Fabio Cavalli's work in Rome at the Rebibbia prison, or Armando Punzo's with the Fortress Company in Volterra are unique and they deserve more attention.

Article 10(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Australian prisons

ABSTRACTArticle 10(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires that ‘[a]ll persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person’. There is a body of international law that elaborates on its requirements. Article 10(1) and domestic legislation that incorporates this requirement have direct implications for how managers and staff within prisons behave towards those in their custody. In general, Australian prisons do not comply well with these requirements. This article first reviews the intent of Article 10(1) and guidance from the United Nations Human Rights Committee about its operation. Secondly, it reviews relevant Australian legislation and documents a number of ways in which Australian prison practice fails to live up to these standards. Thirdly, it identifies two important barriers to be overcome to address this situation. It concludes that a justice reinvestment approach has the potential to assist Australia towards compliance with Article 10(1).

Religion and Religions in Prisons: Observations from the United States and Europe

Despite manifest differences and internal variety, this article attempts to integrate the histories and present landscapes of religious practice in prison in the United States and in Western Europe. We identify, among incarcerated people in the United States, Italy, and Germany, discernible drifts toward religious pluralization, privatization, and individualization. Over the past half‐century, the administration of religion in prison has been loosened to allow for a wider variety of religious beliefs and practices. Meanwhile, as subsidized by outside volunteers, religion, especially of a socially “useful,” capitalism‐friendly sort, remains a cost‐effective means for prison administrators to efficiently subcontract their mandate to rehabilitate. Due to the decentralization and diversification of religion in contemporary prisons on both sides of the northern Atlantic, this article concludes by encouraging would‐be ethnographers of the prison interested in religion to venture beyond the expressly delineated religious space and into what we call “religious gray zones.”