Offenders In Prison Research Articles

Borderline personality disorder in male and female offenders newly committed to prison

Background The objective of the study was to estimate the rate of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in male and female offenders newly committed to the Iowa Department of Corrections. We also compared clinical and demographic characteristics of offenders with and without BPD. Methods A random sample of 220 offenders entering Iowa's prison system were evaluated by using a version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the BPD module of the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders, the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-36 Health Survey, and the Level of Service Inventory-Revised. Results Borderline personality disorder was present in 65 (29.5%) subjects, although 93.2% had at least one Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV BPD trait. The percentage of women meeting criteria for BPD was more than twice that for men. Subjects with BPD were more likely than those without to be married, employed, and to have a high suicide risk score. Offenders with BPD were more likely than others to report prior mental health treatment, and to have reported high levels of interference from their mental disorder. Offenders with BPD had worse quality of life than offenders without BPD as assessed with the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form 36 Health Survey, and higher rates of mood, anxiety, psychotic, and eating disorders; antisocial personality disorder; and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Borderline personality disorder was also associated with higher Level of Service Inventory-Revised total scores, which indicates their having a greater risk for recidivism than nonborderline offenders. These relationships were observed after adjusting for sex, age, race/ethnicity, and presence of antisocial personality disorder. Conclusion Borderline personality disorder is relatively common among both male and female offenders in prison, and is associated with substantial psychologic stress and impaired quality of life. Early recognition and treatment of BPD in prisons may be warranted.

In-Prison Treatment for Sexual Offenders in Taiwan

The present study was designed to investigate the current status of mandated treatment in prison for sexual offenders in Taiwan. The information-gathering methods were composed of two parts: questionnaires and interviews. The results showed the difficulties of mandated treatment in prison, including poor client adherence, the lack of consistent disciplines for the therapists, a standardized algorithm, and explicit laws and rules, the safety concerns of the therapists, and a shortage of staff. The development of mandated treatment in prison of sexual offenders in Taiwan is still in its early stage, and the treatment models have not yet been integrated. A cooperative and collaborative center for the mandated treatment in prison of sexual offenders and an integrated rule and treatment model should be set up in the future.

Drug treatment services for adult offenders: The state of the state

We conducted a national survey of prisons, jails, and community correctional agencies to estimate the prevalence of entry into and accessibility of correctional programs and drug treatment services for adult offenders. Substance abuse education and awareness is the most prevalent form of service provided, being offered in 74% of prisons, 61% of jails, and 53% of community correctional agencies; at the same time, remedial education is the most frequently available correctional program in prisons (89%) and jails (59.5%), whereas sex offender therapy (57.2%) and intensive supervision (41.9%) dominate in community correctional programs. Most substance abuse services provided to offenders are offered through correctional programs such as intensive supervision, day reporting, vocational education, and work release, among others. Although agencies report a high frequency of providing substance abuse services, the prevalence rates are misleading because less than a quarter of the offenders in prisons and jails and less than 10% of those in community correctional agencies have daily access to these services through correctional agencies; in addition, these are predominantly drug treatment services that offer few clinical services. Given that drug-involved offenders are likely to have dependence rates that are four times greater than those among the general public, the drug treatment services and correctional programs available to offenders do not appear to be appropriate for the needs of this population. The National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices survey provides a better understanding of the distribution of services and programs across prisons, jails, and community correctional agencies and allows researchers and policymakers to understand some of the gaps in services and programs that may negatively affect recidivism reduction efforts.

Prevalence of mental disorders among sexual offenders in forensic psychiatry and prison

The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of mental disorders among sexual offenders in forensic psychiatry (SF) with the prevalence of such disorders among sexual offenders in prison (SP) and violent offenders in prison (VP). In a cross-sectional study, 40 of 47 SF detained in forensic psychiatry in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, could be included. They were compared with 30 SP and 26 VP. All study participants were interviewed by means of SCID I and SCID II and assessments of functioning (GAF, BSS). There was a high prevalence of mental disorders (DSM-IV: Axis I) in all three groups (SF: 80%, SP: 63%, VP: 73%). Among SP and VP, this was attributed mainly to substance use disorders. The prevalence and comorbidity of personality disorders was significantly higher in the group of the SF (prevalence: SF: 85%, SP: 27%, VP: 39%). In a psychopathological view, SP were all together more similar to the imprisoned non-sexual delinquent VP than to the SF.

THE IMPRISONMENT PUZZLE: UNDERSTANDING HOW PRISON GROWTH AFFECTS CRIME*

Many early empirical studies found that prison growth is associated with substantial reductions in crime. However, recent studies find no statistically significant relationship between growth in prison populations and crime. Even more striking, one recent study finds that, in certain circumstances, imprisoning more people can even increase crime.I attempt here to briefly solve the puzzle, suggesting how the studies conflicting findings might be reconciled. The differences in the studies’ results may be due to the different characteristics of the periods that the studies address. The earlier studies examined periods when prison populations tended to grow by adding additional violent and property offenders. The studies’ empirical results supported what theory would seem unambiguously to suggest: that putting more offenders in prison should decrease crime by both incapacitating incarcerated offenders and deterring potential offenders. In contrast, during the periods that the later studies addressed, both the War on Drugs and new sentencing reforms caused prison populations to grow in two additional and different ways: by adding drug offenders and by increasing sentence lengths for low-level offenders. I discuss several reasons why imprisoning more drug offenders may not reduce crime and may even increase it. I also evaluate how longer sentences for low-level offenders may have similar, counterproductive effects. Finally, I explore how recent increases both in the numbers of drug offenders and in sentence lengths for low-level offenders might reconcile the studies’ results.

Leisten neurological soft signs (NSS) einen Beitrag zur Gefährlichkeitseinschätzung psychisch kranker Straftäter gemäß § 63 StGB?

The prediction of dangerousness in mentally disordered offenders is still as well complex as insufficiently empirically proven. So far more or less valid criteria for predicting recidivism have been determined concerning historical and clinical aspects. Whereas biological, neurological and neuropsychological variables that could be of importance for the development of chronic delinquent behavior have mostly been neglected. This article deals with the relevance of neurological soft signs (NSS) for the prediction of dangerousness in mentally ill offenders as one possible factor in a multidimensional model. 155 patients were examined after a minimum time at risk of 2 years (mean 4 years). The results showed that on the one hand there is no relevant and valid connection between neurological soft signs and recidivism for the general heterogeneous group of forensic patients. On the other hand similar results arose for the subgroup of patients with a personality disorder without intellectual deficits as for the homogeneous group of offenders in prisons. Therefore a significant meaning of NSS for certain subgroups can be presumed.

Violent Offenders in a Deaf Prison Population

Previous research suggested an unexplained difference in the patterns of offending behaviors among deaf people when compared to hearing people. This study, conducted in Texas, compares the incidence and types of violent offenses of a deaf prison population in comparison to the hearing prison population. Sixty-four percent of deaf prisoners were incarcerated for violent offenses in comparison to 49% of the overall state prison offender population. This finding is consistent with previous research. The most significant difference between the populations was found in the category of sexual assault, which represented 32.3% of deaf offenders in contrast to 12.3% of hearing state prison inmates overall. Factors potentially impacting violent offending by deaf persons are their vulnerability to child sexual abuse, use of chemicals, educational histories, and development of language and communication skills. Additionally, there is a widespread lack of accessible intervention and treatment services available to deaf sex offenders across the nation.

Suspended sentences in Spain: Decarceration and recidivism

The suspended sentence, along with the fine, is the most commonly used alternative to prison in Spain. This sentence is generally regarded as a good sanction because it avoids the personal and financial costs of prison for occasional offenders which are not in need of rehabilitation. The main aim of this article is to present data and empirical research about the effectiveness of the suspended sentence with respect to its two main goals: reducing the use of prison and preventing offenders from re-offending. The data appear to suggest that this is an effective sentence in these terms, but the article also raises questions about the need to replace suspended sentences with more rehabilitative orders in some special cases.

Evaluating Evidence for the Effectiveness of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation Programme

Abstract: Reasoning and Rehabilitation is a cognitive‐behavioual training programme for offenders, accredited by the Home Office for use with offenders in prison and on custodial sentences in England and Wales. Evidence the programme achieves significant reductions in offending is questionable. A matched control study is reported which used both offending and psychometric outcome measures. Findings for reconviction are mixed. Offenders whose attitudes changed pro‐socially were more likely to be reconvicted than were offenders whose attitudes did not change positively. This casts doubt on whether reconviction is reduced because of attitudinal change, and on the use of measures of attitudinal change in evaluation.

An Outcome Evaluation of Pennsylvania's Boot Camp: Does Rehabilitative Programming within a Disciplinary Setting Reduce Recidivism?

Although previous research has found the disciplinary model of correctional boot camps to be ineffective in reducing recidivism, the impact of a rehabilitative model is still unclear. The current study addresses this issue through an outcome evaluation of Penn-sylvania's Motivational Boot Camp Program, which uses a multidimensional approach to its rehabilitative programming. The authors predict that this program model should be more effective than traditional prison in reducing recidivism and that this effect will be particularly strong for certain high-risk offenders (i.e., those who are young and/or have a prior criminal record). The results from their logistic regression analyses indicate no significant differences in the recidivism of offenders graduating from the boot camp and those released from prison. However, tests for interactions indicate that this program performs better than prison for offenders with a prior record. This particular finding has important policy implications for targeting appropriate offenders for such programs.

Conversation with Timothy Cook.

Conversation with Timothy Cook.

What Do Offenders Think About CCTV?

If CCTV has a role to play in crime prevention and detection then there is much to be gained from ascertaining the views of the very people it is targeted at. This paper reports on research findings from face-to-face interviews with offenders in prison, specifically focusing on their opinions of CCTV. Some of the issues addressed include whether CCTV causes them to alter the ways in which they offend; the extent to which they view it as a deterrent; and their views on the types of circumstances and environments in which they perceive CCTV to be a threat. While generally the interviewees did not worry unduly about CCTV in planning their offences, those who had previously been captured by CCTV were more likely to perceive it as a threat than those who had not.

Recidivism and use of services among persons with mental illness after release from prison.

Despite large numbers of mentally ill offenders in prisons, few studies of mentally ill offenders released from prison have been conducted. This study describes such a population of mentally ill offenders, the postrelease services they received, new offenses they committed, and factors associated with recidivism. The authors reviewed electronic files and archived medical charts from the state corrections department to identify mentally ill offenders who left Washington state prisons in 1996 and 1997. Data on the individuals identified were then provided by several public agencies. Summary statistics were computed on subjects' characteristics and postrelease outcomes, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables that predicted convictions of new felonies and new crimes against persons. A total of 337 mental ill offenders were identified. Men and women differed with regard to offenses, diagnoses, rates of drug abuse, and use of mental health resources. Although most subjects (73 percent) received postrelease social or mental health services, few received clinically meaningful levels of service during the first year after release. Charges for new crimes or supervision violations were common (70 percent of subjects), but only 10 percent committed new felonies against persons, and 2 percent committed very serious crimes. Youth, frequency of past felonies, and variables such as misbehavior in prison were associated with new offenses. Whether community mental health treatment affects recidivism cannot be assessed fairly in the absence of higher levels of service during the first months after release. This study also identifies actuarial risk factors that predict new offenses at a level comparable to that of published risk assessment instruments. Commission of less serious offenses that usually precede felonies may provide an early warning of risk for new felonies and an opportunity for strategic intervention. The low rate of serious violence in the community by mentally ill offenders released from prison suggests that the risk of violence may be a weak and potentially counterproductive rationale for community support and mental health treatment of mentally ill offenders.

Home Truths about Home Detention

The Victorian Parliament has recently introduced a Bill which implements home detention as a sentencing option. Home detention is an intuitively appealing reform. The logic behind the proposal seems obvious. Prisons are expensive to run. There are too many offenders in prison. So let's take the cost out of prison by turning the homes of offenders into prisons: classic, user-pays, cost-shifting economics. The level of superficial appeal of the argument in favour of home detention is matched only by the depth of the fallacies underpinning some of the fundamental premises. The most basic of which is the assumption that offenders who are candidates for the new sanction should be in detention (of any kind) in the first place. Further, the narrow objective of reducing imprisonment is misguided. It should not be elevated to a cardinal sentencing objective—otherwise total success could be achieved by simply opening the prison gates. There are also other concerns about the appropriateness of home detention. The degree of pain it inflicts in many cases is questionable and it may also violate the principle that punishment should not be inflicted on the innocent. After examining the arguments for and against home detention, this article suggests the approach that should be adopted to achieve enlightened and meaningful sentencing reform.

The Psychological Needs of Women Prisoners: Implications for Rehabilitation and Management

The rehabilitation and management of women offenders in prison are topics which continue to elicit concern, controversy and, often, disillusionment based on the failure of previous policies and initiatives. In this paper we argue rehabilitation and management should be based on the established needs of women prisoners and, in particular, on the Responsivity principle (adapting programs and methods to the gender-specific needs and requirements of women). Our review of the literature indicates major problems of psychological and psychiatric morbidity, including psychiatric disorder (especially posttraumatic stress disorder; PTSD), substance abuse, personality disorders, sexual/physical abuse and self-harm. The implications of such findings for good practice are discussed.

The group psychotherapy of youth sex offenders in prison

The group psychotherapy of youth sex offenders in prison

Working with Sex Offenders in Prisons and through Release to the Community: A Handbook, By Alec Spencer. London & Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 1999. 252 pp. £17.95 (pb). ISBN: 1-85302-767-7

Working with Sex Offenders in Prisons and through Release to the Community: A Handbook, By Alec Spencer. London & Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 1999. 252 pp. £17.95 (pb). ISBN: 1-85302-767-7 - Volume 25 Issue 7

Lighting a beacon

Mentally-disordered offenders in prisons require the same standard of health care available to the wider community. Julia Telfer discusses the award-winning mental health services at Belmarsh Prison in London

Reviews : Working wlth Sex Offenders in Prisons and through Release to the Community: A Handbook Alec Spencer Jessica Kingsley, 1999; 252pp; £17.95, pbk

Reviews : Working wlth Sex Offenders in Prisons and through Release to the Community: A Handbook Alec Spencer Jessica Kingsley, 1999; 252pp; £17.95, pbk

Comparative profiles of addicted adult populations in rehabilitation and correctional services

For many years, clinicians, especially those working in rehabilitation centers for alcohol and drug users, have been preoccupied with clients presenting with dual diagnosis: substance abuse and legal problems. Comparative analyses of three groups of addicted men, 553 offenders and 499 nonoffenders in treatment for addiction problems and 103 addicted inmates were made to ascertain the biopsychosocial profile of these persons. Results showed that dual-diagnosis clients experienced more severe biopsychosocial problems than the nonoffending group of subjects. Offenders in prison experienced more social maladjustment than offenders in drug addiction treatment, they were less preoccupied by their drug consumption, and less motivated to change. Implications for treatment are discussed.