Prison Population Research Articles

Seroprevalence of antibodies against herpesvirus type 2 in a female prison population in Mato Grosso

The objective of this text is to describe the seroprevalence of antibodies against herpes simplex virus 2 in inmates of a female public prison in Mato Grosso. This is a cross-sectional study carried out with biobank data from a survey carried out with women deprived of liberty in a female penitentiary in Tangará da Serra - MT. Data collection was carried out through interviews with 50 women. To determine the seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection, serum samples were analyzed by ELISA in search of IgG antibodies at the Laboratory of Viral Immunology of Instituto Oswaldo Cruz – RJ. The HSV-2 seroprevalence found in the evaluated population was 80%, a value much higher than that reported in the general Brazilian population and in other studies with prison populations around the world. The profile of the inmates predominated among young, brown women, with low education, single and with low monthly income. The present study found a high seroprevalence of antibodies against HSV-2 in this population. These data provide important information that can assist in the implementation of effective actions that better prevent and control genital herpes, as well as other STIs in incarcerated populations.

Assessing the ethics of prison policies to ensure human rights compliance: Suicides and self-inflicted critical events in Italian prisons

Considering self-inflicted critical events (suicides, attempted suicides, self-harm acts, hunger strikes) in Italian prisons as indicators of the respect of inmates' human rights, this study examines their relationship with the characteristics of the Italian prison system between 2016 and 2021, using a unique prison-level dataset covering the 188 national prisons. Both individual panel regressions and seemingly unrelated regressions show that reducing prison overcrowding reduces critical events. The same result is achieved by increasing mandatory treatments (restraint acts) performed discretionally by prison staff. Because the former policy is politically sensitive and difficult/costly to implement, policymakers may prefer to rely on the latter as a “death-avoidance strategy”, despite the greater likelihood of violating inmates’ human rights. These findings may help explain the increasing use of acts of restraint in Italian prisons in recent times.

Dementia and mild cognitive impairment in the older prison population in England and Wales (DECISION): developing a dementia care training package for use in prisons

ABSTRACT The rising prevalence of dementia in the UK presents a public health and economic challenge. People over the age of 60 are the fastest growing age group in prison and the number of people in prison who experience dementia is rising. There is a lack of research focused on improving management and support for people in prison who may experience dementia, but growing awareness of the need for staff training in prisons to identify and support people showing symptoms of dementia. This paper reports the development of a theory and evidence-based training package for prison staff and peer carers to identify and support people in prison with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Training content and format was informed by the literature on dementia training in prisons and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data from semi-structured interviews with prison staff and a survey administered to prison governors and healthcare managers, both of which explored current provision of dementia training and training needs. A stakeholder working group reviewed and revised the training during two interactive meetings. Future research to evaluate the effectiveness of the training in practice is required.

The Human Rights of the Under Trial Prisoners in India

Abstract: The main important purpose of Criminal Justice is that victims, prisoners and also those prisoners who are Under Trial, they can not deny their Human Rights. Those days has gone where prisoners do any offence then they were lodged to pass their days in dark cells. Now a day’s prisons just like a reformative centre where they live, earn and changing their behavior and after come out prison they can collaborate with society. Here prison knows that it is a rehabilitation centre, it is a punishment not that place where there human right are violated and where extra punishment will be held. The open prison has come as a modern and effective system of closed imprisonment. This is helping in changing the traditional outlook of the Indian prison system and helps the prison to become more responsible, creative citizen. A basic and main factor that is necessary to understand high imprisonment rates is the way in which the system is liable to breaches of order like parole, probation or other sentences. In many countries parole is the contribution to overcrowding in prison

Overcrowding in the Brazilian prison system: its causes and consequences

In light of the current scenario, it can be observed that overcrowding in the Brazilian prison system is a consequence of serious structural complications that have worsened since its foundation during the colonial period, leading to the problems faced today, such as the supremacy of criminal factions, which substantially increase crime rates, and other factors like inadequate infrastructure, causing a major crisis in the prison system. Given this, the purpose of this article is to address the issue of prison overcrowding in Brazil, demonstrating its causes and possible solutions to alleviate this deficiency in the correctional system. Therefore, information and data were gathered, considering the insights of scholars on the problem of overcrowding in Brazilian prisons, with a basis in the fundamental rights inherent to every human being, as established in the Federal Constitution of 1988, aiming to answer the following research question: what are the causes and consequences of overcrowding in the Brazilian prison system? In this context, this article is proposed to facilitate a comprehensive examination of the prison system and highlight the causes and consequences that overcrowding imposes on inmates. The methodological approach employed was a bibliographic and descriptive review. At the end of the research, it can be concluded that the lack of state assistance and the disproportionate number of available spaces for the quantity of inmates are among the causes of this serious issue faced by Brazilian society.

The dynamics of prisoner population model in Indonesia with a rehabilitation regulation for drug users to overcome prison overcapacity issue

This paper discusses about a mathematical model of the prisoner population with a new regulation regarding punishments to the drug users in an effort to overcome the prison overcapacity issue in Indonesia. This new regulation is launched by the Indonesia government after a fact about overcapacity of prison in Indonesia is revealed through a fire incident in a prison on 8 September 2021 that causes 41 people died and a number of people were injured. Besides, prisons in Indonesia are mostly occupied by the drug user. The model is constructed by using a compartmental model approach. The stability analysis of the equilibrium points is carried out along with its existence conditions. The analytical studies are equipped by calculate the basic reproduction number. Furthermore, this study is also equipped by numerical simulations with some scenarios. The results of this study confirm that the effect of the new regulation is able to reduce overcrowded issue in prisons in Indonesia. However, if it compare to recent prison capacity, this new regulation has not been able to suppress the number of prisoner below to its capacity limit in the short time so that it is needed to consider other solutions as the additional regulation and policy

Factors associated with sexually transmitted diseases amongst female prison inmates in Peru.

The number of women in prison is rapidly increasing every year and it is important to establish what factors are related to the probability of presenting STDs in this population to enable health control policies to be established. An analysis was carried out on the open database of the national prison population survey conducted in 2016 in all Peruvian prisons. The study was based on the census and all female and male adults in prison were surveyed using a validated questionnaire. The sample consisted of 4,574 inmates in 67 institutions, covering 98.8% of the inmate population. It was found that presenting tuberculosis (PR: 2.64; CI 95%, 1.32-5.26), HIV/AIDS (PR 6.54, CI 95% 1.52-28.18), hepatitis (PR: 4.01; CI 95%, 1.23-13.11) and drug use (PR: 2.44; CI 95%, 1.32-4.52), are statistically related (P ≤0.05) are factors associated with the presence of STDs in the multivariate model with a P ≤0.05. The inclusion of associated factors (tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and drug use) should be part of the strategy to control and treat STD in women's prisons in Peru.

Nursing in a prison context: A focused mapping review and synthesis of international nursing literature.

To provide a snapshot of the extent to which nursing and the prison context features in non-specialist/generic nursing journals. Focused mapping review and synthesis. Relevant articles were examined for the extent to which they featured nursing and the prison context. A descriptive and contextual analysis of the data was carried out to provide a topography and synthesis of the key trends identified. Articles meeting criteria for nursing and the prison context in relevant non-specialized, generic nursing journals (n = 7) from January 2018 to December 2022. Four thousand, nine hundred and twelve (n = 4912) articles were published during the review period of which (n = 14) met inclusion criteria. The key trends identified are presented under three headings: taking an advocacy approach for better health and well-being, examining self-determination and autonomy in prison populations and nursing in the prison context. Nursing and the prison context features in non-specialized and generic nursing journals but sparsely and infrequently. There is a need for greater visibility of nursing and the prison context in nursing journals to help reduce stigma and marginalization of those working and those detained in prison. Nurses working in prison environments often manage extremely complex care needs. It is necessary to feature all nursing care environments in nursing journals so as to increase visibility and to act as a source of education for all. IMPACT (WHAT PROBLEM DID THE STUDY ADDRESS? MAIN FINDINGS? WHERE/WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE IMPACT ON): The findings of this review will have impact on all nurses engaged in practice and research as it highlights the extent to which nursing in a prison context is featured in non-specialized nursing journals and also speaks to the challenges faced by those working and detained in prison. No patient or public contribution. This was a review of existing literature.

Evaluación de indicadores psiquiátricos por etapas del Régimen Cerrado Especial en un Penal de Lima, 2021

The general objective of this study was to calculate and evaluate the global indices of psychological distress in a population of prisoners of the Special Closed Regime in a Prison in the city of Lima, Peru in 2021. This is a study that is based on the positivist paradigm. , with a quantitative, basic, descriptive, evaluative approach. The instrument used was the SCL-90-R symptom inventory by L. Derogatis. Among the main conclusions are that of the total number of people evaluated regarding the degree of psychopathological symptoms, the highest percentage presented a mild degree with 62.8%, followed by a moderate degree with 35.7%, presence of risk 0.8% and severe symptomatological degree 0.8%. ; It is important to specify that in general a greater predominance of the mild grade was found, which is markedly normal symptomatology, which would also indicate the absence of alterations. Regarding the hypothesis raised in the study, it can be stated that the degree of psychopathological symptoms manifested by the participants is mild, since the p-value found was equal to 0.008/2 = 0.004 < 0.01, for which Ho was rejected. at a significant level of 1%.

Mental health intervention research in Latin American correctional settings: A scoping review.

The Latin American prison population has grown faster than anywhere else globally over the past two decades, reaching a total of 1.7 million people at any given time. However, research on mental health prevention and treatment interventions in Latin American prisons remains scarce. This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize research on prison mental health interventions conducted in the region. We used a two-stage scoping review design guided by the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Searches took place in December 2021 in nine databases using descriptors and synonyms. First, all prison mental health research in Latin America was retained. Secondly, using title and abstract screening, all research possibly related to interventions was retained for full text evaluation. Studies reporting interventions were assessed by country, language, institution, population, intervention type, intervention focus and outcomes. N = 34 studies were included in this review. These were 13 case reports, seven expert consensus papers and 14 quantitative studies (four randomized controlled trials, nine cohort studies, one quasi-experimental study). Fourteen interventions were targeted at promoting prosocial behavior, seven studies each aimed to improve mental health and to treat substance use disorders. Six studies involved the treatment of sexual offending behavior, and 3 focused on reducing criminal recidivism. Psychoeducation (n = 12) and motivational interviewing (n = 5) were the most frequent intervention types studied. Promising data from trials showed that anger management, depression, substance use and reoffending could be successfully addressed through interventions. Implementation and effectiveness research of mental health interventions in Latin American prisons is scarce. Addressing mental health, substance use and prosocial behavior outcomes should be considered in future research. There is a particular dearth of controlled trials describing quantifiable outcomes.

Sentencing Members of Minority Groups: Problems and Prospects for Improvement in Four Countries

Members of racial, ethnic, and Indigenous minorities have long accounted for disproportionate percentages of prison admissions in Western nations and of prison populations. The minorities affected vary between countries. Discriminatory or differential treatment by criminal justice officials from policing through to parole is part of the problem. Much media and professional attention focuses on sentencing, where the decision-making is most public. An emerging body of research identifies sentencing as a cause—or, at the very least, an amplifier—of minority overincarceration. Solutions aiming to reduce it have been implemented, with varying but modest degrees of success, in the United States, England and Wales, Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand. Progress toward reducing minority overincarceration has been slow. Most US sentencing commissions have failed to determine the extent to which their guidelines contribute to the problem. The Sentencing Council of England and Wales has taken the limited step of warning judges about racial disparities, without suggesting remedial steps to be taken. Courts in Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand have taken more activist approaches, mitigating sentences when offenders adduce evidence of discrimination or abuse by criminal justice officials.

Work in prisons: Considerations on racial inequalities and labor activities in Brazilian prisons

The problem of violence has been studied by several researchers who analyze contemporary society. In these debates, reflections on the involvement of young people in crime, the increase in incarceration of the black population and the importance of public policies for the prevention of this phenomenon are common. The Federal Constitution of Brazil - CRFB of 1988 and Law 7.210/84 of Penal Execution (LEP) show that educational and work activities must be carried out by the prison population, mainly because they represent efficient mechanisms in the rehabilitation of inmates. This research aims to analyze the criteria used by the penitentiaries to select the convicts considered apt to develop productive activities, verifying, above all, if the convicts' race, color, or ethnicity interfere in their possibilities of access to work activities. The methodology used consisted of the literature review produced on this topic specifically in Brazil in the last five years. The data obtained revealed aspects that allow the permanence of an unequal society, which violates rights guaranteed in the Magna Carta and in the Criminal Executions Law. Among them, the persistence of racial inequalities in prisons, the overcrowding and precariousness in prisons and, above all, the neglect of the public power in not expanding policies aimed at resocialization, stand out. In view of this, the need for the State to intervene in this reality is identified by implementing public policies capable of collaborating with the effectiveness of basic guarantees guaranteed to all citizens, including those who are under deprivation of liberty.

Uma análise crítica sobre o direito penal brasileiro, a correlação entre o princípio da insignificância e a superlotação do sistema carcerário no Brasil, à luz do documentário Bagatela, de Clara Ramos.

The present article is entitled to analyze the application of criminal enforcement in the current Brazilian scenario. A large part of the Brazilian population is unaware of the organization of the Penal Code and its principles, an example of the principle of insignificance, which, for several groups, endorses the great problem of overcrowding in prisons. The research problem refers to analyzing real cases addressed in the documentary Bagatela. In addition, the ineffectiveness of keeping individuals detained for theft with negligible values and all the costs generated to the State by this detention.

Crime and Punishment: A Rethink

Incarceration remains the foremost form of sentence for serious crimes in Western democracies. At the same time, the management of prisons and of the prison population has become a major real-world challenge, with growing concerns about overcrowding, the offenders’ well-being, and the failure of achieving the distal desideratum of reduced criminality, all of which have a moral dimension. In no small part motivated by these practical problems, the focus of the present article is on the ethical framework that we use in thinking about and administering criminal justice. I start with an analysis of imprisonment and its permissibility as a punitive tool of justice. In particular, I present a novel argument against punitive imprisonment, showing it to fall short in meeting two key criteria of just punishment, namely (i) that the appropriate individual is being punished, and (ii) that the punishment can be adequately moderated to reflect the seriousness of the crime. The principles I argue for and that the aforementioned analysis brings to the fore, rooted in the sentient experience, firstly of victims, and not only of victims but also of the offenders as well as the society at large, then lead me to elucidate the broader framework of jurisprudence that I then apply more widely. Hence, while rejecting punitive imprisonment, I use its identified shortcomings to argue for the reinstitution of forms of punishment that are, incongruently, presently not seen as permissible, such as corporal punishment and punishments dismissed on the basis of being seen as humiliating. I also present a novel view of capital punishment, which, in contradiction to its name, I reject for punitive aims, but which I argue is permissible on compassionate grounds.

Prevalence and Predictors of Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Prison Inmates in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Prisoners in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are at a high risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection due to overcrowding and poor ventilation. Consequently, TB is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in prison, and many inmates face a number of barriers to TB control and had limited information in the region. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the overall pooled prevalence of pulmonary TB and predictors among prison inmates in SSA. From 2006 to 2019, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using various databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. The data were extracted in Microsoft Excel using a standardized data extraction format, and the analysis was carried out with STATA version 14. To detect heterogeneity across studies, the I2 and the Cochrane Q test statistics were computed. To determine the overall prevalence of TB and predictors among prison populations, a random effect meta-analysis model was used. Of the 3,479 retrieved articles, 37studies comprising 72,844 inmates met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of pulmonary TB among prison inmates in SSA was 7.74% (95% CI: 6.46-8.47). In the subgroup analysis, the highest prevalence was found in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) (19.72%) followed by Zambia (11.68%) and then Ethiopia (9.22%). TB/HIV coinfection (OR 4.99 (95% CI: 2.60-9.58)), Body mass index (BMI < 18.5) (OR 3.62 (95% CI: 2.65-6.49)), incarceration (OR 4.52 (95% CI: 2.31-5.68)), and previous TB exposure (OR 2.43 (95% CI: 1.61-3.56)) had higher odds of pulmonary TB among inmates. The prevalence of pulmonary TB among SSA prison inmates was found to be high as compared to total population. TB/HIV coinfection, BMI, incarceration duration, and TB exposure were all predictors with pulmonary tuberculosis in prison inmates. As a result, emphasizing early screening for prisoners at risk of pulmonary TB is an important point to achieving global TB commitments in resource-limited settings.

General and reproductive healthcare experiences of formerly incarcerated women in the United States: a qualitative study

PurposeThe US prison population has recently reached an all-time high, with women representing the fastest growing subpopulation. Correctional health-care system in the USA remains fragmented and nonuniform in practice, particularly in women’s health care, with poor transitions between incarceration and release. This study aims to examine the qualitative health-care experiences of women while incarcerated and their transition into the community health-care setting. Additionally, this study also examined the experiences of a subset of women who were pregnant while incarcerated.Design/methodology/approachAfter obtaining institutional review board approval, adult, English-speaking women with a history of incarceration within the past 10 years were interviewed using a semi-structured interview tool. Interview transcripts were analyzed using inductive content analysis.FindingsThe authors completed 21 full interviews and identified six themes that were both the most significant and most novel: “feeling stigmatized and insignificant,” “care as punishment,” “delay in care,” “exceptions to the rule,” “fragmentation of care” and “obstetric trauma and resilience.”Originality/valueWomen face numerous barriers and hardships when accessing basic and reproductive health-care services while incarcerated. This hardship is particularly challenging for women with substance use disorders. The authors were able to describe for the first time, partially through their own words, novel challenges described by women interacting with incarceration health care. Community providers should understand these barriers and challenges so as to effectively reengage women in care upon release and improve the health-care status of this historically marginalized group.

Understanding the mental health needs of Scotland's prison population: a health needs assessment.

This study reports on an assessment of mental health needs among Scotland's prison population which aimed to describe the scale and nature of need as well as identify opportunities to improve upon the services available. The project was commissioned by the Scottish Government to ensure that future changes to the services available to support the mental health and wellbeing of people in prison would be evidence-based and person-centered. A standardized approach to health needs assessments was employed. The study was comprised of four phases. In phase I a rapid literature review was undertaken to gather evidence on the prevalence of mental health needs experienced by people in prison in the UK. In Phase II a multi-method and multi-informant national mapping exercise involving providers to all Scottish prisons was undertaken to describe the mental health services available, and any gaps in these services, for people in and leaving prison. In Phase III prevalence estimates of several mental health needs were derived for Scotland's current prison population, modeled from a national survey dataset of Scotland's community population using logistic regression. Finally in Phase IV, professional stakeholders and individuals with lived experience were interviewed to understand their experiences and insights on challenges to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people in prison, and ideas on how these challenges could be overcome. Evidence across the four phases of this needs assessment converged indicating that existing provision to support the mental health of people in prison in Scotland was considered inadequate to meet these needs. Barriers to effective partnership working for justice, health, social work and third sector providers appear to have led to inadequate and fragmented care, leaving prisoners without the support they need during and immediately following imprisonment. Joint and coordinated action from justice, health and social care, and third sector providers is needed to overcome enduring and structural challenges to supporting the mental health of people in prison. Eighteen evidence-based recommendations were proposed to the Scottish Government relating to the high-level and operational-level changes required to adequately meet the prison population's mental health needs.

Gender rules in the community corrections context: Examining how case managers navigate trans client supervision in a binary setting

This article explores one US residential community corrections facility and the ways that case managers navigate working with transgender women under supervision in a facility that relies on the sex binary for housing placement. Similar to other research on this population in prisons that has been conducted both within and outside of the US context, we find that case managers contend with significant uncertainty in their work with these clients because of a lack of specific and formal training. To contend with that uncertainty, case managers reported relying on Gender Responsive Training and the Prison Rape Elimination Act to guide their understanding of and work with trans clients. However, we also found a great deal of discretion in the ways case managers managed programming for their trans clients that disrupted the gendered organization of the facility. We conclude with specific programmatic recommendations based on these findings.

Prevalence of drug use before and during imprisonment in seven European countries (2014-2018).

Substance use is a global phenomenon that is particularly affecting the prison population. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of drug use among people in prison before and during incarceration in seven European countries and to compare it with the prevalence in the general population. Individual data collection was carried out between 2014 and 2018 with a model European Questionnaire on Drug Use among people in prison. A total of 12,918 people living in prison filled in the survey. People in prison report higher level of drug use when compared with the general population and the use of drug inside prison exist, although at lower levels when compared with predetention. Prisons can represent a point of access to engage individuals who use drugs in interventions that address drug use and risk factors related to both drug use and imprisonment.

The Blurry Portrait of Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking in Indonesian Prisons

The problem of drug abuse and trafficking in prisons is a phenomenon that often occurs in prisons. Indonesia is one of the countries experiencing prison overcrowding with most of the prison population being drug abuse cases. This research uses the literature study method by tracing journals, mass media coverage and other related literature. The results of the search stated that the phenomenon of drug abuse and trafficking in prisons is often reported. The existing news is an iceberg phenomenon. Therefore, the imprisonment policy for drug cases, especially drug abusers, needs to be considered because it does not have a deterrent effect. On the contrary, they can develop from abusers to dealers. A health approach for drug abusers should be considered.