Prison Research Articles

Provision of health care services related to substance use disorder in southern U.S. jails

IntroductionThe U.S. jail population has more than tripled since the 1980s, and today, one out of every three incarcerated individuals is being held in a county or city jail. Substance use disorders (SUD) are overrepresented in incarcerated populations; however, little recent research has examined the availability and quality of SUD-related health care services in jail settings. Incarcerated individuals may engage with a variety of SUD-related health care services, including: screening and withdrawal management at entry, SUD treatment or other brief health care interventions while they are being held, and overdose prevention education and reentry planning at release. MethodsWe conducted a thematic analysis of qualitative data from 34 interviews conducted with 38 personnel from a purposive sample of jails that varied in size and rurality within a five-state study area. The goals of the analyses were to: 1) describe jail health care services for SUD and barriers to service provision, 2) compare current practices to best practice recommendations, and 3) provide context by describing factors at the jail and community level that influence service provision, such as access to resources. ResultsInterviewees described wide variability in both availability and comprehensiveness of SUD-related health care services. Most adhered to federal guidance for supervising withdrawal from alcohol and benzodiazepines, but not opioids. Medication for addiction treatment was most widely available for pregnant women and rarely for other individuals. Roughly one third of the jails in our sample provided behavioral group or individual therapy with a licensed counselor and roughly one quarter offered self-help groups. Very few jails provided comprehensive re-entry planning and support. Jail staff reported specific barriers to providing each type of service, as well as limiting contextual factors. Despite observed increases in case volume, jail health care staff did not necessarily receive any additional funding or staff members. Overall, lack of investment in mental and behavioral health care contributed to recidivism and feelings of hopelessness among staff. ConclusionsThis study identified several areas where jails could improve SUD-related health care services. Many of the barriers to improvement—organizational buy-in, cost/budgeting, staffing, logistics—were not under the control of health care staff. Implementing changes will require support from local governments, jails administrators, private health care companies, and other local health care providers.

Bridging the gap: building and sustaining recovery capital in the transition from prison to recovery residences

The transition from jail to community is a high-risk time for individuals experiencing substance use disorders (SUD), with elevated risks of overdose and other substance-related harms, as well as high recidivism rates and re-incarceration. Gains made from successful treatment in prison are often lost in this transition. The current paper evaluates this process for one justice programme, Chesterfield HARP, a Therapeutic Community based in the Chesterfield County jail that continues supporting former inmates through their release by examining engagement and retention rates and changes in recovery capital among incarcerated individuals before incarceration and after transition to recovery housing in the community. Adult prisoners (both male and female) who engaged in the Chesterfield HARP programme completed an assessment of recovery capital (REC-CAP instrument) while in prison and following their transitions to one of a number of local recovery residences with strong links to the prison programme (ensuring continuity of care and support). The results suggest successful bridging with positive growth across multiple recovery capital domains. The study provides further evidence for the importance of continuity of care and integrated models of strength-building and recovery-focused interventions in successfully bridging the transition from prison to the community for offenders with a SUD history.

상속인 부존재의 법률관계

When the inherited dies, his or her property is succeeded on to the heir, but if there is no heir, special handling methods are required. For these cases, the Civil Code stipulates how to deal with inherited property without an heir. According to this, if there is no heir, a person to manage the inherited property is appointed to manage the property and distribute the property to inheritance creditors or requestees or find an heir. If an heir is not found, the property is distributed to a specially connected person. And if any property remains after going through the above procedures, it is returned to the state.
 However, the above procedure takes a lot of time and money, and the court must decide who will be responsible for this. But, in the case of unrelated people with little inherited property, it is cumbersome to go through civil law procedures, so the Social Welfare Services Act provides for a simple method to handle inherited property. According to this regulation, when an unrelated person dies leaving behind assets worth less than 5 million won, the head of the detention facility prepares a list of the assets, holds a funeral, and then reverts the remaining assets to the local government.
 This procedure has the advantage of being able to easily organize inherited property relationships of unrelated people, but it is problematic in that it may be difficult for the head of the facility to take charge of this task. In the case of death while confined in a facility, the head of the facility can proceed with funeral and property management procedures, but in other cases, public officials in charge of the local government have no choice but to perform the duties.
 Therefore, in order to solve this problem, it will be necessary to establish an organization at the national level that can take charge of funeral and property management procedures for unrelated people and have that organization handle the remaining assets of unrelated people.

일본에서 사회보장의 아동복지에 관한 연구

The Child Welfare Act aims to ensure the welfare of children so that they can be born healthy and grow up happily and safely. Japan's right to social security has been developed through the reorganization of various social security law-related systems, and the Child Welfare Act has also been institutionalized through various efforts to actively respond to society's demand for child welfare. Therefore, in this study, we would like to examine the Child Welfare Act among Japan's social security rights and find its implications for Korea.
 In accordance with the Child Welfare Act, Japan operates premature birth facilities, nursing care children's facilities, disabled child detention facilities, and maternal and child support facilities for pregnant women, and also introduces a foster parent system. Public involvement in the operation of facilities is high, and the role and responsibility of the state, metropolitan local governments, and basic local governments are clarified for the installation or operation of facilities and the implementation of child protection policies. In addition, in order to efficiently and integrally promote child welfare-related policies, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare established the Child and Family Office in April 2023 for child abuse and transferred it to the direct agency of the Prime Minister.
 Child welfare in Korea is similar to Japan, but there is no dedicated department that acts as a control tower to oversee child welfare because ministries are separated from child welfare targets such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and the Ministry of Education. Children's guardians should raise children healthy and safe at home according to the developmental stage, and the state and local governments should take necessary measures to prevent children from being discriminated against, such as religion, property, or disability of their parents. In order to realize such child welfare, it is urgent to establish an integrated dedicated department, expand child protection facilities, and overhaul a careful and balanced system to implement effective policies suitable for changes in social structure. In this respect, the establishment of the Child and Family Agency in Japan has great implications for Korea.

Emergency Medical Responses at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Centers in California

Knowledge of medical care in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers is limited. Reviews show high rates of preventable deaths while in detention due to substandard medical care within detention centers. To describe characteristics of medical emergencies at ICE detention centers in California. This cross-sectional study analyzed emergency medical services (EMS)-reported medical emergencies activated through 911 from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022, at 3 of the 5 ICE detention centers in California: Adelanto ICE Processing Center, Imperial Regional Detention Facility, and Otay Mesa Detention Center. Medical services requiring 911 activation. Data included the number of EMS-reported medical emergencies; ICE-reported medical emergencies; patient age and sex; and medical data in the EMS report, including primary symptom, EMS provider (emergency medical technician or paramedic) impression, vital signs, and interventions performed, using descriptive statistics. In this analysis of 3 detention centers with a mean daily census of 775 (range, 504-1001) individuals per center, there was a median of 68 (IQR, 10-88) EMS-reported emergencies per center per year for a total of 1224 emergencies. The EMS-reported emergencies involved 881 males (72%) and 338 females (28%) with a median age of 39.0 (IQR 30.0-49.0) years. The ratios of female-to-male EMS-reported emergencies were 0.51 (95% CI, 0.31-0.87) at Adelanto, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.31-2.43) at Imperial, and 1.60 (95% CI, 1.40-1.83) at Otay Mesa. Pregnancy-related emergencies accounted for 12.4% (42 of 338) of emergencies in females. A total of 357 individuals (29.2%) had at least 1 abnormal vital sign during their EMS encounter. Psychiatric emergencies comprised 48 EMS responses (3.9%), despite higher rates of ICE-reported psychiatric-related complaints. The median number of monthly EMS-reported emergencies across all 3 centers was 3 (IQR, 0-9) vs 4 ICE-reported emergencies (IQR, 1-15). In this study of medical emergencies at 3 of 5 ICE detention facilities in California, there were discrepancies in EMS vs ICE reported emergencies. The data suggested that vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, had an increased number of medical emergencies, while individuals with psychiatric emergencies accounted for fewer reported emergencies. Based on these findings, emergency medical care provision in ICE detention centers requires increased transparency to ensure appropriate delivery of care.

A safe haven? Women's experiences of violence in Australian immigration detention

Western nations like Australia should be safe havens for people fleeing their home countries due to war, persecution, and other threats. People make often perilous journeys in search of asylum expecting protection from violence. However, these expectations are not matched by the realities of Australian immigration detention. This study explores the realities of detention by analysing women's experiences of violence, including intimate partner violence, within Australian long-term immigration detention. The study uses quantitative data derived from 629 Commonwealth Ombudsman reports on 252 women. The results show that violence against women is rife in Australian detention facilities, where women are victims of multiple forms of violence perpetrated by partners, families, other detainees, and staff. Personal and situational factors are explored, including type and length of detention, family and kinship networks, as well as previous experiences of violence.

“We’re not the first and we’re not going to be the last”: Perspectives of system-involved black and Latinx young adults on racial injustice during the 2020 black lives matter protests

This study explores how Black and Latinx young adults (ages 18–25) who were reentering the community from Los Angeles County jails viewed racial injustice in the criminal legal system in the context of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests of summer 2020. A sample of nine young adults participated in a series of up to nine monthly interviews between June 2020 and May 2021. The participants included seven young adults who identified as Black and two who identified as Latinx. Overall, participants held negative views of the criminal legal system and felt that police officers harmed Black and Brown people and communities. While most participants expressed support for the BLM protests, others doubted the protests as an effective tactic to address racial injustice. Even those who supported the protests described doubts about the possibility of genuine systemic changes in the criminal legal system and society. Findings pose implications for cultivating optimism for social change and countering legal cynicism among system-involved young adults.

Autonomy: A study of social exchange in a carceral setting

AbstractMarshaling ethnographic data from a county jail, this study introduces “autonomy”—a novel concept and measurement of the degree to which an actor's exchange initiations are regulated by other exchange relations. This study rearticulates mutual dependence arguments about the social order of penological living in terms of social exchange theory and offers several innovations: 1) the structural forms of exchange relations in a penal housing unit stratify “carceral autonomy” across members of a social order; 2) diminished carceral autonomy contributes to the buildup of “exchange frustration”—the mixture of discontent and sadness experienced when goals cannot be achieved due the structure of an exchange network; 3) deprivations, inefficacies, and imported cultural standards contribute to what is exchanged and with whom in a penological setting; 4) caretaking in penological housing units is as much about maintaining social order through a form of generalized exchange as it is about network members helping each other; and 5) the emotional landscape of penological living can be mapped, in part, by examining the distribution of carceral autonomy and exchange frustration.

Relational security: Balancing care and control in a youth justice detention setting in Australia

BackgroundConstructive relationships between staff and young people in youth justice detention are a vital component of a therapeutic youth justice approach, which extends to the maintenance of a safe environment (i.e. relational security). However, there is a dearth of research on relational security and how it can be implemented and operationalized in conventional youth justice settings. ObjectiveOur aim was to understand custodial officers’ views on, and approaches to, establishing a relational approach with young people, while maintaining safety and security. Participants and SettingWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 staff at a youth justice detention facility in Victoria, Australia. MethodsThematic analysis using a framework analysis approach. ResultsFour main themes were derived: Staff roles, maintaining a safe environment, establishing a constructive relationship, and staffing challenges. ConclusionsThese findings shed light on how relational security principles can provide a way to balance the care and support of young people with a need for safety and security in a conventional youth justice detention setting in Australia, as well as challenges of current procedures and arrangements. We argue that a relational security approach should inform staff recruitment, training, support, and management strategies, as well as decisions about the design and use of space in youth justice detention settings.

Периоды подготовки осужденных к противодействию расследованию преступлений, совершенных ими в местах лишения свободы: содержание, эмпирические данные

The result of the study was data on the periods when prisoners, convicts are working out ways to counter the investigator, the investigator. The influence of the environment during the stay of a person in a pre-trial detention facility, a room functioning in a pre-trial detention facility, while serving a sentence in a correctional institution on the formation of counteraction to the investigation is indicated. Empirical data and plots of crimes are presented, in which preliminary preparation for countering the investigation is clearly expressed.

Naturalizing unnatural death in Los Angeles County jails.

In this paper we use quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how death investigations in Los Angeles County jails disproportionately naturalize death among Black and Latino incarcerated people. Our study is based on an assessment of 58 autopsies, coroner investigator narratives, and toxicology reports produced between 2009 and 2018. We found that the Medical Examiner frequently arrived at natural or undetermined death determinations that minimized the culpability of carceral staff for loss of life that occurred within county jail. In our dataset, Black people were disproportionately classified as natural. Undetermined deaths were almost exclusively Latino. More than 75% of the cases in our study were deaths that occurred before standing trial. Our findings reveal how biomedical knowledge about incarcerated Black and Latino people is used to erase the life-diminishing effects of punishment, neglect, and maltreatment that are central to the project of mass incarceration.

Judiciarisation of the mentally ill and/or mentally incapacitated in the Malawi criminal justice system: Gaps and flaws of human rights protection

Rates (where recorded) of mental illness, intellectual disabilities and co-morbidities are disproportionately high and rising among global prison populations. There is little data on the extent of mental illness and/or mental incapacity in prison populations in the Global South. Criminal justice systems are generally under-resourced, with a lack of adequate forensic monitoring, availability of specialist psychological and psychiatric expertise, and system coordination with mental health treatment and support services.Very little is known with regard to the judiciarisation of the mentally ill and/or mentally incapacitated in African criminal justice systems. In this Commentary we focus on Malawi, as a least developed country in sub-Saharan Africa. We present the international human rights framework pertinent to the judiciarisation of people with disability, the global discourse around disability-neutral doctrines and the contentiousness of the link between mental and legal capacity. We discuss challenges and procedural complexities in the Malawi criminal justice system as it relates to how people with mental illness and/or mental incapacity navigate the process and to what extent their basic human rights are upheld.Mental health legislation and policies to uphold the rights of the mentally ill and/or mentally incapacitated in the criminal justice system are underdeveloped (and under-resourced). There are backlogs in forensic assessments to determine competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility; inadequate availability of forensic beds; and insufficient coverage of community and prison based mental health services. Lengthy detention periods in overcrowded unsafe conditions are common, with little or no access to specialist medical care.We present medico-legal and clinical recommendations for enhanced human rights monitoring and protections cognisant of the various challenges in ensuring the implementation of human rights and of due process in Malawi. We encourage the government to consider formal diversion options via mental health courts and invest in the capacity of forensic specialists and hospitals to support court assessments and community care. Oversight mechanisms preventing human rights abuses of these very vulnerable individuals are crucial in all mental health settings in Malawi, not limited to police custody, remand detention facilities and prisons. Ratification of the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture is imperative.

The Netherlands and the prosecution and trial of Islamic State suspects in Rojava

After the military defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, the challenge of dealing with foreign IS fighters emerged, with many of them being held in detention facilities under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria. Yet, indecisiveness and unwillingness of the anti-IS collation to establish a mechanism for the actual prosecuting and trying of IS suspects has raised significant concerns, as it could potentially lead to the re-emergence of the organization. This article delves into the Netherlands' efforts to explore potential collaborations with the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria for prosecuting and trying IS suspects. The data for this article was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (Wet Openbaar Bestuur, WOB) request. The documents, spanning from 2018 to 2021, reveal that more than just international law, political considerations played a significant role in hindering the implementation of cooperation with the authorities in the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria.

Психологическая коррекция и профилактика деструктивного поведения несовершеннолетних в условиях следственного изолятора с учетом особенностей их самоотношения

<p style="text-align: justify;">The article shows the relevance of the problem of the influence of pre-trial detention conditions on the personality and behavior of minors. Some aspects of step-by-step correction and prevention of destructive behavior of minors in a pre-trial detention facility, taking into account the peculiarities of their self-attitude for the purpose of successful re-socialization, are considered. The pilot study involved 48 juvenile suspects, accused persons convicted of grave and especially grave articles held in pre-trial detention facilities of the penal system of the Russian Federation. The results of the evaluation of the experiment are described, namely, the use of a step-by-step structured psychological program, on the basis of which it is concluded that timely and structured correction and prevention of destructive behavior of minors in a pre-trial detention facility can contribute to positive changes in their attitude to themselves, self-organization of behavior and relationships with other people, predicting the consequences of their actions and emerging contacts with others, reduction of internal conflicts, self-acceptance, development of constructive reflection. The results of the study are of practical importance for the psychological services of institutions of the penal system, as well as specialists engaged in psychological support of juvenile offenders.</p>

Sleep and circadian health in juvenile justice systems: A descriptive analysis

ObjectiveFew studies have explored sleep health and environmental influences on sleep and circadian health within juvenile justice facilities. The current study aims to describe sleep and circadian health of adolescents living in detention and treatment facilities. MethodsYouth (N = 62) were recruited from 11 Department of Juvenile Services facilities. They completed a novel Youth Sleep and Daytime Behavior Questionnaire, daily sleep diary for seven consecutive mornings, and a brief poststudy interview. Healthcare staff completed a Youth Health Background survey for each participating youth. Facilities’ 24-hour schedules were also obtained. ResultsDescriptive analyses were performed to capture the youths’ sleep-wake experience while residing in Department of Juvenile Services facilities. Youth are obtaining the recommended total sleep time (M=8.9 hours, SD=1.2 hours) of 8-10 hours per night. However, they are taking twice as long to fall asleep (M=47 minutes SD=59 minutes) compared to the recommended sleep onset latency of 10-20 minutes. Youths’ perceptions reveal potential reasons for long sleep onset latencies, including early facility sleep-wake schedules (78%) and overhead lights (60%) remaining on throughout the night. Furthermore, 37% of youth received facility-ordered behavioral sleep assessments, 36% were taking exogenous melatonin, and the majority of youth were prescribed at least one psychotropic medication. ConclusionsFindings suggest sleep-wake schedules and light exposure may be associated with an increase in symptoms of insomnia and/or circadian dysregulation. Based on the findings, facility-wide interventions are needed to improve the youths’ sleep health.

Barriers to access to psychiatric medications in Missouri county jails.

Objectives of this study were to characterize barriers to receiving psychiatric medications for people who are incarcerated, to compare barriers before competency restoration to those after competency restoration, and to characterize psychiatric medication formularies. A survey of county jails in Missouri was completed between October 2021 and February 2022. Survey questions were answered by medical department personnel, nurses, or a person responsible for medication oversight. Formularies were requested. Of 97 jails contacted, 51 completed the survey (53%). Most jails allowed patients to supply their own medications and reported they were "often" or "always" able to continue home medications. Inability to provide home medications was frequently attributed to cost. Notably, only 57% of jails were able to provide long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIA), 22% charged a fee for administration of medications, and 31% would not adjust medication times based on food requirements. No major differences existed precompetency and postcompetency for any question. Jail policies varied; thus, medication access for patients should be approached at the individual level. Potential areas to target to improve access are medication administration times, LAIA access, and removal of medication administration fees.

Breastfeeding and Incarceration: An Analysis of California County Jails' Written Breast Milk Feeding Policies.

Between 1980 and 2019, the number of incarcerated women rose by more than 700%. Rising imprisonment of women corresponds with an increase in incarcerated lactating people. In 2018, California signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2507, requiring county jails to develop and implement a breast milk feeding policy for incarcerated women who wish to express their breast milk. We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study to determine if California's 58 counties created policies compliant with AB2507. Additionally, policies were analyzed for inclusion of evidence-based breastfeeding and lactation management practices and given a letter grade for their performance. Public records act requests were sent to all California counties, requesting their breast milk feeding policies. Of the 55 counties that responded, 51 had policies. Twenty-eight (51%) counties were in full compliance and 27 (49%) counties lacked compliance. No counties received letter grade A and 48 (87%) counties received letter grade C or below. Results reveal a discrepancy between legally compliant policies and evidence-based practices. The California county jail management needs increased surveillance to ensure policies are in full compliance and reflect best practices. Further research is required to investigate the actual implementation of compliant written breastfeeding policies.

Advancing Research To Address The Health Impacts Of Structural Racism In US Immigration Prisons.

The US is the world leader in imprisoning immigrants. Its mass immigration detention system emerged as an extension of mass incarceration, rooted in a legacy of racist US immigration and criminal laws. Immigration policy is a structural determinant of health that negatively affects the health of imprisoned immigrants, their families, and their communities. The systemic harms of "detention facilities," which we refer to as "immigration prisons," have been extensively documented, yet incrementalist reforms have failed to result in improved outcomes for immigrants. We argue that ending the practice of immigrant imprisonment is the most effective solution to mitigating its harms. Community-based programs are safer and less expensive than imprisonment, while also being effective at ensuring compliance with government requirements. We identify several priorities for researchers and policy makers to tackle the health inequities resulting from this structurally racist system. These include applying a critical, intersectional lens to studying the policies and practices that drive imprisonment, engaging affected communities in research and policy development, and creating an accountable and transparent system of data collection and release to inform health interventions. The reliance of the US on immigrant imprisonment is a policy choice with immense social and economic costs; dismantling it is critical to advancing health equity.

Voice of incarcerated male youths in Malawi’s semi-urban prisons: a qualitative study

ObjectiveIncarcerated male youths in Malawi’s detention facilities face multiple threats to their health and well-being. The most common challenges are overcrowding, poor sanitation and a lack of access to basic...

О трансформации жизненных планов осуждённых в местах лишения свободы

Abstract: Introduction. The relevance of the research topic is due to the importance of studying the transformation of the life plans of convicts in detention facilities and insufficient elaboration of the research topic in legal psychology. The purpose of the present research was to study the transformation of the life plans of convicts in detention facilities. The study was conducted on the basis of federal government institution “Correctional colony-5” of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Ryazan region. The study engaged 64 male convicts serving their sentences in the strict regime prison colony. The average term for serving punishment by convicts was 4.5 years. The scientific problem is to identify the psychological characteristics of convicts who have negative and positive life plans.
 Methods. In the course of the research the following methods were used: observation, conversation, questioning, personal records analysis, expert staff survey, and “Motivation for Success and Fear of Failure” technique (A. A. Rean).
 During the expert staff survey, we identified the most significant external (environmental) conditions influencing the transformation of the life plans of convicts in detention facilities: 1) conditions and procedure for serving a criminal sentence; 2) micro- and macro-environment of convicts; 3) adaptation of convicts to the conditions of a correctional institution; 4) socially useful activities of convicts.
 Results. By using “Motivation for Success and Fear of Failure” technique by A. A. Rean, it was established that the first group of convicts has negative motivation due to being placed in a correctional facility. Such convicts are characterized by increased anxiety, uncertainty in themselves and their own abilities. In this regard, we believe that convicts of the first group (the first two months in a correctional institution) need timely psycho-correctional work with their life plans.
 The second group of convicts, compared to the first one has a clearly expressed tendency to be motivated to succeed, which is primarily due to the upcoming release from prison, and therefore they have a need to achieve constructive results.