Proportion Of Inmates Research Articles

General health characteristics, psychological stress of inmates and living environment of a main prison in Sri Lanka

Background: Prison inmates, a deprived community are a part of general population. Understanding of their health characteristics, psychological stress and living environment is important to upgrade the existing situation.Objectives: To describe sociodemographic data, general health characteristics, psychological stress of prison inmates and living environment of a main prison in Sri Lanka.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among prison inmates of a main prison in Southern Sri Lanka. A self-administered questionnaire, K10 psychological distress scale and a checklist formulated by International Committee of Red Cross for evaluating the living environment and medical records were used to collect data.Results: There were 845 inmates with a median age of 33 years and 576/845(68.1%) were below 40 years. Majority of them had received school education 816/845(96.6%) and 401/845(47.4%) were skilled workers. There were inmates with a past history of being 560/845(66.2%) smokers, 525/845(62.1%) alcohol, 107/845(12.6%) heroin and 143/845(16.9%) cannabis users. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, psychiatric disorders, asthma and trauma were reported in 72/845(8.5%), 60/845(7.1%), 27/845(3.2%), 148/845(17.5%), 46/845(5.4%) and 33/845(3.9%) inmates respectively and psychological stress was experienced by 265/845(31.3%). Less number of inmates had communicable diseases. Score of standards for living environment was 50.Conclusions: Inmates were from young working group of the community. Past history of psychoactive substance use was high. The proportion of inmates with non-communicable diseases was higher than communicable diseases. Living environment of the prison was at an acceptable level.

Spectrum of depression among the inmates of correctional homes of North Eastern India

Background: Imprisonment, like other forms of incarceration, is a significant stressful event in an individual's life. Stress and depression are two major psychological problems among the prison population. The study was planned to determine pattern of depression and associated factors among the inmates of correctional homes.Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at three correctional homes situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India in between 2019 to 2020. Census inmate population fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included maintaining their voluntary participation, anonymity and confidentiality. Assessment of depression was done using patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9).Results: All the inmates had depression; mild depression was noted among 31.8%, minimal and moderate (both 25.8%) and moderately severe depression among 13.9% of the inmates. Certain risk factors were associated statistically significant with depression viz. the proportion of inmates with moderate to severe depression was lower in hilly areas (13.1%); higher among the under-trial inmates (41.3%); higher among the age group ≤20 years (56.5%); higher among the unmarried/separated/divorced inmates (48.8%). However, the proportion of moderate to severe depression was slightly higher among females (46.4%) and inmates having period of imprisonment ≤12 months (38.9%) which were not statistically significant.Conclusions: The study results call for modification of orientations to diagnose depression for clinical evaluation and interventions to help them back in mainstream population.

Incarceration impacts cognitive performance, and prisoner status matters

ABSTRACT Globally, incarceration is understood to impoverish the wellbeing of prisoners, but evidence for its impact on cognitive performance is less popular. As most evidence on the criminal justice system have come from advanced western countries, we investigate the association between the length of incarceration and cognitive performance keeping in mind the status of the prisoners in Nigeria, a low resource setting where most inmates are awaiting trial. Inmates (N = 387; males = 94.72%) held in three facilities in a state in Southeast Nigeria completed a test of cognitive performance. Results showed that the longer the inmates stayed in detention, the poorer their cognitive performance. However, moderation analysis using Hayes PROCESS revealed that the decline was significant for inmates awaiting trial but not for convicted inmates. Findings suggest that the agony of awaiting trial for prolonged periods could affect cognitive performance, suggesting that life after conviction or acquittal is at risk. Findings highlight the need for intervention programs for awaiting trial inmates, especially in low resource settings such as Africa, where awaiting trial inmates make up a larger proportion of inmates.

FUNCIONAMENTO E GESTÃO DO SISTEMA PRISIONAL BAIANO.

O presente texto trata da evolução dos crimes de homicídio no Brasil e no estado da Bahia, bem como o controle dos presos no sistema prisional. Buscou-se compreender a proporção dos presos em relação ao quantitativo de homicídios nos intervalos de tempo em que os dados são coincidentes. A pesquisa foi realizada no sistema prisional baiano entre os anos de 2013 e 2017. Foi aplicado o método hipotético-dedutivo associado às técnicas de pesquisa quantitativa e qualitativa, a fim de compreender os reflexos e extensão da influência que os presos possuem dentro e fora do sistema prisional da Bahia. Partiu-se do estudo das unidades prisionais, fazendo-se preliminarmente um levantamento dos homicídios ocorridos no Brasil e na Bahia. Da mesma maneira fez-se o levantamento da evolução do contingente carcerário ao longo do tempo. Como resultado da pesquisa constatou-se que a série dos homicídios no Brasil e na Bahia ocorreu de forma similar (sempre crescente). Embora todas as séries tem marcha crescente, a evolução dos crimes na Bahia é mais acentuada do que no Brasil. Já em relação aos presos, a serie temporal se mostrou estacional, contrariando a evolução da série dos crimes letais. Constatou-se ainda que a gestão dos presos no sistema prisional é dividida entre o Estado e os prisioneiros. Com a divisão de poder no controle dos presos, constatou-se que facilitou a formação de uma “sociedade criminosa” dentro das prisões e que transbordou para os territórios das cidades.

Inmate Mental Health and the Pains of Imprisonment

We use national data on 5,552 inmates and the 214 state prisons in which they reside to examine how prison conditions are associated with mental health symptoms net of individual-level factors. Structural equation models indicate that prison overcrowding and punitiveness are positively related to both depression and hostility, while the availability of work assignments is negatively related to both mental health indicators. The proportion of inmates whose home is more than 50 miles from the prison was positively associated with depression. Inmates reported higher levels of hostility when the prison did not allow television and there was a recent prison suicide. These results suggest the importance of examining a wide range of prison deprivations in research on inmate well-being to lay the groundwork for understanding the mechanisms through which prison deprivations are linked to mental health.

Canadian federal penitentiaries as obesogenic environments: a retrospective cohort study.

Very little is known about how incarceration influences a person's weight in Canada. We sought to determine how inmates' weights change during their incarceration in Canadian federal penitentiaries. We performed a retrospective, longitudinal cohort study to examine weight change in Canadian federal penitentiaries. To participate, inmates had to have been incarcerated for at least 6 months at the time of the study. Current anthropometric data were measured or taken from medical records, then compared with anthropometric data from the beginning of incarceration (mean follow-up of 5.0 ± 8.3 yr). We examined 3 outcomes: change in weight (kg), change in body mass index (BMI) and rate of weight change (kg/yr) during incarceration. A total of 1420 inmates participated in this study. Almost three-quarters (73.0%, n = 1037)) of participants gained weight during incarceration. Inmates gained a median of 6.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.6-6.9) kg, and BMI increased by 2.0 (95% CI 1.8-2.2). Obesity rates increased by 71%, from 26.6% of participants (n = 378) on admission to 45.4% of participants at follow-up (n = 645). The proportion of inmates with a BMI in the normal range (18.5-24.9) decreased by 52%. Weight gain was found to be associated with older age, region (Ontario v. Atlantic), ethnicity (Aboriginal inmates showed the highest weight gain), longer incarceration, and longer total sentence. However, weight gain was not associated with sex, feeding system or spoken language. The Canadian correctional environment can be considered obesogenic, with most inmates experiencing undesirable and rapid weight gain during their incarceration. Rates of obesity increased dramatically during incarceration, and could put inmates at increased risk of obesity-related health problems.

Household crowding as a potential mediator of socioeconomic determinants of tuberculosis incidence in Brazil.

Although many studies have identified social conditions associated with tuberculosis, contextual and individual factors have rarely been analysed simultaneously. Consequently, we aimed to identify contextual and individual factors associated with tuberculosis incidence in general population in Brazil in 2010. We also assessed whether household crowding mediates the association between socioeconomic determinants and tuberculosis incidence. Individual data of tuberculosis cases were obtained from 5,565 municipalities in Brazil in 2010 (last year of national census), and merged with contextual variables. The associations were evaluated in a multilevel analysis using negative binomial regression. After adjusting for individual factors (age, sex and race) and geographic region, the following contextual factors were associated with tuberculosis incidence rate: AIDS incidence rate [incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18–1.24], unemployment rate (IRR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.13–1.19), Gini coefficient (IRR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.08), proportion of inmates (IRR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.09–1.14), mean per capita household income (IRR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91–0.97) and primary care coverage (IRR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92–0.96). Inclusion of household crowding in the multivariate model led to a loss of the associations of both Gini coefficient and mean per capita household income. In conclusion, our findings suggest that income inequality and poverty, as determinants of tuberculosis incidence, can be mediated by household crowding. Moreover, prison population can represent a potential social reservoir of tuberculosis in Brazil and should be addressed as a priority for disease control. Finally, the negative association between primary health coverage and tuberculosis incidence highlights the importance of this level of care as a strategy to control this disease.

Accepting deviant identities: the impact of self-labeling on intentions to desist from crime

Although the effects of official labeling on delinquency have been explored extensively in past research, the way in which offenders apply labels to themselves, and the impact such labeling has on desistance, has received relatively little attention among researchers. Further, most of the research on the relationship between self-labeling and desistance is qualitative in nature. Although some quantitative researchers have explored this area, limitations to these studies still exist. To extend research in this area, a quantitative examination of self-labeling is conducted based on data from a survey of incarcerated felons. This quantitative study explores inmates’ identities and how such identities relate to their intentions to desist from crime. Findings from the current study supplement previous qualitative studies and suggest that a sizeable proportion of inmates identify as having a ‘straight’ or conventional label, despite their criminal behavior. Further, the specific labels inmates in the study identify with appear to have direct consequences on their intentions to desist after release. Implications for theory, policy, and future research are discussed.

UNIVERSAL HEPATITIS B VIRUS VACCINATION IN FRENCH PRISONS: BREAKING DOWN THE LAST BARRIERS

reports results from thesystematic review by Larney [1] which, due to thescarcity of studies, provide limited support for opioidsubstitution treatment as a method for reducinginjecting-related human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)and therefore hepatitis B virus (HBV) risk behavioursin prison. Justifiably, the editorial by Farrel, Strang S two of these three patients reported sexualrisk behaviours only.One previous survey also revealed that French IDUswere less likely to be vaccinated against hepatitis B thanthe general population [5], while other research hasshown that hepatitis B vaccination can be feasible andeffective among drug users [6] and prisoners [7]. Theeditorial also emphasizes that there is a broad but not‘universal’ consensus on hepatitis B vaccination.In effect, since 1990 the French HBV vaccine cam-paign has faced public and professional doubts aboutthe potential link between HBV vaccination and onsetof central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyeli-nation[8].TowhatextentthisassociationmayinfluenceHBV vaccination in prison settings is difficult to say. Atany rate, the proportion of inmates vaccinated againstHBVuponprisonentryincreasedfrom13.7%in1997to31.3%in2003[9],probablythankstotheHBVvaccina-tion campaign in the general population. However,updated information about HBV vaccination in Frenchprisonsisneeded.AlthoughtheFrenchNationalAuthor-ity for Health (HAS) guidelines in 2003 [10] recom-mendedHBVvaccinationstronglyinprisoners,the2004HAS guidelines [11] mitigated the content of the former,suggesting that decisions about HBV vaccination shouldtake into account individual risks and community ben-efits. It is possible that the difficulty in realizing a fullimmunization programme for prisoners may be an addi-tional barrier. Nevertheless, equivalent accelerated strat-egiesbasedoninjectionatdays0,10and21areeffectiveand need to be promoted [7,12].Full integration of HBV vaccination in a packageof HR measures is not only a major public health oppor-tunity in drug users and HIV-infected individuals buta priority in prison settings, where the efficacy of otherHR measures may also need further research.

Correlates of hepatitis C virus seropositivity in prison inmates: a meta-analysis

Background:The prevalence of infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is higher among prison inmates compared with the general population because of the high proportion of injecting drug users (IDU).Methods:A meta-analysis...

Wardens’ Perceptions of Prison Sex

Using data gathered from anonymous questionnaires of 226 male and female wardens from state-operated institutions, the research assesses whether, and to what degree, individual demographic variables and institutional characteristic variables are related to wardens’ perceptions of the prevalence of sexual assault in their institutions, the prevalence of inmates’ consensual sexual activities, and wardens’ assessment of the proportion of sexual assaults that come to their attention. The results of the study show that wardens generally believe sexual activities, consensual and coercive, are relatively rare in their institutions. Individual and institutional characteristics are not shown to be statistically significantly related to perceptions of the prevalence of coercive sexual incidents or frequency of knowledge of sexual assaults. However, four variables (gender, race, sex of prison, and ratio of inmates to officers) are significantly related to estimates of the proportion of inmates that are involved in consensual sexual activities.

Third generation prison classification: the manitoba case

Some investigators have recommended the use of a single instrument for both community‐based and incarcerated offenders to simplify offender classification. To assess the feasibility of such a practice, we compared a community/institutional classification instrument, the Primary Risk Assessment (PRA), with the Institutional Security Assessment (ISA), a device intended solely for custodial settings. Sentenced inmate admissions for 1997 (N = 1064) had three outcome criteria applied: proportion of inmates assigned to each security category, institutional misconduct, and recidivism rates. In direct comparison, the ISA outperformed the PRA in predicting institutional violations and reoffence. Study findings did not support the use of a community corrections based instrument in an institutional setting. Both instruments posed problems, however, with respect to the proportions of inmates assigned to appropriate security categories. Results supported the development of an integrated, third generation instrument to improve inmate classification.

Unrecognised transmission of tuberculosis in prisons.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health concern in correctional facilities. High turnover of inmate populations may preclude timely diagnosis of TB, so that unrecognised transmission may be common. To determine the proportion of inmates with new skin test conversions who had identifiable exposure to diagnosed cases of TB in the correctional system, and to test the hypothesis that source cases of TB may be undiagnosed during incarceration. Maryland Division of Corrections, USA. All inmates whose skin test converted from negative to positive at annual screening. All cases of TB in inmates, diagnosed in the prisons during the relevant time period, were identified. Movements of skin test converters and potential source cases within the prisons were matched. We then matched all inmates discharged from the prison system with all new cases of tuberculosis notified to the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene tuberculosis registry in 1994. The inmate turnover was 21% per year. Probable exposure to a diagnosed source case was found in 13% of converters, possible exposure in 10% and no exposure in 72%. In a further 5% exposure status could not be determined. We identified four cases of pulmonary tuberculosis notified to the state in 1994, within 3 months of discharge in released inmates, who were not known to have tuberculosis whilst incarcerated. Significant transmission of TB due to undiagnosed index cases may occur in prisons due to high population turnover. New skin test conversions in inmates should be treated as new infection, even in the absence of identifiable exposure to TB.

Wechsler performance IQ greater than Verbal IQ index in a forensic sample: a reconsideration.

Explored the relationships of the Performance IQ (PIQ) greater than Verbal IQ (VIQ) to type of crime, ethnicity, and reading disability in a corrections sample of 70 adult males incarcerated on felony charges. The PIQ greater than VIQ sign was not related to Full Scale IQ or to violent vs. nonviolent crime, per se. The PIQ greater than VIQ sign showed a trend toward association with Ethnicity (black vs. white) and was related significantly to reading disability, with the reading disabled inmates more likely to show the sign, and to type of crime, with perpetrators of sex crimes most likely (87%) to show the sign and those incarcerated for murder or attempted murder least likely (33%) to show it. The difference in the proportion of inmates who showed the sign in these two classes of violent crimes (murder and sex crimes) was significant, and further analysis showed that with murder excluded, PIQ greater than VIQ occurred significantly more frequently in those accused of violent crimes than for nonviolent crimes. The latter findings suggested that differences between studies in the relationship of PIQ greater than VIQ and violence may be the result of differences in the proportion of murderers in the violent samples. Additional analyses indicated that the significant relationships between PIQ greater than VIQ and both type of crime and reading disability were most likely independent of ethnicity and each other.

Drug histories and criminality: survey of inmates of state correctional facilities, January 1974.

In January 1974, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, assisted by the Census Bureau, interviewed 10,400 inmates of state correctional facilities. Results from this survey were applicable to 191,400 inmates, which was the estimated population of all state correctional facilities at the time of the survey. Findings showed that an estimated 61% of the 191,400 inmates stated they had used drugs such as heroin, methadone, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, or barbiturates at some point in their lives, without a doctor's prescription and outside of a treatment program. A greater percentage of inmates presently convicted of property crimes (61%) had ever used drugs than inmates convicted of violent crimes (56%)--a difference which becomes greater when inmates convicted of robbery are removed from the violent crime category, particularly since seven out of every 10 inmates presently convicted of robbery had ever used drugs. Around one out of every four inmates stated they were using drugs daily, or almost daily, at the time of any of their present offense(s) resulting in imprisonment. Around one in every three inmates presently convicted of robbery was using drugs daily at this time. Classifying inmates according to daily drug use at this time resulted in the finding that a significantly smaller proportion of inmates with daily drug use at this time were presently convicted of "violent crimes" (41%) than inmates with no drug use (57%). In this survey, inmates were asked if they were under the influence of any drugs at the time of any of the offense(s) causing their present imprisonment. Around one in four of all inmates responded affirmatively to this question. Inmates were asked if they had been drinking at the time of any of the offenses resulting in their being in prison at this time. Four out of every 10 stated they had. Taken together with other drugs, six out of every 10 inmates were either under the influence of drugs, or had been drinking, at the time of any of the offenses causing imprisonment now. When the population was asked about enrollment in drug treatment programs, responses were that only 4% of all inmates were enrolled at the time of any of the present offenses resulting in imprisonment, while around 9% had been enrolled in drug treatment prior to the time of their present offenses.

Some Correlates of Staff Ideology in the Prison

In 1962, a group of U.C.L.A. sociologists conducted a survey of staff members of the California Department of Corrections. Data were gathered on staff attitudes in relation to job and insti tutional variation. Factor analytic reduction of 28 items measur ing authoritarian orientation, preference on severity of penalties, optimism or pessimism regarding treatment outcome, and pre ferred social distance vis-à-vis parolees, resulted in measures of authoritarianism, pessimism, social distance, and recommenda tions regarding treatment programs when security is affected. Cross tabulations of the factoral measures with the respondent's job and education were consistent with the hypothesis that cus todial jobs were more traditional in outlook than treatment positions. It was expected that differences in institutional setting would have an influence on staff views of management of inmates and probable outcome of treatment. To test this assumption, eight prisons were ranked on selected characteristics of their inmate populations according to age, criminal history, and prison be havior. Four types of prisons were delineated based on various combinations of these characteristics. It was hypothesized that staffs from institutions housing a rela tively large proportion of inmates involved in serious prison in cidents would be more authoritarian, pessimistic and distant to ward inmates than staffs at institutions with less volatile inmates. Also, the staffs at institutions holding older inmates with histories of prior commitments and parole violations would be more tra ditional in outlook than staffs at other institutions. Mean values of scores, combining all jobs, were averaged for each pair of prisons representing the four types of prisons. The results only partially confirm the hypothesis. All four scores showed significant differences by institution when tabulated sep arately. Pessimism is highest in prisons housing younger inmates with little prior confinement and few incidents. Readiness to withhold treatment is highest among prisons for younger (not older) men with incident rates. However, authoritarianism and social distance scores varied as predicted. Within prisons, jobs continue to differ significantly in expressed attitudes. The finding that pessimism is characteristic of prisons with young offenders and few incidents indicates a need for further study of institutional contexts, beyond the scope of this survey.