State Correctional Facilities Research Articles

From Hard Labor to Market Discipline: The Political Economy of Prison Work, 1974 to 2022

A long sociological tradition has examined how state coercion undergirds the “free market” for labor. In the contemporary prison, however, there are signs this relationship has been turned on its head. Whereas in the past, state coercion helped prisons generate profit for private markets, today market ideas are increasingly used within prisons to facilitate state control. I draw on an analysis of seven waves of the Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities, as well as 61 interviews with state prison administrators, prison industry advocates, and formerly incarcerated people. Although the market for the products of prison labor has declined, and incarcerated people, on average, are working less than ever before, inequality in the distribution of work and rewards for this work has sharpened. This changing structure of prison labor is associated with a changing understanding of it. Prison administrators, and to some extent incarcerated people themselves, use market ideas to explain the new organization of prison labor and justify people’s places within it. This organization and these ideas solve managerial problems within the prison and are suggestive of parallels between prison and social welfare policy in the contemporary era.

Does information reduce interpersonal violence? Evidence from prisons

Abstract Why does interpersonal violence erupt? A key source is conflict over resources and a little-studied mechanism for solving such cases concerns the availability of credible information about individuals’ abilities and willingness to use force. Its core prediction is that when such credible information abounds, the outcome of a potential struggle can be anticipated and thus there is no need to fight. I test this prediction using a nationally representative survey of male prisoners (Ninmates = 10,768, Nfacilities = 207) incarcerated in US state correctional facilities. I also make two methodologically orientated contributions. First, recent research highlights the important consequences that data analysis choices can have in determining quantitative findings. To overcome this, I draw on multiverse analysis and specification curve analysis to map out the key analytical decisions I make and run 262,144 plausible regression models. By doing so, I classify associations that are robust, mixed, or entirely frail according to analytic decisions and find partial support for the informational mechanism of interpersonal violence. Second, in contrast to much quantitative prison research, which uses only official or institutionally punished assaults data, I compare self-recognized fights to self-reported institutionally punished fights and highlight key differences.

Prompt access to outpatient care post-incarceration among adults with a history of substance use: Predisposing, enabling, and need-based factors

IntroductionAs expanded Medicaid coverage reduces financial barriers to receiving health care among formerly incarcerated adults, more information is needed to understand the factors that predict prompt use of health care after release among insured adults with a history of substance use. This study's aim was to estimate the associations between characteristics suggested by the Andersen behavioral model of health service use and measures of health care use during the immediate reentry period and in the presence of Medicaid coverage. MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we linked individual-level data from multiple Wisconsin agencies. The sample included individuals aged 18–64 released from a Wisconsin State Correctional Facility between April 2014 and June 2017 to a community in the state who enrolled in Medicaid within one month of release and had a history of substance use. We grouped predictors of outpatient care into variable domains within the Andersen model: predisposing- individual socio-demographic characteristics; enabling characteristics including area-level socio-economic resources, area-level health care supply, and characteristics of the incarceration and release; and need-based- pre-release health conditions. We used a model selection algorithm to select a subset of variable domains and estimated the association between the variables in these domains and two outcomes: any outpatient visit within 30 days of release from a state correctional facility, and receipt of medication for opioid use disorder within 30 days of release. ResultsThe size and sign of many of the estimated associations differed for our two outcomes. Race was associated with both outcomes, Black individuals being 12.1 p.p. (95 % CI, 8.7–15.4, P < .001) less likely than White individuals to have an outpatient visit within 30 days of release and 1.3 p.p. (95 % CI, 0.48–2.1, P = .002) less likely to receive MOUD within 30 days of release. Chronic pre-release health conditions were positively associated with the likelihood of post-release health care use. ConclusionsConditional on health insurance coverage, meaningful differences in post-incarceration outpatient care use still exist across adults leaving prison with a history of substance use. These findings can help guide the development of care transition interventions including the prioritization of subgroups that may warrant particular attention.

Xylazine – Emerging Cause of Death in Correctional Institutions

&#x0D; Abstract:&#x0D; The unregulated veterinary drug xylazine is emerging as a cause of death in State Correctional facilities. Unlike the drug fentanyl, there is no antidote. The origins and toxicity of the drug are discussed and illustrated with a case study of an offender death due to xylazine mixed with fentanyl. There are precautions that prison officials can take, and correctional nurses that encounter users will be informed and better able to assess offenders for possible xylazine use due to physical signs on examination.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

An Examination of the Intersectional Experience of Incarcerated Parents

ABSTRACTData from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, consisting of 9,262 incarcerated parents, were used to explore patterns of anger, with a particular focus on understanding the interplay between emotional distress and other predictors of anger among incarcerated parents through the lens of General Strain Theory. Through a conjunctive analysis of case configurations (CACC), results from the current study show that 1) reports of anger cluster moderately among specific situational profiles, which are defined by the unique combination of variable attributes; 2) incarcerated parents most likely to report anger have consistently reported emotional distress, but incarcerated parents least likely to report anger rarely described emotional distress; and 3) incarcerated parents who report emotional distress can increase their chances of reported anger by as much as 12% in some situational contexts, but can have almost no influence on feelings of anger in others. Current findings are discussed considering existing scholarship on the well-being of incarcerated parents and recommendations for policy and future areas of research are offered.

Hands-Off or Hands-On? Examining the Effect of Court Orders on Inmate Misconduct

ABSTRACT Although studies have linked judicial intervention to inmate outcomes, it is unclear how the various reasons for which an institution is under court order predict the likelihood of inmate misbehavior, such as violence and other nonviolent forms of rule breaking. Data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities (SISCF) and the 2000 Census of State Correctional Facilities (CSCF) are used to examine how various prison violations affect inmate misconduct. Hierarchical linear models reveal that sweeping litigation and reforms that pose a greater challenge to correctional authority are associated with greater misconduct, while more targeted approaches appear to have a less pronounced or inverse association with misconduct. These findings have important implications for the operation of the correctional institution and its society of captives.

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 2

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 2

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 3

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 3

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 1

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 1

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 4

"Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility" (by Brooke Colley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, and Tusty ten Bensel): Review 4

Census of State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities 2024 (DOJ)

Federal Grants & ContractsVolume 47, Issue 12 p. 5-5 Grants Alerts Census of State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities 2024 (DOJ) First published: 14 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.33036Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume47, Issue1218 May 2023Pages 5-5 RelatedInformation

Predictors of Religiosity among US Prisoners

Criminological research on religiosity among prisoners has focused on the effects of or outcomes associated with religiosity. Studies have discovered that faith-based programs can reduce recidivism and that religiosity facilitates adaptation to imprisonment and is associated with reductions in serious misconducts. Criminologists have yet to examine the predictors of religiosity among prisoners. In this study, I examine individual- and facility-level predictors of inmate religiosity to uncover the relationship between individual demographic and criminal justice characteristics and religiosity among prisoners. I use national data sets, the Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities and the Census of State Correctional Facilities, and multilevel modeling techniques to examine these relationships. Findings at the individual level indicate that the same factors that are important influences on religiosity in the general population are also significant predictor of religiosity among prisoners, and that the criminal justice/criminal history characteristics of prisoners are also important influences on religiosity. At the facility level, prisons in the Southern region of the US had the highest rates of religiosity among prisoners.

Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility

Dying in Prison: End-of-Life Care Services in a State Correctional Facility

Prison Religion: Exploring the Link Between Pre- and In-prison Experiences to Religious Activity

Participation in prison-based religious programs has received a wealth of scholarly attention. Evidence shows that participation can provide critical coping mechanisms and access to a social support network. But despite a wealth of research, less work explores the pre-prison and in-prison attributes and experiences that may increase overall religious activity while in prison. We use data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to explore the covariates of religious engagement, uncovering the critical role of adverse experiences including pre-prison physical abuse and in-prison depression. Our findings highlight the need to further explore the influence of extra religious attributes and contribute to scholarship on the role of faith based prison programing in the lives of incarcerated individuals.

Reentry Readiness Among Women With Mental Health Conditions: Implications for Rehabilitation Counselors

The presence of mental health conditions increases vulnerability to unsuccessful reentry outcomes upon release from incarceration. Women with histories of mental health conditions make up a considerable proportion of the female correctional population. Rehabilitation counselors (RCs) are increasingly likely to support women with incarceration histories despite minimal research on correctional populations in the field. Reentry readiness is one area that could benefit from rehabilitation counseling professionals’ unique training. The construct of readiness has been associated with successful outcomes in a variety of contexts, including employment, education, and treatment. This study surveyed a sample of 123 women preparing for release from a state correctional facility to examine the relative contributions that perceived self-efficacy, optimism, and motivation to change have on reentry readiness, and whether the presence of a mental health condition made any further contributions. Results from the hierarchical regression analysis showed self-efficacy and optimism were significant contributors to perceived reentry readiness. The presence of a mental health condition made no further contributions. Implications for RCs working in reentry and/or with clients who have incarceration histories are discussed. Curriculum considerations for RC education programs are also explored.

The legal impunity for gender-based violence against intersex, transgender, and gender diverse persons in Kenya: A legal recognition issue for the African human rights system

In 2019, a judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya issued a public apology to an intersex person for a decision the court handed down in 2010. The judge regretted the court’s failure to appreciate the identity and human rights needs of intersex persons in that case. R.M. had petitioned the High Court for redress due to the sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse he had suffered while detained at the state correctional facilities. This case highlighted the various forms of violence that intersex, transgender, and gender diverse persons (“ITGDPs”) experience on account of their gender identity. Studies reveal that gender-based violence against ITGDPs in Kenya is intricately conjoined with a lack of socio-cultural and legal recognition of their gender identities. The exclusion engenders pervasive violence by state actors and private individuals. Despite the growing use of public interest litigation (“PIL”) as a mechanism for pursuing the goals of legal recognition and social, economic, and political emancipation of ITGDPs in Kenya, there is scant improvement in policy and practice. The same lacuna obtains in the African human rights mechanisms. The apology, the research findings and the unyielding PIL create the appropriate occasion for a critical examination of the effects of the assumption on synonymy and binarism of gender and sex espoused by the national and the African human rights system, on sexual and gender-based violence (“GBV”) against ITGDPs in Kenya. This article analyses the nexus and how a lack of legal recognition of ITGDP gender identities and expression aggravates sexual and GBV against the group against the backdrop of the African human rights system.

Criminal Justice Alcohol and Drug Screening in Practice: Using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory to Identify Substance Use Disorder in Offenders

Objective The substance abuse subtle screening inventory (SASSI) has been used successfully in correctional treatment settings and correctional screening since 1988. These screenings include outpatient evaluations of offenders within community settings, as well as assessments of incarcerated individuals within federal, state, city, and county correctional facilities. One key element towards reducing recidivism and reoffending, is that individuals receive treatment for substance use disorders (SUD’s) while in the correctional system. While SUD is not the only contributing factor to criminality, it does significantly increase the likelihood of legal infraction and violations, placing these individuals at a higher risk of re-offending. Thus, identifying SUD as early as possible helps provide tailored treatment to those who need it, while simultaneously reducing the risk of future legal difficulties. Now in its fourth iteration (SASSI-4), this article discusses the SASSI screening tools’ utility with criminal offenders and serving clinical needs, and reviews a case study of a young male’s clinical evaluation while incarcerated. Results For this case study, we reviewed the SASSI-4 screening results of a 24-year-old male whom we will call "Bryon". Bryon was in his 4th week of detention at a local mid-western jail in the United States. He was arrested after turning himself in for a prior domestic violence offense committed while under the influence of alcohol and for which he had fled the state. Bryon had one prior arrest (for receiving stolen property, which he subsequently traded for drugs). The intake counselor conducting Bryon’s assessment had been meeting with him at the jail for several weeks. The court was particularly interested in determining the level of risk that Bryon would again flee the area. Conclusion This case presents us with a good example of the value of early identification of substance use disorder, and potential problems in criminal justice settings. Bryon's SASSI results clearly demonstrate a well-established pattern of substance misuse that will require relatively intensive intervention. Therefore, he may be a solid candidate for diversion into an alcohol and drug treatment program as a way of reducing the risk of future offenses.

Comparing perceptions of long-acting reversible contraception among women during periods of incarceration and women attending a local clinic: An exploratory study

The objective of this study was to understand perceptions of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) among incarcerated women. We compared survey responses specific to IUDs and implants between a convenience sample of incarcerated women to a sample of women attending a local ob/gyn clinic. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among two groups: (1) incarcerated women receiving medical care at the state correctional facility, and (2) women receiving care at an ob/gyn clinic in the same community. The anonymous survey included questions about demographic variables, current and past contraceptive use, and perception of IUDs and implants. Almost half of the total sample stated that they might consider an IUD or implant for contraception. Incarcerated women tended to be less likely to give an affirmative answer to current or future use of an IUD or implant (29% vs 39%, p=0.19). Concerns about pain and side effects were similar between the groups, but more incarcerated women cited concerns about device removal (72% vs 57%, p=0.02) and the level of training of the provider inserting the device (68% vs 53%, p=0.02). Incarcerated women interested in using the IUD or implant were more comfortable with device placement in the community than in the correctional setting (42% to 30%, p < 0.001). Incarcerated women have concerns about LARC that may be specific to their experience of incarceration. Providers working with incarcerated women should consider these when counseling patients on contraceptive choices. Options for post-release follow-up care and device removal should be included in this discussion. Incarcerated women should receive comprehensive reproductive health care, including contraceptive services if desired. However, incarceration itself may introduce fundamental concerns regarding contraception and these concerns need to be better understood to balance the provision of services with the potential for reproductive coercion.

Association Between Social Support and Mental Health of Incarcerated Individuals.

Mental illness occurs more frequently in incarcerated individuals than in the general population. This study examined whether social support during incarceration is associated with improved mental health outcomes. Data were used from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities; the analytic sample was 3,451 incarcerated individuals. Linear regression models predicted current mental health functioning from frequency of visits and phone calls while incarcerated. Controlling for demographic characteristics, incarcerated individuals with more frequent contact from family and friends had improved mental health. Mental health functioning was particularly enhanced for individuals who received more calls and visits. Future research should explore opportunities to increase visits and phone calls during incarceration along with additional social support mechanisms that may enhance mental health.

Devoted dads: evaluation of a parent education program for incarcerated fathers

Parent education for incarcerated parents can be an important support for families and may increase father involvement. Devoted Dads, a 12-week parenting program, was implemented in three state correctional facilities. Program topics included parent-child relationships, family dynamics, coparenting, and communication. The goal of the program was to equip incarcerated fathers with resources to positively engage with their children and coparents. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys for the program as well as evaluations for each session. Analysis results showed positive participant experience of the program as well as improvements in fathers’ reports of their own parenting experience and their relationship with co-caregivers. Pre-post changes in parenting knowledge and skills measures and prison-related stress areas were significantly different when fathers had preschool age children compared to those who only have school aged, teen, and/or adult children.