Time Of Incarceration Research Articles

Violence-Related Traumatic Brain Injury in Justice-Involved Women

The present study investigated gender differences in the prevalence and incidence of violence-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) among justice-involved individuals, as well as potential associations between violence-related TBI and select biopsychosocial variables among women in the sample. Data from 409 justice-involved individuals were analyzed, and men and women were compared for rate of violence-related TBI. Women were grouped by violence-related TBI history and compared on eight biopsychosocial variables. Gender was significantly associated with multiple TBIs and multiple violence-related TBIs. History of violence-related TBI in women was associated with physical health problems and incarceration history. This research revealed a high rate of violence-related multiple TBIs among justice-involved women. Violence-related TBIs were associated with more prevalent physical illness and increased incarceration times. Identification of justice-involved women with these injuries may help clinicians better tailor services to improve inmate outcomes and reduce cost burdens to justice systems.

Testicular Necrosis Secondary to Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia in Male Infants. Own Observations

One of the possible consequences of incarcerated inguinal hernia in boys is testicular ischemia because of the prolonged compression of spermatic cord structures by the sac contents, resulting in ipsilateral testicular atrophy. This complication is well described in the literature and occurs in 5-34% of patients. The incidence of testicular atrophy secondary to incarcerated hernia is estimated to be 2-3%. Testicular necrosis as the result of hernia incarceration is, however, an extremely rare clinical setting. We present 4 male infants aged 3-10 weeks with inguinal hernia incarceration which led to ipsilateral testicular loss. All the boys had to be operated on because of irreducible incarcerated hernia and in all the cases testicular necrosis was found intraoperatively. The time of incarceration before surgical intervention ranged from 4 to 12 hours (mean 6.75). Our data show that every case of hernia incarceration in a very young male infant requires rapid diagnosis and proper intervention, i.e. surgical treatment, instead of repeated attempts of manual reduction. Ultrasound examination should estimate not only blood flow through the incarcerated intestinal loop, but also through the ipsilateral testis. Moreover, during the operation of the incarcerated hernia in a boy it is necessary to estimate the ipsilateral testis.

Whose punishment, whose crime? Understanding parenting and partnership in a time of mass incarceration

ABSTRACTParenting and romantic partnership changes and challenges that occur in the context of incarceration are not yet fully understood, in part due to longstanding limitations in available data on the family lives of justice-involved individuals. This article reviews that prior work and introduces a set of new contributions in this volume of findings from the Multisite Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting, and Partnering (MFS-IP). The MFS-IP study brings new insight on parenting and partnership during incarceration and reentry, using longitudinal data collected from 2008–2015 with 1,482 committed romantic or coparenting couples in which the male partner was incarcerated at baseline.

Negative latent tuberculosis at time of incarceration: identifying a very high-risk group for infection.

The main aim was to measure the incidence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and identify risk factors associated with infection. In addition, we determined the number needed to screen (NNS) to identify LTBI and active tuberculosis. We followed 129 prisoners for 2 years following a negative two-step tuberculin skin test (TST). The cumulative incidence of TST conversion over 2 years was 29·5% (38/129), among the new TST converters, nine developed active TB. Among persons with no evidence of LTBI, the NNS to identify a LTBI case was 3·4 and an active TB case was 14·3. The adjusted risk factors for LTBI conversion were incarceration in prison number 1, being formerly incarcerated, and overweight. In conclusion, prisoners have higher risk of LTBI acquisition compared with high-risk groups, such as HIV-infected individuals and children for whom LTBI testing should be performed according to World Health Organization guidance. The high conversion rate is associated with high incidence of active TB disease, and therefore we recommend mandatory LTBI screening at the time of prison entry. Individuals with a negative TST at the time of entry to prison are at high risk of acquiring infection, and should therefore be followed in order to detect convertors and offer LTBI treatment. This approach has a very low NNS for each identified case, and it can be utilized to decrease development of active TB disease and transmission.

Juvenile homicide offender recidivism

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine and explain the recidivism outcomes of a large cohort of juvenile homicide offenders three years following their release from institutional confinement.Design/methodology/approachRetrospective data were utilized to examine demographic, background, and institutional behavior variables on post-release recidivism of 247 juvenile homicide offenders. Analyses distinguish between capital and non-capital juvenile homicide offenders.FindingsDescriptive analyses demonstrated a 50 percent recidivism rate among the sample of juvenile homicide offenders. Bivariate analyses revealed few significant differences between capital and non-capital homicide offending juveniles. Logistic regression analyses revealed that youth who were neglected prior to state institutionalization were significantly more likely to recidivate. Logistic regression also revealed that longer lengths of incarceration were associated with decreased odds of recidivism, while participating in assaultive behaviors against peers while confined aggravated the odds of recidivism.Research limitations/implicationsImplications related to the role that previous neglect, incarceration time, and institutional behavior can inform policymakers and practitioners on issues related to the treatment of juvenile homicide offenders while confined, and the impact that incarceration time and institutional behavior mean for post-release recidivism risk.Originality/valueLittle research has assessed the recidivism outcomes of juvenile homicide offenders, especially with a larger sample size. None have examined the differences between capital and non-capital homicide offending juveniles. As juvenile jurisdictions continue to retain more homicide offending juveniles (as opposed to their removal to adult systems), there is value to the research to inform policy and practice with such an enriched and problematic groups of offenders.

Influencing factors for complications of esophageal foreign bodies in children

Objective To investigate the influencing factors related to the complications of esophageal foreign body in children. Methods Data of 150 children with esophageal foreign bodies admitted to Xi′an Children′s Hospital from January 2012 to June 2015 were included in the retrospective analysis. Related clinical variables (gender, age, location, time, size, sharpness, quality, and severity of complications) were statistically analyzed. Results Spearman correlation analysis showed that the age of children was negatively correlated with esophageal foreign body complications (r=-0.187, P=0.022), incarceration time (r=0.456, P<0.001), sharpness (r=0.384, P<0.001) and quality (r=0.234, P=0.004) was positively correlated with the incidence of complications. Non-conditional Logistic regression analysis for polytomous ordinal response showed that incarceration longer than 8 h yielded complication risks 9.507 times as much as that less than 8 h (95%CI: 2.982-30.309). Obtuse or sharp foreign body yielded risk 142.751 times as smooth foreign body did (95%CI: 13.736-1 483.562). Conclusion Incidence and severity of complications of esophageal foreign body in children are closely related to the age of the children, incarceration time and the degree of sharpness. For patients of less than 1 year old, incarceration for more than 8 hours, with an obtuse or sharp foreign body, early diagnosis and treatment is essential. Key words: Child; Foreign body in esophagus; Complications; Correlation

Bargaining With Asymmetric Information: An Empirical Study of Plea Negotiations

This paper empirically investigates how sentences to be assigned at trial impact plea bargaining. The analysis is based on the model of bargaining with asymmetric information by Bebchuk, 1984. I provide conditions for the nonparametric identification of the model, propose a consistent nonparametric estimator, and implement it using data on criminal cases from North Carolina. Employing the estimated model, I evaluate how different sentencing reforms affect the outcome of criminal cases. My results indicate that lower mandatory minimum sentences could greatly reduce the total amount of incarceration time assigned by the courts, but may increase conviction rates. In contrast, the broader use of non-incarceration sentences for less serious crimes reduces the number of incarceration convictions, but has a very small effect over the total assigned incarceration time. I also consider the effects of a ban on plea bargains. Depending on the case characteristics, over 20 percent of the defendants who currently receive incarceration sentences would be acquitted if plea bargains were forbidden.

Birth in prison: pregnancy and birth behind bars in Brazil.

The high vulnerability of incarcerated women is worsened when they are pregnant and give birth during imprisonment. This article traces the profile of incarcerated women living with their children in female prison units of the capitals and metropolitan regions of Brazil and describes pregnancy and childbirth conditions and healthcare practices while in incarceration. This study is an analysis of a series of cases resultant from a national census conducted between August 2012 and January 2014. This analysis included 241 mothers. Of these, 45% were younger than 25 years old, 57% were dark skinned, 53% had studied less than eight years and 83% were multiparous. At the time of incarceration, 89% were already pregnant and two thirds did not want the current pregnancy. Access to prenatal care was inadequate for 36% of the women. During their hospital stay, 15% referred to having suffered some type of violence (verbal, psychological, or physical). Only 15% of the mothers rated the care received during their hospital stay as excellent. They had low social/familial support and more than one third reported the use of handcuffs during their hospital stay. Incarcerated mothers received poorer healthcare during pregnancy and birth when compared with non-incarcerated users of the public sector. This study also found violations of human rights, especially during birth.

Interim methadone and patient navigation in jail: Rationale and design of a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundMethadone maintenance is an effective treatment for opioid dependence but is rarely initiated in US jails. Patient navigation is a promising approach to improve continuity of care but has not been tested in bridging the gap between jail- and community-based drug treatment programs. MethodsThis is an open-label randomized clinical trial among 300 adult opioid dependent newly-arrested detainees that will compare three treatment conditions: methadone maintenance without routine counseling (termed Interim Methadone; IM) initiated in jail v. IM and patient navigation v. enhanced treatment-as-usual. The two primary outcomes will be: (1) the rate of entry into treatment for opioid use disorder within 30days from release and (2) frequency of opioid positive urine tests over the 12-month follow-up period.An economic analysis will examine the costs, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit ratio of the study interventions. ResultsWe describe the background and rationale for the study, its aims, hypotheses, and study design. ConclusionsGiven the large number of opioid dependent detainees in the US and elsewhere, initiating IM at the time of incarceration could be a significant public health and clinical approach to reducing relapse, recidivism, HIV-risk behavior, and criminal behavior. An economic analysis will be conducted to assist policy makers in determining the utility of adopting this approach.ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02334215.

Optimizing hepatitis B vaccination in prison

ObjectiveWe aimed to establish the current status of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination in prison. MethodsWe carried out two evaluations within a 1-year interval with inmates incarcerated for 6 to 12 months. A monitoring process was introduced in-between the two evaluations. ResultsWe included 231 inmates. Overall, 42.9% were immunized because of a previous vaccination and 14.3% because of a previous exposure. Inmates born in an area of medium or high endemicity for HBV were significantly more exposed to HBV. The proportion of non-immunized inmates was 42.8% at the time of incarceration and 27.5% after 6 to 12 months. Vaccination coverage with two doses, after 6 to 12 months, was 63% among patients who were initially non-immunized. ConclusionThe recently developed accelerated vaccination schedule should help improve HBV vaccination coverage.

Children of Incarcerated Women in Brazil: Vulnerability and Traumatic Experiences in Their Lives

This study aims at identifying possible traumatic experiences, feelings, and emotions faced by children of incarcerated women. A structured interview was conducted with 150 incarcerated women at a women's prison in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Participants reported a total of 441 children, of which 297 were younger than 12 years old, and their average age was 7.5 years old. 67.4% of the children lived with their mothers at the time of incarceration, and 15.1% had witnessed their arrest. Participants reported that 24.02% of children were sad and 12.7% of them cried very much when their mothers were arrested. 57.3 % of the children were under the care of maternal relatives while their mothers were incarcerated, and in 20% of the cases the father of the child was also incarcerated. Mothers reported that 38.1% of the children were exposed to domestic violence by the father against the mother prior to incarceration. Results indicate several potential situations of vulnerability and trauma experienced by these chil...

Postincarceration policies and prisoner reentry: Implications for policies and programs aimed at reducing recidivism and poverty

ABSTRACTThe concept of postincarceration policy is used in this article to define policies focused on preventing populations often described as “criminals,” who have completed their incarceration time, to enter workplaces, use public housing, public assistance, and receive government student loans. The authors argue that aside from these postincarceration policies being punitive, they result in significant social, financial, educational, housing, and health care barriers to reentry and reintegration of prisoners into their communities as productive citizens. Further, these policies have a number of unintended consequences, including reducing the effectiveness of policies aimed at decreasing poverty and homelessness and improving the education attainment of the low-skilled workforce. This article describes these postincarceration policies and critically examines the consequences, intended and unintended, of these policies. Implications for future postincarceration policy development, program implementation, and research are discussed.

Employment and wages before and after incarceration – evidence from Hungary

We study the entry into legitimate employment and earnings of a large sample of convicts released from Hungarian prisons in 2002–08. The employment rate of the prisoners falls short of 20% one year before incarceration, and they earn 25% below the national average. We identify the effect of prison by exploiting differences in the timing of incarceration and also by estimating fixed-effect models. For convicts with a single prison term, we find an initially negative effect on employment, which turns positive after a year, though the impact on earnings is permanently negative. A comparison with recidivists suggests that these results are driven by a drop in the reservation wages of ‘reformed’ criminals. This reading is supported by further data showing that the average ex-inmate tends to make increased efforts to find a legitimate source of livelihood and support in job search.

Death and other penalties: philosophy in a time of mass incarceration

Death and other penalties: philosophy in a time of mass incarceration

Routine testing for blood-borne viruses in prisons: a systematic review.

Background: People in prison have a higher burden of blood-borne virus (BBV) infection than the general population, and prisons present an opportunity to test for BBVs in high-risk, underserved groups. Changes to the BBV testing policies in English prisons have recently been piloted. This review will enable existing evidence to inform policy revisions. We describe components of routine HIV, hepatitis B and C virus testing policies in prisons and quantify testing acceptance, coverage, result notification and diagnosis. Methods: We searched five databases for studies of both opt-in (testing offered to all and the individual chooses to have the test or not) and opt-out (the individual is informed the test will be performed unless they actively refuse) prison BBV testing policies. Results: Forty-four studies published between 1989 and 2013 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 82% were conducted in the USA, 91% included HIV testing and most tested at the time of incarceration. HIV testing acceptance rates ranged from 22 to 98% and testing coverage from 3 to 90%. Mixed results were found for equity in uptake. Six studies reported reasons for declining a test including recent testing and fear. Conclusions: While the quality of evidence is mixed, this review suggests that reasonable rates of uptake can be achieved with opt-in and, even better, with opt-out HIV testing policies. Little evidence was found relating to hepatitis testing. Policies need to specify exclusion criteria and consider consent processes, type of test and timing of the testing offer to balance acceptability, competence and availability of individuals.

Therapeutic Community Treatment of an Inmate Population with Substance Use Disorders: Post-Release Trends in Re-Arrest, Re-Incarceration, and Drug Misuse Relapse.

This systematic literature review maps the evidence for the effectiveness of the therapeutic community interventions (TCI) in reducing re-arrest, re-incarceration or drug misuse following release from prison, including the extent to which these effects are retained over time. The databases searched for the review included PsychINFO, Medline and Scopus and reference lists from relevant articles published between 2007 and 2014. Only quantitative studies that examined the effectiveness of TCI for a prisoner population with drug dependence at the time of initial incarceration were considered. Fourteen studies were identified for inclusion in the review. Three-quarters of the studies reported TCI were effective in reducing rates of re-incarceration. About 70% of studies that examined follow-up rates of drug misuse relapse found TCI effective in reducing rates of drug misuse amongst participants. TCI participation reduced re-arrests events in 55% of the studies. Results suggest TCI effective in the short-term rather than longer term for reducing rates of re-incarceration among participants, and to a slightly lesser extent, drug misuse relapse.

The Effect of Incarceration on Midlife Health: A Life-Course Approach

A significant association between incarceration and health is well established, but whether this association depends on the timing of incarceration is not known. Men who experience incarceration during the transition to adulthood are more likely to have their educational attainment and transition into the work force disrupted relative to others who are never incarcerated and to those who are first incarcerated in adulthood. Thus, I investigate whether age at first incarceration conditions the relationship between incarceration and men’s health, including general and mental health in midlife. I also examine whether the disadvantaged socioeconomic status and health behavior of ex-inmates function as a main mechanism explaining the relationship between incarceration and health. Using propensity score–weighted regressions with data from the NLSY79. I find that men with a first incarceration during the transition to adulthood (at ages 18–24) are less likely to be in good self-reported general and mental health than otherwise similar men who have never been incarcerated. Results suggest that these negative health conditions among ex-inmates are explained mostly by socioeconomic status such as educational attainment and employment. On the other hand, men with an incarceration experience later in adulthood (at ages 25–40) are not less likely to be in good general and mental health compared to otherwise similar men who have never been incarcerated. Overall, the results from this study encourage a life course approach to understanding the relationship between incarceration and health.

Incarceration and injection drug use in Baltimore, Maryland.

There is limited longitudinal research examining incarceration and subsequent changes in drug use among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United States. The objective of the current study was to characterize the frequency of incarceration and estimate the association between incarceration and subsequent injection drug use among current and former PWIDs in one US city. ALIVE (AIDS Linked to the Intravenous Experience) is a prospective cohort study of current and former PWIDs, with semi-annual follow-up occurring since 1988. Baltimore, Maryland, USA. A total of 3245 participants with 48 738 study visits were included. Participants enrolled from 1988 to 2012 with a median of 13 follow-up visits per participant (Interquartile range = 7-25). Incarcerations were defined as any self-reported jail or prison stays in the previous 6 months that were ≥7 days or longer. The primary outcome was defined as any self-reported injection drug use in the previous 6 months. At baseline, 29% were female, 90% African American and 33% HIV-positive. Fifty-seven per cent of participants experienced at least one incarceration episode. After adjusting for confounders, there was a positive association between incarceration and subsequent injection drug use [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37-1.59]; however, stratified analysis showed that the effect was restricted to those who were not injecting at the time of incarceration (AOR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.88-2.37). In the United States, incarceration of people who had previously stopped injecting drugs appears to be associated with an increased risk of subsequent injecting.

Antisocial Personality Disorder among Prison Inmates: TheMediating Role of Schema-Focused Therapy

This study investigated the mediating role of schema-focused therapy in the treatment of antisocial personality disorder among prison inmates. The participants of the study were three hundred (300) prison inmates of Agodi Prison in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The instruments used for the study were Antisocial Personality Disorder Self- Test (APDSF), deployed for screening the participants, and Antisocial Personality Disorder Symptoms Questionnaire (APDSQ) developed by the researcher. Pre-test Post-Test, control group experimental design was adopted for this study. The data were analysed using ANCOVA. There was significant main effect of treatment on antisocial personality disorder of the prison inmates. There was significant interaction effect of treatment of participants based on gender. There was also significant interaction effect of treatment on prison inmates based on time of incarceration.

The Effect of Race/Ethnicity on Sentencing: Examining Sentence Type, Jail Length, and Prison Length

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of race/ethnicity on criminal sentencing outcomes. The findings from prior studies tend to be mixed on this issue. Using 4 years of data from the State Court Processing Statistics (2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006) and propensity score matching, we examined the impact of race/ethnicity on sentencing outcomes among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. The findings suggest that racial/ethnic biases occur in the sentence type (community sanction, jail, or prison) and jail length decisions though not in the prison length decision. It is important to separate jail length and prison length when examining incarceration time. Combining the 2 distinct sentences may confound the true impact of factors on these outcomes.