Young Prisoners Research Articles

Complex health-related needs among young, soon-to-be-released prisoners

BackgroundTo estimate the prevalence and co-occurrence of health-related needs among young people aged 18 to 24 years transitioning out of adult prisons.MethodsData came from face-to-face, confidential interviews with adult prisoners aged 18–24 years in seven adult prisons in Queensland, Australia. We identified the prevalence and co-occurrence of overlapping health-related needs using an Australian health performance framework with four domains: physical health, mental health, risky substance use and socioeconomic disadvantage.ResultsMost young prisoners experience multiple and complex health problems prior to their release: 98% of young prisoners reported at least one indicator of poor health, and 30% reported at least one indicator of poor health in all four evaluated domains.ConclusionsYoung people in adult prisons report a high prevalence of health problems across multiple domains. Addressing these complex needs will require coordinated service delivery across health-related sectors both in custody and after release.

Health promotion and young prisoners: a European perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the health promotion needs of vulnerable young prisoners and the existing health promotion activities in custodial settings in seven European Union (EU) Member States. The research comprised two components: the first involved identifying existing health promotion practices. The second involved mapping out young offenders' health promotion needs by carrying out a needs assessment. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted. The quantitative element comprised surveys among young prisoners and prison staff and focused on the availability and perceived importance of health promotion activities in prison. The qualitative element comprised focus groups with young offenders and individual interviews with prison staff, field experts and NGO members. The findings from the research have identified a number of similar, but also some diverse areas of unmet need for health promotion activities in prison settings across these diverse seven EU countries. There is no consistency of approach within and between countries regarding health promotion policy, guidance, resources and programmes for young prisoners. In order to improve the health of young prisoners and to establish and increase sustainability of existing health promotion programmes, there is a need for the establishment of National and EU standards. Providing health promotion activities for young prisoners while in custodial settings is key to addressing their unmet health and well-being needs and to facilitate their reintegration back into the community. Despite the barriers identified by this research, health promotion is to some extent being delivered in the partner countries and provides a foundation upon which further implementation of health promotion activities can be built especially when the benefits of health promotion activities, like dealing with the common problems of alcohol and drug addiction, mental health and communicable diseases are linked to successful reintegration.

Prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and anger in Turkish prisoners.

In Turkey, prison studies are rare and the mental health status of prisoners has not received proper attention. The purpose of this cross-sectional and descriptive study was to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and anger among a group of Turkish prisoners. Two self-reporting instruments (the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 and Multidimensional Anger Scale) were filled out by 685 prisoners. Prisoners in the study group were found to be depressive, anxious, and stressed. Anger symptoms and aggressive behaviors were found to be at a moderate level. Prisoners with a history of being subjected to domestic violence in childhood had higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores than those without such a history. Young prisoners, those who had been previously imprisoned, with substance dependency and higher stress and anxiety levels reported more anger symptoms than others. Psychological support, together with stress and anger management programs, seems to be essential.

Adolescence: Does good nutrition = good behaviour?

Adolescence is often associated with exploring boundaries, rapid growth, hormones and pimples. A stable feature of this turbulent age is that these young people are highly over-represented in the criminal justice system. Adolescents account for disproportionate proportion of police-recorded crimes, and this seems to be a cross-cultural phenomenon. Furthermore, disaffected young people often have limited routine access to healthy foods and make poor food choices. These people form a large proportion of the prison population and there are concerns that insufficient attention is paid to their health. Hence their diet tends to be poor compared with international standards of dietary adequacy, which typically are set to protect the heart but not for optimal brain function. Thus, it has been posited that a poor diet may be a modifiable causal factor in antisocial behaviours. We tested what happened to the behaviour of violent young adult prisoners (18-21years) when nutrients missing from their diets were reinstated. We used food supplements as an analogue of a better diet because it provided the possibility of a placebo control. On a random basis, where neither the volunteers, prison staff nor researchers in the prison knew who was getting which type, 231 volunteers were given either placebo or real capsules containing broadly the daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. The number of proven offences committed by each prisoner was monitored before and while taking supplements. The result was that those who received the extra nutrients committed significantly (26.3%) fewer offences compared with placebos. Those consuming real supplements for at least 2 weeks committed 37% fewer (highly statistically significant) of the most serious offences, such as violence. These findings have been replicated by the Dutch Ministry of Justice; their double-blind study reported a 48% difference between groups. If these studies are widely replicated - and they need to be - we may have a simple and humane means to help reduce and prevent a significant proportion of violence and antisocial behaviour. This should also work in the community, because it is not about where you eat but what you eat. Indeed, criminal justice systems are often over-represented with ethnic minorities, but providing a more nutritious diet is never going to be discriminatory to these young people. The only risk is better health.

Welcome to Malaya Rodina ('Little Homeland'): Gender and Penal Order in a Russian Penal Colony

This article presents findings from research conducted in a penal colony for young women in Russia. Russia’s penal system remains under-researched in socio-legal and criminological scholarship. This contribution is the first multi-disciplinary study of Russian imprisonment to be conducted in the post-Soviet period, bringing together criminology, human geography and law. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was a landmark moment in Russia’s penal trajectory due to the excessive scale and use of imprisonment as a political and cultural corrective. Our findings reveal the punishment of young women in Russia to be exceptional and exclusionary. Personnel play a crucial role in shaping penal strategies that encourage young women to adopt blame and shame sensibilities. We develop a conceptualization of Russian penality as it relates to young women prisoners. We argue that the prisoner transport is the first stage in a penal continuum where gender, penal order and culture come together to create a specific penological place identity, which we conceptualize as Malaya Rodina (Little Homeland). We conclude that Russia’s penal geography, and its attendant penological imagination, is a vestige of the Soviet penal monolith.

2188 – Cognitive decline and somatic complaints in war veterans and former young prisoners of nazi concentration camps

Many studies suggest that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some children after severe stress may become a chronic mental illness. According to Peters J.J. (2006), PTSD is associated with the acceleration of age-related memory decline. At the same time, this disorder is characterized by dissociative reliving of the trauma. Guez J. (2011) proved that traumatic stress is linked to a deficit in associative episodic memory. Although PTSD is associated with chronic pain, while there is evidence for reduced pain sensitivity in this disorder. The aim of our study was to compare the level of cognitive impairment, as well as the intensity and frequency of disturbing physical symptoms (pain), and the incidence of cerebrovascular diseases (arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke) in two groups of patients: the first one - former war participants, and the second one - former young prisoners of Nazi concentration camps. All patients have suffered severe stress associated with war in the past. We had evaluated the patients’ complaints, and studied their medical history, emotional state, cognitive functions and coping strategies. Our patients from second group more often had high blood pressure somatic complaints proved to be significantly more frequent in this group, demonstrating reduced tolerance to pain in former prisoners. They also had the tendency to depressive reactions and poor performance on cognitive tests. However, in patients with PTSD verbal memory was better than without PTSD in both groups.

Ultra high risk of psychosis on committal to a young offender prison: an unrecognised opportunity for early intervention

BackgroundThe ultra high risk state for psychosis has not been studied in young offender populations. Prison populations have higher rates of psychiatric morbidity and substance use disorders. Due to the age profile of young offenders one would expect to find a high prevalence of individuals with pre-psychotic or ultra-high risk mental states for psychosis (UHR). Accordingly young offender institutions offer an opportunity for early interventions which could result in improved long term mental health, social and legal outcomes. In the course of establishing a mental health in-reach service into Ireland’s only young offender prison, we sought to estimate unmet mental health needs.MethodsEvery third new committal to a young offenders prison was interviewed using the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) to identify the Ultra High Risk (UHR) state and a structured interview for assessing drug and alcohol misuse according to DSM-IV-TR criteria, the Developmental Understanding of Drug Misuse and Dependence - Short Form (DUNDRUM-S).ResultsOver a twelve month period 171 young male offenders aged 16 to 20 were assessed. Of these 39 (23%, 95% confidence interval 18% to 30%) met UHR criteria. UHR states peaked at 18 years, were associated with lower SOFAS scores for social and occupational function and were also associated with multiple substance misuse. The relationship with lower SOFAS scores persisted even when co-varying for multiple substance misuse.ConclusionsAlthough psychotic symptoms are common in community samples of children and adolescents, the prevalence of the UHR state in young offenders was higher than reported for community samples. The association with impaired function also suggests that this may be part of a developing disorder. Much more attention should be paid to the relationship of UHR states to substance misuse and to the health needs of young offenders.

A multidisciplinary approach to mental health care for prisoners

The anxiety often felt by young or first-time prisoners demands support by multiple agencies. James Mullins explains how a mental health inreach team can optimise stability for offenders

‘Who's the Daddy?’ – Ideas about Fathers from a Young Men's Prison

AbstractDrawing from an ethnographically‐informed study of men's identities and social relations in prison, this article explores the ways in which ideas about fatherhood are institutionally deployed and personally experienced. Based on interviews and observational data in a young offender institution (YOI) for 18‐ to 21‐year‐old men, the article considers young men's orientations toward being a father and their participation in parenting classes and a ‘Fathers Inside’ group. Four vignettes are constructed to present an account of some of the issues surrounding men's experience of prison, being a man and a father, researching men in prison and gender regimes in which fathers are being rediscovered and reinvented.

Prevalencia y factores asociados a infección por Chlamydia trachomatis en reclusos jóvenes de Cataluña

Background and objectiveTo determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and risks factors for acquiring it among young prisoners in Catalonia. Subjects and methodsCross-sectional study of a convenience sample of 478 inmates aged between 18-35 years analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. We used a standardized questionnaire to collect behavioural data. Significant differences of the descriptive analysis were analyzed using Pearson χ2 test. We designed a multivariate logistic regression model to explore the risk factors associated with CT. ResultsThe overall prevalence of CT was 5.4%. Independent risk factors for acquisition were foreign origin (odds ratio [OR] 3.1, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.4-9.2) and having concurrent sexual partners (OR 5,2, 95% CI 1.2-22.6). ConclusionsThis is the first study in the prisons of Catalonia determining the prevalence of CT. The high mobility of young detainees may explain the similarity in the prevalence observed in the general young population of Catalonia. Regular monitoring of CT infection in young prisoners preventive is important to prevent future problems in themselves and in the general population and reduce the incidence of infection in the population of their area of influence.

Sexual behaviour of inmates with Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the prisons of Catalonia, Spain

To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and high risk factors for acquisition in preventive prisoners in Catalonia. Cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of 478 prisoners aged between 18 and 35 years was analysed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect behavioural data. Significant differences were analysed in the descriptive study using Pearson's χ(2). The association between CT and its determinants was analysed using the Mantel-Haenszel test and a multivariate logistic regression model. The overall prevalence of CT was 5.4%. The independent risk factors for infection by CT were as follows: foreign origin, having had concurrent sexual partners, and alcohol consumption. This is the first study performed in prisons of Catalonia that shows the prevalence of CT in young prisoners. The high mobility of young detainees could explain the similarity in prevalence obtained about young people in Catalonia. Systematic monitoring of CT infection in young preventive prisoners is important in order to prevent further problems in themselves and in the general population, since they become a 'bridge population' in sexually transmissible infection spreading.

Psychological characteristics of juvenile offenders with constant integration problems

Abstract The aim of this study is to identify the typical psychological, demographic, socio-economical, educational, health, and criminological characteristics of juvenile delinquents who tend to continue in their criminal career to adulthood and therefore obstruct the possibility of successful, non-offending integration to society. Subjects of research were young male prisoners jailed in the Juvenile imprisonment house that completed the test battery. By ex-post analysis after a period of five years, the differences between offenders and non-offenders were identified. Results show significant differences in the age of prisoners, length of imprisonment, presence of violent offence (esp. robbery) in the criminal history, number of previous offences recorded, differences in factors i, h, and q1 from the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, responses within the Hand test characteristic (affection, dependence, and communication), and in several signs of the drawings in a Draw-A-Person test. The importance and influence of listed factors is discussed.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder does not predict criminal recidivism in young adult offenders: Results from a prospective study

As the state of research on the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and recidivism can be considered controversial, our prospective study investigated whether ADHD predicts recidivism in a sample of 283 male, German, young adult prisoners. Currently existing ADHD symptoms and symptoms that were present in childhood were screened according to the DSM-IV checklist criteria. Information on general and violent recidivism was gathered using government records with a follow-up period of up to five years. The prevalence of adult ADHD was six times greater than in the general population, and the number of participants who retrospectively met the criteria for a diagnosis with ADHD in childhood was ten times greater than found in community samples. Survival analyses did not identify ADHD as a predictor of recidivism. Controlling for conduct disorder, substance dependence, and other relevant variables did not alter results. However, among individuals who were released from prison and then reconvicted for a new crime, offenders diagnosed with ADHD were found to reoffend sooner after release. These findings stress the necessity of differentiating between risk factors for delinquency and risk factors for recidivism.

Polish prison experiment in Szczypiorno

This paper describes an experiment in Poland during 1958–1959 whose purpose was to create a pattern of educational influence on young offenders in prison. The experiment was a unique event in Polish and European prison history. First, it was a bold and innovative attempt to define the tasks of the prison system vis-à-vis particularly depraved young prisoners. Second, it was held towards the end of the 1950s, 13 years after the end of the Second World War, from which Poland emerged ruined and, to all intents and purposes, defeated (by Soviet occupation). Third, it began several years after the end of the Stalinist era. During this period, criminal science did not exist in Poland because the communist authorities regarded it as a ‘bourgeois’ science. Finally, it was a joint initiative by the Ministry of Justice and a group of academics from two universities. The purpose of the experiment was to: • gather in one prison a large group of strongly depraved young offenders who posed serious behavioural problems in other prisons, • select appropriate staff, • create a new pedagogical situation in which intensive correctional action was possible, • investigate whether, and to what degree, a change in the behaviour of people subjected to the above influence is possible. The experiment was supervised by academics from the Faculty of Education of Warsaw University and the Faculty of Criminal Law of the University of Wroclaw. They were the authors of the experiment, and determined the course of the educational process. They were also consulted about the choice of prisoners taking part in the experiment and of staff, including the prison governor.

Exploring the Influence of Ethnicity, Age, and Trauma on Prisoners’ World Assumptions

In this study, the author explores world assumptions of prisoners, how these assumptions vary by ethnicity and age, and whether trauma history affects world assumptions. A random sample of young and old prisoners, matched for prison location, was drawn from the New Jersey Department of Corrections prison population. Age and ethnicity had significant effects on World Assumption Scale (WAS) scores, whereas trauma history did not impact WAS scores. Examining worldviews of prisoners may help determine maladaptive cognitive schemas that fuel possible self-defeating beliefs of themselves and the world, contributing to poor institutional adjustment and community reentry.

Trauma and Life Event Stressors Among Young and Older Adult Prisoners

This study examined lifetime trauma and life event stressors among young and older prisoners. A stratified random sample of young (age 18 to 24 years) and older (age 55 and above) male prisoners was drawn from the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Fifty-eight participants completed a modified version of the Trauma and Stressful Life Experiences Screening Inventory during face-to-face interviews. Approximately 40% of young and older adult prisoners reported exposure to violent victimization. Young prisoners were significantly more likely to report witnessing physical assault, whereas older prisoners were significantly more likely to report experiencing a natural disaster, life-threatening illness, or the death of a loved one. Information about the frequency of lifetime trauma and life event stressors can be used to develop or improve trauma-informed services that target age-specific needs, especially for young and older prisoners.

Investigation of a typology of alcohol‐related violence defined by ultimate goals

Purpose. Alcohol‐related violence is a serious problem and treatments for high‐risk individuals need to be developed. Classification helps to route people into appropriate treatments. Drawing on animal research, we define alcohol‐related violence in relation to ultimate goals. We propose three types of violence: (1) violence in the pursuit of material goals, (2) violence in pursuit of social dominance goals, and (3) violence as defence in response to threat. The aim is to explore factors that we expect to relate to this tripartite typology, with the aim of providing a preliminary validation. Method. Participants were 149 young male prisoners who had committed an offence of violence that was alcohol related. Semi‐structured interviews elicited information about the offence that enabled classification into one of the three types. Differences between groups were examined at the event level – level of violence during the offence and alcohol consumption before the offence – and at group level – trait aggression, trait anxiety, anger control, and alcohol–aggression outcome expectancies. Results. No differences were found in levels of violence or alcohol consumption. Those whose violence was in the pursuit of material goals were high on trait aggression, trait anger, trait anxiety, and anger suppression. Those who used violence in the pursuit of social dominance showed high trait aggression and trait anger. Those whose violence was a defence in response to threat showed lower trait aggression and trait anger. Conclusion. The findings are discussed in relation to differential group profiles and treatment needs.

Young Prisoners: An Important Group for Health Research?

This study contrasted the health of young prisoners (18 to 24 years) with that of adult (25 to 40 years) and older adult (older than 40 years) prisoners. Young prisoners reported good physical health but poor educational and employment histories, involvement in the juvenile justice system, and a high prevalence of substance misuse. Young prisoners represent an important group for research aiming to improve prisoner health.

Psychische Belastung bei deutschsprachigen jugendlichen und heranwachsenden Inhaftierten in der Hafteingangssituation

The objective of the present study was to examine psychological distress among adolescent and young adult prisoners within the first two weeks of imprisonment. In addition, their psychosocial background was explored. A total sample of N = 180 newly imprisoned males was investigated with regard to psychosocial distress, medical history, drug use, as well as socioeconomic and forensic background. Data were collected using the SCL-90-R and a standardized clinical documentation. The prevalence of cases with clinical relevant levels of psychological distress (clinical case) was high (69.4%). Many probands showed a remarkable history of drug use, delinquency, and other problem behavior prior to the imprisonment. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses revealed that mental disorders of parents or siblings, foreign nationality, and somatic diseases were risk factors for psychological distress. The results underscore the need for improved clinical care in terms of psycho diagnostics, prevention, and intervention.

Previous Offending in Young Female Prisoners is Associated with Drug Problems, Drug Offenses and Low Social-Emotional Restraint

The study aimed at exploring possible systematic differences between first-time and previously convicted young female prisoners. A study sample consisting of 99 consecutively incarcerated females below the age of 30 was collected from three Norwegian prisons. Only females with sentences shorter than 2 years were included. The attrition rate was low at 6%. Information on social circumstances and drug/alcohol problems was collected in semi-structured interviews. All informants completed the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) and the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI). Detailed criminal records were collected from the National Crime Registry. Unadjusted analyses demonstrated that previously convicted offenders reported more drug/alcohol problems (p < .001), their index offense was more often a drug offense (p < .001), they had less often been in permanent employment (p = .001), they had completed fewer years of education (p = .006), they had younger age at first court conviction (p = .007), and they obtained lower scores on the WAI Restraint dimension (p < .001). In the adjusted analyses (hierarchical logistic regression, ‘enter’ procedure) the following variables were associated with repeat offending: self-reported drug/alcohol problems (OR = 4.5), drug offenses (OR = 7.5), and a low WAI Restraint dimension score (OR = 5.0). The importance of drug/alcohol problems in repeat offending in women is well known and was confirmed by the present study. In addition, the WAI Restraint dimension score was associated with repeat offending. This finding could be of value in the development of more individualized prevention strategies intended to reduce re-offending in female offenders.