scholarly journals Older and incarcerated: policy implications of aging prison populations

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Psick ◽  
Jonathan Simon ◽  
Rebecca Brown ◽  
Cyrus Ahalt
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Correctional Policy ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Prison Populations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the policy Implications of aging prison populations. Design/methodology/approach An examination of the worldwide aging trend in prison and its implications for correctional policy, including an examination of population aging in California prisons as a case example of needed reform. Findings Prison populations worldwide are aging at an unprecedented rate, and age-related medical costs have had serious consequences for jurisdictions struggling to respond to the changes. These trends are accompanied by a growing body of evidence that old age is strongly correlated with desistance from criminal behavior, suggesting an opportunity to at least partially address the challenges of an aging prison population through early release from prison for appropriate persons. Originality/value Some policies do exist that aim to reduce the number of older, chronically ill or disabled and dying people in prison, but they have not achieved that goal on a sufficient scale. An examination of the situation in California shows that recognizing how the healthcare needs of incarcerated people change as they age – and how aging and aging-related health changes often decrease an older person’s likelihood of repeat offense – is critical to achieving effective and efficient policies and practices aimed at adequately caring for this population and reducing their numbers in prisons when appropriate.

Government reports versus offenders’ experiences: toward the resolution of discrepancies in healthcare and healthcare delivery

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pegah Memarpour ◽  
Rose Ricciardelli ◽  
Pauline Maasarjian
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Provision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Former Prisoners ◽  
Healthcare Needs

Purpose – Canadian literature on federal correctional institutions and prison living indicate a shortage inadequate and available healthcare services to meet the needs of the prison population, despite prisoners higher rates of health challenges (e.g. mental health, addictions, HIV/AIDS) in comparison to the general population. With fewer resources, concerns arise about the delivery, quantity, and quality of penal healthcare provision. Thus, the authors examines former prisoners’ experiences of, in comparison to government reports on, wait-times, and request processes for healthcare services, as well as issues of access, quality of interactions with healthcare professionals and the regulations and policies governing healthcare provision. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors compare data gathered from interviews with 56 former-federal prisoners with publicly available Correctional Services Canada reports on healthcare delivery, staff-prisoner interactions, programmes and services, and overall physical and mental health to identify consistencies and inconsistencies between the government’s and former prisoners’ understandings of penal healthcare. Findings – Discrepancies exist between prisoners reported experiences of healthcare provision and government reports. Prisoners are dissatisfied with healthcare provision in more secure facilities or when they feel their healthcare needs are not met yet become more satisfied in less secure institutions or when their needs are eventually met. Originality/value – Theories of administrative control frame the analyses, including discrepancies between parolee experiences and Correctional Service Canada reports. Policy recommendations to improve healthcare provision are highlighted.

scholarly journals A novel care pathway for prisoners with intellectual disability designed through a Delphi process

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 276-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gautam Gulati ◽  
Stephen Quigley ◽  
Valerie Elizabeth Murphy ◽  
Evan Yacoub ◽  
John Bogue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Expert Elicitation ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specialist Services ◽  
Delphi Exercise ◽  
Prison Populations ◽  
Provision Of Care

PurposeIndividuals with an intellectual disability (ID) form a significant minority in the Irish prison population and worldwide prison populations. There is growing recognition that specialist services for such individuals are in need of development. The purpose of this paper is to propose a care pathway for the management of individuals with an ID who present in prison, based on expert elicitation and consensus.Design/methodology/approachA convenience sample of professionals with a special interest in forensic intellectual disabilities was invited to participate in a Delphi exercise. In total, 12 agreed to participation and 10 subsequently completed the study (83.3 per cent). Expert views were elicited using a semi-structured questionnaire. Content analysis was completed using NVivo 11 software. A care pathway was subsequently proposed, based on the outcomes of the analysis, and circulated to participants for debate and consensus. A consensus was reached on management considerations.FindingsTen experts across a range of disciplines with a combined experience of 187 years participated in the study. Current provision of care was seen as limited and geographically variable. The vulnerability of prisoners with ID was highlighted. The need for equivalence of care with the community through multidisciplinary input and development of specialist secure and residential placements to facilitate diversion was identified. Consensus was achieved on a proposed care pathway.Originality/valueThis study proposes a care pathway for the assessment and management of prisoners with an ID and is, therefore, potentially relevant to those interested in this topic internationally who may similarly struggle with the current lack of decision-making tools for this setting. Although written from an Irish perspective, it outlines key considerations for psychiatrists in keeping with international guidance and, therefore, may be generalisable to other jurisdictions.

Exploring HIV infection in a UK vulnerable prisoner population in response to newly identified cases

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-249
Author(s):  
Stephanie E. Perrett ◽  
Thomas D. Waite
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Prison Health ◽  
Hcv Antibody ◽  
Prison Populations ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Blood Spot

Purpose Prison populations are considered at elevated risk of blood borne virus (BBV) transmission. Between December 2015 and February 2016, four new cases of HIV infection were diagnosed across two male vulnerable prisoner (VP) custodial units in Wales, UK. Cases were identified through routine BBV testing. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach As a result of identifying four new HIV cases, targeted BBV testing across the VP units using dried blood spot testing for HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV) and Hepatitis B was undertaken. Findings A total of 617 men were offered testing, 256 (41 per cent) were tested. No further cases of HIV were identified. Eight men were identified as HCV antibody positive. There was no evidence to suggest the four original cases of HIV were linked. Practical implications Embedding universal BBV screening within prison health provision will ensure timely identification of cases. Further research is needed to better understand BBV transmission risks within subsets of the prison population such as the VP and sex offending groups. Originality/value Little is known about the prevalence of BBVs in vulnerable prison populations. The findings add to the knowledge available for practitioners in the field.

A thematic analysis of how prisoners overcome suicidality

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 212-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Reading ◽  
Erica Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Prison Populations ◽  
Male Prisoners

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions, beliefs and abilities that support adult male prisoners in overcoming suicidality. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight male life sentenced prisoners in a Category B prison. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and interpret how prisoners have overcome suicidality. Findings – Five overarching themes were identified; sense of self, presence of meaning, connectedness, shift of perspective and re-establishing control. The themes were closely interconnected and revealed novel insights into the variables that supported prisoners to overcome suicidality. Research limitations/implications – The themes were drawn from a specific prisoner population, which may not be representative of the wider prison population. Additionally, the sole focus on suicidality may be an oversimplification of self-destructive behaviours and could have affected the factors identified. Practical implications – The results highlight the need to refine suicide prevention strategies in prisons; in the assessment of suicide risk, the improvement of supportive regimes and the development of psychological interventions. Originality/value – This research is the first to qualitatively examine the factors involved in overcoming suicide in adult male prisoners. The research is of value to researchers and practitioners alike, as it extends previous research in prison populations and suggests avenues for the development of suicide prevention strategies.

Poverty alleviation in rural China: policy changes, future challenges and policy implications

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yansui Liu ◽  
Yuanzhi Guo ◽  
Yang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Reform ◽  
The World ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
History Of

Purpose Poverty alleviation is a global challenge. Human society has never ceased to fight against poverty. China was once the developing country with the largest rural poor population in the world. Remarkable achievements have been made in China’s antipoverty program over the past decades, shaping a unique poverty reduction strategy with Chinese characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to first review the history of China’s rural reform and antipoverty, and then analyze the related policy systems, mechanism innovations and future challenges in poverty alleviation and development. At last, some specific policy implications were provided. Design/methodology/approach Literature on China’s antipoverty history was reviewed and mechanism innovations on targeted poverty alleviation strategy were investigated. Findings Along with the deepening of the rural reform, the poverty alleviation and development in new China have undergone six stages, and experienced a transformation from relief-oriented to development-oriented poverty alleviation. The object of poverty alleviation has gradually targeted with a transformation from poor counties/areas to villages/households, and the effectiveness of poverty alleviation is also gradually improved. However, the increase in the difficulty of antipoverty, fragile ecological environment, rapid population aging and rural decline poses challenges to the construction of a well-off society in an all-round way in China. Specific antipoverty measures were put forward based on the investigation. Finally, the authors emphasize the importance of strengthening the study of poverty geography. Originality/value This study investigates the history of China’s antipoverty policy and analyzes the future challenges for implementing targeted poverty alleviation policy. These findings will lay a foundation for the formulation of China’s antipoverty policies after 2020, and provide experience for poverty alleviation in other developing countries around the world.

scholarly journals Intellectual disability in Irish prisoners: systematic review of prevalence

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gautam Gulati ◽  
Valerie Murphy ◽  
Ana Clarke ◽  
Kristin Delcellier ◽  
David Meagher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Prison System ◽  
Published Data ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthcare Needs

PurposeWhile individuals with an intellectual disability form a significant minority in the worldwide prison population, their healthcare needs require specialist attention. In Ireland, services for prisoners with intellectual disabilities need development. However, there is little substantive data estimating the prevalence of intellectual disabilities within the Irish prison system. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors systematically review published data relating to the prevalence of intellectual disabilities in prisons in the Republic of Ireland. The authors searched four databases, governmental websites and corresponded with experts.FindingsLittle published data were elicited from searches except for one nationwide cross-sectional survey which reflected a higher prevalence than reported in international studies. Studies from forensic mental health populations are narrated to contextualise findings.Originality/valueThis study found that there is little data to accurately estimate the prevalence of intellectual disabilities in the Irish prison system and the limited data available suggests that this is likely to be higher than international estimates. The authors highlight the need for further research to accurately estimate prevalence in this jurisdiction, alongside the need to develop screening and care pathways for prisoners with an intellectual disability.

scholarly journals A Revolving Door? A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Custodial Sanctions on Reoffending

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damon M. Petrich ◽  
Travis C. Pratt ◽  
Cheryl Lero Jonson ◽  
Francis T. Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Revolving Door ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Statistical Dependence ◽  
Analytic Review ◽  
The Impact

Research Summary: Despite a downsizing of the prison population over the last decade, the United States remains the world’s largest incarcerator. While prior meta-analytic reviews have indicated prisons have a null or slight criminogenic effect, there has been a substantial increase in primary studies assessing the impact of custodial sanctions on reoffending since 2010. The current study conducts the most comprehensive and rigorous meta-analytic review of research to date comparing the effects of custodial and non-custodial sanctions on reoffending. Using a sample of 959 effect sizes calculated from 116 studies, this review builds on prior research by (a) conducting the first inclusive review of the research in over a decade; (b) drawing on advancements in modeling techniques that could account for the precision and statistical dependence of effect sizes; and (c) examining whether a wide variety of methodological characteristics moderate mean effect sizes. The results of multilevel analyses revealed that custodial sanctions have a weak criminogenic effect on reoffending and that this effect is relatively robust across a wide variety of methodological moderators. Policy Implications: America’s reliance on incarceration is unlikely to wane in the near future. However, the results of the current study illustrate that incarceration is not achieving one of its oft-desired goals of deterrence. While there is certainly a subset of high-risk offenders for whom incapacitation is warranted, in general, placing individuals in custodial sanctions appears to contribute to, rather than reduce, reoffending. As a result, sentencing low-level offenders and marginal felons to non-custodial sanctions may lead to considerable savings for correctional departments and allow offenders to be connected to and contribute to their communities while reducing reoffending. For the sake of public safety and those for whom incarceration is appropriate, however, more research is needed on the in-prison social and psychological dynamics increase post-release criminal behavior.

The downside of downsizing: Persistence of racial disparities following state prison reform

2021 ◽  
pp. 146247452110060
Author(s):  
Amy E Lerman ◽  
Alyssa C Mooney
Keyword(s):  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Mass Incarceration ◽  
Prison Reform ◽  
State Prison ◽  
Probation And Parole ◽  
Substantial Progress ◽  
Prison Populations ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Double Digit

Nationwide, prison populations have declined nearly 5% from their peak, and 16 states have seen double-digit declines. It is unclear, though, how decarceration has affected racial disparities. Using national data, we find substantial variation in state prison populations from 2005–2018, with increases in some states and declines in others. However, although declines in the overall state prison population were associated with declines for all groups, states with rising prison populations experienced slight upticks in prison rates among the white population, while rates among Black and Latinx populations declined. As a result, greater progress in overall decarceration within states did not translate to larger reductions in racial disparities. At the same time, we do not find evidence that a decline in prison populations is associated with a rise in jail incarceration for any racial/ethnic group. In additional exploratory analyses, we suggest that recent incarceration trends may be driven by changes in returns to prison for probation and parole violations, rather than commitments for new crimes. Our results make clear that while efforts to reverse mass incarceration have reduced the size of prison populations in some states, they have not yet made substantial progress in resolving the crisis of race in American criminal justice.

scholarly journals SME credit constraints and access to informal credit markets in Vietnam

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 787-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Archer ◽  
Parmendra Sharma ◽  
Jen-Je Su
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
Credit Markets ◽  
Credit Constraints ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Informal Credit ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Credit Access ◽  
Access Policy ◽  
Correlated Random Effects

PurposeA review of literature has documented that accessing formal credit and other banking services has always been a crucial challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The alternative, therefore, tends to be informal channels. However, the credit constraint vis-à-vis informal channel link does not appear to be well documented in the literature. This study aims to investigate whether credit constraints significantly affect the probability of accessing informal credit, as well as the credit values of Vietnamese SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a trinary approach and correlated random-effects Probit and Tobit techniques to avoid the incidental coefficients problem.FindingsThe results suggest that relative to unconstrained and partially constrained firms, fully constrained firms tend to be more active in the informal credit markets, shown by their higher probability of informal credit access and larger credit values.Originality/valueTo the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on Vietnam that takes a different approach to credit constraints and examines their impact on informal credit access. Policy implications arise and are discussed.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2017-0543

Age-related changes in the proportion of intracranial cerebrospinal fluid space measured using volumetric computerized tomography scanning

2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 607-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Wanifuchi ◽  
Takashi Shimizu ◽  
Takashi Maruyama
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Computerized Tomography ◽  
Ct Scanning ◽  
Volume Measurement ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Standard Curve ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Fine Print ◽  
Age Related Changes

Object. The purpose of this study was to establish a standard curve to demonstrate normal age-related changes in the proportion of intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space in intracranial volume (ICV) during each decade of life. Methods. Using volumetric computerized tomography (CT) scanning and computer-guided volume measurement software, ICV and cerebral parenchymal volume (CPV) for each decade of life were measured and the intracranial CSF ratio was calculated by the following formula: percentage of CSF = (ICV − CPV)/ICV × 100%. The standard curve for age-related changes in normal percentages of intracranial CSF was obtained. Conclusions. Based on this standard curve, the percentage of intracranial CSF rapidly increased after the sixth decade, seeming to reflect the brain atrophy that accompanies increased age.

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