Greening the Gulag: Austerity, neoliberalism, and the making of the “green prisoner”

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 1120-1136
Author(s):  
B Jewell Bohlinger
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mass Incarceration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cost Cutting ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
The Impact

Over the past 30 years the U.S. prison population has exploded. With the impact of climate change already here, we are also seeing new critiques of mass incarceration emerge, namely their environmental impact. In response to these burgeoning critiques as well as calls to action by the Justice Department to implement more sustainable and cost-effective strategies in prisons, the United States is experiencing a surge in prison sustainability programs throughout the country. Although sustainability is an important challenge facing the world, this paper argues that while “greening” programs seem like attempts to reform current methods of imprisonment, sustainability programming is an extension of the neoliberalization of incarceration in the United States. By emphasizing cost cutting while individualizing rehabilitation, prisons mobilize sustainability programming to produce “green prisoners” who are willing to take responsibility for their rehabilitation and diminish their economically burdensome behaviors (i.e. excessive wastefulness). Using semi-structure journals and interviews at three Oregon prisons, this paper investigates these ideas through the lens of the Sustainability in Prisons Project.

scholarly journals The Magnitude of the Impact of HIV on the Human Beings in the World’s Richest Country, America: The Misery of African Americans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muse Abdi
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Mass Incarceration ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
The Impact

Disproportionate rates of HIV infection among African Americans is an increasing concern in the United States. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of HIV prevention programs on African Americans and social determinants fueling HIV-related risk behaviors. Using literature, this study analyzed the incidences of HIV infection among African Americans in the United States and the effectiveness of the prevention programs. African Americans struggle with mass incarceration, drugs, stigma, criminalization, and lack of economic opportunities, which contribute to the HIV-related risk behaviors. The existing traditional prevention programs in place are not working for African Americans. Tailored and culturally relevant programs should be designed and implemented. Further studies are needed to establish the causal relationships and develop preventive measures.

scholarly journals The Cost-Effectiveness of Epilepsy Surgery and Surgical Evaluation in the United States

Neurosurgery ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shehryar R Sheikh ◽  
Michael P Steinmetz ◽  
Michael W Kattan ◽  
Mendel Singer ◽  
Belinda Udeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Epilepsy Surgery ◽  
Medical Management ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Surgical Evaluation ◽  
The Cost

Abstract INTRODUCTION Surgery is an effective treatment for many pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy patients, but incurs considerable cost. It is unknown whether surgery and surgical evaluation are cost-effective strategies in the United States. We aim to evaluate whether 1) surgery is cost-effective for patients who have been deemed surgical candidates when compared to continued medical management, 2) surgical evaluation is cost-effective for patients who have drug-resistant temporal epilepsy and may or may not ultimately be deemed surgical candidates METHODS We use a Monte Carlo simulation method to assess the cost-effectiveness of surgery and surgical evaluation over a lifetime horizon. Patients transition between two health states (‘seizure free’ and ‘having seizures’) as part of a Markov process, based on literature estimates. We adopt both healthcare and societal perspectives, including direct healthcare costs and indirect costs such as lost earnings by patients and care providers. We estimate variability of model predictions using probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS 1) Epilepsy surgery is cost effective in surgically eligible patients by virtue of being cost saving and more effective than medical management in the long run, with 95% of 10 000 Monte Carlo simulations favoring surgery. From a societal perspective, surgery becomes cost effective within 3 yr. At 5 yr, surgery has an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $31,600, which is significantly below the societal willingness-to-pay (∼ $100,000/quality-adjusted life years (QALY)) and comparable to hip/knee arthroplasty. 2) Surgical evaluation is cost-effective in pharmacoresistant patients even if the probability of being deemed a surgical candidate is low (5%-10%). Even if the probability of surgical eligibility is only 10%, surgical referral has an ICER of $96,000/QALY, which is below societal willingness-to-pay. CONCLUSION Epilepsy surgery and surgical evaluation are both cost-effective strategies in the United States. Pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy patients should be referred for surgical evaluation without hesitation on cost-effectiveness grounds.

2013 Spillover Report - Analytical Underpinnings and Other Background

Policy Papers ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (60) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Output Growth ◽  
Import Demand ◽  
Policy Uncertainty ◽  
European Policy ◽  
Global Risk ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Impact

High uncertainty in general, and high policy uncertainty more specifically, can have important impact on global investment and output growth. Much of the recent policy uncertainty emanated from the United States and Europe—the world’s two largest economies. Spillovers from policy uncertainty can occur through several channels. Trade can be affected if increased policy uncertainty adversely affects economic activity and import demand in the United States and Europe. Policy uncertainty could also raise global risk aversion, resulting in sharp corrections in financial markets and capital outflows from emerging markets. This background note attempts to quantify the impact of U.S. and European policy uncertainty on other regions. Specifically, it addresses the following questions: What do we mean by policy uncertainty? How well can we measure it? How has policy uncertainty in the United States and Europe evolved during the past several decades? And how large are the spillovers to economic activity in other regions? The analysis suggests that sharp increases in U.S. and European policy uncertainty in the past have temporarily lowered investment and output in other regions to varying degrees. It also suggests that a marked decrease in policy uncertainty in the United States and Europe in the near term could help boost global investment and output.

scholarly journals The Clinical Impact and Cost-effectiveness of Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination to Prevent Measles Importations Among International Travelers From the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 306-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily P Hyle ◽  
Naomi F Fields ◽  
Amy Parker Fiebelkorn ◽  
Allison Taylor Walker ◽  
Paul Gastañaduy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Clinical Impact ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Best Value ◽  
Measles Outbreaks ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Measles importations and the subsequent spread from US travelers returning from abroad are responsible for most measles cases in the United States. Increasing measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination among departing US travelers could reduce the clinical impact and costs of measles in the United States. Methods We designed a decision tree to evaluate MMR vaccination at a pretravel health encounter (PHE), compared with no encounter. We derived input parameters from Global TravEpiNet data and literature. We quantified Riskexposure to measles while traveling and the average number of US-acquired cases and contacts due to a measles importation. In sensitivity analyses, we examined the impact of destination-specific Riskexposure, including hot spots with active measles outbreaks; the percentage of previously-unvaccinated travelers; and the percentage of travelers returning to US communities with heterogeneous MMR coverage. Results The no-encounter strategy projected 22 imported and 66 US-acquired measles cases, costing $14.8M per 10M travelers. The PHE strategy projected 15 imported and 35 US-acquired cases at $190.3M per 10M travelers. PHE was not cost effective for all international travelers (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [ICER] $4.6M/measles case averted), but offered better value (ICER <$100 000/measles case averted) or was even cost saving for travelers to hot spots, especially if travelers were previously unvaccinated or returning to US communities with heterogeneous MMR coverage. Conclusions PHEs that improve MMR vaccination among US international travelers could reduce measles cases, but are costly. The best value is for travelers with a high likelihood of measles exposure, especially if the travelers are previously unvaccinated or will return to US communities with heterogeneous MMR coverage.

The Impact of Universal Suffrage: A Comparison of Popular and Property Voting

1967 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 1078-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth N. Vines ◽  
Henry Robert Glick
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Policy Decisions ◽  
Crucial Element ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Universal Suffrage ◽  
The Impact

The attainment of universal suffrage over various forms of voting restrictions has been one of the major accomplishments in the development of modern democratic institutions. Struggles for the vote have had to overcome restrictions based on factors such as sex, race and tenure of property. While gaps in the exercise of the franchise still remain, formal restrictions on voting in the United States have been largely removed.However, an important question, largely uninvestigated, concerns the “costs” of the universal franchise in terms of the quality of government and its impact upon policy decisions. Do the disadvantages of universal suffrage offset advantages said to be gained, particularly in Western nations, such as increased legitimization of decisions and stability of regimes? Many of the past and present opponents of the extension of voting have argued that the poor results to be expected from the impact of universal suffrage far outweigh the advantages. Clearly, the problem of “costs” is important, for it is a crucial element in the argument over democracy and the vote.

scholarly journals The Impact of Mass Incarceration and Social Issues of Institutionalization on School Violence in Youths

2016 ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen C. Stanko ◽  
Gordon A. Crews
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Juvenile Delinquency ◽  
School Violence ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Mass Incarceration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Violent Acts ◽  
The Impact

In this chapter the authors examine the impact that mass incarceration has had upon children in the United States over the last several decades. Inherent in this examination is to discuss the impact of institutionalization on the propensity of committing violent acts by children. The authors also discuss the impact of these American phenomena on many aspects of juvenile delinquency and violence.

scholarly journals Friendly Persuasion is Not Enough: The Limits of the Lansdale Approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Ladwig
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Past ◽  
Terrorist Groups ◽  
Major Impediment

Providing aid and advice to local governments’ counterinsurgency campaigns, rather than directly intervening with American forces, has recently been identified as a more cost-effective way to counter irregular threats to U.S. interests. The challenge that such undertakings have repeatedly faced in the past is that partner governments often have their own interests and priorities which can diverge significantly from those of Washington. Consequently, a host of observers have pointed out that while the United States has provided its partners with extensive assistance to combat insurgents and terrorist groups, an inability to convince them to adopt its counterinsurgency prescriptions or address what Washington sees as the political and economic “root causes” of a conflict has repeatedly emerged as a major impediment to success. In the absence of sufficient influence to convince a local government to address these shortcomings, critics suggest that significant American aid and support can actually reduce its incentives to address domestic discontent or govern inclusively, which can render a supported regime less stable than it would have been without U.S. assistance

Alien Nation

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Human Influence ◽  
Human Actions ◽  
Production Of Knowledge ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Impact

This chapter traces the co-production of knowledge on the global migrations of biota—humans, plants, and animals—by exploring a brief biography of life in the United States over the past decade. It also emphasizes the human influence on the natural world by calling this contemporary epoch the Anthropocene, an era driven primarily by the impact of human actions. Thus, with refusing the unproductive choices of a nostalgic past or an anarchic future, this chapter turns to a naturecultural vision of responsible and ethical living with our cohabitants, a vision that is always politically astute and reflexive of the complex histories of gender, race, class, sexuality, and nation that have shaped our ideas of nature and the natural.

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