scholarly journals Employment and the Post-Release Puzzle: The Lived Experience of Securing Legitimate Work among Women Released from Prison in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jasmin Kale

<p>As incarceration rates continue to rise in New Zealand (The Department of Corrections, 2019b), the number of people being released from prison will also rise. Life sentences are rare and therefore, the majority of people who are sent to prison will, at some point, be released to reside in the community again. Despite this, individuals are leaving prison unprepared for life on the outside, and they face a range of barriers as they try to establish new lives for themselves in the community. Employment is often cited as a stabilising factor after prison, a factor which can help a person to rebuild their life and become a contributing member of society. However, having a criminal history can negatively impact employment prospects, making employment difficult to obtain, especially in an increasingly competitive employment market. Thus far, research looking at employment after prison, and at prison and the post-release period in general, has been largely centred around men. Women and their specific needs are often overlooked in the research and in the criminal justice system due to their lower incarceration rates, and solutions, policies and practices are often created with men in mind, then adapted slightly to ‘fit’ women, without much real recognition of women’s different needs (Baldry, 2010; Mills, Kendall, Lathlean, & Steel, 2013). Therefore, the research undertaken for this project explores the role of employment in the lives of women who have recently been released from prison, looking at the benefits of and barriers to employment through the lived experiences of those who are in the post-release period, with a goal of adding to women-focused literature, which is desperately needed. Through semi-structured interviews, and guided by a feminist methodological framework, I drew on this lived experience of the participants and put their voices at the forefront of the research findings. The key finding was that while employment is vital for long-term success after release, the benefits of employment extend far beyond financial security, and employment is one piece of a post-release puzzle, which without the other pieces, is relatively useless on its own. A more holistic approach is needed in the post-release period to promote success.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jasmin Kale

<p>As incarceration rates continue to rise in New Zealand (The Department of Corrections, 2019b), the number of people being released from prison will also rise. Life sentences are rare and therefore, the majority of people who are sent to prison will, at some point, be released to reside in the community again. Despite this, individuals are leaving prison unprepared for life on the outside, and they face a range of barriers as they try to establish new lives for themselves in the community. Employment is often cited as a stabilising factor after prison, a factor which can help a person to rebuild their life and become a contributing member of society. However, having a criminal history can negatively impact employment prospects, making employment difficult to obtain, especially in an increasingly competitive employment market. Thus far, research looking at employment after prison, and at prison and the post-release period in general, has been largely centred around men. Women and their specific needs are often overlooked in the research and in the criminal justice system due to their lower incarceration rates, and solutions, policies and practices are often created with men in mind, then adapted slightly to ‘fit’ women, without much real recognition of women’s different needs (Baldry, 2010; Mills, Kendall, Lathlean, & Steel, 2013). Therefore, the research undertaken for this project explores the role of employment in the lives of women who have recently been released from prison, looking at the benefits of and barriers to employment through the lived experiences of those who are in the post-release period, with a goal of adding to women-focused literature, which is desperately needed. Through semi-structured interviews, and guided by a feminist methodological framework, I drew on this lived experience of the participants and put their voices at the forefront of the research findings. The key finding was that while employment is vital for long-term success after release, the benefits of employment extend far beyond financial security, and employment is one piece of a post-release puzzle, which without the other pieces, is relatively useless on its own. A more holistic approach is needed in the post-release period to promote success.</p>


1998 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Abrahamson

Research findings are consistent in showing a strong, specific and coherent association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and long-term psychiatric problems. Occupational therapists working in mental health services must therefore have contact with survivors of abuse, yet the literature reveals a paucity of research on their role. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine occupational therapists to explore their knowledge and practice concerning this issue. All respondents considered that awareness of CSA was pertinent to their profession and should be taught during education and training. None of them had received teaching in this area. Most respondents thought that it was not their role to deal with CSA in depth. However, the context in which they worked provided an opportunity for initial disclosure which might not happen elsewhere and needed to be handled skilfully. Occupational therapy techniques, including creative methods, link in well with other approaches, especially counselling, in treating the long-term effects of CSA. Continuing educational requirements and the role of occupational therapy with this client group need to be addressed by the profession.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-303
Author(s):  
Marta Mori ◽  
Ronan McDermott ◽  
Saut Sagala ◽  
Yasmina Wulandari

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how culture, including traditions and social structures, can influence resilience and how culturally sensitive relief operations can put affected people and their context at the core of any interventions. Design/methodology/approach A case study of the Mt Sinabung volcano area in Indonesia was undertaken. As part of the case study, an analysis of interventions was conducted, which was complemented by semi-structured interviews with Karo cultural experts and humanitarian organisations. Findings Culture influences the manner in which the Karo people react to volcano eruptions with varying implications for recovery. In addition, relief organisations which understand people’s actions through a cultural lens have better managed to tailor programs with long-term impact, thereby avoiding aid dependency. Practical implications Practical examples of disaster management activities that adequately account for the beneficiaries’ way of living prior to the eruptions are provided. Aid actors are provided with guidance concerning how to better tailor their activities in line with a cultural lens. Originality/value The study provides empirical grounding for claims concerning the role of culture in planning interventions in Indonesia and other similar contexts.


2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Taylor-Leech

Language choice in the newly independent Republic of East Timor can be usefully examined in the wider context of language policy in multilingual states. The present article reports on ethnographic research investigating official and popular discourses of language and identity in East Timor and the role of past and present language policies and practices in shaping national and social identity. It focuses on the discursive reconstruction of identity through five official instruments of language policy development. Hostile discourses in the Australian and Indonesian press towards the choice of Portuguese (the former colonial language) and Tetum (the endogenous lingua franca) as official languages provided the context for the investigation. A persistent theme in these discourses is that English and/or Indonesian would be preferable choices. The article puts these discourses into perspective by presenting findings from two data sets: (i) the 2004 National Census and (ii) analysis of the discourses of 78 participants in semi-structured interviews and student focus groups. The census shows clear signs of the revival of Portuguese and the reinvigoration of Tetum. It also shows how diverse linguistic identities have become in East Timor. The research findings show that there is less hostility to official language policy than claimed in the Australian and Indonesian press. However, the findings also emphasise the urgent need to reconstruct an inclusive, plurilingual national identity that can encompass diversity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-203
Author(s):  
Tal Braverman-Uriel ◽  
Tal Litvak-Hirsch

The impact of sexuality on mental wellbeing in women in long-term relationships has only been partially investigated. Emphasis has been on quantitative research studies that do not capture the breadth of the field. The present study looked at how and to what extent women maintain sexual desire in long-term relationships, and how sexuality affects their mental wellbeing. The study used a qualitative narrative approach and included semi-structured interviews with approximately 20 Israeli women aged 40–55 from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and in longstanding, permanent relationships. The findings indicate significant development over the years in the perception of the role of sexuality and its impact on mental wellbeing. The path to good sexuality can and should follow women’s leadership and initiative. Such women have the desire to make an impact, willingness to make an effort, and even an actual ability to exert influence. The interviewees’ tools, strategies, insights and ways of coping can serve as models for other women seeking better sexuality in a long-term relationship.


Author(s):  
Valentina Gorchakova ◽  
Kenneth F. Hyde

Major international cultural exhibitions, often referred to as touring ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions (TBEs), are arguably among the most stimulating and engaging event experiences. The role of orchestrating an experience that is meaningful and memorable has captured the attention of scholars in the events literature over recent decades. The aims of this paper are to re-conceptualise major international cultural exhibitions as special events, present a framework of the experiences these exhibitions generate for visitors, and explore the roles such experiences play in visitor well-being. The study draws on the findings of qualitative research conducted in Australia and New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of art galleries and museums in Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, and Wellington involved in hosting ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions, as well as representatives of regional cultural, tourism, and events organisations. This paper presents a ‘3Es’ experience realms framework, which comprises the key experiences that a major cultural and arts event generates for visitors: entertainment, enrichment, and emotional engagement. The first realm of the 3Es framework, entertainment, has encountered scepticism in the museum field; however, research findings here corroborate the arguments of those scholars who hold that entertainment may help to engage visitors and facilitate education. Enrichment comprises the creation of a favourable environment for new knowledge to be processed, and the enhancement of knowledge. The third realm is an emotionally engaging experience that results from social interactions, activities, and contemplation of and learning about unique exhibits. The framework demonstrates an interplay of these three major experiential dimensions and visitors’ hedonic and eudaemonic well-being. Exhibition and event organisers can utilise this framework to plan the delivery of memorable experiences for visitors and explore the ways in which their event can be made enjoyable, enriching, and emotionally engaging.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S554-S554
Author(s):  
Candace C Harrington ◽  
Candace C Harrington

Abstract Previous interventional studies have failed to show long-term improvements in caregiver stress, health indices, burden, or delay in long-term care placement. The Virtual Dementia Tour® (VDT) provides a vicarious first-person perspective of symptoms related to dementia. This interpretative phenomenological study revealed family dementia caregivers’ perceptions of the VDT® and its impact on their perception of a person living with dementia. In-depth open semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten VDT® participants following a community event. Participants’ statements described a life-changing process with eye-opening epiphanies about the lived experience of dementia and served as a “call to action” to change their approach to caring. Innovative advances in family caregiving research are critical to support this valuable geriatric workforce. This original study provided new knowledge about the value of the VDT® to inform interventions that harness the unrecognized power of vicarious experiences like the VDT® for family dementia caregivers to improve long-term outcomes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-62
Author(s):  
Dilek Yildiz

Sparse attention has been paid to the inevitable processes of change that enable progress in today's globalizing urban centres, but also threaten their unique identity, historic memory, and cultural heritage. The aims of this work are to understand the urban dynamics that trigger these change processes, uncover their effects, and discuss how these changes can be utilized to achieve sustainable development. The case study, which uses a comparative mixed method strategy consisting of archival research, fieldwork, and semi-structured interviews, is the Kosuyolu Housing Settlement, a project dating to the 1950s that represents one of Istanbul's best examples of urban development and housing culture. Displaying the architectural and urban planning ideals of the Modern period, this settlement is a concrete example that reflects the period's considerations regarding social housing. Through this case, change in housing has been evaluated in terms of sustainability indicators. The derived evidences show the significant role of governance and the maintained land use pattern for the achievement of the sustainable development and these evidences are used to suggest the development of an adaption guide that will assist in sustainable development in the short term, and the creation of alternative scenarios that are flexible and easy to adapt, active, and based on participatory processes for the long term.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 186-193
Author(s):  
Helen Rogers

Background/Aims This qualitative study explores the role of nursing leadership in supporting the delivery of compassionate care in a hospital that experienced both an acquisition and merger within 5 years. It aimed to understand the impact that NHS mergers and acquisitions have on a nursing team's capacity to deliver compassionate care to patients and to explore how nursing leadership can support the delivery of compassionate care during these periods. Methods Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with seven members of purposively recruited staff, who had lived experience of working at a hospital during an acquisition by a larger NHS trust, followed by a merger with another large NHS trust 5 years later. Results Staff valued authentic, honest and visible nurse leadership that was understanding of the context in which they were delivering care. Ward managers and matrons acted as ‘shock absorbers’ to protect their teams from the negative aspects of the change process. However, this came at an emotional cost and demonstrates the need for continued support structures. Conclusions This case study shows that staff value being able to deliver compassionate care; it gives meaning to their work, especially the ‘small things’. However, the context of care delivery can affect their ability to do this. There remains a great need for emotional support for staff to sustain their resilience in the face of changing staff, policies, practices and clinical models.


2000 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 334-343
Author(s):  
I. Olivier ◽  
M. Fletcher

With the current focus on establishing long-tenn customer relationships, the enhancement of the entire shopping experience and the role of atmosphere and the emotional reactions it elicits, are becoming increasingly important. Determining the factors that contribute to the creation of pleasant or unpleasant shopping experiences can influence future strategic planning. The focus of this study falls on the way that the physical environmental factors of a store, more specifically the environmental odour, affect consumers' emotional responses. This is discussed on the basis of environmental psychology, using certain research findings as well as theoretical models to shed more light on this topic.


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