Analysis of penitentiary, social and legal operators’ perceptions of prison inmates with intellectual disabilities

Objective: To analyze the different perceptions of professionals about the problem of intellectual disability in the prison setting. Material and method: Exploratory-descriptive type. In-depth interviews with legal, social and prison operators of Centro Penitenciario de Zuera (Zaragoza). Results: The narratives of the interviewed subjects point to the aggravating circumstances that a closed social environment can entail for inmates with intellectual disabilities. Communications in the prison administration are written in a technical language that is not understandable for inmates with intellectual deficits. Discusion: There is a need to give more visibility to the case of inmates with intellectual disabilities. Procedures also need to be applied that favour greater cognitive accessibility for this profile of inmates, along with the promotion of awareness raising and training for professionals to enable them to deal with this issue.

How can music therapy support men at a specialist treatment unit in a prison setting in Aotearoa New Zealand?

<p>This study aimed to explore how the use of music therapy can support prisoners in a specialist treatment unit at a prison in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research was initially designed using action research methodology to evaluate how I, a music therapy student, can support men at a special treatment unit in a prison setting in Aotearoa New Zealand. Seven weeks into my placement a rapidly escalating response to the Covid-19 global pandemic put my placement on hold indefinitely. In response to the challenges of not being able to attend placement, the research framework was changed to exploratory research. My question evolved into a theoretical exploratory study seeking to find out how music therapy can provide support in prisons. Documentation of music therapy is scarce in the New Zealand context; thus, the exploration was guided by a broad international literature search. Thematic analysis was used to develop themes about the reviewed literature and from reflective data identified in my clinical journal. The findings provide a broad scope of understanding of how music therapy is used in prisons and three main themes were identified in the analysis. These were: the ecologies of music in prisons, practicing self-care, and awareness of theory in developing specific aims and goals. The results show that music can support prison populations in various ways depending on which context takes place; from an musicological viewpoint music facilitates the expression of cultural spheres, whereas from a medical standpoint, therapeutic approaches to music therapy provide effective rehabilitation and treatment for psychological ailments. Ample theoretical, clinical, and cultural preparation should be taken into account by therapists before embarking on any work into the prison environment.</p>

How can music therapy support men at a specialist treatment unit in a prison setting in Aotearoa New Zealand?

<p>This study aimed to explore how the use of music therapy can support prisoners in a specialist treatment unit at a prison in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research was initially designed using action research methodology to evaluate how I, a music therapy student, can support men at a special treatment unit in a prison setting in Aotearoa New Zealand. Seven weeks into my placement a rapidly escalating response to the Covid-19 global pandemic put my placement on hold indefinitely. In response to the challenges of not being able to attend placement, the research framework was changed to exploratory research. My question evolved into a theoretical exploratory study seeking to find out how music therapy can provide support in prisons. Documentation of music therapy is scarce in the New Zealand context; thus, the exploration was guided by a broad international literature search. Thematic analysis was used to develop themes about the reviewed literature and from reflective data identified in my clinical journal. The findings provide a broad scope of understanding of how music therapy is used in prisons and three main themes were identified in the analysis. These were: the ecologies of music in prisons, practicing self-care, and awareness of theory in developing specific aims and goals. The results show that music can support prison populations in various ways depending on which context takes place; from an musicological viewpoint music facilitates the expression of cultural spheres, whereas from a medical standpoint, therapeutic approaches to music therapy provide effective rehabilitation and treatment for psychological ailments. Ample theoretical, clinical, and cultural preparation should be taken into account by therapists before embarking on any work into the prison environment.</p>

Mirrors of Prison Life—From Compartmentalised Practice Towards Boundary Crossing Expertise

In this chapter, our aim is to broaden the understanding of the compartmentalisation of practices within and between different service providers in the prison setting and to emphasise the need to cross professional boundaries between these services treating the same inmates. For this, we will provide a multidimensional “mirror” into prison life by bringing forth the different voices of the professional groups involved in the provision of mental health and prison services. A key finding is that the tensions emerging during the activities between the service providers are historically accumulated and caused by the inflexible division of labour and the lack of interagency expertise. New models to enable the crossing of the organizationel boundaries between parties are thus needed.