Deaths in custody in Australia 2020-21

The National Deaths in Custody Program has monitored the extent and nature of deaths occurring in prison, police custody and youth detention in Australia since 1980. The Australian Institute of Criminology has coordinated the program since its establishment in 1992, the result of a recommendation made the previous year by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. In 2020–21 there were 82 deaths in custody: 66 in prison custody and 16 in police custody or custody-related operations. This report contains detailed information on these deaths and compares the findings with longer term trends.

Deaths in custody in Australia 2019-20

The National Deaths in Custody Program has monitored the extent and nature of deaths occurring in prison, police custody and youth detention in Australia since 1980. The Australian Institute of Criminology has coordinated the program since its establishment in 1992, the result of a recommendation made the previous year by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. In 2019-20 there were 113 deaths in custody: 89 in prison custody and 24 in police custody or custody-related operations. This report contains detailed information on these deaths and compares the findings to longer term trends.

Mental Health Status Among Frontline Prison Police During The Prevention and Control of The COVID-19 Epidemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey From China

Background A global public health emergency triggered by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic may have a remarkable psychological impact on the population. There is still limited psychological research on police officers, especially on prison police. The present study aims to identify prevalence and influencing factors on mental health status among frontline prison police in China during the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods A cross-sectional survey with a sample of 981 frontline prison police was conducted by using snowball sampling approach. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of 4 parts: (i) informed consent form; (ii) socio-demographic section; (iii) work and life situations during the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic; (iv) the Chinese version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were performed to identify factors influencing mental health status. Results The prevalence of being prone to mental health problems (GHQ-12 score ≥ 4) was 33.43% among frontline prison police. The results of GHQ-12 factors analysis that the prison police suffered from psychological issues related to anxiety and depression, which main symptoms were unhappy and depressed, lost sleep over worry and constantly under strain. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male (OR = 1.573, 95% CI: 1.385–1.853), work in closed jail (OR = 2.203, 95% CI: 2.139–2.297), more night shifts (OR = 2.163, 95% CI: 2.031–2.317 ; OR = 2.749, 95% CI: 2.194–2.901), more smoking (OR = 1.100, 95% CI: 1.037–2.168), poor physical condition (OR = 1.947, 95% CI: 1.478–2.250), chronic or serious illness history (OR = 1.870, 95% CI: 1.314–2.660; OR = 2.214, 95% CI: 1.460–2.812) were risk factor for mental health among frontline prison police, while regular diet (OR = 0.779, 95% CI: 0.539–0.928), more physical exercise (OR = 0.702, 95% CI: 0.548–0.899; OR = 0.641, 95% CI: 0.316–0.887), more communication with family members (OR = 0.437, 95% CI: 0.295–0.616) were protective factor. Conclusion The frontline prison police exhibited a high tendency toward mental health problems during the prevention and control of this epidemic. Therefore, continued surveillance of psychological problems and targeted mental health care for frontline prison police were urgently.

Deaths in custody in Australia 2018-19

The National Deaths in Custody Program (NDICP) has monitored the extent and nature of deaths occurring in prison, police custody and youth detention in Australia since 1980. The Australian Institute of Criminology has coordinated the NDICP since its establishment in 1992, the result of a recommendation made by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody the previous year. This report contains detailed information on the 113 deaths in custody in 2018–19—89 in prison custody and 24 in police custody or custody-related operations—and compares these findings to longer term trends.

Rasch Analysis of Work-Family Conflict Scale Among Chinese Prison Police

As a special group of police officer, prison police have to endure more work stress and have significant work-family conflict, which may lead to more physical and mental health problems and need to be noticed by the society. The Work-Family Conflict Scale (WFCS) is a brief self-report scale that measures the conflict that an individual experiences between their work and family roles and the extent they interfere with one another. However, there is limited data on the scale’s psychometric properties. The aim of this study was to examine the dimensionality and reliability of the Chinese version of the WFCS. The study sample was made up of a total of 717 Chinese prison police (64.7% male, M = 41.73 years, SD = 8.30 years). The Rasch Rating Scale Model (RSM) was used to determine the latent structure and estimate the quality of items and reliability of scale. The principle component analysis (PCA) showed that the assumption of unidimensionality was fulfilled. The infit and outfit mean square (MNSQ) statistics (0.84–1.47) were of a reasonable range, and point-measure correlations (0.64–0.79) indicted good model fit of each item. The item-person separation and reliability indices both met psychometric standards, illustrating good reliability. The person-item map indicated acceptable fit of items and persons, suggesting an alignment between persons and items. In addition, no evidence emerged of differential item functioning across different gender groups. Overall, the WFCS has good reliability and validity, and can be used to accurately evaluate the level of work-family conflict in Chinese prison police.

The Science-Based Pathways to Understanding False Confessions and Wrongful Convictions

This review shows that there is now a solid scientific evidence base for the “expert” evaluation of disputed confession cases in judicial proceedings. Real-life cases have driven the science by stimulating research into “coercive” police questioning techniques, psychological vulnerabilities to false confession, and the development and validation of psychometric tests of interrogative suggestibility and compliance. Mandatory electronic recording of police interviews has helped with identifying the situational and personal “risk factors” involved in false confessions and how these interact. It is the combination of a detailed evaluation and analysis of real-life cases, experimental work, and community (and prison/police station) studies that have greatly advanced the science over the past 40 years. In this review, the story of the development of the science during this “golden era” is told through the three established error pathways to false confessions and wrongful convictions: misclassification, coercion, and contamination. A case study of a major miscarriage of justice is used to highlight the key issues at each stage of the error pathways and it shows the continued resistance of the judiciary to admit mistakes and learn from them. Science is a powerful platform from which to educate the police and the judiciary.

Deaths in custody in Australia 2017-18

The National Deaths in Custody Program (NDICP) is responsible for monitoring the extent and nature of deaths occurring in prison, police custody and youth detention in Australia since 1980. The Australian Institute of Criminology has coordinated the NDICP since its establishment in 1992, the result of a recommendation made by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody the previous year. This report contains detailed information on deaths in both prison and police custody and custody-related operations in 2017–18, and compares these findings to longer term trends. No deaths occurred in youth detention in 2017–18.