bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correctional Alternatives for Drug Offenders in an Era of Overcrowding
Authors: CLEAR TODD R. , CLEAR VAL B. , BRAGA ANTHONY A.
Published: June 2008

Given the severe overcrowding suffered by nearly all state and federal correctional systems, the antidrug movement in the United States faces extreme resource constraints. This article argues that patterns in the relationship between drug use and criminal behavior call for different correctional strategies. The utility of various nontraditional correctional alternatives for drug offenders is described based on the drug-crime relationship. Recent research on correctional strategies is applied to the special problems involved in the management of drug offenders.
Implementing Pretrial Drug-Testing Programs in Two Experimental Sites: Some Deterrence and Jail Bed Implications
Authors: JONES PETER R. , GOLDKAMP JOHN S.
Published: June 2008

As overcrowding has accelerated the search for more, and more effective, ways of reducing jail populations without unduly jeopardizing public safety and court processes, one of the programmatic responses to the problem of drug-related crime has been the introduction, in several jurisdictions, of systematic drug testing at the pretrial release decision stage. The Bureau of Justice Assistance sponsored evaluations of drug-testing experiments in several demonstration sites. A fundamental objective of the demonstration projects was to test the assumption that intensive monitoring of drug use during pretrial release would reduce levels of pretrial flight and crime. To enforce defendant compliance with the monitoring program, which required frequent drug testing, a system of graduated sanctions was devised for the implementation of the drug-testing programs in each of the sites. The proposed sanctioning systems represented a formal set of agency responses of incremental severity to noncompliance by defendants (positive test results or nonattendance at testing appointments), which ranged from counseling to short-term pretrial detention. This article briefly describes experimental evaluations of pretrial drug-testing programs in two sites—Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Prince George's County, Maryland—examines the problems faced in implementing the sanctioning systems, and speculates on the jail resource implications of such sanctions if fully enforced.
Recent Public Opinion in the United States Toward Punishment and Corrections
Authors: INNES CHRISTOPHER A.
Published: June 2008

This article reviews recent public opinion data concerning punishment and corrections, yielding a number of apparently contradictory viewpoints. Rather than being irrational or unrealistic, these patterns of responses, it is argued here, can be deciphered only by assuming that the public holds a complex, generalized system of beliefs about punishment and corrections. This system of beliefs, however, is organized around broader symbols and images, not a set of mutually exclusive and logically consistent policy options. The public appears to have an abstract commitment to justice, wants the criminal justice system to work properly, and is frustrated that it does not appear to do so. Although the public is decidedly punitive toward criminals, they are more lenient toward inmates because they are no longer seen as an immediate threat. Rehabilitative efforts, so long as they are conducted within prisons, receive strong support. But the public is more wary of programs that carry greater risks because of a perceived conflict with the higher priority goal of public safety. This view is speculative; no single survey or study has explored all these issues together. It is, however, consistent with the details of various public opinion surveys, and it also lends support to those current correctional practices that seek to integrate programs for inmates with the more general concerns of correctional management. There are, therefore, several ways that correctional administrators can present their mission in a manner that is sensitive to the concerns of the public and that avoids language or terms that may be misinterpreted.
The Drugs-Crime Relationship: An Analytical Framework
Authors: McBRIDE DUANE C. , McCOY CLYDE B.
Published: June 2008

The relationship between drug use and criminal behavior has been of primary interest to researchers and practitioners for most of this century. As such, it is the purpose of this article to examine the historical underpinnings of current perceptions and to suggest an organizational paradigm for interpreting current drugs-crime literature. An overview of the literature and issues suggests that there is strong empirical evidence of the statistical overlap between drug using and criminal behavior. Further, drug use is seen as increasing and sustaining criminal behavior. However, a wide body of research suggests that drug use and crime have a complex recursive nature to their relationship, and that drug use, in spite of a long history of public perceptions, cannot be viewed as a direct and simple cause of crime. A review of subcultural, role, and ecological theory suggests that drug use and crime may emerge from the same etiological variables and become an integral part of a street-drug-using lifestyle and subculture. Radical theory argues that the drugs/crime relationship is created by social policy that makes drugs illegal. It is argued that this perspective fails to recognize the complexity of the drugs/crime relationship. The existing research suggests the need for increasing treatment availability and increasing economic opportunities within the framework of a careful review of drug policy and enforcement.
Reliability of Self-Reported Drug Use and Urinalysis in the Drug Use Forecasting System
Authors: STEPHENS RICHARD C. , FEUCHT THOMAS E.
Published: June 2008

The Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program was initiated by the National Institute of Justice to estimate the extent of psychoactive drug use primarily among arrestees charged with nondrug felonies. Because of its importance as one of the major data sources for drug use in criminal justice populations, it is important to assess the reliability of the self-report as contrasted with urinalysis data provided. This report is based on a study of 3,297 male and 913 female arrestees in the city of Cleveland. Overall reliability among 8 of the 10 drug categories tested for was high mainly due to the low rates of use of these drugs in the population. However, among the two most frequently used drug categories (cocaine and marijuana), there was significant discrepancy between self-report and urine results with over half of those who tested positive for either drug denying any use within the past 72 hours. The implications of these results are discussed.
Treatment Techniques in Corrections-Based Therapeutic Communities
Authors: HOOPER ROBERT M. , LOCKWOOD DOROTHY , INCIARDI JAMES A.
Published: June 2008

Because of the drugs, violence, and other aspects of prison life that militate against rehabilitation, the therapeutic community would appear to be the most appropriate form of drug abuse treatment in correctional settings. The therapeutic community is a total treatment environment isolated from the rest of the prison population. The primary clinical staff are typically former substance abusers who themselves were rehabilitated in therapeutic communities. The treatment perspective is that drug abuse is a disorder of the whole person—that the problem is the person and not the drug; that addiction is a symptom and not the essence of the disorder; and that the primary goal is to change the negative patterns of behavior, thinking, and feeling that predispose drug use. In Delaware's system of corrections-based therapeutic communities, a variety of treatment techniques are used, including behavioral, cognitive, and emotional therapies; transactional analysis; psychodrama; and branch groups. The clinical foundations and usages of these approaches are described at length, and preliminary data on their apparent efectiveness are presented.
The Massachusetts Boot Camp: Inmate Anecdotes
Authors: RANSOM GEORGE , MASTRORILLI MARY ELLEN
Published: June 2008

Correction professionals have a responsibility and unique opportunity to restructure programs/policies to assist with meeting current incarceration needs. Boot camps were originally designed to (a) reduce prison overcrowding, (b) decrease rates of recidivism, (c) keep the younger offenders away from the chronic prison population, (d) reduce the cost of incarceration, (e) provide a general deterrence, (f) provide enhanced discipline, and (g) rehabilitate offenders. To date, researchers have yet to closely examine the program, services, and incarceration of boot camps from an inmate's perspective. The subsequent case histories were documented as part of an ongoing program evaluation and quality assurance activity conducted at the Massachusetts Boot Camp.
Policy Implications Derived from an Experimental Intervention Involving Drug-Abusing Offenders
Authors: NURCO DAVID N. , HANLON THOMAS E. , BATEMAN RICHARD W. , TOLEDANO EINAT , KINLOCK TIMOTHY W.
Published: June 2008

This is a report on policy implications emanating from an ongoing drug abuse treatment evaluation project concerned with the adjustment of drug-abusing offenders assigned to different treatment/monitoring conditions during their first year on parole. These policy implications were largely derived from project experiences that highlighted administrative and service delivery linkages among corrections, parole, and treatment systems and demonstrated the importance of establishing cooperative agreements and close working relationships. The impact of characteristics of drug-abusing offenders on policy considerations is also discussed, along with preliminary outcome findings of the evaluation project.
Drug Testing in Community Corrections: Results from a Four-Year Program
Authors: VITO GENNARO F. , WILSON DEBORAH G. , HOLMES STEPHEN T.
Published: June 2008

Drug testing has become a significant part of community supervision. This article summarizes the results from a Jefferson County (Kentucky) program. During the program, the level of positive tests has continuously declined to a rate of 35%. Marijuana and cocaine were consistently the drug of choice for this population. Lower recidivism rates were recorded for offenders who completed the treatment offered by the Kentucky Substance Abuse Program, Inc. (KSAP).
An Evaluation of Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes for Youthful Parolees
Authors: JOSI DON A. , SECHREST DALE K.
Published: June 2008

In 1990, the California Youth Authority's Parole Services Branch implemented two postparole substance abuse treatment programs for relapse-prone parolees. In an effort to reduce parole revocations for technical violations relating to substance abuse, these short-term programs offer the parolee an alternative to revocation through voluntary relapse intervention. This study is an assessment of one of these programs, the Southern California Drug Treatment Program at El Centro. A total of 154 parolees who successfully completed the 3-month program were evaluated on a number of characteristics to assess their treatment success. During the 15-month evaluation period, 83 individuals (53.9%) were unsuccessful, 58 (69.9%) of them during the first 6 months of reparole. Substance abuse ratings by parole agents indicate that 83% of the removals and 37.7% of those still on parole were current habitual substance abusers. Although these findings are not encouraging, certain elements of the program were favorable. Recommendations for program modification are included in this report.
HIV Prevention Programs in a Jail Setting: Educational Strategies
Authors: STEVENS SALLY J.
Published: June 2008

The issue of the prevention of AIDS among intravenous drug users (IDUs) is a serious issue that must be addressed. The large number of hard to reach IDUs that enter and are retained in the jail system make the jail an excellent place to provide HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Based on a successful jail-based prevention program, the Community Outreach Project on AIDS in Southern Arizona (COPASA), this article addresses six issues that HIV/AIDS educators need to deal with when providing HIV/AIDS prevention in a jail setting. These issues include (a) the constraints of the jail setting; (b) access to inmates; (c) the educational needs of IDUs; (d) type, format, and content of the intervention; (e) HIV/AIDS testing in the jail; and (f) evaluation of the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS jail-based programs.
Processing Inmate Disciplinary Infractions in a Federal Correctional Institution: Legal and Extralegal Correlates of Prison-Based Legal Decisions
Authors: HOWARD CHRISTOPHER , WINFREE L. THOMAS , MAYS G. LARRY , STOHR MARY K. , CLASON DENNIS L.
Published: June 2008

Those persons confined in any correctional facility are bound by codified rules of behavior and are subject to some form of loss of privileges or liberty if found guilty of violating these rules. The present research focuses on the extent to which legal variables (i.e., information related to the specific rule violation charged, previous criminal activities of the accused, etc.) and extralegal variables (i.e., personalbiographical information, institutional security level, etc.) are associated with outcomes of institutional disciplinary procedures. Seriousness of the charge and the security level of the accused were associated with formal processing of complaints. Minority group members are less likely to receive formal processing. Finally, the severity of one's sanction is almost exclusively understood in terms of who does the sanctioning. The implications of these findings are discussed.
It's Not What You Ask, It's the Way That You Ask It: Question Form and Public Opinion on the Death Penalty
Authors: JONES PETER R.
Published: June 2008

For all their faults, public opinion polls are of great importance to public policymaking, especially on issues that are highly visible and controversial. In the context of capital punishment, researchers have repeatedly documented the strong relationship that exists among public, judicial, and legislative opinion. During the past two decades, popular public opinion poll results in the United States have shown considerable growth in the support of capital punishment. Although criticized as grossly overly simplistic, these polls are often employed to show that legislative and judicial decision making is “grounded” in consensual public opinion. A number of studies have questioned the validity of opinion polls as measures of attitudes on this issue—with apparent support for capital punishment dropping precipitously when alternative options, such as life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole, are provided. The present article suggests that we are misinterpreting poll information in a more basic way—by effectively dissuading a “no opinion“ response through the use of a standard “no filter” question format. Even without providing additional information or alternatives to respondents, the present research suggests that reliance on standard questions that simply seek a favor/oppose response can overestimate support for and opposition to the death penalty. More important, the number of people with no clear opinion on this issue can almost double, simply by employing a different question format. Put simply, one of the most important determinants of public opinion on the death penalty is the way in which we pose the question.
Democratizing Prisons
Authors: TOCH HANS
Published: June 2008

Experiments in prison reform have often included efforts to democratize prisons. Such experiments were especially popular during the progressive era. Today, democratization efforts are congruent with management literature that describes employee participation and total quality of management initiatives through which organizations try to improve the quality of their products and services. Prison democratization can combine opportunities for staff involvement with enhanced prisoner participation. Inmates can be afforded a greater role in classification and programming decisions, and in determining policies that affect the quality of prison life. Such participatory approaches help to normalize prison life and contribute to the resocialization of offenders.
Coercive Versus Cooperative Environments: The Collateral Effects in Prisons
Authors: RUCKER LILA
Published: June 2008

There has long been debate over what constitutes “effective” penal environments. The purpose of this article is to examine the effects of two disparate social environments on a group of women incarcerated in a maximum security prison for women. The two environments included the coercive penal environment where the women were confined and a cooperative workshop environment that was created in the broader penal context. The author's participant observation field notes help to understand what effects the contrasting environments had on participants' functioning in the project. Policy considerations and future research goals are suggested.
I Leave in the Dark of Morning
Authors: GIRSHICK LORI B.
Published: June 2008

Wives of prisoners are rarely studied, yet incarceration of a loved one has an impact on the everyday experience of the immediate family. Furthermore, studies since the 1960s have consistently shown that prisoners with more family contact have lower recidivism rates than prisoners with less or no contact. This piece explores the thoughts and experiences of a wife of a prisoner, revealing how her life is affected by incarceration of her husband. Relationship impact, stigma, coping, friendships, visiting, and dealing with the prison system are all examined in this stream-of-consciousness piece as she drives one morning to the prison.
Modeling the Prison Displacement Effects of Alternative Sanctions Programs: A Case Study
Authors: BELENKO STEVEN , SCHIFF MARTHA F. , PHILLIPS MARY T. , WINTERFIELD LAURA A.
Published: June 2008

Growing interest in recent years in developing broader ranges of intermediate sanctions or alternative-to-incarceration (ATI) programs has prompted a search for more effective ways to measure the impacts of these programs on jail and prison populations. One potentially useful strategy is to develop statistical models that predict the length of incarceration for sentenced offenders and apply these models to program client data to estimate prison bed displacement effects. New York City, which funds and monitors an extensive array of ATI programs, has been sponsoring research to develop and apply such models in an effort to improve the planning and evaluating of these programs. This article presents a series of regression models predicting sentence length using quantitative case and defendant as well as qualitative case strength data, and illustrates how they might be applied to ATI program data to estimate prison displacement effects.
HIV Infection among New York State Female Inmates: Preliminary Results of a Voluntary Counseling and Testing Program
Authors: LACHANCE-McCULLOUGH MALCOLM L. , TESORIERO JAMES M. , SORIN MARTIN D. , STERN ANDREW
Published: June 2008

New York State's prison population has the highest seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among incarcerated populations in the United States. Five percent of the State prison inmate population is female. To date there have been few studies of incarcerated females in New York State (NYS). Seroprevalence rates have ranged from 18.9% to as high as 29%. In 1991, counselors from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute's Criminal Justice Initiative, in collaboration with the State's Department of Correctional Services (NYSDOCS), began to offer educational services and anonymous pretest counseling, HIV antibody testing, and posttest counseling to NYS female prisoners. With preliminary program testing data (N = 216) descriptive and multivariate techniques are used to evaluate the demographic and risk-related behaviors associated with HIV infection among female inmates in this voluntary HIV testing program. Results are discussed in light of previous research findings regarding the correlates of HIV seropositivity among New York State prison inmates and compared to previous blinded epidemiological studies of female inmates in the State. Future research, addressing the limitations of this preliminary study, is proposed.
Assessing the Effects of Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction on Turnover: An Event History Approach
Authors: CAMP SCOTT D.
Published: June 2008

Turnover among correctional workers creates persistent staffing problems for correctional administrators. The present research examines the effects of two types of subjective measurement of the work environment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, which are often thought to be related to turnover. The study examines two separate aspects of organizational commitment: commitment to the overall organization and commitment to the specific institution. It is expected that both aspects of organizational commitment should have a greater effect on turnover than does job satisfaction. It is further hypothesized that commitment to the organization, in this case the Bureau of Prisons, should have a greater impact on turnover than does institutional commitment. The data for the study come from a subsample (N = 3,608) of the 1991 Prison Social Climate Survey administered annually since 1988 to employees of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Climate data are supplemented with data from the Bureau's personnel database. The richness of the combined data sources allows for controlling relevant variables related in prior research to turnover. Discrete-time event history models are used to analyze the data. The analysis confirms that the measures of organizational commitment exert an inverse relationship with turnover. That is, higher levels of organizational commitment are associated with lower levels of turnover. The effects of the measures of organizational commitment are also greater than those of job satisfaction, which actually turn out to be nonsignificant. However, both measures of organizational commitment exert about equal influence on turnover, with commitment to the Bureau of Prisons only slightly stronger.
Prison Crowding Research Reexamined
Authors: GAES GERALD G.
Published: June 2008

This article reviews prison crowding research. In the first section, the legal, political, and social context of prison crowding is evaluated. The second section explores the relationship between crowding and violence. It is argued that most prison crowding studies do not investigate intervening mechanisms that may account for a relationship between crowding and violence, if and when a relationship is found. Furthermore, it is suggested that one reason for the inconsistency in the results of such studies is that researchers have failed to examine the proximal causes of violence as well as the formal mechanisms prison administrators use to control or limit violence. In the third section, I reexamine the evidence on the most consistent finding in the crowding and health area, that dormitories are associated with higher illness reporting rates than are other types of housing. I conclude that this finding is probably an artifact of selection bias. Furthermore, illness reporting is the result of a complex set of circumstances that is affected as much by psychological and sociological causes as by the health status of the inmate. Despite the prevailing sentiments about the harmful effects of crowding, there is little consistent evidence supporting the contention that short- or long-term impairment of inmates is attributable to prison density. The purported consistency of findings is challenged in the fourth section. One reason for the lack of consistency may be that researchers have failed to consider management interventions under periods of high confinement and have failed to account for conditions other than crowding that affect inmate debilitation.
Literacy Programming for Jail Inmates: Reflections and Recommendations from One Program
Authors: TEWKSBURY RICHARD
Published: June 2008

This article presents discussions of the successes and encountered obstacles of one inmate functional literacy program for jail inmates operating in Jefferson County, Kentucky, in which the city of Louisville is located. Discussion focuses on identifying important structural, organizational, and personnel issues involved in planning, developing, and initiating such a program. Based on the author's experiences in both planning and evaluating the 1st year of operation of such a program in private local correctional facilities, suggestions and recommendations are offered to assist others in all early stages of such efforts.
A Large-Scale Multidimensional Test of the Effect of Prison Education Programs on Offenders' Behavior
Authors: ADAMS KENNETH , BENNETT KATHERINE J. , FLANAGAN TIMOTHY J. , MARQUART JAMES W. , CUVELIER STEVEN J. , FRITSCH ERIC , GERBER JURG , LONGMIRE DENNIS R. , BURTON VELMER S.
Published: June 2008

This study examined the prison behavior and postrelease recidivism of more than 14,000 inmates released from Texas prisons in 1991 and 1992. Comparisons were made between participants and nonparticipants in prison education programs on a variety of behavioral outcomes. The findings suggest that these programs may be most effective when intensive efforts are focused on the most educationally disadvantaged prisoners. Implications for correctional education policy and correctional program research are discussed.
A Content Assessment and Comparative Analysis of Prison-Based AIDS Education Programs for Inmates
Authors: MARTIN RANDY , ZIMMERMAN SHERWOOD E. , LONG BILLY , WEST ANGELA
Published: June 2008

Although it is true that inmates in U.S. prisons are experiencing high rates of HIV disease, it also is true that incarceration affords a meaningful opportunity to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through education. Consequently, providing effective education programs for inmates is an important corrections and public health concern. In an attempt to assess our current efforts in this area, a survey of all 50 state departments of corrections was conducted. As part of that survey, descriptions of inmate AIDS education programs were obtained from 27 states. These programs were analyzed using themes garnered from a variety of published recommendations concerning effective AIDS education. The results of the content analysis for the 27 descriptions were then specifically compared with the National Commission on AIDS recommendations for AIDS education programs for inmates.
Expanding Prisoners' Access to AIDS-Related Clinical Trials: An Ethical and Clinical Imperative
Authors: KELLY EILEEN
Published: June 2008

In the AIDS pandemic, access to experimental treatments has become an important element of community-standard medical care. Rates of AIDS and HIV infection are significantly higher in prison and jail populations than in the U.S. population at large; however, prisoners are denied access to AIDS-related clinical trials in all but a handful of jurisdictions. The author argues for expanded prisoner access to AIDS-related clinical trials and demonstrates that such access is ethical and feasible. Enrolling prisoners in AIDS-related trials would stand to benefit not only affected prisoners but also clinical researchers seeking to gather information on the efficacy of treatments in all population groups contained within the larger HIV-infected population, including African Americans, Latinos, and IV drug users. Existing federal regulations, properly enforced, provide prisoners with adequate protection from exploitation conducted in the name of science. Barriers remain, in the form of state laws, correctional policies, and practical obstacles presented by the prison environment. However, as the author describes, research institutions in several states have succeeded in incorporating prisoners into clinical drug trials.
Civil Liability Against Prison Officials for Inmate-On-Inmate Assault: Where are We and Where Have We Been?
Authors: VAUGHN MICHAEL S. , DEL CARMEN ROLANDO V.
Published: June 2008

This article focuses on civil liabilities imposed on prison officials for inmate-by-inmate assault in correctional facilities. After briefly discussing the statistical frequency of inmate-by-inmate assault, the article examines Farmer v. Brennan, a case on inmate-by-inmate assault decided in 1994 by the U.S. Supreme Court. Through an analysis of 96 pre-Farmer cases on inmate assault decided in the U.S. circuit courts of appeals, the article outlines the parameters under which officials might be held liable in post-Farmer litigation. The article concludes that the circumstances and situations under which prison officials are liable will not sufficiently change because the realities of judicial decision making may make it difficult for individual judges to distinguish between pre-Farmer and post-Farmer standards.
Constitutional Issues in Cross-Gender Searches and Visual Observation of Nude Inmates by Opposite-Sex Officers: A Battle Between and Within the Sexes
Authors: BENNETT KATHERINE
Published: June 2008

Prison litigation concerning the issues of cross-gender searches and visual observation of nude inmates in prisons and jails by opposite-sex officers involves alleged violations of several constitutional rights. Additionally, claims of two competing interest groups, prison employees and inmates, are in conflict. In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court in Turner v. Safley established standards for reviewing alleged violations of inmates' constitutional rights, a ruling that clarified issues somewhat. However, the recent Ninth Circuit case of Jordan v. Gardner (1993) rejected Turner standards and inserted a twist in the direction courts were taking. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 may further complicate the three issues of incidental observation of unclothed inmates by opposite-sex officers, cross-gender routine strip searches/body cavity searches, and cross-gender pat searches/clothed body searches.
Feminine Fortresses: Woman-Centered Prisons?
Authors: HANNAH-MOFFAT KELLY
Published: June 2008

This article examines some of the theoretical and substantive issues associated with the uncritical embrace of selected feminist ideals in recent Canadian attempts to restructure and rethink federal women's imprisonment. The article focuses on the limitations of a woman-centered model of corrections and how these models of punishment fail to depart from more traditional conceptualizations of punishment. The definition and constitution of a woman-centered regime is troublesome because it relies on a problematic category of “woman”; it is insensitive to wider social, economic, and political cultural relations of power; it sets up a false dichotomy between the woman-and male-centered regimes; and it denies the material and legal realities of imprisonment. These concerns illustrate clearly that although the woman-centered model of corrections appears to be less intrusive and less punitive, it is not; further, the oppressive qualities of incarceration are simply obscured by a feminized social control talk.
Profiling Women Prisoners: Findings from National Surveys and a California Sample
Authors: OWEN BARBARA , BLOOM BARBARA
Published: June 2008

As the number of women in prison in the United States continues to rise, existing descriptions of this changing population become outmoded. This article summarizes several national surveys of the current population of imprisoned women and provides preliminary findings from a larger study that profiles women prisoners in California's rapidly expanding state prison system. California's female prison population increases cannot be attributed to the incarceration of more dangerous women. In fact, the percentage of women in prison for violent offenses has decreased while the proportion of women in prison for drug-related offenses has increased substantially. Women prisoners are often economically and politically marginalized, and imprisonment tends to exacerbate this marginality. Community sanctions, which address the multidimensional problems faced by women in the criminal justice system, should be used more extensively.
Gender Issues in the New Generation Jail
Authors: JACKSON PATRICK G. , STEARNS CINDY A.
Published: June 2008

There is little research on women in jails and “new generation” jails in particular. This study examines how women and men inmates adapted to a state-of-the-art new generation jail. Inmates were surveyed 6 months before and after the new facility opened. Standardized survey instruments were used to assess inmate perceptions of the jail environment, other inmates, staff, and the facility as well as inmate stress. The results indicate that female inmates show declines on most measures of inmate satisfaction, both among themselves and in comparison to male inmates. Males, by contrast, show substantial improvements. The article examines a variety of reasons for the disparate gender outcomes. The conclusion is that equal treatment in the new generation jail led to negative outcomes for women.
Child Custody Issues of Women Prisoners: A Preliminary Report from the Chicas Project
Authors: JOHNSTON DENISE
Published: June 2008

This report describes 660 jailed or imprisoned parents who sought child custody advocacy services from the Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1994. There were clear differences between male (N = 160) and female (N = 500) clients. Men's child custody problems were related to both informal and foster care placements of their children with relatives other than the children's grandparents. Female clients had significantly more child custody problems when their children were placed with relatives other than the maternal grandmothers or in any type of foster care. The most significant finding in this report is the dramatic correlation of mother-child reunification with postrelease residential drug treatment for mothers. More than 90% of clients released to residential drug treatment achieved reunification with their children. This finding suggests that treatment for substance dependency strongly influences the ability of formerly incarcerated women to parent effectively.
A Prison Superintendent's Perspective on Women in Prison
Authors: LORD ELAINE
Published: June 2008

Dealing with crime is everyone's business. It demands a clear law enforcement response combined with significant efforts to address the root causes of crime, particularly poverty, racism, and overwhelmed families. As a society, we are spending the bulk of our resources on the most expensive response: incarceration. Traditional approaches to crime need to address the differences between men and women as these differences translate to appropriate reactions by the criminal justice system. For example, the Rockefeller drug laws in New York were meant to incarcerate high-level drug pushers for long terms. Instead, women in financial or family crises have been easy dupes for dealers who never handle their own drugs. These women do not dispute their guilt, but is their crime worth a 15-year minimum? Certainly, the public needs to make informed decisions about which women should be in prison and for how long and which women might be dealt with differently.
Predictors of Recidivism among Incarcerated Female Offenders
Authors: BONTA JAMES , PANG BESSIE , WALLACE-CAPRETTA SUZANNE
Published: June 2008

Compared to male offenders, female offenders have received little empirical attention. This is particularly true in the area of offender risk assessment. Numerous objective risk scales have been developed and used for males, but very few for women. Two studies were conducted to investigate the predictors of female recidivism. The first study attempted to validate a risk scale developed on a male offender population and found poor generalizability. The second study explored additional possible predictors including victimization experiences. Once again, little progress was made. The implications for future research on female offender risk prediction and prison programming are discussed.
The Impact of the Prison Environment on Mothers
Authors: CLARK JUDITH
Published: June 2008

In a period when greater numbers of women are being sent to prison nationally and many treatment and educational programs in prison are being eliminated, this “insider's” ethnographic study of mothers incarcerated at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York analyzes the problems and potentials of a model reform-oriented prison for women. Although the infantilizing, punitive character of the prison and its programs undermines the mothers' agency and reinforces punitive parenting models, many women take advantage of the educational, vocational, self-help, and parenting programs available to undertake significant change and self-development, and to improve their relationships with their children and their role in society.
Prison Riots as Organizational Failures: A Managerial Perspective
Authors: BOIN R. ARJEN , VAN DUIN MENNO J.
Published: June 2008

Most explanations of prison riots implicitly regard the causes of rebellious inmate behavior as the determinants of a riot's outcome. But little attention has been paid to the course of a riot. Here it is argued that what happens during the riot itself will influence the scope and outcome of that riot. In this article, the focus is on crisis management. We contend that the way in which prison administrations prepare for and handle this type of crisis can make the difference between a small-scale disturbance and a full-fledged riot. Crisis management should therefore be considered a critical variable in explaining a riot's outcome.
Politics and Prison Development in a Rural Area
Authors: GIBBONS STEPHEN G. , PIERCE GREGORY L.
Published: June 2008

In 1985, Eastern Oregon State Hospital, an institution for the mentally ill, was converted into Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (EOCI), a medium-security prison for men. EOCI was the first Oregon correctional institution outside the Salem area. This article examines the historical, political, and economic reasons the institution was located in Pendleton. We argue that the most important variable in determining where a prison will be located is not geography, safety, or demography, but whether the prison fits the economic growth plan of the area. If so, local elite are more likely to support the institution, and the institution is therefore more likely to be built. Policy implications for siting correctional institutions are discussed.
Prison Overcrowding Cases in the Aftermath of Wilson V. Seiter
Authors: CALL JACK E.
Published: June 2008

In 1991, the Supreme Court held in Wilson v. Seiter that in a prison conditions case, the plaintiff must prove that prison officials acted with deliberate indifference to the plaintiff's constitutional rights. Although this decision might appear to make it more difficult for inmates to win overcrowding lawsuits, it is predicted that this will not be the case. Published lower-court overcrowding cases are examined to determine what the effect of Wilson ( and two other Supreme Court cases decided since Wilson) has been. It is concluded that, although the number of published lower-court overcrowding cases since Wilson is not large, early indications are that these recent Supreme Court cases are not likely to have a dramatic impact upon the legal environment for prison overcrowding cases.
Prison Suicide: An Overview and a Guide to Prevention
Authors: HAYES LINDSAY M.
Published: June 2008

Until recently, it has been assumed that suicide, although a problem for jail inmates as they face the initial crisis of incarceration, is not a significant problem for inmates who advance to prison to serve out their sentences. Although the rate of suicide in prisons is far lower than it is in jails, it remains disproportionately higher than that for the general population. To date, little research has been generated and few prevention resources have been offered in this critical area. Aside from a scattering of isolated research studies, the dissemination of information regarding prison suicide has been sporadic at best. This article summarizes the findings from a study conducted by the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives and includes a thorough review of the literature, the most recent national data on the incidence and rate of prison suicide, and an analysis of an effective prison suicide prevention program.
Quick Fixes in Corrections: Reconsidering Private and Public For-Profit Facilities
Authors: SHICHOR DAVID , SECHREST DALE K.
Published: June 2008

This article focuses on some of the theoretical and practical issues involved with public proprietary correctional facilities as compared to private proprietary facilities as they are operated in California. Questions are raised about whose interests are served by public proprietary facilities and what some of the problems are. The California experience with contracting for public proprietary facilities is analyzed based on an audit done by the State Controller's Office that showed expenditures viewed as outside contract agreements. Six public proprietary facilities are in court with the California Department of Corrections to retain these funds. It appears that the process for contracting with public proprietary facilities in California was flawed. The fact that the experiment with public proprietary facilities in California had some problems may contain some lessons for the future operation of both public and private proprietary operations.
A Crime Control Rationale for Reinvesting in Community Corrections
Authors: PETERSILIA JOAN
Published: June 2008

Crime prevention solutions coming out of Washington are politically attractive, but the author of this article explains that they are at odds with strategies advocated by practitioners, scholars, and numerous expert panels. Elected government officials have recently proposed spending more funds on prison construction at the expense of prevention programs. Taking such a reactive approach does not deter young people from becoming criminals, nor does it address the majority of criminals—those serving sentences on probation and parole. This article examines and substantiates the argument for focusing on crime prevention and community corrections rather than on law enforcement programs.
Risks, Fixers, and Zeal: Implementing Experimental Treatments for Violent Juvenile Offenders
Authors: FAGAN JEFFREY , FORST MARTIN
Published: June 2008

Implementation is a critical factor in the evaluation of correctional interventions. This study analyzes the implementation of experimental intervention programs for chronically violent delinquents in four urban juvenile justice systems. The strength and integrity of implementation varied across sites, depending on the program element and type of measurement. Some aspects of experimental programs were evident in mainstream corrections programs, suggesting that implementation is a continuous variable whose strength is relative to antecedent conditions. Political, organizational, and ideological factors influenced implementation: effective leadership, dissatisfaction with existing conditions, risk taking, and a commitment to innovation and experimentation. The results show that, where theory and program design are thoroughly implemented, treatment programs can be established to reintegrate violent youths into the community with new social skills and behaviors.
A Comparative Study of Male and Female Prison Misconduct Careers
Authors: CRADDOCK AMY
Published: June 2008

By examining patterns of misconduct as a career path that lasts throughout one's imprisonment, this article provides information on whether the career develops and, if so, on the timing of stages in the career. The research finds that patterns and types of misconduct were similar for men and women, although levels were lower for women. Results of event history analyses indicated that younger prisoners tended to begin their misconduct careers sooner, regardless of other factors, and that as time passes after the commission of the first infraction, the risk of having a second infraction increases faster than the risk of having only the first.
Assessing the Possible Impact of the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 on Prison and Jail Overcrowding Suits
Authors: CALL JACK E. , COLE RICHARD
Published: June 2008

Section 20409 of the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 contains several provisions that appear to be designed to diminish the role of federal courts in prison and jail overcrowding cases. This article examines the likely impact of these provisions and concludes that they are not likely to bring about a substantial change in the present role of federal courts in these cases.
When Inmates Misbehave: The Costs of Discipline
Authors: LOVELL DAVID , JEMELKA RON
Published: June 2008

Reduction of infraction rates may serve as one measure of the efficacy of in-house treatment programs for psychologically disturbed inmates. To address the related issue of cost-effectiveness, the authors analyzed the costs of infractions at a medium-security prison, yielding an estimated average cost of $970 per infraction. These fixed costs do not respond to marginal changes in numbers of infractions but help to estimate the additional system costs that successful treatment may prevent in the long run. Like the costs of imprisonment in the free community, these costs need to be considered in disciplinary and treatment policies within prisons.
Compulsory Community-Based Substance Abuse Treatment and the Mentally Ill Criminal Offender
Authors: HILLER MATTHEW L. , KNIGHT KEVIN , BROOME KIRK M. , SIMPSON D. DWAYNE
Published: June 2008

The current study examined the relationship between mental health status and 18-month follow-up rearrest data of 191 probationers remanded to 4 months of treatment at a corrections-operated community-based residential substance abuse program. Probationers completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II), which classified 51% with DSM-III-R Axis I and 79% with Axis II disorders. Presence of these psychopathology and personality diagnoses was associated with rearrest after discharge from treatment. After controlling for sociodemographic background variables, arrest history, and substance use, the diagnoses of drug dependence and dysthymia were found to be significant risk factors for probationer rearrest following treatment.
Key Differences among Community Corrections Acts in the United States: An Overview
Authors: HARRIS M. KAY
Published: June 2008

Passage of Community Corrections Acts (CCAs) in the early 1970s in Minnesota, Iowa, and Colorado foreshadowed similar developments in many other states over the ensuing 2 decades. On the basis of an exhaustive review of published reports and the statutory foundations for this movement, together with interviews and materials obtained via contacts with persons involved intimately with CCAs in jurisdictions throughout the country, the present study traces their evolution, documents their similarities and differences, and identifies key issues to be addressed by those policymakers and practitioners interested in refining or extending their use in the future.
Residential Treatment for Women Parolees Following Prison-Based Drug Treatment: Treatment Experiences, Needs and Services, Outcomes
Authors: PRENDERGAST MICHAEL L. , WELLISCH JEAN , WONG MAMIE MEE
Published: June 2008

This article reports on an evaluation of the community residential phase of a prison-based program for drug-using women, the Forever Free Substance Abuse Program at the California Institute for Women. Three groups were interviewed: graduates from Forever Free who entered residential treatment, graduates who did not enter residential treatment, and women who applied to Forever Free but were not able to enter. The study assessed treatment experiences, needs and services received, and drug use and parole outcomes 1 year after the women were released from prison. Briefly, findings indicate that the women's needs for relapse prevention training and drug treatment were not met, women often did not complete treatment, and women who participated in community residential treatment had lower self-reported drug use rates and higher levels of successful parole discharge than women in the other two groups. Multiple needs beyond drug treatment must be addressed to increase treatment entry and improve retention in programs.