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South Africa has two fully privatised prisons, each housing some 3,000 prisoners. Their history has been mired in controversy from the start, and this has not improved over a period of nearly 25 years. Recent events affecting the security and integrity of the two facilities provide a useful opportunity to reflect on these private prisons as well as wider issues regarding private sector involvement in the prison system. The intersection of politics, organised labour, private sector interests, and corruption have in all likelihood rung the death knell for private prisons in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-uniform staff help create prison social climate by providing services that include educational and vocational classes, mental health counseling, employment and reentry preparedness, and family-strengthening activities. The present study examines how non-uniform correctional staff perceive their association with successful delivery of rehabilitative services in correctional settings. After accompanying hundreds of non-uniform prison staff throughout their daily professional routines and conducting interviews with them in institutions supervised by eight different U.S. state prison systems, a threefold typology of approaches to successfully delivering rehabilitative services in prison was identified: holistic, pragmatic, and community-oriented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in carceral settings remain a fundamental concern for practitioners, policy-makers, and incarcerated persons (IPs) alike. In recent years, PTSD assessment tools designed for the general population have been adopted for use in prisons upon intake, sometimes side-by-side with other assessment tools. This study attempts to provide insight into how these tools are used for a majority of IPs within the United States. Based on results from six U.S. states and the federal prison system, we find that PTSD assessment would benefit from newer tools designed for the specific challenges in the prison environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines patterns of violent institutional misconduct among a cohort of serious juvenile offenders who were incarcerated in state-level juvenile correctional facilities and then state adult prison institutions. Within the cohort, one group of offenders was immediately transferred to the adult prison system following their incarceration in a juvenile correctional facility. The other portion of the cohort was first released to the community, and then later incarcerated in adult prisons. Results of the analysis indicate that being a younger prison inmate with a history of childhood trauma and considered a high-rate violent institutional misconduct perpetrator as a juvenile ward were significant predictors of engaging in violent misconduct in adult prisons. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restrictive housing substantially limits inmate movement and privileges. Proponents argue it creates safer prison systems, while opponents claim it does not and harms inmates. However, few studies have systematically examined restrictive housing through the perspective of those who work in prison systems or scrutinized the diverse dimensions relevant to its appraisal. This study addresses this gap by drawing on qualitative data to examine how such individuals view the housing, its operational challenges, effectiveness, possible improvements, and potential alternatives. We present findings along each of these dimensions and then discuss their implications for research and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desistance research has linked prison inmate expectations with positive outcomes after release, but very little research addresses what makes them optimistic about their future. Using data from a representative sample, this article analyzes whether the manner in which a prison sentence is served impacts expectations about reentry. Results show that experiencing harsh prison conditions makes incarcerees more pessimistic about reentry, while receiving family support during imprisonment has the opposite effect. Given that the mission of the prison system is to prepare prisoners for a successful reentry, this study has several implications for correctional agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widespread use of restrictive housing in correctional institutions, little is known about the factors associated with placement in this setting. This study advances two theoretical arguments about the use of this practice. The prison system view argues this housing is essential for institutional order and that, accordingly, only inmates who pose an objective risk to safety get placed in such housing. By contrast, the critics' view argues this housing causes adverse effects and disproportionately targets certain inmates based on their ascriptive characteristics, such as their mental health status or race. The results indicate support for both perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been eight U.S. states that have implemented prison nurseries in women's correctional facilities. This article examines the second oldest U.S. prison nursery program located in the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women. Using data from the program spanning the years 1994-2014, three main criteria were utilized as key performance indicators to evaluate success—recidivism within 3 years of initial offense, percentage of women returning to prison custody over the 20-year period, and program cost savings. Major findings related to women who participated in the nursery program include a 28% reduction in recidivism and a 39% reduction in women returning to prison custody. Overall, the program achieved cost savings of more than US$6 million for the period 1994 to 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, little is known regarding the experience and activities of gang-affiliated women in prison. This article is based on interviews with 15 formerly incarcerated women who offered insights into their experiences. Rather than continue the territorially based street divisions they defended, the women tended, instead, to create interpersonal units in the form of families and/or sexual dyads, reconstructing hetero-normative relational patterns during the course of their incarceration. The article offers an alternative lens through which to understand human agency among incarcerated women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an interpretation of the evolution of criminal punishment and prisons in China from an historical perspective. The historical investigation reveals that the current ganhua and paternalistic or fatherly approaches to prison corrections are expressions of an underlying cultural tradition that is deep and abiding. However, the existence of the paradoxical goals of punishment and reformation at the level of the implementation of prison sentences, which can erode the protection of the rights of prisoners, is contingent upon political and legal decisions that can be changed by acts of law and legal reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine comparative rates of recidivism for Colorado inmates released from a private reentry center and public facilities. Using a sample of 6,102 inmates released from 2008 to 2012, we measure overall recidivism and recidivism for a new crime. Applying a quasi-experimental methodology, we find that overall rates of recidivism are comparable. Prior to matching, 46.8% of the treatment and 61.3% of the comparison group recidivated, and the difference is statistically significant. However, after matching on relevant covariates, the difference was reduced to nonsignificance. In contrast, those released from the private facility are more likely to return to prison for a new offense. Approximately 14% of those in the private facility committed a new crime compared with 9% prematching and 8% postmatching. Despite these modest differences in the rate of recidivism, the overall time to return to prison is comparable between the groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of technology has introduced new options for prison and jail visits, including video visits from jail lobbies and remote video from virtually anywhere. Researchers surveyed visitors to three jails who were participating in either on-site visits through Plexiglas, lobby video visits, or remote video visits. On-site Plexiglas visitors rated their visits as more stressful and time-consuming, while remote video visitors were most likely to indicate that it was difficult to locate finances for the visit. Visitors expressed a preference for contact visits but noted that remote video visits were likely to be the most convenient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although injection drug use occurs inside Canadian federal prisons, the correctional service does not allow prisoners access to sterile injection equipment as a harm reduction measure. International evaluations have shown that prison-based needle and syringe programs (PNSPs) lead to many beneficial health and other outcomes, and contribute to safer environments for prisoners and staff. This article presents qualitative data from a community-driven study with 30 former prisoners in Ontario, Canada. Participants shared insights that are highly valuable for understanding the prison context in relation to the need for PNSPs, both in Canada and in other jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to national and international inspectorates, considerable differences are found in the implementation of prison sentences within countries. This is not only problematic for the legal security of society and inmates, prison organizations themselves do not know exactly for what they are deemed responsible. Although key goals of imprisonment may be clear, complex ambiguities seem to be at work. We scrutinize the specific situation of the Dutch prison system to show how implementation differences can arise within a seemingly detailed regulatory framework. Furthermore, some international comparisons are provided as well as some directions to solve the ambiguities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On February 1, 2014, an end came to what had been termed the “Mississippi Experiment”—Conjugal visitation in the state’s prisons. What had begun as a practice to control inmates and provide them an incentive to work in the early 1900s had fallen victim to changing times and a declining state budget. The authors discuss the history of conjugal visitation in Mississippi as well as possible consequences associated with discontinuing the program. These include increased levels of violence within the prison system, recidivism once prisoners are released, and the breakup of families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article the author discusses the educational program "The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program: Exploring Issues of Crime and Justice Behind the Walls" conceptualized and put into effect by her at the Philadelphia Prison System, Holmesburg, Philadelphia. She states that the program is centered on "community-based learning" and provides an opportunity for prison inmates to interact with the outside world. She also talks the scope of dialogue that the program provides to prisoners.

The article presents probably the most relevant research to date on the Slovene prison system. The study was conducted through a 2-year research project sponsored by Ministry of Justice and carried out by the Institute of Criminology in Ljubljana. Along with a “longitudinal” study of the social climate in Slovene prison institutions, it evaluates the concepts, practices, and results of so-called sociotherapy as a specific approach to treatment of offenders. “Specific” in this case means that treatment simultaneously encompasses life in prison, the offenders’ social environment, and the inclusion of prison staff. Sociotherapy began as an experiment during the mid-70s and led to astonishing results, namely, the “opening” of prison institutions for almost all inmates, regardless of the length of sentence or the crime committed. Applying the findings of sociotherapy every 5 years since 1980, the social climate in every Slovene prison institution has been measured to assess the quality of support and control prisoners receive and the discipline and treatment philosophies at work in the system. Finally, the article deals with the situation after Slovene independence in 1991 and the passage of new legislation. Against expectations, we find that with the advent of democracy, standards of prisoner treatment have dropped. However, the success of the experiment should encourage all countries seeking to reduce the significant costs of incarceration and attempting to make prison institutions more humane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programs for incarcerated mothers and their children have received little scholarly attention over the years. This article presents a historical review and discussion of programs for incarcerated mothers and their children in the United States. Recurring themes in the history of these programs include the pervasive effects of race and class, the state's attempt to regulate and control women's minds and bodies, and the persistent dilemmas posed by the presence of mothers in prison. The article begins with an examination of historical influences from England and continues with an overview of programs in the United States from the early 1800s to the present. A discussion and recommendations for further research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community corrections has grown into a salient component of the correctional system. This article traces the growth and development of community-based sanctions in the United States. The authors assert that the evolution of community corrections has largely been shaped by its enduring relationship with the prison. Thus, it is not possible to fully comprehend the evolution of community-based corrections without considering the influence of the institutions. As such, this article documents the development and durability of community corrections by focusing on their unique and dynamic relationship with the prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the available research on jails focuses on large institutions, located in urban areas. In this study we empirically consider whether this emphasis shortchanges our understanding of jails by comparing 2,638 rural and urban jails on four dimensions: jail size and use, inmate characteristics, staff characteristics, and inmate services. Our results reveal several important cleavages between rural and urban jails. Based on our findings and a conception of jails as influenced in meaningful ways by their social, political, and organizational contexts, we suggest avenues for future research on local incarceration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]