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This article discusses a comprehensive psychosocial program developed for a prison in California--the Special Needs Program for Inmate-Patients with Dementia (SNPID). It describes the individual steps of the program, their content and their application in a system that has safety and security as its highest priority. An important and innovatory aspect of SNIPD is the role of other inmates in supporting inmates with dementia. The article concludes that psychosocial interventions can be appropriately applied in prison settings and make a difference in the quality of life for inmate-patients with dementia.

Building on the growing literature on the varying degrees and dimensions of prisoner governance across prison systems, this paper aims to understand how such governance, and reforms to reduce its informal influences, shape prisoner experiences in Estonia and Lithuania. Estonia has limited the influence of prisoner governance through the creation of a cell-based prison system, while Lithuania has maintained penal colonies in which prisoners largely self-govern. Utilizing a metaphor approach to the pains of imprisonment, we offer the concept of an imposition gradient to capture variation in the experience of the weight and tightness produced by both prison authorities and prisoners themselves across our cases. The paper makes three contributions: first, it aims to explicitly assess the relationship between varieties of prisoner governance and penal subjectivities. Second, it rethinks the relatively static metaphors of weight and tightness as fluid and dynamic experiences shaped by the degrees of prisoner governance present within prison systems and particular spaces of particular prisons. Third, the paper speaks to recent appeals to develop comparative research into varieties of imprisonment regimes, deepening comparative theories of prison order across the Global North and South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article explores the current status, evolution, and envisaged future of prison visits, analysing the shift in paradigm from traditional models to an increasingly digital format that demands specific policy amendments and fosters an empathetic approach towards incarceration. The discourse begins with an in-depth examination of the current prison visitation models, delving into the strengths, weaknesses, and potential of both in-person and video visitations. This exploration uncovers the critical shortcomings of in-person visits, such as limited accessibility due to geographical and logistical constraints, and the rising potential of video visits to bridge these gaps. Simultaneously, we highlight the challenges in implementing video visitation systems, focusing on issues such as equitable access to technology, appropriate surveillance, and privacy regulations. It underscores the need for considering both sides of the coin, i.e., the convenience and feasibility of video visits versus the potential risks to the privacy and dignity of incarcerated people and their families. The article then delves into the policy considerations necessary to ensure a smooth transition to video visitations, exploring regulatory and statutory amendments needed to safeguard incarcerated individuals' rights and ensure a more humane prison system. The analysis uncovers a pressing need for a robust framework that not only respects privacy rights and promotes familial ties but also supports an important goal of prisons – effective rehabilitation of incarcerated people. Proposing an idealised future model for prison visits, the discourse presents a hybrid approach that skilfully combines the strengths of both in-person and video connections. This innovative model reimagines the future of prison visits, suggesting a shift from punitive and impersonal methods to empathetic and relationship-focused practices that align with contemporary understandings of rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pacha: Journal of Contemporary Studies of the Global South / Revista de Estudios Contemporáneos del Sur Global is the property of PACHA REVISTA DE ESTUDIOS CONTEMPORANEOS DEL SUR GLOBAL and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Subsisting on the streets requires homeless former prisoners to execute coping strategies, which were suggested in three major categories, namely, problemsolving-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance. A lack of understanding exists regarding the coping strategies that homeless former prisoners utilise in navigating extremely challenging life conditions on the streets. Three strategies were selected and scrutinised in the current study to explore the key coping mechanism frequently employed by homeless former prisoners in tackling subsistence problems or challenges on the streets. A qualitative approach was administered by interviewing 30 homeless former prisoners to identify personal preferences for coping strategies. The findings revealed that the coping mechanisms were regularly employed simultaneously depending on the circumstances. Particularly, a higher tendency was demonstrated in applying avoidance coping operations, including drug abuse, solitude, pleasure-seeking activities, and worship, amongst homeless former prisoners. Nevertheless, homeless former prisoners also applied problem-solvingfocused coping strategies by searching for potential methods of higher income generation to improve their survival prospects. Summarily, formerly incarcerated individuals implemented coping strategies either collectively or interchangeably, subject to their current situations with varying suitabilities when subsisting on the streets. The implementation of these enhancements, along with greater integration of collective coping, will contribute to the advancement of significant intervention research. Research into coping strategies among homeless former prisoners can shed light on how these individuals adapt to life outside the prison system, how they develop survival skills, and how these skills may influence their behaviour and attitudes after release. Studying coping mechanisms post-release can offer insights into the challenges these individuals face when transitioning back into society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on the process of undertaking qualitative research with incarcerated individuals and prison staff in selected Ghana prisons. The challenges encountered during the planning, approval, and fieldwork stages, as well as measures adopted to address these challenges, have been discussed. The paper aims to serve as a guide to novel prison researchers in the sub-Saharan African context, given that the majority of studies on challenges and approaches to conducting prison research have come from jurisdictions outside the region. To this end, given the unique nature of the prison governance system in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries, this paper contributes to filling a knowledge gap in qualitative prison research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior work on extended restrictive housing (ERH) has focused primarily on incarcerated persons rather than on potential impacts of this housing on personnel. Drawing on scholarship on the get-tough era, prison personnel, and ERH, we seek to shed light on contemporary correctional management practices and how doing so can illuminate the broad-ranging impacts of the get-tough era. We hypothesize that operational and organizational stressors differ for ERH personnel and may contribute to greater stress and adversely affect their mental and physical health. After presenting analyses from a mixed-methods study of Florida prisons, we discuss implications of the results for research and policy. We conclude that the get-tough era has led to harms, such as negative effects for personnel, that extend beyond those who are punished to those who play a role in systems of punishment and that have implications for understanding and addressing prison system safety and order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Saúde Coletiva is the property of MPM Comunicacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to investigate the prediction of incidents during short leave (ISLs) for inmates in the German prison system using static risk and protective factors that had been assessed at the start of the incarceration. Data from the personal files of inmates in Lower Saxony were analysed to examine the prevalence of ISLs and to assess the ability of the Offender Group Reconviction Scale – Version 3 (OGRS 3) to predict ISLs. In addition, random forest models were used to identify potential predictors that could further improve the prediction performance. The results showed that the OGRS 3 had significant predictive validity for drug abuse, late return, and any ISL but not for new offences during short leave. However, the OGRS 3 exhibited problems with false positive rates in its prediction of ISLs. The random forest models did not substantially improve the prediction of any ISL, but they did improve the prediction of drug abuse during short leave. This study highlights the importance of considering dynamic factors and using a more comprehensive approach in risk assessment for ISLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes Francoism through its prison system – from the mass incarcerations of the 1940s (deployed as an instrument of overt political repression) to the gaols of the 1960s developmentalist dictatorship, by which time the majority of prisoners were not activists but the 'ballast'/'excess' of high-speed industrialization/urbanization undertaken without any welfare safety net. The article discusses how the dictatorship conceived of the different groups it incarcerated, how it tried to manage them by 'divide and rule' and to what purpose. It explores prisoners' counterstrategies and the paradox of 'the political' in a Francoist prison system which never used the term, yet saw each and every inmate as posing a threat to the dictatorship's ideology of 'social peace' (i.e., societal stasis). The article charts a prison transition by the early 1970s, from totalitarian to emerging neoliberal model, the latter still designed to 'contain' but no longer to 'sculpt' its inmates. Notwithstanding this key change, the article highlights core continuities in the prison system across forty years of Francoism: militarized discipline, rule by secret decree, 'divide and rule' strategies, and institutionalized abuse that was endemic and structural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss the changes in formal and informal power hierarchies, and their impact on traditional prisoner statuses, in Russian prisons. Changes have taken place against the backdrop of the attempt by the Russian Federal Prison Service to re-balance power in its favour after the 1990s, which saw a shift in the power geometry in correctional colonies (ispravitelnie kolonii) towards prison sub-cultures. This attempt has been accompanied by a heightened level of violence in the management of prisoners, which has generated an atmosphere of uncertainty, human helplessness and unpredictability in correctional colonies. One result has been the emergence of new intermediate statuses as prisoners seek to avoid the binary power structure of the traditional 'thieves-in-law' sub-culture and prison authorities and their proxy 'activists'. The new intermediate statuses and groups typically are unstable but they can be seen as a threat by prison authorities, which respond by intensifying the cycle of discrimination and violence, which we illustrate using the case study of Muslim prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The purpose of this study was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic changed U.S. prison operations and influenced the daily work of prison staff. Methods: In collaboration with the National Institute of Corrections, we administered a survey to 31 state correctional agencies in April 2021 and conducted five focus groups with 62 correctional staff. Results: Using a framework of bounded rationality, we find that daily operations were strained, particularly in the areas of staffing, implementing public health policy efforts, and sustaining correctional programming. While prison systems and staff were under-prepared to respond to the pandemic, they attempted to address complex problems with the limited resources they had. Conclusions: Results underscore a need in corrections for prioritizing further developments and reviews of collaborative policies and practices for managing crisis situations. Seeking avenues for leveraging technological innovations to improve operations and facilitate enhanced communication are especially warranted. Finally, meaningful reductions in the prison population, changes in physical infrastructure, and expansions of hiring and retention initiatives are critical for positioning prisons to manage future emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In prisons, participatory mechanisms can foster important outcomes including fairness, legitimacy and dignity. Complaints are one significant (symbolic) mechanism facilitating prisoner participation. Ombud institutions/Ombudsmen handle complaints externally, providing unelected accountability mechanisms and overseeing prisons around the world. A fair complaints process can stimulate prisoner voice, agency and rights protection, potentially averting self-harm and violence, and facilitating systemic improvements. However, complaints mechanisms are little studied. Addressing this gap, we: i) contextualise discussion by demonstrating that prisoners' actions have directly shaped complaints mechanisms available today; ii) outline prison complaints mechanisms in the case study jurisdiction of England and Wales; and iii) provide a critical review of literature to assess whether prison complaints systems are, in practice, participatory, inclusive and fair? We conclude that complaints mechanisms hold clear potential to enhance prison legitimacy, facilitate prisoner engagement and agency, and improve wellbeing and safety. However, myriad barriers prevent prisoners from participating in complaints processes, including culture, fear, accessibility, timeliness, emotional repression, and bureaucracy. The process of complaining and experiences of these barriers are uneven across different groups of prisoners. Our article provides a springboard for future empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Policies for next-of-kin (NOK) notification and disposition of remains surrounding death are unclear across the United States' (US) carceral systems. The goal of this study was to collect data on carceral system policies pertaining to NOK notification and disposition of remains for individuals who are incarcerated. We collected publicly available operational policies for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 50 state prison systems, and the Washington D.C. jail for a total of 53 systems. Results: Approximately 70% of systems had available policies on NOK notification and disposition of remains. Few systems had information on time constraints for NOK notification, notifying parties or designated contacts person, and ultimate disposition of unclaimed remains. Several systems had no accessible policies. Conclusions: Across the US, carceral systems vary in policies for notifying NOK after the death of an incarcerated individual and their processes for the disposition of remains. Carceral and health systems should work towards standardization of policies on communication and disposition of remains after death of an individual who is incarcerated to work towards equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penal order is closely linked to the broader social order in China and the disciplinary side of its maintenance. This article seeks to demonstrate, through the case of performance making, what order means to the Chinese prison authority, and how prisoners comply with and sometimes defy the system based upon various motivations. Using data from an ethnographic study on performance making in a men's prison during 2015–2018, this study aims to understand how an 'exemplary order' is maintained, and what kinds of compliance and resistance can be found. The findings suggest that "theatre in prisons" is not a Western invention to be borrowed, but a long-established institutional mechanism of order mainetence in China, as participation in prison's activities represents compliance with the regime order. However, compliance is also utilized by the prisoners not only for hedonistic gains but also for gaining social capital, which can have a strong positive influence on their quality of life inside and earlier release. This study will also demonstrate how the Chinese penal order maintenance shares similirities with modes of soft power found in British prisons, as well prisoner-officer collaboration found in other Global South countries, with a twist [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]

The article focuses on the role of college-in-prison programs within the larger U.S. prison system. It discusses the challenges and ethical considerations of teaching college coursework in prison settings, with an emphasis on the potential conflict of "helping the State" by providing education within the carceral system.

The present work proposes a new perspective regarding the prison system x EJA. Despite all the obstacles that stand in the way of a good evolution, there is always a choice. Choosing the path one wants to follow is a unique action for man, regardless of the influences he received in his childhood and adolescence. It is up to the person, the choice of being good or bad. The point to be raised is the reason why the prisoner finds it difficult to start or finish his studies. In order to seek answers, the group carried out fieldwork, interviewing 40 (forty) prisoners from a semi-open prison unit in the region of Campinas. Open questions were asked seeking answers from respondents. The vast majority attach no importance to studies; the only importance lies in the fact that every 12 hours of school attendance is one day redeemed from his sentence. What is the mirror of the child who lives precariously in a community that is dominated by drug trafficking? It can only be the criminal agent. And what is the way out for this child, since all his paths have been cut off? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence and effectiveness of imprisonment in changing the behavior of convicts is quite interesting to study, considering the facts that exist show that imprisonment through the correctional system has not been able to change the behavior of convicts significantly. The problems in this study are regarding the existence of imprisonment and prison conditions as a place for implementing coaching for convicts, regarding coaching and its influence on the behavior of convicts while serving their sentences in Correctional Institutions and the effectiveness of imprisonment as the implementation of criminal sanctions and at the same time a means to change the behavior of convicts. This type of research is empirical juridical research, using a statute approach and a conceptual approach. This research uses field studies and literature studies that aim to collect primary and secondary data. The data analysis used is qualitative data analysis. Based on the results of research and discussion, imprisonment is still quite effective in changing the behavior of convicts. This is in accordance with the objectives of the penitentiary system regulated in the penitentiary law and there is also a change in the behavior of some inmates who have undergone the coaching process. The conclusion of this study is that the existence of imprisonment as a means of implementing coaching for convicts is still quite relevant to be applied in the criminal justice system in Indonesia. Considering that the implementation of imprisonment in Indonesia is not only a form of retaliation (punishment) against perpetrators, but also aims to restore the situation, namely to rehabilitate perpetrators and at the same time protect society from the perpetrator's actions to repeat his crime. Coaching carried out by Correctional Institutions has an influence on changes in the behavior of convicts. Although in the implementation of the coaching there are still various weaknesses that indicate the failure of the coaching process. Imprisonment as the implementation of criminal sanctions and at the same time a means to change the behavior of convicts is still quite effective, although it cannot be said that it is a very effective means to change the behavior of convicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the research conducted with librarians who work or have worked in the Brazilian prison system to enable the deprived population to have access to books, reading, information, construction of meaning, and appropriation of information. This is an exploratory study, with a qualitative approach. As an instrument of data collection, we used the questionnaire prepared in Google Forms and sent it by e-mail to the librarians. To analyze the data, we based ourselves on content analysis by establishing categories. The results show that most librarians believe in taking actions of information mediation in the prison environment and consider that this process can contribute to the social reintegration of the convicted. Even those who are reticent about the prison structure not contributing to social reintegration present a favorable speech about the relevance of the librarian to guide their actions in information mediation when acting in this environment. We conclude that, even when faced with the challenges and specificities of working in the prison environment, information mediation can be considered a practice of deconstruction and reconstruction, as it can help prisoners to have a glimpse of new horizons and see themselves as critical subjects through the appropriation of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Derecho Penal y Criminologia is the property of Editorial UNED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents an experience report on the supervision of deinstitutionalization of the prison system through the articulation of the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS) conducted from 2014 to 2021 within the Superintendence of Mental Health/Municipal Health Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro. This work of deinstitutionalizing people deprived of liberty with mental health problems consists of actions at the exit and entrance doors of the prison system and actions for the care of unimputable and imputable people with mental disorders. In the light of the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform, formalized by Law No. 10,216/2001, we aim to present an approach to this process counting on the possibilities of building care policies for insane offenders that are not punitive or segregating. The practical results of this work include more significant participation of the network in the construction of care for insane offenders, elaborating policies that avoid the prison career or reduce the asylum time in the penal system, and understanding that security measures must always have an outpatient nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to analyze the social representations of motherhood of pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and those who experienced pregnancy in deprivation of liberty in the prison system. This qualitative study was conducted with 42 women and is grounded on the assumptions of the Theoretical Paradigm of Social Representations. Most participants were young women aged 18-39 (90.5%; n=38) and single (50.0%; n=21); 61.9% (n=26) reported two or more pregnancies and 47.6% (n=20) reported one or more miscarriages. The possible representation of being a mother in prison was crystallized, in semantic terms, mainly by the terms "separation" (f=27; OME: 2.9), "sadness" (f=18; OME: 2.3), "horrible" (f=16; OME: 2.1) and "pain" (f=12; OME: 2.8). In the substitution and decontextualization zone, representations were objectified by the terms "separation" (f=18; OME: 3), "sadness" (f=13; OME: 2.5), "fear" (f=11; OME: 2.2) and "horrible" (f=10; OME: 1.5). It was evident that the centrality of social representations for the study participants reflects the suffering experienced by the separation of the mother-child dyad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to describe the implementation and operation of the e-SUS AB strategy in the Prison Primary Care Teams in Paraíba. A qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 21 professionals, doctors, and nurses, from 11 primary care teams in prisons in Paraíba and the health management of the Penitentiary Administration Secretariat. A semi-structured roadmap was adopted for the interviews from the script previously established by the Ministry of Health for the implementation of the e-SUS AB system, which resulted in three thematic categories after being transcribed and analyzed per Bardin's content analysis proposal: the health information system and the prison setting; management actions for the implementation of the e-SUS AB and; skills and competencies of professionals to use the e-SUS AB system. The e- SUS AB was implemented in the prison system with some obstacles concerning the physical and technological structure of the setting, the insuffi- cient professional training, and the lack of skills with information technologies highlighted by the respondents. People feel the need to implement the citizen's electronic medical records to ensure continuity of care for people deprived of liberty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the paper was to conduct a legal-realist assessment of the South African prison system response to COVID-19. Severely congested and ill-resourced prison systems in Africa face unprecedented challenges amplified by COVID-19. South Africa has recorded the highest COVID-19 positivity rate in Africa and, on March 15th 2020, declared a national state of disaster. The first prison system case was notified on April 6th 2020. Design/methodology/approach: A legal-realist assessment of the South African prison system response to COVID-19 in the 12 months following initial case notification focused on the minimum State obligations to comply with human rights norms, and the extent to which human, health and occupational health rights of prisoners and staff were upheld during disaster measures. Findings: A legal-realist account was developed, which revealed the indeterminate nature of application of South African COVID-19 government directives, ill-resourced COVID-19 mitigation measures, alarming occupational health and prison conditions and inadequate standards of health care in prisons when evaluated against the rule of law during State declaration of disaster. Originality/value: This legal-realist assessment is original by virtue of its unique evaluation of the South African prison system approach to tackling COVID-19. It acknowledged State efforts, policymaking processes and outcomes and how these operated within the prison system itself. By moving beyond the deleterious impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the already precarious South African prison system, the authors argue for rights assurance for those who live and work in its prisons, improved infrastructure and greater substantive equality of all deprived of their liberty in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Psychology / Revista de Psihologie is the property of Romanian Academy Publishing House / Editura Academiei Romane and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Concerns have been raised about mental illness (MI)-linked disparities in restrictive housing (RH) placements, but research has not compared disparities across multiple types of RH. Differences by MI status in prison adjustment or repeated misconduct could create larger disparities for long-term and highly restrictive types of RH; conversely, more stringent procedures governing their use could lead to smaller disparities for those types. Using data on six types of RH in a large southern prison system and logistic multivariate multilevel models, we compared the associations of MI with multiple RH types. Mediation models examined whether infractions, violence, and victimization accounted for any associations. Disparities were present for all examined types of RH. The largest proportional disparities were found for the rarer long-term solitary confinement placements. Although disparities were smaller for short-term types of RH, those affected more people. The mediators appeared to be better explanations of short-term rather than long-term RH placements among persons with MI. RH placement disparities by MI are largest for types that are of long duration and involve severe restrictions on privileges and activities. In addition, the disparities in those RH types may be less accounted for by commonly examined behavioral factors. • Diagnosed mental illness predicts placement in multiple forms of restrictive housing. • Placement disparities are largest for long-term solitary confinement. • Disciplinary and administrative placements are more common but are less related to mental illness. • Common mediators may explain less of the mental illness—long-term solitary confinement link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the limitations the carceral environment may impose on mental wellness, mental healthcare is increasingly becoming a carceral endeavor. Over the course of the last several decades, prisons and jails have become the de facto mental healthcare provider for thousands of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, practices like mandated mental healthcare for supervised individuals further broaden the population experiencing mental healthcare within the criminal legal system at large. This study examines the perspectives of nine individuals who experienced mental healthcare within the carceral state, whether in prison or on parole or probation, with a special focus on how attributes of the carceral state create ideological and functional barriers to effective mental healthcare. Methods: Data for the parent study of this analysis was collected via in-depth, one-on-one interviews of about one hour's length, conducted at six-month intervals over the course of 2 years. These interviews were analyzed using an iterative process of open-coding, thematic code development, and code application to participant interviews. Results: The results showed a common perception of mental healthcare received within the carceral state as serving goals of the prison system, including control and punishment, rather than therapeutic goals of healing and empowerment. This often had negative implications for the quality of the treatment received, including patterns of diagnostic ambiguity, treatment that was ill-fitting to participants' needs, and treatment that was undermined by the new trauma created by the prison environment. The results also highlighted racial disparities prevalent within the carceral system. Despite the barriers created by the subjection of therapeutic practices to carceral goals, participants demonstrated resourcefulness and creativity in engaging with these treatment modalities to reap benefits where possible. Conclusions: Overall, these results highlight the inappropriateness of combining therapeutic and carceral spaces, the need for greater public attention to how carceral mechanisms disadvantage vulnerable populations, and the need for a cultural reconceptualization of mental illness such that it is met not with criminal punishment but appropriate care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of "dangerous" prisoners is of utmost importance, mainly regarding the restrictions imposed on offenders of this category. The restrictions in question introduce significant limitations of the statutory rights of individuals and alter the purposes of the penalty of deprivation of liberty. For this reason, it is necessary to align the Polish law, and above all penitentiary practice, with the international standards of human rights protection. This paper analyses both the Polish legislation and practice in terms of the qualification and treatment of "dangerous" prisoners. The paper points to the obscurity of certain legal regulations and the broad limits of discretion in applying and extending "dangerous prisoner" status. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the concept of distinguishing the category of "dangerous prisoners" and the operation of "N" wards from the perspective of the impact that such heightened isolation exerts on the individual, but also on the society and the penal institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article discusses the issue of older adult prisoners who have aged while incarcerated due to receiving life without parole sentences earlier in life. It highlights that a significant number of older adult prisoners are serving life without parole sentences, and prison conditions contribute to an increased rate of aging among incarcerated individuals. The article argues for the importance of compassionate release programs, which are designed to release prisoners with terminal illnesses or those who are extremely advanced in age. It emphasizes that releasing older adult prisoners poses a low danger to communities and can significantly reduce state spending. However, the article points out that compassionate release programs are underutilized, inefficient, and limited in scope, with strict eligibility requirements that severely limit the number of prisoners who are eligible for release. The article concludes by discussing the challenges faced by released older adult prisoners in adjusting back into society and emphasizes the need to make the prison system more humane. [Extracted from the article]

The term “mass incarceration” is used to describe a crisis that, to many, is both abstract and distant. But for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, low-income, and other communities whose lives are disproportionately affected by the criminal legal system, the reality of carceral exploitation is as unavoidable as it is harmful. Incarceration has always had economic ramifications, but the modern prison has become an amalgamation of public and private interests that increasingly treat incarcerated individuals and their communities as a source of profit. In a matter of decades, prison finance has become a billion-dollar industry concentrated in the hands of powerful corporate interests, and it overwhelmingly preys on historically marginalized and low-income communities. The advent of the digital economy has opened a new dimension of economic exploitation, typified by fee-laden debit release cards and exorbitant money transfer fees. In light of these increasingly exploitative practices, documenting the full extent of financial exploitation within the prison system is an immensely difficult task. Ending it is even harder. Despite persistent efforts to reform prison finance through litigation and regulation, the problem is getting worse—not better. This Note argues that the prison financial system is beyond repair and that it must be abolished. To that end, this Note proposes a community- centered alternative to the existing prison financial system that reclaims the economic power seized by the carceral state and relocates it within the communities that mass incarceration has disproportionately impacted. Though it is only one part of the broader project of prison abolition, the proposed alternative addresses an aspect of the criminal legal system that is often overlooked. Doing so represents a concrete step towards the eventual dismantling of the prison industrial complex. A Note About Language: The words that we use to describe people who have come in contact with the criminal legal system play a foundational role in our own conception and, by extension, our society’s treatment of these individuals. While terms like “inmate,” “ex-convict,” and “prisoner” are widely used and recognized, they carry an inseparable connection to physical spaces that many people view with fear and contempt. Though linguistically convenient, this connotation reinforces harmful ideas and attitudes towards some of the most marginalized members of our communities. As such, this Article identifies people who have come in contact with the criminal legal system by their names when possible and in other instances refers to them as “incarcerated” or “formerly incarcerated” individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Solitary confinement is a widespread practice in US correctional facilities. Long-standing concerns about the physical and mental health effects of solitary confinement have led to litigation, legislation, and community activism resulting in many prison systems introducing policies or implementing legal mandates to reduce or eliminate its use. Yet little is known about the nature and effectiveness of policies that states have adopted to reduce their use of solitary confinement and exactly how various reforms have actually impacted the lives of people living and working in the prisons where these reforms have taken place. Methods: We conducted an embedded case study, analyzing changes in policies and procedures, administrative data, and focus groups and interviews with incarcerated persons and staff, to describe the circumstances that led to changes in solitary confinement policies and practices in the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR) and the perceived impact of these changes on incarcerated persons and prison staff.. Results: North Dakota's correctional officials and staff members attributed the impetus to change their solitary confinement policies to their participation in a program that directly exposed them to the Norwegian Correctional Service's philosophy, policies, and practices in 2015. The ensuing policy changes made by North Dakota officials were swift and resulted in a 74.28% reduction in the use of solitary confinement between 2016 and 2020. Additionally, placements in any form of restrictive housing decreased markedly for incarcerated persons with serious mental illness. In the two prisons that had solitary confinement units, rule infractions involving violence decreased at one prison overall and it decreased within the units at both prisons that were previously used for solitary confinement. Although fights and assaults between incarcerated people increased in one of the prison's general population units, during the initial months of reforms, these events continued to decline compared to years before reform. Moreover, incarcerated people and staff attributed the rise to a concomitant worsening of conditions in the general population due to overcrowding, idleness, and double bunking. Both incarcerated persons and staff members reported improvements in their health and well-being, enhanced interactions with one another, and less exposure to violence following the reforms. Conclusions: Immersing correctional leaders in the Norwegian Correctional Service' public health and human rights principles motivated and guided the ND DOCR to pursue policy changes to decrease the use of solitary confinement in their prisons. Ensuing reductions in solitary confinement were experienced as beneficial to the health and wellness of incarcerated persons and staff alike. This case-study describes these policy changes and the perspectives of staff and incarcerated persons about the reforms that were undertaken. Findings have implications for stakeholders seeking to reduce their use of solitary confinement and limit its harmful consequences and underscore the need for research to describe and assess the impact of solitary confinement reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior studies have documented limited use of medications to treat opioid use disorders (OUD) for people incarcerated within state prisons in the United States. Using the framework of the criminal justice OUD service cascade, this study interviewed representatives of prison systems in states most heavily impacted by opioid overdose regarding the provision of medications for OUD (MOUD). Methods: A stratified sampling strategy included states with high indicators of opioid-overdose deaths. Two sampling strata targeted states with: 1) OUD overdose rates significantly higher than the per capita national average; or 2) high absolute number of OUD overdose fatalities. Interviews were completed with representatives from 21 of the 23 (91%) targeted states in 2019, representing 583 prisons across these states. Interviews assessed service provision across the criminal justice OUD service cascade, including OUD screening, withdrawal management, MOUD availability and provision, overdose prevention, re-entry services, barriers, and needs for training and technical assistance. Results: MOUD (buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone) was available in at least one prison in approximately 90% of the state prison systems and all three medications were available in at least one prison in 62% of systems. However, MOUD provision was limited to subsets of prisons within these systems: 15% provided buprenorphine, 9% provided methadone, 36% provided naltrexone, and only 7% provided all three. Buprenorphine and methadone were most frequently provided to pregnant women or individuals already receiving these at admission, whereas naltrexone was primarily used at release. Funding was the most frequently cited barrier for all medications. Conclusion: Study findings yield a complex picture of how, when, and to whom MOUD is provided across prisons within prison systems in states most heavily impacted by opioid overdose in the United States and have implications for expanding availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explain the phenomenon of low incidence of COVID-19 in Polish prisons. This paper addresses three questions: was the Polish prison system ready to respond to the threats posed by COVID-19; what action has it taken in this regard; and with what effect? Design/methodology/approach: An analysis of the current condition of the Polish prison system was undertaken focusing on items that were the focus of prisoners' complaints, the interventions of the Ombudsman and the bulletins of the Central Board of the Prison Service. This analysis has been juxtaposed with the opinions of experts in epidemiology and medicine and changes introduced in the law relating to prisoners. Findings: During the COVID-19 epidemic – despite serious chronic problems in the Polish penitentiary system – the statistics indicated that 24 individuals were infected and no deaths occurred. When compared to the statistics of non-prison cases, this result is extremely low. Research limitations/implications: Given the newness of the problem, the conflicts of different interests, the "double" isolation of prisons (penal and epidemiological) and the reluctance of the prison administration to provide information about what is happening behind prison walls, researchers must rely on statistics and subjective contacts with prisoners, for example, by investigating their complaints. Practical implications: As a result of the research, the author believes that the transparency of institutions such as prisons should be ensured, primarily expressed in the provision of information to both prisoners and the public relating to methods adopted to prevent epidemics in the context of prison and prisoners. Originality/value: The value of this paper is to show how prisons have managed in a new, exceptional situation to balance the right to health and personal safety of prisoners and warders, with the right to contact with the outside world and humane living conditions in a closed and doubly isolated space. The findings presented will add value to the knowledge and effectiveness of the prison administration's reaction and response to an emergency such as an epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article looks at the link between global capitalism, the hyperincarceration of poor and racialized communities, and surplus labor. It explores the exclusion of formerly incarcerated individuals from social institutions in a revolving door of control and repression. In an effort to draw out the links between the micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis, I undertake a macroanalysis of the crisis of global capitalism and then turn to twelve interviews with self-identified Chicano men that are part of a larger project involving an ethnographic approach. I show how the formerly incarcerated face what I term a revolving door incarceration system—a system that funnels people back into the prison system and that forms part of what Robinson calls the global police state. The article calls for an abolitionist perspective that rallies for the abolition of the prison industrial complex and the criminal (in)justice system. It argues that such a justice standpoint must include a critique of and struggle against global capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Estudios de Derecho is the property of Estudios de Derecho and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)