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Building on the work of Professor Joanna Shapland, this exploratory, phenomenological study theorizes contexts that ground desistance for people sentenced to life in prison for crimes committed as youth. The investigation draws from 28 interviews conducted with 10 formerly incarcerated youth lifers, all male, who were imprisoned for an average of 27 years in California. The major themes are presented along three phases in the desistance journey: life in prison as a barrier to desistance, the will to change, and policy changes and the process of parole. The analysis finds that despite a harsh and violent prison environment, all located sources of support (i.e. spiritual, family, and peers) that facilitated desistance and hope to create a meaningful life inside of prison. While the work of desistance was ultimately externally validated by a parole board, all participants asserted agency to take behavioral and attitudinal steps toward desistance long before they had hope for freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles published in this issue is presented including the impact of prison environments on the mental health of correctional staff, long-standing issues such as idle time and accountability among prisoners and community-engaged methodologies aimed at fostering collaborative change within carceral settings.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Incarceration is associated with significant negative mental health implications for both the corrections staff who work in prisons and the individuals incarcerated in them. Despite their scale and impacts, prisons are one of the country's least transparent and most understudied public institutions. Where research on prisons does exist, it is often focused on either the corrections staff population or the incarcerated population. Moreover, the perspectives of those most directly affected, incarcerated populations and correctional staff are rarely included in the process. In this study, we sought to focus on understanding the entire prison ecosystem, measuring the mental health status of corrections staff and incarcerated individuals, and describing potential interrelated factors in the prison environment that may affect these outcomes. We used a community-engaged process to develop a prison survey to measure the prison environment in a pilot facility in rural Vermont, incorporating the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Mental Health 2a instrument to measure the mental health status of the corrections staff and incarcerated individuals. Focus groups and interviews were conducted to inform survey development and understand factors affecting the mental health of these populations. Surveys were administered at three time points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prison environment has been synonymous with criminality, brutality, and drug activity. Yet, incarcerated individuals are expected to be released from prison clean from drugs and rehabilitated, with little to no access to the basic needs necessary to successfully rehabilitate. This single, qualitative case study explored the prison environment, basic needs, and the barriers to substance use rehabilitation. Data revealed that when basic needs were met, incarcerated individuals had the motivation to reach higher-order needs to aid in their recovery from substance use during treatment and that a negative or drug-infested environment and an unwillingness to change were barriers to sobriety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incarcerated mothers experience multiple forms of harm embedded within the criminal legal system, yet relatively little attention has been paid to incarcerated mothers' experiences of slow violence , violence whose harm occurs gradually over time, often in mundane and disregarded ways. We conducted semi-structured interviews with incarcerated mothers to explore their parenting experiences while in prison and analyzed their experiences through the frame of slow violence. The findings include salient themes of environmentally hazardous prison conditions that negatively impacted their health; broken phones that disrupted communication with and parenting of their children; and unending waitlists that jeopardized their parenting rights and delayed reunification with their children. We situate these findings within the framework of slow violence to highlight the insidious and overlooked forms of harm in the prison environment which impacted aspects of incarcerated mothers' wellbeing. We argue that understanding incarcerated mothers' experiences within this framework draws attention to ways that state actors, as well as common theoretical framings of incarceration dynamics, perpetuate and normalize the suffering of incarcerated mothers. By reframing the harms of incarceration as acts of slow violence, new insights are gleaned for theorizing and addressing violence against incarcerated women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like other industrialised countries, Japan has experienced a rapid increase in the proportion of incarcerated older adults. This increase is problematic because prisons were not designed to accommodate the needs of the older adults who increasingly fill them, leading to immense financial, legal, and human costs as jurisdictions struggle to adapt to the demographic change. Some refer to this failure to adjust to changing demographics as "institutional thoughtlessness". While a growing body of research points to concerns associated with the ageing trend, less work explicitly aims to understand the most effective ways to cope with the reality of the unprecedented number of older adults who are currently incarcerated. Using Japan as a case study, we argue that the misalignment between prison infrastructure and the changing physical and mental health needs of incarcerated people calls for a need to normalise prisons. Making prison life more similar to life outside of prison would reduce age-related risks like social isolation and dementia while improving the health, welfare, and reintegration of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the application of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) in an Australian maximum security prison, aiming to enhance inmate health and wellbeing through improved diet. The implementation of a medium-scale greenhouse demonstrates how CEA can effectively increase the availability of fresh produce in prison settings. By engaging inmates and correctional staff in a co-design process, the project not only promotes better nutrition but also fosters community involvement and empowerment among the participants. This inclusive approach facilitates the development of innovative and practical solutions, transforming the prison environment and encouraging rehabilitation through active participation and skills development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The impact of extreme heat on prisons and carceral facilities is becoming increasingly visible, yet remains overlooked by scholars, practitioners and policymakers. Prisons are a unique type of infrastructure designed to severely limit and control the movement of hundreds and even thousands of individuals as a form of punishment. This leads to many significant challenges to mitigating the risk of heat-related illness in prisons and other carceral spaces that have remained overlooked across many disciplines including emergency management, disasters, corrections and public health. Design/methodology/approach: For this study, we analyzed 192 surveys from incarcerated persons in state prisons throughout Texas to understand how incarceration and the punitive prison environment create challenges to managing extreme heat in prisons. Findings: We found that characteristics of modern incarceration, including communal distribution of resources, crowded conditions and a lack of agency for incarcerated people, create barriers to accessing resources during periods of extreme heat. Furthermore, the punitive nature of the prison environment as manifested in the relationship between staff and incarcerated persons and certain prison policies also create barriers to incarcerated persons accessing resources to reduce their risk of heat-related illness and death. Social implications: These issues are particularly relevant to the health and safety of incarcerated persons during periods of extreme temperatures but also speak broadly to the implications of incarceration, disaster risk, and the advancement of human rights for incarcerated people. Originality/value: This article addresses a gap in the literature by including the perspectives of persons incarcerated in Texas prisons experiencing extreme heat and implicates the characteristics of incarceration and punishment in the production of disaster risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compared to the general population, people living in prison are at an increased risk to experience negative (mental) health outcomes. Moreover, delinquency and drug use have many risk factors in common. A need exists for increasing the knowledge about health needs, drug use patterns and the coverage of drug-related interventions in prison within Europe. The current protocol describes the design of a study about wellbeing, drug use and related care in prison. Methods/design: A multicentre mixed method design is implemented in five European countries (Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania and Luxembourg). Qualitative and quantitative data collection tools are combined in order to generate complementary and comprehensive results. First, a cross-sectional survey among people living in prison is conducted. This survey is based on a model questionnaire, the European Questionnaire on Drug use among people living in Prison, developed by the European Monitoring Centre for Drug and Drugs Addiction. Second, people living in prison and people who have been recently released from prison are involved in qualitative semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The main topics of interest are the use of drugs and other health related topics such as loneliness, anxiety, depression, infectious diseases, suicide and treatment. Third, data regarding health and social reintegration measures in prison is collected through a quantitative survey addressed to the prison authorities. Discussion: This study protocol presentes a European study which aims to assess drug use among people living in prison and recently released people who use drugs as well as the existing care services in prisons. Hereby, factors related to the prison environment and their needs, both inside and outside prison are taken into account. Importantly, this study protocol describes a methodology which is developed to be executed in different prison settings within different countries simultaneously. Accordingly, for each country the protocol is adjustable to specific national legal requirements, regional differences and distinct local regulations of prison administrations. However, extensive modularity inevitably comes with significant limitations of comparability and generalizability of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's prisons in England have been working toward providing trauma-informed and responsive care for individuals in custody due to high rates of psychological trauma within the population. This study aimed to explore how women experience trauma-informed and responsive care in prison. Interviews with 51 participants from three prisons were undertaken. Three main themes were identified using thematic analysis: time—a precious commodity; feeling cared for; and trauma-informed staff training. Participants identified barriers to staff providing trauma-informed care: scarcity of time, and staff behavior undermining the principles of trauma-informed care. Enablers included the availability of time with staff and staff showing empathy and understanding. Most participants expressed the view that staff trauma training lacked impact. These findings suggest that the goal of providing trauma-informed and responsive care may be far from being realized and that resources, prison practices and cultures should be the focus of change before staff training can be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A greater understanding of effective methods for the rehabilitation of people who have offended, referred to as the 'what works' literature, has led to developments in treatment options internationally. The Accredited Programmes (AcP) currently available in HM Prison and Probation Services (HMPPS), are based on the principles of effective practice and receive regular review by the Correctional Services Accreditation and Advice Panel (CSAAP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in prison activities significantly normalises the detention period. Work for example provides daily structure, meaningful engagement, and the opportunity to earn money. Education can lead to diplomas and has the potential to empower individuals. There is a high demand for sports activities among incarcerated people, as they enhance physical and mental wellbeing. Mental health services in prison can offer a chance for many incarcerated people, who may have never received psychological help before, to identify and manage their mental health issues. Additionally, the library provides access to important information and books and could serve as a valuable source of distraction. Meaningful engagement in these activities can be a crucial need for incarcerated people. In its absence, people may perceive their detention period as wasted time, posing a significant threat to their mental well-being and hampering their chances for reintegration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making a meaningful connection between a criminology classroom and working in a prison is not always easy. As an academic discipline, criminology is concerned with theories, their empirical basis, and their practical application. Degree programmes typically focus on processes of criminalisation and victimisation, the causes, meaning and representation of crime, deviance and harm, and on official and unofficial responses. Among these concerns, the experiences of people working in the criminal justice system (CJS) can be overlooked and when they are considered, with some notable exceptions, the focus is often on the roles of police officers, not prison staff. In this article, we suggest some ways to create and take opportunities for communication between prison staff and students about working in the Prison Service. We argue that taking the prison, or at least prison staff, to the classroom has benefits for both students and His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent pain is a complex long-term condition (LTC) characterised by biological, psychological, and social features. It has a significant impact on the physical and emotional function of individual patients and is associated with a lower quality of life, detrimentally affecting families, communities, and wider society. Pain that continues for longer than 12 weeks is termed chronic or 'persistent' and affects between 18 per cent to 51 per cent of the world population. Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) as: 'An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust is certainly perceived as a contentious term within prison environments. When sent to prison people have their trusted status removed and are subject to risk management policies and procedures, underpinned by assessments of trust. Historically, relationships between staff and prisoners have been divisive, with outward expressions of trust made by either side considered to be cultural betrayal. In addition to this, the prioritisation of security heightens and shapes conceptions of trust, which can then also differ significantly between institutions. More generally, people in prison often have adverse experiences of trust, particularly relating to state criminal justice institutions and broader social structures, meaning prisons are broadly distrusting environments. Despite these hurdles, there are multiple research studies that evidence the existence of trust in prisons, drawing attention to its benefits, its challenges, 6 and the ways in which it can operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections in confined environments can spread by direct contact, contaminated surfaces, and airborne transmission. This is critical in prison facilities, where cleaning and sanitary conditions are inadequate. An alternative is the development of antimicrobial surfaces. A new antimicrobial coating was developed by incorporating copper microparticles into a standard commercial paint, aiming to reduce the concentration of bacteria on surfaces by granting antimicrobial properties to surfaces. The copper additive comprised Cu2Cl(OH)3 deposited on polyhedral zeolite. The efficacy of this coating was evaluated in detention cells in a police station, which are temporary prisons and inherently dirty environments. The experiment compared a cell painted with the copper additive coating and a control cell with the standard paint. Viable coliforms were measured on different surfaces and in the air for five months under normal usage. Bacterial load was reduced by ca. 68% by the copper-amended paint on cement surfaces. Surprisingly, airborne viable coliforms were reduced by ca. 87% in the detention cell treated with the copper coating. This research highlights the potential of antimicrobial coatings in controlling the spread of infections through contact with contaminated surfaces and emphasizes the significant reduction in airborne bacterial load. It is especially relevant for controlling infections where sanitization is limited but can be extended to other built environments, such as healthcare facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mozambique implemented in 2021 a formative assessment in 22 prisons to identify the operational and logistical needs for the second round of the Biobehavioral Survey (BBS). Barriers and facilitators that could be anticipated in conducting BBS in prisons, in preparation for implementation, was evaluated using semi-structured questionnaires administered to key informants (directors and other kind of managers staff). The data were cleaned and analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and the categorical variables were summarized by means of simple frequencies and percentages. In most prisons the current prison capacity far exceeds the theoretical capacity, 40.9% have a theoretical capacity of ≥ 50 inmates, 81.8% have inmates who exceed their theoretical capacity. In the country half of the prisons receive only male inmates, and only one female, 54.5% of the prisons visited have inmates under 18 years of age, 72.7% of the prisons had a private space available for the survey, the penitentiary establishments have the physical space for study; ensuring the safety of staff within the facilities; involvement of correctional officers and a clinical focal point. However, barriers such as time management due to prison opening hours, prison laws, restrictions, or permits for research may change without notice due to security, lockdowns, riots, or other situations that may hinder the implementation of research. The implementation of successive and regular rounds of BBS in different environments, contexts and populations constitute opportunities for generating information and indicators not always captured by programmatic data and not only as an opportunity for offering and making healthcare available in prison environments that in a routine context, but these populations normally have also not had equal opportunities. Currently, little is known about the implementation of a BBS in a correctional environment and only a few barriers can be anticipated, for Mozambique's context, these challenges and obstacles can be overcome through clear communication and collaboration with officials at all levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prison riots, though often sensationalized in the media, have profound consequences, with a significant death toll. Prison populations, historically plagued by psychiatric disorders, witness high rates of suicide, particularly linked to turbulent events like riots. This study examines three drug overdose deaths resulting from a prison riot during the initial wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Italy. To ascertain the nature of these deaths, a comprehensive toxicological analysis was conducted. Immunochemical screening and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were employed to detect a spectrum of drugs, including MDMA, methadone, morphine, cannabis derivatives, benzodiazepines, and others. The toxicological findings revealed high concentrations of various substances in the biological fluids of the deceased inmates. Tramadol and mirtazapine were implicated in one case, while methadone was a common factor in the deaths of two inmates, one of whom also ingested diazepam. The synergistic effects of substances were explored, with methadone identified as a leading cause of death in two cases. Prison riots exacerbate drug abuse issues within prisons, leading to mass intoxication and overdose, as witnessed in historic incidents globally. The study underscores the challenges in determining whether such deaths are accidental, intentional (suicidal), or a consequence of uncontrollable drug consumption during a riot. The prison environment also amplifies pre-existing psychiatric disorders, and incidents like riots can trigger a cascade of uncontrollable psychological reactions. The three potential scenarios are drug dependence, accidental overdose in recreational drug use, and suicide attempts through substance ingestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a reflective account of delivering art workshops in women's prisons in England, as one method in a larger, qualitative study around the role of food in prisons. We present reflections around the role of art workshops in building relationships and community between the researcher and the participants, and the participants themselves. We found that building connection through art workshops, in a hostile and challenging environment like prison, enabled us to gather richer and deeper data during the qualitive interviews that succeeded the art workshops. We propose that attention from researchers to the 'unintended consequences' can contribute to research projects which are impactful for both the participants and researchers. This paper addresses gaps in literature around the use of visual art as method in women's prisons and the role of arts-based methods in larger qualitative research projects in secure settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key digested message We see young people becoming involved in crimes which in many cases results in a cycle of release from prison and recidivism. In many cases the environment plays a role and upon release those individuals go back to a criminal life. Other times, there is an escalation in the crime type due to the lack of support within the system. Either way, if a solution is not found and if the system remains the same, the criminal cycle will be sustained. Preventative measures are required and further support for people in prisons but also for prison officers, who are often also suffering the consequences of working in prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study illustrates how incarcerated Latinx people create alternative social worlds or queer worldmakings as they negotiate everyday life in prison. I explore how these queer Latinx worldmakings are created and lived through the formation of chosen families or familias and the organizing of family dinners. Latinx queer worldmakings are temporary productions of social worlds that facilitate navigating life in the present while being queer and Latinx to resist as well as reconfigure disciplining heteronormative and white supremacist processes. It is the process of performing and creating a present that is oriented towards the future. I argue that such queer Latinx worldmakings counter white heteronormative social-spatial norms and carcerality, while also providing important lessons on what it means to live, love, and make place in and beyond the prison. The Latinx incarcerated women participants queered prison life by engaging in informal economies, negotiating relationships with correction officers, and securing ingredients for family dinners. By using an autoethnographic/testimonio approach and conversations with an incarcerated family member and friends, I explore two ways Latinx queer worldmakings are enacted: the creation of chosen families, and the organizing of family dinners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carceral conditions in the United States may serve as a proxy for crises within justice and health systems. This study seeks to consider and measure prison climate from the perspective of incarcerated people. By examining within-facility differences in carceral experiences, results shed light on the complex nexus between the carceral context, health, and justice. We administered the Prison Climate Questionnaire (PCQ) to the complete population of incarcerated men in a correctional facility located in the Eastern United States. In this facility, housing units hold distinct populations, fulfill different functions, and can offer unique programming. We regress select items from the PCQ on a set of dummies corresponding to different residential units within the facility. Responses indicate low but relatively uniform perceptions of overall personal health, as well as access to, and satisfaction with, medical care. Between-unit differences emerge regarding staff relationships, experiences of discrimination, and levels of isolation. The perspectives of incarcerated people can, and should, play a role in understanding and conceptualizing the nature of the prison environment. Policy responses, especially those that impact the health and well-being of currently and formerly incarcerated people, can be informed by these perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores the role of accounting and accountability techniques in contributing to Australia's border industrial complex. Design/methodology/approach: We use the political thought of Behrouz Boochani to explore the role that accounting techniques play at the micro and macro level of his dialectic of alienation and freedom. Firstly, we explore the accounting and accountability techniques detailed in Boochani's No Friend but the Mountain, which gives an account of his life in Manus Prison, and the accounting techniques he experienced. Secondly, we explore the discourse of alienation created within the annual reporting of the Australian Federal Government regarding the border industrial complex. Findings: We argue that the border industrial complex requires the alienation of asylum seekers from their own humanity for capital accumulation, and that accounting and accountability techniques facilitate this form of alienation. These techniques include inventorying, logging and queuing at the micro level within Manus Prison. This alienates those trapped in the system from one another and themselves. Techniques also include annual reporting at a macro level which alienates those trapped in the system from the (White) "Australian Community". However, these techniques are resisted at every point by assertions of freedom. Originality/value: We illustrate the role of accounting in accumulation by alienation, where the unfreedom of incarcerated asylum seekers is a site of profit for vested interests. But also that this alienation is resisted at every point by refusals of alienation as assertions of freedom. Thus, this study contributes to the accounting literature by drawing from theories of alienation, and putting forward the dialectic of alienation and freedom articulated by Boochani and collaborators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalisation offers prisons versatile opportunities to promote the rehabilitation of incarcerated people during their imprisonment, on their return to society, and in communicating with relatives and service providers such as social welfare and health care services, housing services, and employment services. This study focuses on the Hämeenlinna prison, which is Finland's first closed women's prison using personal in-cell laptops for each incarcerated person. We ask (1) how is the principle of normalisation realised in the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a women's prison and (2) how do cultural factors hinder the adoption of ICTs in prison. Research material was collected through ethnographic fieldwork and research interviews (22 prison employees and 15 incarcerated women). According to the results, the use of ICTs diversified and enhanced internal communication in the prison and offered a new tool for interacting in prison. The prison offered a limited opportunity for video-mediated motherhood, and efforts were made to respond to women's multi-problematic service needs in prison, and through utilising various digital services. However, the study shows that the realisation of the principle of normalisation in the adoption of ICT in a women's prison poses many challenges. Furthermore, security-oriented thinking and passive resistance appeared as key cultural factors that slow down the adoption of ICTs and new practices. As a conclusion, it can be stated that the adoption of ICTs and the construction of a new prison culture that utilises technology is a long-term process that requires a change in practices, culture and policies that emphasise security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance thresholds and minimum standards in prison have preoccupied policy makers and practitioners alike for some time. These standards are based on widely accepted statements of principle, but benchmarks are rarely set or explored empirically. Nor has there been any attempt to describe or define higher-end thresholds; the point at which outcomes become positive, or stated principles are achieved. In this study, we provide an empirical demonstration of how quality of life thresholds may be determined using data from 518 Measuring the Quality of Prison Life (MQPL) surveys conducted in prisons in England and Wales (2009–2020) and examine their relationship to five violence outcomes: serious prisoner on prisoner assaults, serious assaults on staff, self-harm incidents requiring hospital treatment, self-inflicted deaths, and homicides. The results suggested that thresholds exist for most of the MQPL dimensions. A set of lower 'unsafe' and higher 'minimally safe' thresholds were produced. We found that the scores of prisons below the lower threshold had a very strong relationship with each of our five serious forms of violence in prison. Similarly, prisons that did not manage to cross the 'minimally safe' threshold also had strong relationships with incidents of violence in their prison but were at slightly lower risk of those incidents occurring. Striking differences in mean incidents rates were found when comparing prisons below the lower threshold to prisons above the 'minimally safe' threshold. Our findings suggest that to operate a safe enough (and therefore legitimate) prison, a combination of harmony, security and professionalism dimensions above a certain threshold should be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines the experiences of 12 incarcerated students in a Namibian jail who were working towards obtaining formal qualifications. The objective was to examine and evaluate the specific challenges, opportunities, and experiences faced by incarcerated individuals who are pursuing education while in prison. The participants were deliberately chosen based on the premise that they were actively involved in formal education. Methods: The data collection strategy utilized literature review and tape-recorded interviews enabling the students to articulate their own experiences and difficulties in managing the dual demands of education and prison life. Data analysis: An English-speaking transcriber transcribed the recorded interviews verbatim to guarantee precision. The transcriptions were subsequently examined using an interpretive framework, allowing the researcher to gain a profound comprehension of the subtle and intricate experiences of the individuals. This technique yielded valuable insights into the strategies employed by these individuals to negotiate the intricate process of pursuing scholastic objectives within the confining and frequently difficult prison setting. Results: Prison students face a lack of independence, disturbances from fellow convicts, and limited resources that pose challenges to their educational endeavors. Despite these obstacles, several individuals have exceptional intellectual abilities and benefit from the organized system and educational opportunities provided in prison. Nevertheless, the presence of excessively populated classrooms, obsolete learning resources, and limited time availability further exacerbate their academic endeavors. Conclusions: Individuals who are currently in prison view education to achieve personal development, acquire new skills, and enhance their chances of finding job after their release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, some European countries have implemented prison reform to align prison environ­ments with international human rights standards. However, some countries, such as Romania, have systematically failed to meet these standards and faced sanctions. This study explores the aspects of the Romanian prison environment frequently identified as non-compliant during two decades of reform. Characteristics of the living space, hygiene, social density, and relationships were observed in a survey in four large penitentiary units. The units varied in detention regimes, building characteristics, and monitoring frequency. Two aspects emerged as very important for the quality of prison life: the need to improve the built environment (as it can be aged, degraded and not up to the required standards) and the importance of its governance.

Public Significance Statement This narrative review examines the cumulative dehumanization process within the United States carceral system, highlighting how current policies perpetuate harm and undermine the well‐being of incarcerated individuals. Through a narrative review of interdisciplinary research, we explore the psychological, sociological, and legal dimensions of life within prison walls. We argue that the cumulative dehumanization inherent in these practices not only risks the safety and futures of prisoners but also creates environments that increase the likelihood of rule infractions and extended sentences. We identify and highlight the process of dehumanization across individual, interpersonal, institutional, and systemic levels. Our analysis focuses on three critical policy areas: the goals and directives of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the use of subminimum wages and forced labor, and the impact of fees on prisoners’ access to healthcare. By prioritizing respect, fairness, and humane treatment, we can dismantle the structures perpetuating dehumanization and harm.This paper reviews the research surrounding cumulative dehumanization in prison life. It provides three policy recommendations in order to combat the dehumanization of prisoners, including changing the directive of the Bureau of Prisons, ending the use of subminimal wages, and removing fees from prisoners seeking medical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prisons often serve as high-risk environments for drug use, and incarcerated people are at a high risk for substance use-related mental and physical harms. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of non-injection drug use inside the prison and its related factors among incarcerated people in Iran. Methods: We utilized data from three national bio-behavioral surveillance surveys conducted among incarcerated people in Iran in 2009, 2013, and 2017. Eligibility criteria were being ≥ 18 years old, providing informed consent, and being incarcerated for over a week. Overall, 17,228 participants across all surveys were recruited through a multi-stage random sampling approach. Each participant underwent a face-to-face interview and HIV test. The primary objective of the study was to assess self-reported non-injection drug use within the prison environment within the last month. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to determine associated covariates with drug use inside prison and an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Result: The prevalence of non-injection drug use inside the prison was 24.1% (95% CI 23.5, 24.7) with a significant decreasing trend (39.7% in 2009, 17.8% in 2013, 14.0% in 2017; p-value < 0.001). Overall, 44.0% of those who used drugs were also receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) and we noted that in 2017, 75.1% of those on OAT used stimulants. In the multivariable logistic regression model, the year of interview (2013: aOR = 1.43 and 2009: aOR = 5.60), younger age (19–29: aOR = 1.14 and 30–40: aOR = 1.37), male sex (aOR = 3.35), < high school education (aOR = 1.31), having a history of previous incarceration (aOR = 1.26), and having a history of lifetime HIV testing (aOR = 1.76) were significantly and positively associated with recent non-injection drug use inside the prison. Conclusions: Approximately one in four incarcerated people in Iran reported drug use within the last month inside prisons. While a declining trend in non-injection drug use was noted, substantial gaps persist in harm reduction programs within Iranian prisons. In particular, there is a pressing need for improvements in drug treatment programs, focusing on the integration of initiatives specifically designed for people who use stimulants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, some European countries have implemented prison reform to align prison environments with international human rights standards. However, some countries, such as Romania, have systematically failed to meet these standards and faced sanctions. This study explores the aspects of the Romanian prison environment frequently identified as non-compliant during two decades of reform. Characteristics of the living space, hygiene, social density, and relationships were observed in a survey in four large penitentiary units. The units varied in detention regimes, building characteristics, and monitoring frequency. Two aspects emerged as very important for the quality of prison life: the need to improve the built environment (as it can be aged, degraded and not up to the required standards) and the importance of its governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research evidence in the 21st century strongly indicates that prisons are inherently harmful environments in which to try to support rehabilitation, because of their destructive impact on identity, self-actualisation, mental health and social relationships. Yet HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continues to propose that prisons can be legitimate sites of rehabilitation as well as centres of punishment. This article begins by interrogating this proposition by looking at research conducted in an adult male prison. By specifically focusing on the interpersonal conflicts and tensions that the men experience in their daily lives, the research highlights the 'relational' and 'self-actualising' harms that undermine the development of a successful rehabilitative culture within a prison. The article then moves on to consider a utopian vision of a 'desistance-supporting' rehabilitative 'good society' by drawing on a second piece of research that captures the voices and experiences of participants in a very successful community-based resettlement project. Lessons learned from this are then collated to consider how to build a rehabilitative 'good society' in prisons. The article concludes with a cautionary note about the possible difficulty of creating such a society in neoliberal times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prison scholars have long noted prisoners' improvisation with materials and resources at hand (or bricolage) in ways that defy the prison regime. Yet longstanding scholarly perspectives which cite such bricolage as evidence for themes like "prison culture" or "resistance" have often distracted scholars from accounting for the specific features of organizational materials and operations that prisoners leverage in their bricolage, and distracted from the rather mundane nature of the practices—like grooming, cleaning, and eating—they thus serve. Drawing from interviews with de-incarcerated persons from a U.S. state prison system, and from documents memorializing the disruption of prison routines during COVID-19 pandemic in that same state, this article investigates the specific resources prisoners enlist in bricolage projects related to making and sharing meals. Those resources, I argue, are the material and organizational products and byproducts of the complex prison undertaking. The practices prisoners achieve are precarious, with low degrees of equifinality –there are only so many ways to accomplish them in contexts of comprehensive restriction. The COVID-19 pandemic threatened those delicate arrangements not only through problems in the acquisition of raw food materials, but also through disrupted institutional routines which offer the resources necessary to coordinate, assemble, and transform those materials into meals. This pattern comes into focus when the "prison food system" is approached as a consumption system like any other, though one which operates in a strictly regulated context with minimal materials and deeply curtailed choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, an estimated 107,400 veterans were incarcerated in the U.S. (Maruschak et al., 2021), comprising part of the population known as "justice-involved veterans," veterans involved in the criminal justice system. The current study explores the influence military training had on the way justice-involved veterans "do time" in prison. In sharp contrast to the misconduct literature, which utilizes quantitative data and links variables statistically to some measurement of prison misconduct, the current study is one of the first to qualitatively explore how incarcerated veterans connect their military experiences to their adjustment to prison life by giving voice to the veterans themselves. Forty-three currently incarcerated veterans in a Midwestern state were interviewed. They described how they acclimatized to the correctional environment utilizing the discipline and adherence to structure learned during their military service. If justice-involved veterans adapt to the prison environment by relying on their military training, then it may be possible to help them further utilize that training to succeed in rehabilitation and reentry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENTResearch suggests that autistic individuals have qualitatively unique experiences of prison social environments, and that these experiences may have implications for autistic prisoners’ mental wellbeing and engagement with offending behaviour interventions. However, this has yet to be quantitatively tested. Using a sample of 177 adult prisoners from two UK prisons that exclusively house individuals with sexual convictions, this study tested a hypothesised double-mediation model, to investigate associations between autistic traits and prisoners’ readiness to engage with treatment, and whether this was mediated by experiences of the prison social climate and mental wellbeing. Results indicated that prisoners with higher levels of autistic traits had poorer experiences of prison social climates, which, in turn, predicted higher levels of anxiety and depression, which subsequently predicted reduced level readiness to engage with offending behaviour interventions. Implications for research and practice are discussed, emphasising the need for increased autism-related awareness and support provisions in prisons.The present study is a novel quantitative study, which is the first to statistically demonstrate that neurodivergence can significantly influence prisoners’ perceptions of prison social climates, mental wellbeing, and ultimately readiness to engage with rehabilitate interventions. As such, these findings emphasise the importance of embedding understanding neurodiversity in prison staff training, as well as considering and accommodating neurodiversity as a key dimension in the development of a prison’s rehabilitative culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a chronic context of political crisis and violence (Antillano & Ávila, 2017; Antillano, 2023; Zubillaga & Llorens, 2023), Venezuela migration crisis of last years impacted on receptors countries such as Colombia and Perú (R4V, 2023). In particular, an exponential increase of foreign inmates in Peruvian prisons has triggered a renewed criminological discussion about migration and crime (Park et al., 1967; Brion, 1997). This article tackles an understudied aspect of this highly complex migration process: Venezuelans citizens facing pre-trial detention (74,5 %) or conviction sentences (25,5 %) in Peruvian prisons (INPE, 2024). Using a mixed methods approach we gathered statistics and conducted interviews of inmates and penitentiary agents to describe this new 'coexistence' in prisons. Furthermore, we discussed Venezuelan inmates' adaptation vis á vis Peruvian prison culture and whether criminal groups could expand or transplant their activities (Varese, 2011; Garzón & Olson, 2013) to receptors country such as Panamá, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia and Chile. Thus, we argue that cultural importation dynamics take place at Peruvian prisons and, moreover, conflict emerged between two prison cultures and convict codes (one of them involving an inmate self-government background and the other familiarized with dialogued 'prison governance' schemes); these two different visions of 'what life in prison should be' struggle to impose their own ways to recreate conviviality and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the diagnosis that prison life is (hyper-) masculinized, we propose a reflection on how, within the prison establishments, there is also space to resist gender stereotypes. Following, through empirical ethnographic research, an artistic intervention project with a group of about ten inmates based on contemporary dance, we intend to demonstrate, from a pragmatist and phenomenological sociological approach, how the body language of dance, the practice of inter-corporeality and the expressive stylization of the movement promote the reformulation of the conventions associated with the feminine stereotype in prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 19th century was a period of extensive reforms of the Ottoman Empire. Besides the reforms that held in this century, the Empire had to deal with economic and political crises. These crises have affected every aspect of life and disrupted many steps to be taken. Prisons in this study is discussed as a part of modernization process. However, neither prison or working conditions of the prison staffs couldn’t be found enough as well as other areas that were modernized before. In this study, the emergence of women's prisons and the working conditions of women guardsfrom the late period of Ottoman Empire to the beginning of the Turkish Republic are aimed to be discussed. In this context, the negativities experienced due to the lack of grant and the labour rights of the women guards were discussed and the conditions of the female guards were focused on the last period of the Empire in our study [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to examine the Uruguayan prison system from a perspective of respect for human dignity. The situation of persons deprived of their liberty is critically approached, evaluating the conditions of prison institutions and the protection of their rights. Special emphasis is placed on the need to explore reforms necessary to bring the prison system into line with international human rights standards, proposing approaches that promote rehabilitation and safeguard the dignity of these individuals who continue to be part of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have criticized the gap between judicial work and the realities of prison life. In this article, drawn from qualitative findings from Supreme Court Judges in Israel, we analysed how such Judges negotiate their administrative judicial review over prison officials' decisions. We found that through their judicial review, the Judges either bureaucratise , re-sentence the prisoner or reform prison life. Each theme imagines differently both the purpose of judicial review, as well as the values, emotions, legal 'tool-kit', and players (prison service, the claiming prisoners) involved in the review process. The findings move the scholarly focus of judicial decision-making from the quantity to the quality of punishment and expand the understanding of judicial consciousness regarding prison life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known with regard to due process and forensic assessment capacities in Africa, where over one million are deprived of their liberty on any given day. A rapid situation assessment explored multi-stakeholder perspectives regarding the situation of people with a mental illness in the Malawi prison system. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 regional professional stakeholders, 18 former prisoners, and five prison staff from two maximum-security prisons. Reflexive thematic analysis yielded five themes; occurrence of mental illness among people living in prison; prison environment exacerbating harm and levels of mental illness; security responses to the presence of psychiatric disorders; availability and coverage of specialist psychiatric and psychological care; and diversion, other non-custodial measures and continuity of care on release. Narratives highlight the substantial causal impact of the prison environment in amplifying existing and new mental illness, vulnerability and exploitation of people with a mental disorder. Malawi prisons are hampered by lack of specialist forensic capacity nationally; centralized mental health surveillance system; and insufficient skilled staff to conduct evidence-based screening and care. Security operations implement the use of pharmacological and physical restraint measures at times. Faith-based organizations play an important role in providing psychological and spiritual support. Release and reintegration require family involvement. A cross departmental intersectoral partnership response spanning government ministries, key civil society organizations, the Malawi Prison Inspectorate and Malawi Human Rights Commission is warranted. Recommendations include alleviation of prison congestion, prison staff capacity building and investment in forensic mental health services with adequate geographic coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this research were to explore custodial prison staff and male prisoners' perceptions toward self-harm, prison system responses and environmental impacts on self-harm. Four staff focus groups (thematic analysis) and 12 semi-structured interviews with male prisoners (interpretative phenomenological analysis) took place in three prisons in England. Prison staff attributed manipulative intention to self-harm; self-harming prisoners felt misunderstood. The prison environment and formal response processes were barriers for care access and provision. Recommendations include staff training in understanding and management of self-harm, supported by a care-focused culture, and fostering safety, security, empowerment and value for both prisoners and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prisoner health is a crucial aspect of the correctional system. Unhygienic environmental conditions and poor sanitation can have fatal consequences for prisoners' health, particularly in terms of the spread of infectious diseases. This research aims to analyze the impact of hygiene levels on prisoners' health. This study employs quantitative research methods, collecting data through surveys using questionnaires and literature reviews. The collected data were analyzed using regression tests with the SPSS program. The results indicate a significant relationship between the level of hygiene and sanitation and the health status of prisoners. Prisoners living in more hygienic environments with better sanitation have better health levels. This study emphasizes the importance of improving hygiene and sanitation conditions in prisons to enhance prisoners' health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Teorija in Praksa is the property of Teorija in Praksa 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.)

During their time in prison, inmates experience various types of provocation, abuse and degradation. The prison environment often causes them to become more aggressive, lazy, and lonely and some even develop mental illness. These feelings are so strong that it is very difficult for prisoners to escape from the traumas of imprisonment once their sentence is over. This is where choral activity comes in, an activity designed not only to relieve prisoners' feelings during their incarceration, but also to prepare them for social reintegration by helping them develop a wide range of practical and social skills. The present research studies the changes that occurred following a choral activity in Jilava Prison (Bucharest, Romania) over a two-month period in terms of aggression, antisocial behaviour and self-injury, using a self-report questionnaire. The experiences of the prisoners were also studied using an interview guide at the end of the choral activity. The concluding part of the article lists the benefits revealed by the research, followed by a series of recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, Charisse Shumate, a co-founding member of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) and other incarcerated women in California gathered at a senate hearing to give testimony on medical and living conditions in prison. Incarcerated women's narratives demonstrate the key role that their critical agency played in their advocacy for a humane prison system. The narratives also illustrate women's resolve to use their voices to speak up. Women's experiences of incarceration have long been silenced and this was part of the collective experience shared at the senate hearing. The collaborative work to document the hearings as well as women's prison experiences and activism reflects an important response to women's invisibility in dominant discourses of prisons and imprisonment and the marginalization that incarcerated women experience in the broader anti-carceral movement. The California Coalition for Women Prisoners, a coalition-building organization founded by women on both sides of the razor wire, is an abolitionist feminist organization founded in San Francisco, California in 1995. CCWP practices a specific brand of activism that prioritizes and supports the voices, leadership, and creativity of women and transgender people incarcerated in women's prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of prison residents' songwriting experiences while engaged in Documentary Songwriters (DocSong) collaborative songwriting pedagogy. The research implemented a qualitative, case study portraiture design inside a prison in which the experiences of an individual 'story source' and group were explored. Key themes originated from the observational, spoken, audio-recorded and sung data procured from a week-long DocSong workshop. The songwriting participants and facilitator created a community that transformed the prison space into an environment in which the residents experienced individual actualization and collective liberation and liberated and restorative music creativity. The songwriting community members shared personal narratives that were replete with emotion, while also demonstrating and supporting each other's emotional vulnerability and resilience. The group collaboratively created songs from spoken word using the DocSong approach, forming a strong emotional bond throughout the songwriting process. The individuals' interactions within the group suggested that confidence, patience and the willingness to share were also practised within the songwriting context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines news media representations of Canadian prisons pre and post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Of interest was how media framed coverage of punishment and prisons with respect to discrete, event-driven traditional myths (prisons are dangerous, inmates are violent, correctional officers are cruel) versus more systemic, reform-oriented stories (more rehabilitation needed, racialized peoples over-represented, prison conditions harsh). In a pre-post COVID-19 content analysis of 182 stories, prison articles actually declined. Some traditional prison myths were still present and reinforced, but other myths were challenged and some were rarely seen. Discussions of prison reform were also frequently observed and grew during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]