Ultramasculine prison environments and inmates' adjustment: It's time to move beyond the “boys will be boys” paradigm

Shock incarceration programs have become increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional prisons. Critics state, however, that such programs are characterized by ultramasculine environments which may lead to a number of negative outcomes for inmates. This study compares inmates in a shock incarceration program with inmates in a traditional minimum-security prison on the degree to which they perceive their environments as masculine, and how these perceptions relate to institutional adjustment. Inmates who describe their environment as possessing ultramasculine attributes were more likely to report negative patterns of adjustment.     

The relationships between time in jail,time on electronic monitoring,and recidivism: An event history analysis of a jail-based program

Considerable theoretical and empirical attention has been given to the relationship between time incarcerated and recidivism. Much less attention has been devoted to alternative sanctions such as house arrest with electronic monitoring and recidivism following participation in such programs. In this paper we use event history techniques to assess the relationships between time spent in jail, time spent on electronic monitoring, and recidivism in a sample of offenders who spent at least some time on electronic monitoring. The results suggest that the longer the time on electronic monitoring, the lower the likelihood of recidivism. This effect, however, varies by type of offender. Despite some evidence of a curvilinear relationship between time in jail and recidivism, the relationship is not robust to the inclusion of other control variables. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Long-term cost effectiveness of addiction treatment for criminal offenders

This paper extends previous research that performed a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of the Amity in-prison therapeutic community (TC) and Vista aftercare programs for criminal offenders in southern California. To assess the impact of treatment over time for this unique sample of criminal offenders, a 5-year follow-up CEA was performed to compare the cost of an offender's treatment—starting with the in-prison TC program and including any community-based treatment received post-parole—and the effectiveness of treatment in terms of days reincarcerated. The average cost of addiction treatment over the baseline and 5-year follow-up period was $7,041 for the Amity group and $1,731 for the control group. The additional investment of $5,311 in treatment yielded 81 fewer incarceration days (13%) among Amity participants relative to controls—a cost-effectiveness ratio of $65. When considering the average daily cost of incarceration in California ($72), these results suggest that offering treatment in prison and then directing offenders into community-based aftercare treatment is cost-effective policy tool.     

Do drug courts reduce the use of incarceration?: A meta-analysis

Purpose

The objective of this research was to synthesize the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of adult drug courts to serve as an alternative to incarceration, and to investigate which features of drug courts predict successful diversion.

Methods

We performed a series of meta-analyses of different incarceration outcomes, and performed meta-regression analyses investigating which features of drug courts predict successful diversion.

Results

Drug courts significantly reduced the incidence of incarceration on the precipitating offense, corresponding to a reduction in confinement from 50% to 42% for jail and 38% for prison incarceration. However, drug courts did not significantly reduce the average amount of time offenders spent behind bars, suggesting that any benefits realized from a lower incarceration rate are offset by the long sentences imposed on participants when they fail the program. Meta-regression results indicated that certain drug courts features (i.e., program intensity, in-program sanctions, risk profile of participants) are related to incarceration outcomes.

Conclusions

The evidence concerning drug courts impact on incarceration is mixed. Drug courts eliminate the experience of incarceration for many drug-involved offenders, but they also do not appear to reduce the aggregate, near-term burden placed upon correctional resources. More research is required to confirm these findings.     

Punishing the Innocent: Children of Incarcerated and Detained Parents

Abstract

About 2 million minor children in the U.S. have at least one parent incarcerated for criminal offenses. There are about 33,000 undocumented persons detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in jails and federal detention centers around the country, and 79% of the minor children of these detainees are U.S. citizens. There are few government programs that measure and respond to the harm caused to these children by the incarceration and detention of their parents, and the negative effects on these children are largely ignored in public policy debates about incarceration and immigration detention. I argue that we have an obligation to these children based on (1) the special status of children, (2) the harm caused to children by the arrest, detention and incarceration of their parents, (3) current incarceration and detention policies even in the presence of alternatives that would, on balance, create less harm.     

Justice in relationships: Calgary community conferencing as a demonstration project

Contemporary and alternative justice paradigms lead to definitions of wrongdoing as "lawbreaking" and "harm to social relationships" respectively. The retributive model within the contemporary justice paradigm results in strategies to accomplish justice that focus almost exclusively on the wrongdoer. In contrast, the restorative model within the alternative justice paradigm yields justice practices that focus on the relationships among all individuals harmed by the wrongdoing. Calgary Community Conferencing is an example of a restorative approach to wrongdoing. The relational emphasis of this program is operationalized through its organizational location, intended outcomes, and program activities. The challenges faced by Calgary Community Conferencing provide other agencies with ideas about dilemmas they might encounter in attempting to develop restorative justice programs.     

Long-term follow-up of a preschool experiment

Objectives

This study was designed to provide experimental evidence of the effects of a preschool program on young children living in poverty. It began as a program evaluation but now, half a century later, serves as a test of the long-term effects and return on investment of high-quality preschool education for young children living in poverty.

Methods

This study was conducted in the U.S., beginning in the 1960s, and has generated data on study participants from birth through 40, with new data now being collected at age 50. The study used random assignment procedures to assign 123 children to a preschool program and a control group who receive no preschool program.

Results

Program participants surpassed non-participants in intellectual performance at school entry, school achievement throughout schooling, commitment to schooling, high school graduation rate, adult employment rate and earnings, reduced childhood antisocial behavior, and reduced adult crime and incarceration. The program's return on investment was at least seven times as great as its operating cost.

Conclusions

While these powerful results have been found not only in this study but in several similar studies, they have not been found in studies of larger preschool programs, such as the Head Start Impact Study. This discrepancy suggests that differences between the two types of programs account for the better results found in studies such as this one. Among these differences are highly qualified teachers, a valid child development curriculum, extensive engagement of parents, and regular assessment of program implementation and children's development     

Progress or More of the Same? Electronic Monitoring and Parole in the Age of Mass Incarceration

Often billed as an “alternative to incarceration”, electronic monitoring (EM) is widely trumpeted as a key method of reducing incarceration costs while maintaining public safety. However, little research has been done which closely examines EM in the historical context of mass incarceration and the paradigm of punishment. This article focuses on the use of EM in parole in that broader context. Through research into the legal and policy frameworks for EM as well as via personal interviews with people who have been on EM while on parole, the author concludes that the present EM practice reinforces the dominant punishment paradigm and places major obstacles in the way of the successful re-entry for people returning from prison. He concludes with some concrete recommendations about changes in law, policy and implementation guidelines that would allow EM to operate in an environment more conducive to rehabilitation.     

Two-wave panel models and causal analysis: A criminological example

This paper illustrates some general analytic procedures which may be helpful in assessing various assumptions underlying alternative models in the causal analysis of panel data. The role of two basic mechanisms of change, temporal inertia and entropic decay, is specifically examined. The models developed are evaluated using data on changes in the politicalization of 172 male felons over a six-month period following their incarceration in a maximum security institution in the southeast. Several issues and problems in drawing causal inferences from panel data are addressed.     

An outcome evaluation of a restorative justice alternative to incarceration

Restorative justice has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional applications of criminal justice. The emphasis on victim needs and the personalizing of conflict resolution offers an attractive choice for those dissatisfied with the adversarial, impersonal, and retributive focus of the present criminal justice system. Many evaluations of restorative justice programs, especially those with a diversion goal, have rarely controlled for the possibility of net widening and the influence of offender risk on recidivism. This evaluation examined a prison diversion program that followed restorative justice principles. Using a matched comparison group and controlling for offender risk, the program demonstrated a diversion effect and a significant reduction in offender recidivism. The results are encouraging for jurisdictions experimenting with this new approach to justice and seeking a more integrated role for victims in criminal justice processing.     

It's a Family Affair

Abstract

In the United States, incarceration rates are increasing at an alarming rate. In particular, the incarceration of women is increasing. Oklahoma has the highest rate of female incarceration in the nation, and drug offenders comprise a significant proportion of these female inmates. Placing large numbers of women in prison may have serious implications not only for the women but also for their families, particularly their children. We surveyed 144 incarcerated female drug offenders in Oklahoma, 96 of whom reported dependent children living with them prior to incarceration. The data included the women's perceptions of the effect of their incarceration on their families as well as an examination of the potential for serious problems due to placement of the children. The study indicates that many children are placed with families that have a history of abuse, which suggests that failure to consider the implications of incarcerating large numbers of women likely contributes to serious abuse risks for their children.     

The “Distance Traveled”: Investigating the Downstream Consequences of Charge Reductions for Disparities in Incarceration

Abstract

Relatively little work examines the impact that charging decisions exert on sentencing. We investigate this issue by estimating the “distance traveled” in charge bargaining, or the expected change in the likelihood of incarceration associated with reductions in charges across different stages of prosecution. Using data from New York County, we examine how the probability of incarceration shifts as a result of charging decisions and how this potentially contributes to social inequalities in incarceration. Findings indicate that charge reductions are associated with sizeable decreases in the probability of incarceration, particularly at the plea bargaining stage. On average, the “distance traveled” is substantially greater for female than male defendants and for White compared to Latino and Black defendants, even after accounting for a host of relevant punishment factors. Findings are discussed as they relate to contemporary theoretical perspectives on prosecutorial decision-making and social inequality in punishment.     

Intensive case management as a jail diversion program for people with a serious mental illness: a review of the literature

This article reviews the research on intensive case management (ICM) programs as a jail diversion intervention for people with a serious mental illness (SMI). The review includes two types of ICM programs: (a) general ICM programs that included an assessment of arrests and incarceration rates for people with an SMI and (b) ICM programs specifically implemented as a component of a jail diversion intervention for people with an SMI. Results indicate that general ICM programs (19) rarely led to reductions in jail or arrest rates over time, and these rates were similar to those found in standard mental health services. General ICM programs that included an integrated addiction treatment component (8) had mixed results but a trend toward reductions in rates of arrests and incarceration over time for individuals with an SMI and a co-occurring substance use disorder. Results were mixed for jail diversion interventions with an ICM program, but most ICM programs (8) led to significant reductions in arrests and incarcerations over time. Specific elements of effective ICM jail diversion programs are discussed.     

Shock incarceration and its impact on the lives of problem drinkers

Of shock incarceration on offenders identified as problem on a criminal history of alcohol-related crimes and self report of drinking ehavior, was examined. Problem drinkers and non-pronkers serving time in a shock incarceration program were compare similar offenders serving time in a regular prison environment. Attitude previously found to be associated with problem drinking were examined using a repeated measures design over a three month period. Problem drinkers in shock incarceration became less alienated and more prosocial in their attitudes compared to the problem drinkers in the prison inmates. Problem drinkers who graduated from shock incarceration were also found to adjust better on parole than offenders paroled from regular prison. Flowever, the behavior of problem drinkers as a group was more varied than that of non-problem drinkers, emphasizing the importance of and need for programs such as this to provide adequate support and after-care for problem drinkers and substance abusers.     

Field Work: Masters' Theses and Theses in Progress—1987–1988

Abstract

Arts administration as an academic discipline is relatively new, and there are substantial differences from program to program. For these reasons, the executive editors of The Journal of Arts Management and Law thought it would be valuable to provide an overview of the kinds of subject areas being explored by students enrolled in graduate programs around the country. We mailed two separate requests for theses being completed or in progress in 1987–1988; we hope to update the list every two years. Of the twenty-eight programs that we contacted, eighteen replied. Some programs do not require a thesis; others incorporate internship experiences into a final document. We did ask for recommendations of related theses in other departments on each campus, but such information was rarely forthcoming. We hope that this addition to the journal will give our readers, our colleagues, and future students and practitioners a better sense of a major educational element of the field.     

Drug treatment court opens in British Columbia

British Columbia has launched its first drug treatment court. Designed as a mandated addiction treatment alternative to incarceration, the court will attempt to steer drug users charged with drug-related offences away from jail and into rigorous supervised addiction treatment. While some have applauded this recent development, local experts have criticized the move, citing the lack of evidence supporting the efficacy of drug courts and the need for more voluntary treatment programs.     

Is good-time appropriate for offenders on electronic monitoring?: attitudes of electronic monitoring directors

Since the development of electronic-monitoring programs in the early 80s, questions have surfaced concerning the similarities between institutionalization policies and electronic-monitoring policies. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, recent debate has centered on whether offenders on electronic monitoring should be awarded good-time credits. This article addresses the use of good-time for electronically monitored offenders by content analyzing comments of thirty electronic-monitoring program supervisors surveyed by the Virginia State Crime Commission in 1997. The data suggest that good-time policies can be useful for electronic-monitoring programs in some situations.     

Post-Release Substance Abuse Treatment for Criminal Offenders: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

This study conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of Delaware's CREST Outreach Center, a work release therapeutic community (TC) and aftercare program for criminal offenders. Treatment effectiveness was assessed using the number of days reincarcerated during an 18-month, post-release follow-up period. The 6-month CREST program cost $1937 for the average participant, and led to 30 fewer days incarcerated (29% less) than the average participant in a standard work release program. This implies that the CREST program reduced incarceration for criminal offenders at an average cost of $65 per day. The additional investment of $935 per client to provide aftercare services led to 49 fewer days incarcerated (43% less) than CREST work release-only participants. This suggests that by adding an aftercare component to the CREST work release program, a day of incarceration is avoided at an average cost of $19 per day. These findings have implications for future investments in post-release substance abuse treatment for criminal offenders. However, the results must be interpreted with caution given potential selection bias in the groups that participated in the CREST work release and aftercare programs. Selection bias and the policy implications of this research are noted and discussed.     

Educational Outcomes After Serving with Electronic Monitoring: Results from a Natural Experiment

Objectives

The paper explores the effects of electronic monitoring (EM) on young offenders’ educational outcomes and contributes to the evaluation of EM as a non-custodial sanction with a new outcome measure.

Methods

The study is based on a natural experiment exploiting a reform in Denmark in 2006 introducing electronic monitoring to all offenders under the age of 25 with a maximum prison sentence of 3 months. Information on program participation is used to estimate instrument variable models in order to assess the causal effects of EM on young offenders’ educational outcomes. The empirical analyses are based on a comprehensive longitudinal dataset (n = 1013) constructed from multiple official administrative registers and including a high number of covariates.

Results

The EM-program increases the completion rates of upper secondary education by 18 % points among program participants 3 years post-release. The EM-program includes house arrest under electronic surveillance, labor market or education participation, unannounced drug and alcohol tests and a crime preventive program. It is not possible to separate the treatment effects of the different program elements in the empirical analyses.