Intellectual disability in a prison population with anger problems in Trinidad

This paper describes the characteristics of groups of prisoners selected to take part in an anger management programme in prisons in Trinidad. Participants completed demographic measures, an IQ assessment, mental health measures and anger rating scales. Fifty-six inmates were screened with the WASI-2 and characteristics of this group are explored in this paper. The mean IQ for the group was 72.34 and 22 had a recorded IQ below 70 (37.5%). All of the respondents reported high levels of mental health problems with their mean ratings on the SCL-90 being closer to those of inpatient psychiatric group norms than non-clinical groups. A score of less than 70 on the WASI-2 is not sufficient for a diagnosis of an Intellectual Disability. Nevertheless, the results suggest that a significant number of individuals in these prisons may have an Intellectual Disability. More research is needed to help identify these individuals and provide support.     

Prison size,overcrowding, prison violence,and recidivism

Contrary to a widespread belief about the undesirability of relatively large prisons, a review of the criminological literature yields no empirical evidence that prison size influences behavior inside or after leaving prison. The English prison statistics show that prison offenses, and more specifically assaults, are less likely in larger prisons. However, it was impossible in these analyses to control for the kinds of inmates in each prison. In a more controlled analysis of correctional effectiveness (defined as the difference between predicted and actual reconviction rates), there was a strong tendency for the more overcrowded prisons to be less effective. Size was only weakly related to effectiveness, and this association was reduced further after controlling for overcrowding. It was concluded that an important priority for governmental agencies should be to reduce overcrowding in prisons.     

Further insights into the construct of criminal social identity: validation of a revised measure in a prison population

The current study objective was to develop a revised version of the Measure of Criminal Social Identity (MCSI) with an increased number of indicators to more reliably capture three MCSI dimensions. Dimensionality and construct validity of the Measure of Criminal Social Identity – Revised (MCSI-R) was examined among a sample of systematically selected inmates (N = 2192). Four competing models of the MCSI-R were specified and tested using Mplus with weighted least squares with mean and variance adjustment estimation. Bifactor model with three meaningful factors (cognitive centrality, in-group affect and in-group ties) while controlling for the general factor was the best fit for the data. Good composite reliability of the three MCSI-R dimensions was established. The three subscales of the MCSI-R evidence differential predictive utility for prisonization, number of incarcerations, self-esteem and violent offending. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Learning to pass: sex offenders' strategies for establishing a viable identity in the prison general population

This article endeavors to illustrate the realities of prison life for sex offenders and the means by which they attempt to establish viable identities and acquire a survivable niche in the prison general population, particularly when established identities and protective niches are put at risk by entry into a sex offender treatment program. Qualitative data was collected by repeatedly interviewing a cohort of sex offenders for 6 months as they completed a basic sex offender treatment program. The findings indicate a need to include consideration of treatment context in understanding the limits of treatment gain in prison-based programs.     

Managing prison gangs: Results from a survey of U.S. prison systems

Responses from a survey of gang management strategies were collected from U.S. prison systems holding 1.19 million inmates. The results provided insight into the prevalence of gang members in prisons, gang structure, as well as the strategies used to manage the threat that these groups pose. Officials from most prison systems reported an increase in the proportion of security threat group (STG) members over the past five years and that these offenders were more disruptive and sophisticated than five years ago. Despite these challenges, there was no one clear strategy for the investigation or suppression of these groups, nor did most systems evaluate the effectiveness of their current gang management interventions. A lack of rehabilitative opportunities for gang members represents one shortcoming in the range of gang management strategies in most jurisdictions. The implications of these findings are addressed.     

The impact of state sentencing policies on the U.S. prison population

This article examines the aggregate effects of neoclassical sentencing reforms on three often contested outcomes of these reforms. The rate of new court commitments, the average length of time inmates serve, and prison population rates across the fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia are examined. Data from 1973 to 1998 across these jurisdictions are analyzed using hierarchical multivariate linear models (HMLM). Results show that on the aggregate, sentencing reforms are not directly related to changes in state prison populations; however, abolition of parole is negatively associated with state prison population rates. Two types of sentencing reforms, the voluntary sentencing guidelines and the ‘three-strikes’ laws are indirectly related to changes in prison populations and have opposite influences on rates of new court commitments. Of six sentencing practices examined, not one is associated with length of incarceration. These results do not support the contention that neoclassical changes to the nation's sentence policies account for the rapid increase in the state prison populations between the early 1970s and late 1990s.     

Determinants of social distance in a prison environment

Social distance is defined as a measured distance of human feelings toward ethnic/racial groups, reflecting race relations and underlying potential for racial tensions. Knowledge of variables' effect on social distance should allow for better understanding those things which may enhance race relations, and decrease racial tensions. The relative importance of a number of variables effecting social distance in a maximum security prison are analyzed here. The data reported in this paper were gathered from a sample of inmates at Eastern New York Correctional Facility and demonstrate that educational level and religious affiliation had significant effects on the overall social distance score; number of times in prison was almost significant; and the variables race, place of residence prior to incarceration, age, and marital status had only minimal effects.     

Exploring the type-of-crime hypothesis, religiosity, and spirituality in an adult male prison population

This study examined the association between measures of spirituality and religiosity and characteristics of current criminal conviction in a male prison population. Spirituality was operationalized as spiritual well-being and existential well-being. Religiosity was operationalized as frequency of religious service attendance, whether an individual considered himself to be religious, and how strongly an individual believed his religious beliefs influenced his behavior. Inmates whose convictions were property related reported greater spiritual wellbeing, were more likely to consider themselves religious, and to say that religious beliefs influenced their behavior than inmates whose crimes were not property related. Inmates whose convictions were drug related were less likely to consider themselves religious, and inmates whose conviction involved violence were more likely to consider themselves religious but less likely to endorse statements that religious beliefs influenced their behavior. The distinction between religiosity and spirituality is discussed in terms of the type-of-crime hypothesis.     

Leadership in a women's prison

The process of social interaction was studied in a southeastern correctional institution for women to determine how patterns of interaction were established, how leaders emerged, and what sociological and criminological characteristics the leaders displayed. The study was based on field observations, interviews with the inmates, and examination of the institutional case records.The women identified as leaders had characteristics similar to those of men found to be leaders in other prison studies; that is, they were similar to other prisoners in background but were criminologically more experienced. The women also displayed aggressive behavior generally considered by society to be masculine and had been convicted of crimes more typical of males than females.     

Effects of a prison facility on the regional economy

Changes in economic and social well-being in three Alabama countries, immediately subsequent to the opening of large state prison facilities in those countries, are examined. Case study comparisons of prison and control (no prison) counties, using variables of population growth, total employment, per capita income, retail sales, property value, farm acreage and value, school enrollment, and crime rates and juvenile court cases, find some mixed indicators of a prison's effect on the local economy, but the majority of variables showed no negative effects, and positive improvement was found in some cases.     

Evaluation of prison systems

Models are developed for the flow of prisoners through a state prison system. These models are used to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative correctional programs. Results based on the Georgia prison system are presented.     

A comparison of the community adjustment of mentally ill offenders with those from the general prison population

In an effort to understand the relationship between crime and mental illness, mentally ill offenders (MIOs) and those from the general prison population (non-MIOs) are compared on their postprison adjustment. MIOs are defined as those individuals who required psychiatric hospitalization during their incarceration. These 547 offenders (147 MIOs and 400 non-MIOs) were then followed for 18 months from date of prison discharge. Information on their adjustment came from several sources, including correctional data, parole reports, incidence of arrests and dispositions, and rates of psychiatric hospitalization. With the exception of drug offenses, no significant differences were found in the rates or types of rearrests between the two groups. Additionally, rearrest among MIOs was found to be associated with the same standard correlates of crime found in nondisturbed offenders: age and prior criminal record. Policy implications derived from these findings are discussed.This research was supported by NIJ doctoral grant NO. 86-IJ-CX-0073. I am indebted to the people of the NY Office of Mental Health, Departmental of Correctional Services, Division of Parole, and Division of Criminal Justice Services for providing me with access to these data. I would also like to thank Dr. Hans Toch and Dr. Ken Adams for allowing me to build on their reserach. Finally, I am very grateful for the helpful comments made on previous drafts by Dr. David Griswold, Dr. Ron Jemelka, Dr. Ellen Steury, and the anonymous reviewers at the journal.     

监企分开后监狱生产定位的思考

一、我国监狱生产的历史功绩 监狱组织罪犯参加劳动,是当代大多数国家通行的做法。通过劳动改造罪犯成为守法公民,是我国监狱工作的特色之一。我国监狱把劳动作为改造罪犯的一种基本手段,监狱生产作为组织罪犯参加劳动的载体曾经为新中国监狱的发展作出特殊的贡献。 (一)监狱生产为监狱工作的发展奠定了基础: 新中国诞生之初,在经济上所继承的是一个十分落后的烂摊子。“1949年在工农业总产值中,现代工业产值只占17％,根据联合国亚洲及太平洋社会委员会统计,1949年中     

Developing relevant data for a prison organizational development program

A project to develop a set of techniques for bringing about change in an existing prison is described. The effort concentrated primarily on the managers of the statewide system, and the staff and inmates of one prison were the focus of a set of intervention experiments. Methods for modifying the network of human and organizational relationships in that system were objects of this project. The research instruments used, their use, and some of the things learned about them is given in detail.