Time served and institutional misconduct: Patterns of involvement in disciplinary infractions among long-term and short-term inmates

This article addresses a number of questions about prison misconduct among long-term and short-term prisoners. Previous studies of institutional misconduct have found an inverse relationship between age and rule breaking and negligible relationships between time served and infraction rates. The data presented here show that the infraction rates of long-term inmates are significantly lower than the rates for short-term prisoners, even in the early years of confinement. However, age is an important variable that intervenes in the relationship, especially in the older-age categories. The types of infractions committed by long-term and short-term inmates are quite similar. The temporal pattern of infraction behavior for short-term inmates provides support for Wheeler's model of an inverted U-shaped curve of prison adjustment, while the pattern for long-term inmates does not fit Wheeler's model. The data suggest that long-term inmates adapt to their situation in ways that are distinguishable from short-term prisoners.     

Parties under stress: Realignment and dealignment in advanced industrial societies

The findings of a forthcoming study of electoral change in advanced industrial democracies are reviewed. These findings point to broad‐based processes of change that can be organised around two models ‐a social cleavage model of realignment and a functional model of dealignment. Both types of change are at work in most party systems. Surprisingly, their impact on future party system change is likely to be more reinforcing than contradictory in altering the context of party competition and moving parties further away from the responsible party model.     

Fatal poisoning in childhood, England & Wales 1968-2000

We analysed deaths certified as due to poisoning in England & Wales, 1968-2000, in children aged <10 years by age, sex, circumstances of death, intent, and agents involved. The number of deaths fell from 165 (20.6 per million children) in 1968 to 30 (4.6 per million) in 2000, a decrease of approximately 80%. The age-specific death rates were similar in boys and girls. The rate was initially much higher, and fell more, in those aged <5 years. Most deaths (n=1923) occurred in fires, and had been attributed to inhaling combustion products. A small number (n=104) occurred in fires resulting from motor vehicle and other transport accidents. From 1979 (use of ICD-9) the coding of some of these deaths changed from poisoning with carbon monoxide to poisoning with 'other gases, fumes or vapours'. These 'fire deaths' do not appear as poisonings in mortality statistics based on a single underlying cause of death, and cannot be tabulated as poisoning in many countries. Fire deaths and deaths coded to accidental, deliberate, or undetermined poisoning (n=702) decreased substantially with time, and by 2000 numbered 14 and 10, respectively. Accidental deaths declined from 151 in 1968 to 23 in 2000, but homicides and open verdicts varied from 5 to 20 per year, with no clear trend. Deaths attributed to carbon monoxide and to 'other gases, fumes or vapours' (mostly fire-related) totalled 2431 (84% of all poisoning deaths). Overall, 10% of these deaths were either certified as homicides or open verdicts. However, homicide or open verdict was recorded in half of the 47 fatal opiate poisonings. Opioids have now superseded antidepressants as the commonest agents encountered in fatal poisoning with drugs in children.     

Prison labor and recidivism

This study examines recidivism among inmates who participated in prison industry programs during confinement and a comparison group of inmates who were not employed in prison industry. Industry participants had lower recidivism rates than nonparticipants, but when differences between the groups on other characteristics associated with recidivism were controlled, the recidivism rates of participants and nonparticipants were virtually identical. A proportional hazards regression model was estimated that showed that, net of other variables, the effect of prison industry participation on the probability of postrelease felony arrest was small and insignificant. The findings are discussed in the context of existing correctional outcome research and recent developments in prison work programs.