What does recovery mean to a forensic mental health patient? A systematic review and narrative synthesis of the qualitative literature

This is a systematic review and narrative synthesis of qualitative literature for forensic mental health patients’ perceptions of recovery. Relevant databases were searched and a total of 11 studies that fit the inclusion criteria were identified. Thematic Synthesis was applied to synthesise the collated themes into six superordinate themes: connectedness, sense of self, coming to terms with the past, freedom, hope and health and intervention. Two superordinate themes were particularly prevalent: connectedness and a sense of self. It is argued that a focus on increasing opportunities for forensic mental health patients to develop a sense of self and connectedness could help improve recovery. Future recommendations to expand on these findings include using grounded theory methods to develop theoretical understanding of the data.     

Picking battles: Correctional officers,rules, and discretion in prison

To outsiders, prisons vacillate between visions of regimented order and anarchic disorder. The place of rules in prison sits at the fulcrum between these two visions of regulation. Based on 131 qualitative interviews with correctional officers across four different prisons in western Canada, we examine how correctional officers understand and exercise discretion in prison. Our findings highlight how an officer's habitus shapes individual instances of discretionary decision‐making. We show how officers modify how they exercise discretion in light of their views on how incarcerated people, fellow officers, and supervisors will interpret their decisions. Although existing research often sees a correlation between “rule‐following” by incarcerated individuals and official statistics on such misdeeds, our data highlight that official statistics on rule violations do not easily represent the rate or frequency of such misbehavior. Instead, these numbers are highly discretionary organizational accomplishments. Our findings advance an appreciation for correctional officer discretion by focusing on the range of factors officers might contemplate in forward‐looking decisions about applying a rule and how they rationalize the nonenforcement of rules.     

Punishing environmental crimes: An empirical study from lower courts to the court of appeal

We analyze judicial policy lines concerning the punishment of environmental crime using a unique European dataset of individual criminal cases, including case‐specific information on offenses and offenders. We investigate policy choices made by lower criminal courts, as well as their follow‐up by the relevant court of appeal. The sanctioning policy of the courts has proven to be varied as well as consistent. Judges carefully balance effective and suspended penalties, most often using them cumulatively, but in specific cases opting to use them as substitutes. Overall, both judges in lower and appeal courts balance environmental law and classic criminal law and aim at protecting individuals and their possessions as well as the environment.     

Mental Health Treatment Experiences and Expectations in Foster Care: A Qualitative Investigation

This study explores perspectives on mental health treatment experiences and expectations for youth in foster care and their foster parents. In-depth interviews were conducted and identified for major themes: (1) the dual stigma of foster care and mental health care; (2) the lack of engagement in mental health therapy; (3) trust issues with the therapist and other individuals; and (4) the desire to integrate mental health services with primary care services. These results have implications for mental health service delivery and suggest opportunities to improve mental health treatment through an integrated care approach.     

Green Alert: The Need to Rescue New York's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard

New York is set to miss the 2015 Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard deadline, due in a large part to over-reliance on in-state generation projects. Although much of the current discussion and articles written about New York energy policies are focused on hydrofracking, clean and renewable energy should not be lost in the discussion and the state cannot afford to miss a major energy policy goal. This article provides an analysis of the current energy policies of the Cuomo administration and highlights a major out-of-state generation project, the Champlain Hudson Power Express.     

Autonomy in Extremis: An Intelligent Waiver of Appeals on Death Row

This article provides an in-depth account of the experiences of one condemned prisoner, Joseph Mitchel Parsons, who made the profound decision to waive his appeals and expedite his execution after serving eleven years under sentence of death in the State of Utah. Parsons determined that, at best, he faced years of appeals culminating in a long or life sentence that would likely end in a slow death in prison by unknown causes. Dropping his appeals, in contrast, offered a quick death in the execution chamber on a timetable under his control. The court granted Parsons the right to drop his appeals and expedite his execution. We provide evidence from this case study that the court allowed Parsons to make an autonomous decision to die on his own terms. As this research illustrates, an evaluation of the voluntariness of decisions to waive appeals in capital cases must be nested in an understanding of the death row experience of the individual under study. Case studies of the death row experience of those who waive their appeals, such as the research reported here, are integral to understanding these momentous decisions.     

Offenders as victims: post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder among male prisoners

Background: Comorbid substance use disorder(s) and post-traumatic stress disorder (SUD-PTSD) is common among prisoners and linked to an increased risk of criminal recidivism; however, little is known about the characteristics of prisoners with this comorbidity. Aim: This study provides a preliminary examination of the clinical and criminal profile of male inmates with symptoms of SUD-PTSD, and examines whether this profile differs according to whether a person has experienced a trauma while in prison. Methods: Thirty male inmates from two correctional centres in Sydney, Australia, were recruited and assessed using a structured interview. Results: The sample reported extensive criminal, substance use and trauma histories. A history of substance dependence was almost universal (90%) and 56.7% met diagnostic criteria for PTSD with the remainder experiencing sub-threshold symptoms. Forty-three per cent reported a traumatic event while in prison. Those who had experienced trauma in prison, compared to those who had not, were more likely to nominate heroin as their main drug of concern and to be receiving drug treatment in prison. There was also a trend toward inmates who had experienced a trauma in prison being more likely than inmates who had no prison trauma to have experienced a physical assault. Conclusion: Male prisoners with SUD-PTSD are a high-needs group yet treatment responses are poor. Further research examining treatment options for this comorbidity may improve prisoner well-being and reduce recidivism.     

Intimate Partner Violence against Women in Turkey: A Synthesis of the Literature

Violence against women is a serious abuse of human rights and an important public health problem that concerns all sectors of society worldwide. The objective of this study was to critically review and synthesize original research published between 2000 and 2010 focused on examining intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Turkey. Several research databases were searched for journal articles published in English or Turkish and a total of 21 studies were identified for inclusion and further analysis. The present literature review revealed the ratio of IPV in Turkey reported by different studies ranged from 13 to 78 %. Results of this review emphasize that violence against women is an important issue in Turkey. Gathering data on the prevalence of IPV can serve to raise awareness on violence and provide baseline information for developing more effective preventive policies and programs.     

Terrorism and the marxist left: Peru's struggle against Sendero Luminoso

Abstract

The political balance in Peru since the return of democratic government in 1980 has shifted to the left, and the United Left (Izquierda Unida or IU) is considered a serious contender in the 1990 elections. This paper investigates IU's prospects for success in presenting a clear alternative within the country's Marxist coalition and in undermining support for the armed revolutionary group Sendero Luminoso. The origins of IU are traced from the 1978 constituent assembly elections, and its organization, structure, and tactics are evaluated in terms of its effectiveness. If it achieves power, it will face its greatest challenge from Sendero Luminoso, the militant Maoist group that has been responsible for much of the terrorism that has gripped Peru in this decade. The authors describe Sendero's strategy and tactics and those of its chief rival, the MRTA. Finally the paper explores IU's alternatives for dealing with these radical leftist groups and the political violence they espouse.