Over the past three decades, the number of prison inmates has increased by more than 500 percent, leaving the United States the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. With over two million individuals currently incarcerated, and over half a million prisoners released each year, the large and growing numbers of men being processed through the criminal justice system raises important questions about the consequences of this massive institutional intervention. This paper focuses on the consequences of incarceration for the employment outcomes of black and white job seekers. The manuscript is comprised of two studies: the first, a large-scale experimental audit of employers in Milwaukee, used matched pairs of young men to apply for real entry-level jobs to measure the extent to which employers use information about criminal histories and race to screen out otherwise qualified applicants. Indeed, the results of the audit study provide clear evidence for the dramatic impact of both a criminal record and race on employment opportunities: Ex-offenders are one-half to one-third as likely to receive initial consideration from employers relative to equivalent applicants without criminal records. Perhaps most striking, the results show that even blacks without a criminal record fare no better-and perhaps worse-than do whites with criminal records.The second study, a telephone survey of these same employers, gathered self-reported information about the considerations and concerns of employers in hiring entry-level workers, with a specific focus on employers' reactions to applicants with criminal backgrounds. By linking results from the audit study to those of the employer survey, I find that employers' self-reports vastly understate the barriers faced by both blacks and ex-offenders seeking entry-level employment. Though employer surveys can tell us a great deal of useful information about the relative preferences of employers, extreme caution should be used in generalizing these results to estimates of actual behavior. The findings of this project reveal an important, and much under-recognized, mechanism of stratification. A criminal record presents a major barrier to employment, with important implications for racial disparities.

The mark of a criminal record

Criminological and psychological researches have highlighted aggressive behavior as the basic ingredient of violent crime, including murder. Increased concerns about the rate of murder in Malaysia have called for studies examining aggression profiles of the Malaysian murderers. The present study intends to explore the aggression profiles of Malaysian male prisoners convicted of murder, utilizing Buss and Perry’s Four Structure Aggression Model. A cross-sectional methodology was adapted as a research design of the present study. A guided self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 71 Malaysian male prisoners convicted of murder using purposive sampling method. The entire aggression profiles are assessed using Aggression Questionnaire-12 items (AQ-12). Descriptive item analyses were carried out to elicit the level of responses for each item in the AQ-12 while bivariate analyses were used to ascertain associations among aggression subscales. The aggression profiles indicated that the mean score of anger (8.10, SD = 2.93) was higher than other forms of aggression traits. The least mean score was noted for verbal aggression (6.24, SD = 2.45). Among the respondents, 54.9% of them scored above the mean score (8.10) for anger subscale. This was followed by 52.1% who scored above the mean score (7.77) for physical aggression subscale. The correlations among all the aggression subscales had indicated positive and significant associations which in turn, may enable it to be a platform to inspire other researches in this field. In conclusion, this ground-breaking study among male murderers has successfully explored aggression profiles using AQ-12.

Aggression profiles of incarcerated Malaysian male murderers

AIDS, Politics, and NGOs in Zimbabwe

Introduction: Homelessness continues to exist in our country even though we hear of various
initiatives that have been put in place to solve this ongoing issue. The objectives of this study
are, first, to explore factors that lead to homelessness, second, to determine the associated
medical conditions and third, to shed light on the views of homeless individuals regarding their
future perspectives. Methods: This study employed the use of a qualitative research method in
analysing the experiences of 24 homeless individuals. It will detail the causes that have led to
the respondents’ homelessness and their future plans. Results: From the research conducted,
it was found that the factors that lead to homelessness are family disorganization, job loss and
underemployment, not having a place to call home and attitude problems. The future plans of
the 24 respondents can be divided into several broad themes – finding a job, finding their
families, finding a better shelter home and seeking for knowledge, while some had no obvious
plans. Most of the 24 individuals had no knowledge of their own medical conditions.
Conclusions: Initiatives from people with authority or organizations dedicated to working on
issues of homelessness are not enough to prevent this condition from occurring. People who
are homeless must themselves be willing to change their attitudes while family members must
care and be responsible for their own families. Health awareness is very important and the
occurrence of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis can be prevented if more attention
is given to health.

Factors associated with homelessness and its medical issues among urban Malaysians : a qualitative research / Nurul Mahfuzah Ahmad Yani … [et al.]

Drug and substance continues to be on the rise in Zimbabwe. It is more prevalent in urban areas. Despite growing evidence that drug and substance abuse are on the increase especially among young people, there is little being done in terms of interventions conducted by the government and its partners to reduce drug and substance abuse among the youth. This paper is based on research conducted in Zimbabwe with the aim of understanding drug and substance abuse among young people in Zimbabwe. The study focused on the driving forces or push factors for drug and substance abuse among young people, the sources of illicit drugs and substances, prevalence of drug and substance abuse among young people as well as the interventions being implemented to address the problem of drug and substance abuse. The key findings indicate that prevalence of drug abuse is at 57% among young people, the most commonly abused drugs and substances are marijuana and alcohol. Peer pressure, breakdown of the family support system, limited knowledge about the effects of drug abuse and stress were identified as the major factors that drive substance and drug abuse among the youth. The criminalisation of the drug and substance abuse continues to make it difficult for young people to seek help when they suffer from the effects of the drug abuse. The paper recommends an emphasis on shift from the legal approach to a public health approach in-order to address the challenges and complications associated with drug and substance abuse among young people in Zimbabwe.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Young People in Zimbabwe: A Crisis of Morality or Public Health Problem

Drug abuse among the youth in Zimbabwe has reached crisis levels, and the number of youths engaging in drug abuse is increasing yearly. The purpose of this study was analysing the response, and efforts made by the Government of Zimbabwe, and its stakeholders, civic organizations, and the Zimbabwean community to addressing the problem of drug abuse by the youth in the country. The study used a qualitative research method, in the form of desk research by analyzing secondary data in the form of books, peer-reviewed articles, and relevant websites. Findings from the study showed that the Zimbabwean Government, and its stakeholders, civic organizations, and the community have in place strategies for drug abuse rehabilitation, and prevention in Zimbabwe; however, the problem of drug abuse is recurring and increasing among the youth population. The study also found out that, though the church PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 626 plays a significant role in addressing social issues, and a voice, listened to in the community; there is no PsychoChristian based rehabilitation module for youth drug abusers in Zimbabwe. The study concluded that there is a need to widen intervention programs for youth drug abusers in Zimbabwe. The study recommends for future studies to look into the idea of establishing a Christian based rehabilitation module for youth drug abusers in Zimbabwe, to support the youth drug abusers in recovery and quitting.

A general review of zimbabwe’s response to drug and substance abuse among the youth

Undeniably, some former prisoners have succeeded in reintegrating themselves back into society and have also ceased any further criminal activities. However, this journey is difficult for former prisoners, particularly when their families do not welcome their return or when they fail to secure a steady job. This study was conducted to understand the challenges and obstacles faced by former prisoners during reintegration process using protective factor as an indicator. A qualitative approach was adopted in this study, whereby 19 former prisoners were interviewed to enhance the understanding of this issue. Based on the findings obtained, it was revealed that only three respondents met the characteristics of a person who had successfully desisted from committing a crime. This finding proved that desistance from crime among former prisoners is challenging. Thus, the criminal justice system in Malaysia towards the reintegration of former prisoners should be improved accordingly to prevent any failure or potential issue for the betterment of former prisoners. The recommendation of this study is to introduce a community-based post-release program as a social intervention in Malaysia criminal justice system. The limitation of this study is in the discussion done only from the perspective of former prisoners. There is a need to conduct studies from the perspective of social workers, counsellors and volunteers in the NGOs involved in helping former prisoners throughout the process of reintegration.
Keywords: Desistance, Recidivism, Former Prisoner, Reintegration, Risk Factor, The Protective Factor

/pdf/tough-life-after-prison-an-analysis-of-19-former-prisoners-34e1t00wfc.pdf

Tough Life after Prison: An Analysis of 19 Former Prisoners in Malaysia

Failure to live in conducive homes is indeed the greatest challenge faced by former prisoners in dealing with their re-integration process. One of the major concerns include the acceptance back into their homes, as secure housing is considered their most crucial short-term need upon which indirectly, will influence other aspects of their lives. Besides, strong familial support will enable the former prisoners to regain themselves in order to avoid re-incarceration. Unfortunately, reality is showing the opposite, whereby former prisoners lose contact with their families and subsequently, end up being homeless. Therefore, this article identifies the critical role played by the family institution in providing shelter for former prisoners during their reintegration period back into the society. This study includes in-depth interview sessions with 16 homeless respondents who were former prisoners, without taking into account the type of offences they committed. Furthermore, findings revealed three main contributing factors that related to homelessness among released offenders. They were the refusal of family to accept them back, the inability to stay in one place and the absence of parents to live with.  The scenario further describes the strong connection between former prisoners and their incapability to acquire shelter.  Thus, measures need to be taken to encourage former prisoners and their families to unite in efforts to curb the homelessness issue faced by them.

Family refusal as a contributing factor to the homelessness problem among former prisoners in malaysia

Over the past decade, the problem of homelessness has increased. The number of homeless people has been increasing dramatically in the last few years, and the composition of the homeless community has also changed significantly during that period. In Malaysia, they are marginalized communities that are excluded by the society or excluded by themselves due to various factors. They also lack various resources and abilities to meet living needs. The challenges of homeless life turned out to be worse when the country faced the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Three challenges were discussed in this chapter: loss of livelihood, obtaining food, compliance to SOPs and health levels. Effective interventions should take into account these challenges and the constraints of existing life to ensure their survival and well-being as well as reduce the population of homeless people in the country.

Challenges of the Homeless People During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Situation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Keciciran gelandangan kanak-kanak di dalam pendidikan menjadi suatu isu yang membimbangkan. Ketiadaan peluang untuk gelandangan kanak-kanak ini mendapat akses kepada pendidikan menjadikan mereka sering mengalami keciciran dalam mendapatkan peluang kepada pendidikan. Kertas konsep ini cuba membincangkan faktor-faktor yang menyebabkan kanak-kanak ini mengalami keciciran dalam pendidikan. Antaranya seperti faktor kesihatan mental ibu bapa, dokumentasi, kegagalan institusi kekeluargaan, kesempitan ekonomi keluarga dan lokasi tempat tinggal. Keadaan ini telah memberikan kesan yang kurang baik kepada gelandangan kanak-kanak. Ia boleh melibatkan kesan kepada gelandangan kanak-kanak sendiri, termasuk ibu bapa, masyarakat, kerajaan dan negara. Kertas konsep ini turut membincangkan tentang cabaran yang dihadapi oleh kerajaan dalam menyediakan peluang pendidikan kepada gelandangan kanak-kanak; seperti kekurangan dana dan ketiadaan kerjasama daripada ibu bapa gelandangan kanak-kanak. Diharap kertas konsep ini dapat memberi pendedahan kepada bidang ilmu dalam memahami isu pendidikan dan gelandangan kanak-kanak yang tercicir daripada peluang pendidikan.

Mohd Alif Jasni

Papers

A general review of zimbabwe’s response to drug and substance abuse among the youth

Tough Life after Prison: An Analysis of 19 Former Prisoners in Malaysia

Family refusal as a contributing factor to the homelessness problem among former prisoners in malaysia

Challenges of the Homeless People During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Situation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Isu Gelandangan dan Keciciran Pendidikan dalam kalangan Gelandangan Kanak-Kanak