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Showing papers in "Howard Journal of Criminal Justice in 2014"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article explored the prevalence and nature of bereavement among 33 young men who had been sentenced to a Young Offender's Institution (YOI) and found that a bereavement had been experienced by 91% of the sample, and the rates of traumatic and multiple deaths were high.
Abstract: The study explored the prevalence and nature of bereavement among 33 young men who had been sentenced to a Young Offender’s Institution. A bereavement had been experienced by 91% of the sample, and the rates of traumatic and multiple deaths were high. Young men who had experienced more ‘difficult’ bereavements scored higher on the mental health screen than those who had not, although differences did not reach statistical significance. Semi-structured interviews were also undertaken with a sub-sample in order to describe young men’s bereavement experiences from their own perspective, and these findings were aligned to a theory of grief processing. The implications for practice and future research are discussed.

36 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate the contemporary discursive status of victims and people convicted of criminal offences and show that differentiating between "victims" and "offenders" elides consideration of more meaningful support for victims, worsens opportunities for the reintegration of ex-prisoners and constructs a false dichotomy between citizens who do not fall into mutually-exclusive categories.
Abstract: This article evaluates the contemporary discursive status of victims and people convicted of criminal offences. The rhetoric used by British politicians to convey the meaning of ‘rights’ is explored within media output, parliamentary speech-making and other forms of political discourse. Our analysis details how victims’ rights are sometimes advocated for at the expense of ‘offenders’ ’ rights in public discourse. Examination of parliamentary debates illustrates that differentiating between ‘victims’ and ‘offenders’ elides consideration of more meaningful support for victims, worsens opportunities for the reintegration of ex-prisoners and constructs a false dichotomy between citizens who do not fall into mutually-exclusive categories.

33 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Amy B. Smoyer1
TL;DR: This paper explored the ways in which women use prison foodways to try to construct positive identities and the impact of correctional policy on these efforts and found that these positive identities were destabilised by prison rules and unhealthy food choices.
Abstract: The construction of non-criminogenic identities is associated with criminal desistance. This article explores the ways in which women use prison foodways to try to construct positive identities and the impact of correctional policy on these efforts. Formerly-incarcerated women were interviewed about the acquisition, preparation, distribution, and consumption of food in prison. In these narratives, women used their prison food practices in an attempt to construct themselves as ‘good’ and ‘healthy’. Stories showcased their capacity for friendship, empathy, self-care, and recovery. However, these positive identities were destabilised by prison rules and unhealthy food choices. Prison policies should be reviewed to promote inmates' efforts to construct these positive characteristics.

30 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it is argued that prison inspection provides a distinctive form of monitoring that is concerned with the lived experience of imprisonment rather than management systems and promotes values of humanity as opposed to those of economic rationality propagated by managerial practices.
Abstract: The growth of managerialism has led to the expansion of technologies of control and monitoring within prisons, including key performance targets and audits. A longer-standing method of prison regulation is provided by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP). This article draws upon ethnographic research in order to consider how inspection is located in the context of managerialism. The article explores the structure of inspection and the micro-processes of practice and culture. It is argued that prison inspection provides a distinctive form of monitoring that is concerned with the lived experience of imprisonment rather than management systems and promotes values of humanity as opposed to those of economic rationality propagated by managerial practices.

28 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The most punitive staff members had less experience and minimal contact with prisoners The least punitive staff were those with many years of service and whose work involved direct engagement in aspects of prisoner care and rehabilitation as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Public views regarding the punishment of offenders have been extensively examined Yet, the opinions of prison staff have been relatively less well documented, despite the clear implications of such views in officers' use of personal discretion on the job The aim of the study was to assess the nature and sources of punitive attitudes among prison staff from a maximum-security prison, using surveys It was found that the most punitive staff members had less experience and minimal contact with prisoners The least punitive staff were those with many years of service and whose work involved direct engagement in aspects of prisoner care and rehabilitation The implications of these findings for the recruitment and training of prison staff are discussed

21 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the direct and indirect effects of parental attachment, parental supervision, and peer relations on associations with criminal friends and subsequent criminal behaviour, and found that parental attachment has a significant, positive direct effect on parental supervision and relationships with peers, and an indirect effect on associations of criminal friends via parental supervision.
Abstract: Previous research indicated a significant role of family variables (parental supervision and attachment) in the study of criminality. Social learning of criminal behaviour suggested that the intensity of criminal acts during adolescence is predicted by exposure to criminal peer groups. Based on a sample of recidivists (n = 312) incarcerated in a high-security prison, this article investigates the direct and indirect effects of parental attachment, parental supervision, and peer relations on associations with criminal friends and subsequent criminal behaviour. Two alternative models of criminal behaviour were specified and estimated in Mplus 6 with restricted maximum likelihood estimation, using structural equation modelling. Results suggest that parental attachment has a significant, positive direct effect on parental supervision and relationships with peers, and an indirect effect on associations with criminal friends via parental supervision. Results also indicate a direct negative effect of parental supervision on criminal associations and a strong, positive effect of criminal associations with criminal friends on criminal behaviour. The only indirect predictor of criminal behaviour was parental supervision via associations with criminal friends. Further implications in relation to theory and previous studies are discussed.

19 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an overview of British, male family anni- fiators from 1980 to 2012 is presented, along with a taxonomy of four different types of annihilators that move discussion beyond'revenge/altruistic' categories.
Abstract: This exploratory article presents an overview of British, male family annihi- lators from 1980 to 2012. In doing so it provides a range of criminological information relevant to the incidents being described, and offers a taxonomy of four different types of annihilators that moves discussion beyond 'revenge/altruistic' categories.

17 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors used 148 UK press articles about sexual crime to apply a dual-process decision-making model, the prototype-willingness model, to the study of social discourses about sexual crimes in England and Wales, finding that a small number of cases were significantly overrepresented within the article sample.
Abstract: Dual-process models of decision making assume that we process information using two distinct ‘systems’: a deliberate and analytical system, and an intuitive system. This article uses 148 UK press articles about sexual crime to apply one such model – the ‘prototype-willingness’ model – to the study of social discourses about sexual crime in England and Wales. A small number of cases were significantly over-represented within the article sample (for example, the recent Jimmy Savile scandal). This finding is examined within the context of contemporary debates about sexual crime, and a model of social and political discourse is advanced. Implications for legislation and future research are discussed.

17 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The future of the probation service may be unrecognisable from anything that has gone before as discussed by the authors, concluding that the future of a probation service in England and Wales may not be unrecognizable from previous practices.
Abstract: The probation service in England and Wales faces what is the greatest challenge in its history. It is currently facing a future which is being shaped by four competing and differing forces: its current case management approach as influenced by moves to more law-enforcement practices; theories of desistance; new developments in offender engagement; and the emergence of Payment by Results (PbR). The article considers each of these influences and discusses how important they may be to the future of probation practice, concluding that the future of the service may be unrecognisable from anything that has gone before.

17 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the challenges of implementing services that are located within "the community" and consider the consequences for feasible attempts to reduce the number of women in prison in Scotland and internationally.
Abstract: Calls for ‘holistic’ responses to halt the increasing imprisonment of women are continually reiterated. Solutions are sought which aim to be both ‘gender-responsive’ and ‘community-based’; however, the absence of meaningful definitions of ‘community’ and ‘holistic’ means that superficial responses are often put in place in response to failures of the system. Taking as an example one attempt to introduce a community-based service for women in Scotland, this article examines the challenges of implementing services that are located within ‘the community’ and considers the consequences for feasible attempts to reduce the number of women in prison in Scotland and internationally.

15 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the origins and aims of Section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 and the offence of paying for the sexual services of a prostitute who has been subject to exploitative conduct; this offence is one of'strict liability' and the authors have attempted to show the number of times Section 14 has been used by the police in England and Wales since the Act became law.
Abstract: This article considers the origins and aims of Section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 and the offence of paying for the sexual services of a prostitute who has been subject to exploitative conduct; this offence is one of ‘strict liability’. Section 14 was implemented on 1 April 2010 and using the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the authors have attempted to show the number of times Section 14 has been used by the police in England and Wales since the Act became law; how the Act has been used and the outcome of the use of this section.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Criminal Justice Act 1972 made provision for the introduction of community service orders in England and Wales as discussed by the authors, and many commentators adopted the view that it was only in detail a novel disposal, given that work-based penal dispositions can be traced a long way back in penal history.
Abstract: The Criminal Justice Act 1972 made provision for the introduction of community service orders in England and Wales. In describing the sanction, many commentators adopted the view that it was only in detail a novel disposal, given that work-based penal dispositions can be traced a long way back in penal history. This article rejects such an approach to understanding the sanction on the grounds that it is ahistorical and proceeds with the assumption that all penal work sanctions are governed by the same commitments and principles. Its conditions of possibility, it will be argued, can only be understood within a modern penal and social complex. Such an approach will be more sensitive to context and will enable the disposal to become a coherent object of analysis by opening up new avenues of enquiry in respect of its meaning and prospects.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a typology of British 'hitmen' was developed based on newspaper reports about contract killing and Demographic and criminological data related to these hitmen and their victims.
Abstract: This exploratory article presents a typology of British ‘hitmen’ as identified within newspaper reports about contract killing. Demographic and criminological data related to these hitmen and their victims are analysed and, on the basis of this analysis, a typology of British hitmen is developed. Our typology suggests that British hitmen are: ‘Novices’; ‘Dilettantes’; ‘Journeymen’; or ‘Masters’. It is hoped that this typology will be of use to law enforcement.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The interrelated impacts of trauma, criminalisation, institutionalisation and imprisonment in Victoria, Australia are mapped to highlight the need to attend to these contexts in order to advance depth of understanding regarding the structural nature of post‐release disadvantage and survival.
Abstract: In this article we document women's experiences of post-release survival and death in Victoria, Australia. In particular, we map the interrelated impacts of trauma, criminalisation, institutionalisation and imprisonment. We build upon the existing post-release mortality research, which has focused on quantifying and describing death, and provide a critical account of survival through the lens of women's experiences. Critically, we challenge the assumption that there is a distinction between survival and death, as many participants reported near-death experiences occurring in a range of contexts. Ultimately we highlight the need to attend to these contexts in order to advance depth of understanding regarding the structural nature of post-release disadvantage and survival.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A broad overview of the ways in which kidnapping and abduction can be contextualised and understood can be found in this paper, where a review of the various typologies that have been suggested by researchers in the field, culminating in the suggestion of a revised and comprehensive typology.
Abstract: This article sets out to provide a broad overview of the ways in which kidnapping and abduction can be contextualised and understood. First, it will review kidnapping and abduction by examining the varying definitions used by practitioners, academics, governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations and private sector interests. Second, a discussion of related offences, including piracy, hostage-taking, hijacking, tiger kidnap, express kidnap and state-sponsored rendition, and others is undertaken. Third, there will be an examination and review of the various typologies that have been suggested by researchers in the field, culminating in the suggestion of a revised and comprehensive typology.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper examined how the British press covered the debate around a prisoner's right to vote and found that the focus of the debate was on sovereignty and judicial interference, and very little of the media debate was about human rights, instead, outrage on the issue of prisoners' rights was linked to opposition to pro-Europeans within the coalition government and demands for a radical shake-up in Britain's relationship with the European Union.
Abstract: This article examines how the British press covered the debate around a prisoner's right to vote. It shows how Conservative ministers were put under pressure in early 2011 by newspapers on the right of the political spectrum to abandon proposals to end the ‘blanket ban’ on a prisoner's right to vote. Modification of the ban could have brought the UK into compliance with treaty obligations linked to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and judgments of the European Court. The focus of the debate, both in parliament and in the newspapers, was on sovereignty and judicial interference. Our research shows that very little of the media debate on a prisoner's right to vote was about human rights. Instead, outrage on the issue of prisoners' rights was linked to opposition to pro-Europeans within the coalition government and demands for a radical shake-up in Britain's relationship with the European Union (EU). The reform of human rights legislation and breaking the link with the European Convention is likely to be a centrepiece of Conservative policy at the next general election. The article is based on qualitative research of newspaper coverage in the period between February and mid-April 2011 when the prisoners' rights' issue came to the fore, and audience reception studies involving focus groups.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an innovative approach to teaching and learning, under which students on the undergraduate Criminology, (and related) programmes at Northumbria University are offered work experience positions in prisons in the North East of England, was discussed.
Abstract: This paper discusses an innovative approach to teaching and learning, under which students on the undergraduate Criminology, (and related) programmes at Northumbria University are offered work experience positions in prisons in the North East of England Increasing media distortion and populist political rhetoric about imprisonment has influenced the way that students think and reflect about prison and prisoners This paper explores how introducing prison based work experience has had a dramatic effect on students’ thinking and understanding of imprisonment The paper outlines the setting up of the scheme in one of the prisons, considers the initial impact on the first cohort of participating students, and discusses the staff and student work experiences to date It also demonstrates how experiencing the prison in this way ensures that these students leave university with well-defined ideas about incarceration and better equipped for working in prison environments Keywords: prison, carceral tour, penal populism, media representation; student learning


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a sample of young ex-prisoners in Hong Kong receive little familial/social support, and finding legitimate employment is difficult for returning ex-convicts in the city.
Abstract: While prisoner re‐entry has garnered increasing interest in Western scholarship, scarce attention has been paid to the situation in Hong Kong, despite it possessing one of the higher imprisonment rates in Asia, and its reliance on custodial sentences to rehabilitate young offenders. Drawing upon the experiences of a sample of formerly‐incarcerated young males, this article informs on how young ex‐prisoners receive little familial/social support, and how finding legitimate employment is difficult for returning ex‐prisoners in Hong Kong. Young ex‐prisoners perceive themselves to be facing the challenges of re‐entry alone. Implications and recommendations for government and social services are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the barriers that may exist to successful reintegration of ex-offenders through participation in the workforce, and identify that many offenders come from disadvantaged backgrounds, have poor qualifications and find it extremely difficult to acquire meaningful stable employment.
Abstract: In society, employment is often considered to be a prerequisite to full membership and inclusion, so much so that it is considered an essential factor in the rehabilitation of offenders and their reintegration into the community. Accessing the labour market however, is arguably one of the biggest difficulties facing ex-offenders. This difficulty is best understood as a process that begins prior to incarceration. There is a substantial body of research which demonstrates that many offenders come from disadvantaged backgrounds, have poor qualifications and find it extremely difficult to acquire meaningful stable employment. On release, ex-offenders often remain ill-equipped to cope with the realities of life after incarceration, and poor employment histories and job skills, in addition to having a criminal record, create diminished opportunities for such individuals. This article seeks to examine the barriers that may exist to successful reintegration of ex-offenders through participation in the workforce.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the patterns of contact between minors and their incarcerated parents in the context of arrangements put in place by the prison service to support the parent-child relationship.
Abstract: The inherited geography of the penal estate in the Russian Federation, which results in prisoners being sent long distances to serve their sentences, creates difficulties for maintaining prisoners' family ties. Using the results of interviews conducted with prisoners, former prisoners and relatives in the Russian Federation in 2007–2011, the article examines the patterns of contact between minors and their incarcerated parents in the context of arrangements put in place by the prison service to support the parent-child relationship. Despite arrangements that appear positive on the surface, societal prejudice and historical practice combine with geography to militate against good outcomes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In 2011, the current government announced plans to overhaul the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) programme, renaming it the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In 2011, the current government announced plans to overhaul the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) programme, renaming it the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP). This article questions the government's dedication to continuing, and potentially expanding, a costly and controversial initiative in the face of its apparent failure to treat the offenders in its care effectively and facilitate their progress through the prison system. It suggests that these unfulfilled promises are ancillary to another aim: preventively detaining troublesome prisoners. The plans are of particular concern for prisoners on indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP), whose release may be further impeded.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The research contextualises the work of the female officer within the changing female prison estate and declining female prison population in this period and examines the ways in which gender and class combined in prison work.
Abstract: This article examines the working lives of female prison officers between 1877 and 1939. It documents a relatively under-researched, but important, period in the history of women's imprisonment in England. In doing so it aims to uncover the working lives of female officers, the role and daily duties of officers, the development of training schools for female staff and to understand the ambiguous role of officers in the ‘reform' of prisoners during these decades. The research contextualises the work of the female officer within the changing female prison estate and declining female prison population in this period and examines the ways in which gender and class combined in prison work.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examined racist street graffiti found in the rural city in which the author lives, especially in the environs of schools, and questioned local authorities' commitment to the timely removal of such graffiti, and examined the ambiance in which expressions of hate are considered an unremarkable aspect of the social environment.
Abstract: This article examines racist street graffiti found in the rural city in which the author lives, especially in the environs of schools. Local authorities' commitment to the timely removal of such graffiti is questioned, and the ambiance in which expressions of hate are considered an unremarkable aspect of the social environment is examined. As Australia experiences influxes of migrant and refugee groups, plus increasing numbers of temporarily-resident overseas students, many municipalities, rural and urban, are seeing major changes in their demographics. Such changes can exacerbate social tensions that can, in turn, be subsumed into the social matrix.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a grounded analysis of relevant parliamentary debates, consultation papers and white papers on penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) is presented, providing an overall thematic framework within which to understand and assess PNDs.
Abstract: Since the introduction of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs), there has been no clear political statement as to the purpose of the scheme. The findings of a grounded analysis of the relevant parliamentary debates, consultation papers and White Papers on PNDs (which have not received any consideration in the literature thus far) are presented, providing an overall thematic framework within which to understand and assess PNDs. The findings of a critical review of 250 PNDs undertaken by the author are considered in light of this framework, to ask whether, and to what extent, PNDs achieve their aims.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a series of four studies where participants completed a quantitative reasoning task followed by either an interview or an audio di diary, with three main themes emerging: emotions; reasoning approach; and justifications.
Abstract: Qualitative data are presented following a series of four studies where participants completed a quantitative reasoning task followed by either an interview or an audio diary. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006)with three main themes emerging: emotions; reasoning approach; and justifications. High schizotypal scorers demonstrated limited emotional responses compared with low scorers,and where emotions were expressed, individuals made these in relation to themselves rather than the presented scenario. Results contribute to a better understanding of the biases that high-scoring individuals experience and provide further evidence for ‘jump to conclusions’ biases in reasoning about crime.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a macro analysis of 252 cases showed a steady public profile with six major categories of blackmail reported, deriving meaning from current social anxiety; acted normatively, defining current group values; or were one of a palette of charges brought against individuals.
Abstract: Newspaper representation of blackmail cases from over half a century (1960–2009) is used to illustrate ‘marginal’ crime reporting in an era of social change: we asked how such crimes fare in attracting public attention and what meanings they represent during a period of politicised, public and criminological narratives of crime and disorder. ‘Marginal’ crimes sit at the edges of crime narratives and at the boundaries of criminology, yet the example of blackmail indicates wider social concerns. A macro analysis of 252 cases showed a steady public profile with six major categories of blackmail reported. At a micro level, only 33 cases achieved sustained reporting, deriving meaning from current social anxiety; acted normatively – defining current group values; or were one of a palette of charges brought against individuals.


Journal ArticleDOI
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