Prison

About: Prison is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 25120 publications have been published within this topic receiving 470474 citations. The topic is also known as: jail & gaol.

Prison suicide in England and Wales, 1972-87

Abstract: The case notes of 295 suicides (98.3% of the total) in prisons in England and Wales between 1972 and 1987 were studied. This period has witnessed an increase in the suicide rate far in excess of the rate of rise in the prison population. The most common method of suicide was by hanging, usually at night. There was a frequent past history of psychiatric treatment and self-injury. People charged or convicted of violent or sexual offences were over-represented, as were those serving life sentences. There was an association between suicide and both guilt for the offence and being charged or convicted of a homicide offence. Some suicides occurred many years after reception into prison. Routine enquiry about previous suicide attempts must be implemented, along with better, ongoing, active communication between staff and inmates.

The Role of Moral Disengagement in the Execution Process

Abstract: The present study tested the proposition that disengagement of moral self-sanctions enables prison personnel to carry out the death penalty Three subgroups of personnel in penitentiaries located in three Southern states were assessed in terms of eight mechanisms of moral disengagement The personnel included the execution teams that carry out the executions; the support teams that provide solace and emotional support to the families of the victims and the condemned inmate; and prison guards who have no involvement in the execution process The executioners exhibited the highest level of moral, social, and economic justifications, disavowal of personal responsibility, and dehumanization The support teams that provide the more humane services disavowed moral disengagement, as did the noninvolved guards but to a lesser degree than the support teams

Reentry Reconsidered: A New Look at an Old Question

Abstract: Reflecting unprecedented prison expansion, the scale of prisoner reentry has reached new heights. Although the movement of individuals from prison to community is not new, a focus on the phenomenon of reentry at this time sheds light on the consequences of America's shifting sentencing policies, the changes in parole supervision, and the concentrated impact of removal and return of prisoners on disadvantaged communities. The profile of the current reentry cohort shows that prisoners are less prepared for reintegration and less connected to community-based social structures. Linkages between prisoner reentry and the related social policy domains of health policy, family and child welfare policy, workforce participation, civic participation, and racial disparities are examined to show the potential for more systematic reintegration policies. The article concludes with discussion of the implications of a reentry perspective for the development of new strategies for prisoner reintegration.