The universally controversial issue of deaths in custody is especially pertinent to South Africa. This study was prompted due to the increasingly diminishing ability for a concerted effort at tackling this issue by all parties involved. The 5 year retrospective, descriptive case audit performed at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory aimed to evaluate the current medico-legal investigation of deaths in custody in Pretoria, South Africa. Over half of the deaths (52%) occurred as a result of police action, 30% in police custody and 18% in correctional services custody. Gunshot wounds and hangings were the number 1 and 2 most common causes of death, respectively, with homicide and suicide being the 2 most common manners of death, respectively. The principal conclusion from the results is the presence of a flawed and malfunctioning medico-legal investigation system. The introduction of a formal protocol is urgently required to provide a framework for these investigations. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Forensic Medicine / MSc / Unrestricted

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

MA (Psychology) / Department of Psychology / Correctional Service inmate rehabilitation and rising issues of recidivism have been of interest within the Justice System with the mind to improve and ensure not only functionality but the effectiveness of every effort put toward rehabilitating inmates. Individuals are not convicted with the intention of closing them off from society completely, but to have their abnormal behavior corrected (this speaks to effective rehabilitation programmes and successful re-entry). Inevitably, this makes the parole period pivotal for assessing these programmes and why rehabilitation is not directly resulting in successful re-entry since parolees are more at risk to reoffend, making up the rising margin of recidivism of over 70% in South Africa. It then becomes significant to look into whether rehabilitative programmes are effective according to individuals who have practically been on the receiving end. This study investigated the lived experiences that recidivist parolees had of rehabilitation by taking a closer look at their lived experiences. This was qualitatively realized by employing to the study: interpretive phenomenological design. From a population of recidivist parolees residing in Vhembe District, after agreeing to participate in the study, a sample of 10 participants was interviewed (in accordance to data saturation) which were attained through the snowball sampling technique. From this sample, data was collected through the use of semi-structured open-ended interviews and analyzed through interpretive phenomenological analysis. This process yielded the following results. Generally, participants felt that rehabilitation programmes are not effective and play a very small role in influencing change. This is a similar case with re-entry into society. In light of this, participants reported that they have difficulty fitting into society as normal members because of social stigma, chronic trauma, not getting enough support after release and not being eligible for employment. Participants also reported irregular administration and accessibility of the programmes for all inmates. In light of these results, rehabilitation should be compulsory for all inmates and should also include post arrest programmes. / NRF

This study had a two-fold purpose. The first purpose was to compare the rankings of a set of knowledge/skills statements as reported by teachers of students with emotional behavioral disorders and teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings. A survey instrument designed to measure the importance, proficiency, and frequency of use of clusters of knowledge/skills statements was administered to 123 teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings in state institutions. Mann Whitney U analyses were calculated to compare the mean rankings of the two groups of teachers. The findings indicated that teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings and teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders were very similar as to which knowledge/skills clusters were important to their job performance, which clusters they were most proficient at using, and which clusters they utilized most frequently. The second purpose was to compare the teachers in juvenile correctional special education settings and to determine whether their mean rankings of the knowledge/skills clusters varied when analyzed by differing categories of age, type of certification held, years of teaching experience, and level of the teachers' education. Analysis of variance revealed no significant difference in the mean rankings in any of the comparison groups. Therefore teacher age, level of education, type of certification held, or years of teaching experience yielded no significant differences on the mean rankings of the knowledge/skills clusters.

In the United States, one in every 100 adults is confined to a correctional facility. Approximately 60% of inmates have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). When compared to the general population, inmates are twice as likely to have AUD. As they are unable to readily access alcohol, inmates entering a correctional facility with AUD are at high risk for the lethal alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). AWS is preventable and yet correctional nurses process new inmates without an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) to assess for AUD, the prerequisite for AWS. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based CPG with implementation algorithm to guide the inmate assessment for AUD. The ACE star model of knowledge transformation guided the project, the AGREE II was used to develop the CPG, and the Delphi technique was used to evaluate the final CPG with algorithm. Nationally, 20 correctional health experts were identified and asked to participate in the Delphi expert panel, although 11 experts agreed to participate only 9 completed the evaluation. The experts were correctional health experts, nurses and physicians, from different regions of the United States. The resulting CPG satisfied all 23-items of the AGREE II. Through 2 Delphi panel rounds, all participants recommended the CPG with minor modifications (6 experts recommended as presented while the 3 recommended with modifications). At the project conclusion, all 9 experts agreed the CPG will help improve the identification, referral, and management of inmates with AUD. This project contributes to positive social change as the CPG addresses a serious problem, AUD with possible AWS, in a vulnerable population. The CPG may be generalizable for use in other correctional facilities.

Prisons provide us with a place to segregate criminals from the population at large, but the ongoing question is what to do with them once we have incarcerated them? On one side there is the idea that prisons should be used to punish those who have broken the law. On the other is the idea that prisons should help to rehabilitate prisoners so that they may be reintegrated into society upon their release. The purpose of this study was to examine the role correctional education programs played in the life of female offenders in light of the debate mentioned above. Based on qualitative research, the aim of this study was to listen to the prisoner's voice. What did inmates think about correctional education programs offered? Did they want such programs? Did they feel empowered by them, or did they resist being 'rehabilitated' and feign compliance? How did inmates make sense of their learning experience?

Research has begun to identify recovery experiences during nonwork time as an important mechanism explaining the relationship between job characteristics and strain (Geurts & Sonnentag, 2006; Kinnunen, Feldt, Siltaloppi, Sonnentag, 2011). Corrections officers face challenges unique to their occupation (Armstrong & Griffin, 2004) that may contribute to the high levels of strain that currently characterize their occupation (i.e., short life expectancy, high suicide rates; Spinaris & Denhof, 2011; Stack & Tsoudis, 1997). Though previous research has not examined emotion regulation, recovery experiences, and coping within corrections officers, these constructs may be of particular importance to an occupation that requires employees to navigate the complex demands of managing an incarcerated population of individuals. Emotion regulation - managing one's emotions - is an important aspect of many jobs, and has been linked with employee strain, such as burnout, psychological strain, and psychosomatic complaints (Hülshege & Schewe, 2011). However, research only begun to assess nonwork recovery and its relationship with emotion regulation strategies at work, and additionally the influence of individual coping strategies has not been considered in past studies. I offered that recovery experiences (i.e., psychological detachment, relaxation, and mastery) mediated the relationship between emotion regulation at work (i.e., reappraisal and suppression) and strain (i.e., disengagement, emotional exhaustion, and psychological distress). I further offered, based on the matching hypothesis (de Jonge & Dormann, 2006), that emotion-focused coping strategies (i.e., emotional social support and venting emotions) moderated the relationships between emotion regulation, recovery experiences, and strain. To examine these hypotheses, data were collected via a survey of corrections officers in Oregon (N = 1317). Results indicated that emotion regulation at work was associated with strain, and this relationship was partially mediated by recovery experiences. The results further suggested that the coping strategies examined in this study did not appear to moderate relationships between the study variables. These findings are discussed in the context of the present sample, and implications for future research are considered.

Höga nivåer av återfall i brottslighet och misslyckade återintegreringar efter avtjänadefängelsestraff är ett socialt problem i dagens samhälle. Syftet med studien är attundersöka erfarenheter och upplevelser hos män som avtjänat två eller flerfängelsestraff för att identifiera faktorer som leder till återfall i brott samt vilka faktorersom leder till återintegrering i samhället. Föreliggande studie har en kvalitativ ansatsmed ett hermeneutiskt perspektiv och det empiriska materialet har samlats in genomsemistrukturerade intervjuer. Urvalet är målstyrt och utgörs av 8 manligaåterfallsförbrytare där tiden sedan frigivning varierar mellan deltagarna. Den mestframträdande orsaken till återfall i brottslighet visas vara missbruk, inte minst för att deti sin tur leder till ytterligare kriminella handlingar för att kunna finansiera missbruket.Andra framträdande faktorer är avsaknad av familj, missförhållanden under uppväxtensamt antisocialt beteende i form av våldsamhet och kriminalitet som urartat i tidig ålder.Negativa upplevelser under tiden på anstalt och bristfälligt stöd vid frigivning har ocksåen inverkan på återfallsrisken. Gällande faktorer som leder till återintegrering efteravtjänat fängelsestraff framkommer det att självinsikt och ansvarstagande verkarfrämjande. Sysselsättning i form av arbete bidrar till ökad självkänsla såväl somekonomiskt kapital vilket är avgörande i en gynnsam återintegrering. Ett stabilt socialtnätverk med familj är ytterligare en framträdande faktor som minskar risken att återfallai brott och snarare gynna en återintegrering i samhället. Studiens resultat pekar mot attdet finns många olika orsaker till återfall i brott och att vägen till återintegrering kan seut på många olika sätt, vilket tyder på att det finns ett behov av individanpassadeinsatser för att minska återfallsrisken och främja återintegrering. / High levels of recidivism and failed reintegrations after serving a prison sentence is asocial problem in today's society. The purpose of this study is to look into theexperiences of men who have served two or more prison sentences in order to identifywhich factors that lead to recidivism as well as which factors that lead to reintegrationinto the society. The presented study has a qualitative approach with a hermeneuticperspective and the empirical material has been collected through semi-structuredinterviews. The selection is goal-directed and consists 8 male recidivists where the timesince release date varies between the participants. The most prominent cause ofrecidivism appears to be addiction, especially for it leads to further criminal acts inorder to finance the addiction. Other factors are deficient family relations, abuse duringchildhood and antisocial behavior in forms of violence and criminality that degenerateat an early age. Negative experiences during prison sentences as well as insufficientsupport upon release also has an impact on the risk of recidivism. Regarding factors thatlead to reintegration after serving a prison sentence, it emerges that self-awareness andtaking responsibility seems to be highly important. Employment in forms of workcontributes to increased self-esteem as well as economic capital, which is crucial in apositive reintegration. A secure social network with family is another prominent factorthat reduces the risk of recidivism and supports integration back into society. The resultsof the study point to the fact that there are many different reasons for recidivism andthat one path to reintegration can look very different from another, which indicates thatthere is a need for individually tailored interventions to reduce the risk of recidivismand promote reintegration.

Föreliggande arbete utgör en delstudie i projektet Automatiserad telefonuppföljning inom Kriminalvården. Projektets övergripande syfte var att undersöka tillämpbarheten av Interactive Voice Response (IVR) som en modern metod för utvärdering, övervakning och påverkan av intagna som blivit villkorligt frigivna från ett fängelsestraff. IVR är en metodik baserat på automatiserade telefonintervjuer som bl. a innebär att en dator har programmerats för att ringa upp, ställa frågor, registrera svar och ge feedback till klienterna. I tidigare publikation från projektet undersöktes med hjälp av automatiserade telefonuppföljningar (IVR) hur stress och mående samt användande av alkohol och droger utvecklas under de trettio första dagarna efter avslutad anstaltsvistelse (Andersson et al, 2011). Syftet med det här arbetet var att undersöka om det fanns skillnader i psykiskt mående, alkohol- och drogvanor samt personlighet mellan intagna som medverkade vid åtminstone en telefonuppföljning efter den villkorliga frigivningen respektive intagna som inte medverkade vid någon telefonuppföljning efter den villkorliga frigivningen. Ytterligare ett syfte med arbetet var att beskriva den totala undersökningsgruppen i projektet med avseende på psykiskt mående, alkohol- och drogvanor samt personlighet. Den enda signifikanta skillnaden mellan deltagarna och icke-deltagarna i telefonuppföljningarna återfanns för personlighetsdraget skuld. Individer som genomförde åtminstone en telefonuppföljning var något mer benägna att känna skuld- och skamkänslor än de som inte deltog vid någon telefonuppföljning efter den villkorliga frigivningen. Den beskrivande analysen av den totala undersökningsgruppen i projektet fann att klienterna utgjorde en problembelastad grupp intagna med avseende på psykiskt mående, alkohol-och drogmissbruk och personlighet; en hög andel av klienterna hade en möjlig missbruksdiagnos och depressions och/eller ångestrelaterade symptom samt skattade höga värden på personlighetsdragen socialisation, impulsivitet och monotoniundvikande. / This study is a part of the research project Automated Phone Follow-Up inCorrectional Services. The overall aim of the research project was to investigate if Interactive Voice Response can be used as tool to investigate, monitor and influence levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and use as well as urge of alcohol and drugs among paroled offenders. IVR is a technology based on automated phone interviews, which means that a computer has been programed to call up, ask questions, record answers and provide a feedback to the paroled offenders. Previous publication from the research project explored if it is possible to use automated phone interviews (IVR) to follow-up the development of stress, psychological mood, and use of alcohol and drugs in paroled offenders during the first 30 days following probation (Andersson et al, 2011). The main aim of this study was to investigate if there were any differences in psychological mood, substance use and personality between paroled offenders that participated in at least one automated phone follow-up and paroled offenders that did not participate in any automated phone follow-up. Another aim of this study was to describe the psychological mood, substance use and personality in the total sample group of paroled offenders. The only significant difference between participants and non-participants in the phone follow-up´s was found for the personality trait guilt. The paroled offenders that participated in the phone follow-up scored significant higher on guilt, a scale measuring feelings of guilt and shame after wrongdoing, cheating, of having bad thoughts. The results of the descriptive analysis showed high levels of substance misuse, depression and anxiety symptoms in the total sample group of paroled offenders. The paroled offenders also scored high on personality scales socialization, impulsivity and monotony avoidance compared to healthy subjects.

Ett flertal fall av trakasserier mellan kollegor inom kriminalvården har under åren rapporterats utan någon grundligare undersökning gällande ämnet. Även om det framkommer forskning vilket undersöker denna problematik inom ett antal olika miljöer och yrken, saknas det information specifikt för kriminalvården i Sverige. Med en betydande påverkan på de utsatta individerna, bör däremot det förebyggande arbetet mot trakasserier på arbetsplatsen anses vara av stor vikt. Inte enbart på grund av de anställdas välbefinnande utan även beträffande de negativa påföljder handlingarna kan skapa för verksamhetens säkerhet. För att vidare undersöka förekomsten så väl som hanteringen och förebyggandet av trakasserier mellan kollegor inom kriminalvården, har gällande studie genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra kriminalvårdare. Samtliga respondenter befinner sig på en högre ansvarsposition inom verksamheten och belyser endast förekomsten utefter deras personliga uppfattningar. Resultaten enligt respondenterna tyder på en allmänt positiv arbetsmiljö med en övergripande låg befintlighet av trakasserier. Det framkommer däremot att de trakasserier vilka anmäls huvudsakligen sker i form av sexuella trakasserier mellan nyanställda, utfrysning mot nya vikarier eller att kvinnor blir bortvalda från vissa arbetsuppgifter. Samtliga medverkande bekräftar dessutom att mörkertalet troligtvis är stort och att en stor del av problematiken inte uppenbaras för de ansvariga. Då studiens urval varit begränsat, kan vidare undersökningar inom forskningsområdet anses väsentligt för ett tillförlitligt och förebyggande resultat. / Several cases of harassment between colleagues within the correctional service have been reported over the years, without any more thorough investigation into the incidents. Although there is research that examines this problem within several different environments and professions, there is a lack of information specifically for the correctional service in Sweden. With a significant impact on the vulnerable individuals the preventive work against harassment in the workplace should be considered of great importance. Not only because of the well-being of the employees, but also regarding the negative consequences these actions can have for the actual work safety. To further investigate the occurrence, the administration, and the prevention of harassment between colleagues within the correctional service, the current study has conducted semi-structured interviews with four correctional officers. All respondents hold a position of increased responsibility within the institution and solely describe the occurrences according to their perceptions. According to the respondents, the results indicate a generally positive work environment with an overall low presence of harassment. It appears that the actual reported cases of harassment mainly take the form of sexual harassment between new employees, ostracism towards temporary employees and women being excluded for certain tasks. All participants confirm that there is potentially an extensive amount of unreported case that are not revealed to the responsible authority. Because of the studies limited sample, further research within the topic is needed to obtain higher reliability of the results, hopefully to then prevent future cases of harassment.