Psychopaths constitute only an estimated 1% of the population, yet they are responsible for a disproportionately large number of violent and nonviolent crimes. The literature addressing this syndrome among male offenders is quite extensive. In contrast, psychopathy and its underlying factor structure remains understudied among female offenders. Research has suggested marked gender differences in the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and underlying dimensions of psychopathy. This study examined the dimensions of psychopathy in a female offender sample. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and the Self Report Psychopathy-II (SRP-II) were administered to 119 female inmates at Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, TX. Confirmatory factor analyses of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) did not support the use of the traditional two factor male model or a recently proposed two- factor female model. This thesis also addressed females' self-appraisal of PCL-R Factor 1 characteristics as well as the usefulness of the self-administered Self-Report Psychopathy-II as a screen for psychopathy.

American prisons are swollen and distended. Over 2 million Americans sit in jail or prison today. About 2/3 of the incarcerated are parents. They parent approximately 2 million children in America today who are separated from mom or dad because of incarceration. Their children suffer from poverty, inconsistency in caregivers, separation from siblings, reduced opportunity to health and education and increased risk for substance abuse, alcoholism and incarceration themselves. Children of the incarcerated are seven times more likely than their peers to become incarcerated as adults.Many of these children are unable to visit their parents. Over half the mothers in prison today live over 100 miles from home. Children who visit their parents are unable to touch them. 42% of the incarcerated today had a parent who was incarcerated, nearly half grew up families that received welfare benefits, and 42% had a substance-abusing parent. Familial poverty, alcoholism and crime set up a subsequent cycle of generational recidivism. This thesis proposes that the normalization of the prison or jail environment while visiting with parents contributes to the generational cycle of recidivism. Coupled with a lack of opportunity before parental incarceration and ineffective parental rehabilitation, these children return to the facilities as adults. Can families be restored and rehabilitated through education and health opportunities in an environment devoid of an institutional feel? Could an urban university partner with the Department of Corrections to administer such a program? What environment and program model is a viable alternative to reunite these families both during incarceration and as a re-entry that is meaningful and enduring? Can we arrest the cradle to cage cycle? This thesis outlines such a project and facility located in context of Richmond, Virginia. Theoretically, programming will be offered by Virginia Commonwealth University. Statistics and facts will be set within the Richmond environment.

This was a quantitative-descriptive study which utilized survey research techniques to examine reports of labor market participation and participation in drug trafficking by incarcerated African-American males from urban enclaves. A stratified sample of 100 was selected from among 678 incarcerated African-American males, who had been arrested for alleged drug trafficking. From the response pattern of those surveyed, Measures of Central Tendency, Measures of Variability, and Frequency Analysis were utilized for statistical procedures. This study provided a glimpse into the development and socialization of a generation of African-American males who made an initial decision to participate in irregular (illegal) economic activities. Data obtained from respondents provided information on how individuals respond to extremely powerful pressures which exist in their environment. The most prominent of these pressures is the attractiveness of possibly earning high incomes by participating in the irregular (illegal) economic activity of drug trafficking. The possibility of earning a high income from drug trafficking was juxtaposed with the reality that participation could lead to serious injury, death, arrest and incarceration. Nevertheless, many African-American males weighed the advantages and disadvantages of participation in drug trafficking activities, and elected to participate. Preliminary findings of this study identified some of the factors which may influence many young African American males to forego participation in educational systems which would provide some skills, allowing them to participate in legitimate employment enterprises. One factor of influence which was identified is the relatively low self-esteem expressed by some respondents. Another factor of influence was the perception that society has targeted African-Americans, in general, as failures. These findings have implications for social work in the areas of counseling and supporting an increasing number of young African-American women who will be forced to raise children without the presence of fathers; increases of criminal and mental health problems in certain age cohorts; development of even greater levels of anomie by African-American males; and development of a range of support services for families which have males incarcerated with long sentences.

abstract: The thesis for this study is that structural racism within the U.S. criminal system causes Black mothers to assume the emotional work of caring for incarcerated sons. This project was designed using an interpretive approach that employed a combination of qualitative and auto-ethnographic methods, drawing on grounded theory principle. Six interviews were conducted with mothers in order to gain in-depth insight into their lived experiences. An auto-ethnographic method was used to analyze the author’s own personal experiences as a family member of the incarcerated in dialogue with the experiences of the broader research population. Studies on the key finding of the psycho-social impacts on mothers with incarcerated sons have explored the relationship between the mental depression of mothers and their son’s incarceration. They have found that financial challenges, dwindling social connections, lousy parenting evaluations, as well as the burden of care of the grandchildren of the incarcerated sons are some of the mediating factors of this relationship. A second key finding also showed that incarceration have had social-economic effects on the prisoner’s families. These families experience extreme financial hardship as a result of incarcerated loved ones. Another finding showed the unique coping strategies for mothers included assuming care taking responsibility, maintaining family relationships, and budget control. Finally, this study found that there are challenges to re-entry experienced by mothers with incarcerated sons when their released. Research findings and original contribution to scholarly knowledge uncovered that Black mothers of the incarcerated in addition to working the Second Shift, are experiencing the phenomena of what is coined to be the “Third Shift.” / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Social Justice and Human Rights 2019

Due to the lack of literature on social worker involvement with the rehabilitation of previously incarcerated individuals, this study was designed to explore social work student’s views and attitudes towards working with this population in the future. This study used a web-based quantitative survey design containing one open-ended question to survey 77 CSUSB social work students. Findings reveal that most social work students recognize previously incarcerated individuals as a vulnerable and marginalized population that is deserving of services and expect to work with this population in the future. Additionally, this study identified that having children may impact social work student’s views and attitudes towards working with previously incarcerated individuals. Common themes that emerged were dignity and worth of persons, intersectionality of this population with social work, and concerns regarding skills, training, and experience which reflected social work students’ adherence to professional social work values and ethics as set forth by the NASW. This study highlights the need of social work students to be provided with the tools necessary in making them feel equipped to work with the rehabilitation of previously incarcerated individuals. Future research identifying barriers that prevent social worker involvement with this population can generate information that can be used to develop trainings to provide further education and knowledge to promote social work student’s competency with this population.

The number of children in the United States with an incarcerated parent continues to rise. Currently, more than 1.7 million children have at least one incarcerated parent. In addition, research has found that children with criminally involved parents are at a higher risk of also becoming offenders (Glaze & Maruschak, 2010). Research has shown that incarcerated parents' abilities to maintain communication with their children may decrease negative behaviors while incarcerated and may decrease the negative effects of being removed from their families. The current study utilizes secondary data to explore the types of communication incarcerated parents use in order to stay connected with their children. The goal is to understand gendered differences regarding how incarcerated mothers versus incarcerated fathers choose to communicate with their children, and to understand which forms of communication (letter writing, face to face visits, and phone calls) are utilized most often by incarcerated parents to maintain and strengthen the bonds with their children. Logistic Regressions identified that incarcerated mothers are more likely to have at least one visit, phone call, and will utilize more forms of communication in a month's time, with their children. These findings both support and contradict previous studies. Implications of the findings and further suggestions are discussed.

Interruptions to juvenile detainees' education often delay their progress toward high school completion. Implementing an individualized learning plan (ILP) has been suggested as a solution to this problem. The purpose of this case study was to explore how ILPs facilitate attainment of graduation among incarcerated youth. The study was guided by the Washington State legislative framework for individualized learning plans and the efforts of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency to increase educational opportunities. Three research questions were formulated to explore perceptions of local juvenile detention center educators and administrators regarding their experiences in the development, implementation, and effectiveness of ILPs. Qualitative data were collected from interviews with 5 detention center educators, field observations, and document reviews. The examination of the data through the coding process using a matrix enabled descriptions and themes to emerge. Results indicated that ILPs are collaboratively developed and implemented in the detention center, there is a need for professional development related to ILPs, and ILPs have impacted students' education completion. Results from this study may influence social change by supporting development of ILPs which can result in a higher graduation rate and a reduction in recidivism among the incarcerated youth population.

<p>The aim with the study was, that through a qualitative research approach, to examine in which way social services employees perceive information about children with incarcerated fathers and how they furthermore relates to the child's right to both parents in these situations. Seven interviews were implemented with social workers in the Stockholm County to obtain informa-tion on the following questions; how the children's needs are noticed at the social services, how employees discuss the child's right to their incarcerated father and which possibilities and obstacles social workers experience to promote contact between the child and the father. The ecology of human development theory was used in the analysis. The conclusions are that chil-dren with incarcerated fathers seldom is noticed at the social services as a result of inadequate cooperation between authorities but also due to whether the social services should be respon-sible for the children. Furthermore, children always have the right to maintain contact with their incarcerated father, with exceptions for situations where physical or sexual abuse have occurred. Social workers may contribute to contact by awarding a contact person, in cases where the mother is insufficient. Finally, individual assessments must always be done with considerations to the individual child.</p>

The aim with the study was, that through a qualitative research approach, to examine in which way social services employees perceive information about children with incarcerated fathers and how they furthermore relates to the child's right to both parents in these situations. Seven interviews were implemented with social workers in the Stockholm County to obtain informa-tion on the following questions; how the children's needs are noticed at the social services, how employees discuss the child's right to their incarcerated father and which possibilities and obstacles social workers experience to promote contact between the child and the father. The ecology of human development theory was used in the analysis. The conclusions are that chil-dren with incarcerated fathers seldom is noticed at the social services as a result of inadequate cooperation between authorities but also due to whether the social services should be respon-sible for the children. Furthermore, children always have the right to maintain contact with their incarcerated father, with exceptions for situations where physical or sexual abuse have occurred. Social workers may contribute to contact by awarding a contact person, in cases where the mother is insufficient. Finally, individual assessments must always be done with considerations to the individual child.

This study examines the dynamics and implications of trans-spatial subordination in/across the lived experiences of six incarcerated participant youths in a secure custody facility for juveniles in Louisiana. Five male teenagers (four African American, one White) and one female teenager (African American) discuss the limitations, harassment, and confinement in various aspects of their lives and speak about the impact on their expectations for the future. The author employs several methodologies in order to develop a multimedia, multifaceted representation of their lives. The narratives elicited through interviews provide the bulk of the data as the participants describe this perpetual subordination. The photographs, resulting from the implementation of a visual ethnographic methodology, provide images that serve as catalysts for introspection and analysis of significance in the mundane and routine, particularly as they apply to the carceral facilities, structures, and policies themselves. Film viewing and discussion offer an array of depictions of youth and criminality to which the youths responded, granting a simultaneous peek at how these marginalized youths viewed themselves and how mainstream media productions depict them. After a particularly provoking viewing session of an animated film, the author expands the preliminary boundaries of the work beyond cells and the walls of the prison. The expanding focus examines subordinating elements in their lives with their families and in their neighbourhoods. The challenges, harassment, and obstacles experienced in their communities continued in their schools and during their encounters with law enforcement, the latter of which often led directly to imprisonment. Finally, the youths reflected on the confining subordination that existed in the facilities, the product of the combination of: their discomfort with the surveillant structure, their perceived arbitrariness of privilege, and the lack of any relevant education. They also identified opportunities for voicing their opinions and recognized the relative safety of this facility compared to others. As the participants conceptualized their futures and articulated their relatively narrow and often ambiguous hopes, the sobering influence of such perpetual subordination is evident. The author closes with a discussion of the study’s importance to future research with marginalized youth in a society of increasing surveillance and security as well as implications for teacher education.