<p>The purpose of this study was to describe how persons who have been affected by parental incarceration during their childhood have experienced the incarceration and the contact with the parent during and after the incarceration. The purpose was also to increase the understanding for children affected by parental incarceration on the bases of how the persons described their experiences. The questions at issue of the study were; How can persons affected by parental incarceration describe their experience of the incarceration? How do the persons describe their experience of the contact between them and the parent during the incarceration and which factors affected the possibility of a contact and the experience of the contact? How did the parental incarceration affect the contact between the person and parent? The method of the study was qualitative and four interviews were made. The result of the study was analyzed through the theories symbolic interactionism and ecological systems theory. The result showed that the experience of the incarceration and the contact during the incarceration depended for example on the relations between the child and parent. It also showed that the possibility of a contact was affected by different factors, for example, the distance to the prison.</p>

Women’s use of aggression in intimate partner relationships is consistently debated by researchers of intimate partner aggression. One tenet suggests women use aggression within intimate relationships at similar rates as men. Conversely, a second tenet acknowledges women’s use of aggression but suggests that the meaning and consequences associated with women’s aggression is not coercive or severely injurious, which are typical characteristics of men’s use of aggression. The current study evaluated incarcerated women in order to build upon an integrative approach that suggests that women’s use of aggression is related to the relationship dynamics generated from variations in coercive and conflictual behaviors. Further, the current study evaluated the moderating relation of childhood abuse history and posttraumatic stress symptoms between relationship dynamics and women’s use of aggression. Ninety-six women, who participated in a larger research project that investigated incarcerated women’s life experience, reported on the dynamics of their most recent abusive heterosexual relationship, their own use of aggression (minor and severe) and childhood abuse history and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Findings suggest that incarcerated women involved in intimate relationships characterized as highly conflictual use significantly more minor and severe aggression toward their partners than women involved in relationships with low levels of conflicts. The finding is significant regardless of the level of coercion present in the relationship. Lastly, neither childhood abuse history nor posttraumatic symptoms moderated the relation between intimate partner relationship dynamics and women’s use of aggression. Various reasons for the lack of support for the moderating effect of history on women’s use of aggression are discussed.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Artur Zimerman / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Políticas Públicas, 2016. / Esta dissertação de mestrado discute a visão e atuação de Agentes de Segurança Penitenciária (ASPs) no contexto das prisões de mulheres no estado de São Paulo. Frente ao crescimento alarmante da população de mulheres presas no Brasil nos últimos anos e às situações de invisibilidade e desrespeito aos direitos humanos que atingem esta população, este trabalho analisou, a partir do enfoque teórico da burocracia de nível de rua, quais são os fatores que influenciam o exercício de discricionariedade por esses agentes e em que medida isto contribui para a garantia ou supressão dos direitos humanos das mulheres em situação de privação de liberdade. Foram realizadas revisões bibliográficas sobre os temas das prisões, do encarceramento de mulheres, de implementação de políticas públicas e de gênero, bem como entrevistas em profundidade com seis ASPs e uma profissional de saúde do sistema prisional paulista. Em relação à estrutura do texto, em primeiro lugar elaborou-se um panorama do encarceramento e das prisões de mulheres, apresentando dados sobre a criminalidade de mulheres e as situações de desrespeito aos seus direitos humanos durante o cumprimento de pena. Em seguida, foi levantado o rol de leis e normas supranacionais, nacionais e estaduais que garantem a custódia digna e todos os direitos das mulheres encarceradas. A profissão de Agente de Segurança Penitenciária e as situações de estresse, problemas de saúde e o estigma decorrentes do exercício dessa profissão, bem como a análise de sua atuação em relação às pessoas presas sob a ótica da discricionariedade apresentada por Lipsky (2010) aparecem em seguida. Por fim, são discutidas as percepções de ASPs em relação às mulheres encarceradas e seu comportamento, chamando atenção para os aspectos em que os papéis socialmente impostos às mulheres são reforçados, ao mesmo tempo em que é buscada e incentivada por ASPs certa "masculinização" de suas condutas. / This master¿s dissertation discusses the vision and actions of Prison Officers (ASPs) in the context of São Paulo¿s State women¿s prisons. Due to the alarming growth of the female prison population in Brazil since past years and the situations of invisibility and disrespect to their human rights that affect this population, this work analyzed, through the theoretical approach of street-level bureaucracy, which are the factors that influence discretionary work by these agents and in what way that contributes to incarcerated women¿s human rights¿ suppression or guarantee. The research involved literature review about the themes of prisons, women¿s incarceration, implementation of public policies and gender, and six interviews with Prison Officers and one interview with a prison healthcare professional. About the text¿s structure, at first it presented an overview regarding women¿s incarceration and prisons, presenting data about women¿s criminality and the situations of disrespect to their human right throughout their time of imprisonment. Then, the supranational, national and local legislations and norms that guarantee the right to dignified custody and incarcerated women¿s rights are presented. The occupation of ASP and the situations of stress, health issues and the stigma related to the exercise of this profession, as well as the analysis of their actuation related to imprisoned people throughout the lens of discretion as presented by Lipsky (2010) are the next topic discussed. Lastly, the research discusses the perceptions of ASPs in relation to incarcerated women and their behavior, with special attention to the aspects in which socially imposed roles to women are reinforced, at the same time in which certain "masculinization" of their conducts is pursued and encouraged by ASPs.

Background: Syphilis infection has recently resurfaced as a significant public health problem. Although there has been a tremendous amount of research on the epidemiology of syphilis, there has been limited work done to synthesize the extensive body of research and systematically estimate patterns of disease within high-risk groups in the Americas. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to (1) summarize recent patterns of syphilis infection in North and South America among four high-risk groups (MSM, transgender women, sex workers, and incarcerated individuals) from 1980 to 2016, (2) identify and differentiate regional geographic epidemiologic characteristics, and (3) compare the epidemics of the economically developed countries of North America from the developing countries and public health systems of Latin America and the Caribbean. Methods/design: Primary studies reporting syphilis prevalence and/or incidence in at least one of the four high-risk groups will be identified from Medline/PubMed, Embase, Lilacs, SciELO, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, CINAHL, Clase, and Periódica, as well as "gray" literature sources (conference abstracts, country reports, etc.). Studies published from 1980 through 2016 will be included. Data will be extracted from studies meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria and a random effects meta-analysis of prevalence and incidence estimates will be conducted. Heterogeneity, risk of bias, and publication bias will be assessed. Pooled prevalence and incidence estimates will be calculated for comparisons based on geographic region, risk factors, and time period. Discussion: Our systematic review and meta-analysis aims to contribute to an improved understanding of global epidemiologic patterns of syphilis infection in most-at-risk populations. Through systematic classification of the existing literature, and comparison of disease patterns across regional, temporal and socio-behavioral differences, we hope to improve public health surveillance and improve efforts to control the spread of disease across the Americas. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42016047306.

This thesis is an evaluation of two coping skills programs and their effects on inmates' mental health status. The original computer coping skills program designed for the general population was modified to address the specific needs of an incarcerated population.This thesis evaluated the differences in the mental health status of the two treatment groups compared with the control group and with each other to assess the effectiveness of the two programs. The results of this study showed substantial improvement in the mental health status for the two treatment groups. There are indications from this study that specialty software designed specifically for inmates may result in lower levels of depression than non-tailored software.

Adolescent suicide has been described as a major public health problem calling for the aid of researchers willing to better identify factors related to suicide risk. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds. Despite the fact incarcerated adolescents act in self-destructive ways, minimal research has focused on suicide behavior among incarcerated adolescents. Existing data indicates that suicide among adolescent males is especially prevalent in the juvenile justice system. Several variables have been identified as risk factors for suicidal behavior, including interpersonal relationship dysfunction, substance abuse, and psychological variables such as depression and dichotomous thinking. Incarcerated males have been shown to be more prone to these risks than the general population. There is a need to highlight these risks in context of this population, identifying behavior patterns over the life span. Addressing the need to identify behavior patterns within the incarcerated male youth population, this study focuses on one adolescent male involved with Utah's juvenile justice system who subsequently completed suicide. The identified youth suffered from substance abuse; its effects were devastating to himself and those around him. Furthermore, his hypersensitivity to disappointing others permeated his lifelong traits and behavior patterns. Interviewees reported that such hypersensitivity began early in life, prominently influencing his subsequent self-inflicted guilt in adolescence when drug use, the decision to drop-out of school, and incarceration became traumatic. As this case study exemplified, counselors, teachers, school psychologists, family, and friends need to be aware of the increased potential for suicide in incarcerated adolescents, particularly those who struggle with substance abuse and a comorbid disorder.

Research has found that children who experience the incarceration of a parent may experience behavioral, psychological, and emotional problems. Studies have identified treatment programs and interventions designed to alleviate the long-term effects of parental incarceration on children. Limited research exists on the impact of treatment programs and interventions on these children. The purpose of this research was to determine if treatment programs are successful in reducing future incarceration rates for adults that experienced the incarceration of a parent during childhood. Research questions examined how treatment programs and interventions impacted the sample population. A phenomenological approach guided the study methods and purposeful sampling strategy guided selection of 20 participants 18 years or older, who experienced an incarcerated parent and experienced subsequent treatment programs or interventions. Face-to Face interviews were conducted using a modified version of The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Investigative Interview Protocol. Open coding was used to identify and analyze common themes that emerged from the interviews. The findings revealed that treatment and intervention significantly impacted participants. Participants believed exposure to resources that are not available in their environment assisted them with living productive lives without any incidents of being incarcerated. Treatment programs create positive social change by providing support that aids in reducing the potential incarceration rate for children in this category, equips them with the tools for living productive lives, and informs development of innovative programs.

Effective mentoring programs are essential for African American youth to feel satisfaction and contribute to society, particularly in large urban communities. A need exists to study the impact of community-based mentoring programs in central Georgia, particularly those focused on male African Americans. Despite various mentoring programs, stakeholders know little about the elements of program impact for at-risk youths. Community mentoring programs frequently serve as a tool to minimize high dropout rates that often result from youth incarceration, expulsion, and suspension. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the perceptions of mentors and administrative staff on the impact of programs designed to support at-risk youths' successful return to school. Attachment theory; Alderfer's existence, relatedness, and growth theory; and social-development theory served as the framework for this study. This qualitative case study examined the perceptions of mentors and administrators on the impact of the Men Accepting Neophytes and Uplifting Pupils (MAN-UP) mentoring program. Data accrued from document review, interviews, and observations of 15 mentors and 3 administrators. Data analytic procedures included the use of codes and themes. Results showed that the MAN-UP program is effective in combating some of the challenges that at-risk youth face. Positive social change may result from the creation of professional development for mentors and program administrators, which is specifically designed to improve the negative behaviors of African American male at-risk youth. This could have implications for mentors, educators, and communities seeking to reduce school suspension and expulsion rates and crimes that lead to incarceration. Proper mentor training would help to reduce recidivism.

Despite the increasing numbers of criminalized women in Canada, the use of the Institutional Mother-Child Program (MCP) remains low (Brennan, 2014). It is well known in fields of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Indigenous Studies, that Indigenous Peoples are overrepresented in Canadian prisons; they represent about five percent of the overall Canadian population, however Indigenous women make up forty percent of all incarcerated women (Miller, 2017). Incarcerated Indigenous women are often mothers of young children, come from poor backgrounds, have little education, and suffered abuse at some point during their lives (Monchalin, 2016). In this thesis, using Indigenous Feminisms (IF) (Suzack, 2010, 2015) and Penal Moderation (Loader, 2010; Snacken, 2015), I address the following research questions: How has the MCP policy evolved over time? How have the policy changes represented a (de)colonial approach to criminal justice policy? To answer these questions, I conducted a feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA) of all the final versions of the Correctional Service of Canada’s MCP policy (CD 768).

This study was designed to be the first step in an empirical investigation of the female offender, using biographical information. It Is the goal of the research to eventually be able to predict probable criminal activity among women. The most readily delineated group for study was female prisoners. The purpose of the study was to determine if factor clusters could be produced which were representative of women in prison. Specific objectives were to organize descriptive biographical information of incarcerated women and to correlate bio-data results with important current and post-incarceration events. This study makes it clear that merely labeling behavior as criminal—connoting a deviant class of behavior—is highly inexact in identifying it. The female offender cannot as yet be defined in the same way as a person suffering from depression, hypochondriasis, or schizophrenia—that is, by distinctive response groupings. While this study made many inroads, generating descriptive factors and significant behavioral/life-history correlates, incarcerated female offenders as a class cannot as yet be identified by responses that make up a valid category of behavior.