Thesis -- Departmental honors in Sociology. / Spine title: Incarcerated males and their expectations for the future. Bibliography: ℓ. 94-95.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Duquesne University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-102) and index.

Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-87). Also available online in Scholars' Bank; and in ProQuest, free to University of Oregon users.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Dept. of Sociology/Criminal Justice & Criminology. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2005. / "A dissertation in sociology and social science." Advisor: James F. Anderson. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed June 26, 2006. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-208). Online version of the print edition.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Youth involved in the criminal justice system exhibit elevated rates of sexual risk behavior (SRB), placing them at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other deleterious outcomes. High levels of youth-maternal connectedness have been shown to act as a protective factor for SRB in nationally representative studies and in studies with primarily White youth samples. However, there are mixed findings in the research literature on the association of maternal connectedness and SRB among African American and Latino youth, a population who are disproportionately over-represented in the criminal justice system. Additionally, no studies to date have examined the role of maternal connectedness in SRB among justice-involved youth. This dissertation used archived data to determine if maternal connectedness can buffer against the negative effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on SRB among justice-involved youth. A secondary aim was to explore the prevalence of ACEs among youth in the sample, including several new ACE items that focus on adversity occurring outside the home. Participants (N=263) were sentenced or detained adolescent males at a large correctional facility in New York City, aged 16-18 and predominantly African American and Latino. Data were collected from the baseline interview of an intervention study conducted from 2009-2010. Youth participated in an individually administered, computer-based survey covering a range of topics, such as sexual health history, family relationships, substance use, and exposure to adverse events. Consistent with the literature, our sample of detained youth reported a high degree of SRB and a significant number of adverse experiences. Logistic regression analysis found that total ACE scores do not predict risky sexual behavior, even when controlling for maternal connectedness, substance use, age, and number of days incarcerated/detained. However, every participant endorsed exposure to at least 2 ACEs and 92% endorsed exposure to 4 or more, suggesting that the restriction in range may have obfuscated a relationship between total ACE scores and sexual risk-taking. The new ACE items, including poverty, racial discrimination, and neighborhood violence were prevalent. Additionally, several of the individual ACE items, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, and racial discrimination were independently associated with sexual risk outcomes. Maternal connectedness was negatively correlated with one type of risky sexual behavior—frequency of substance use during sex. Maternal connectedness and total ACE scores were, as predicted, negatively correlated. These findings suggest that our sample of incarcerated youth have experienced such a profound degree of adversity and trauma that perhaps ACE scores alone cannot adequately predict their engagement in risky sex. The fact that so many of the adolescents in the study endorsed the new ACE items also provides strong support for dissemination of the revised ACE inventory. This study highlights the need for greater research on risk and protective factors influencing adolescent SRB, as well as psychosocial correlates of ACEs among at-risk youth. Furthermore, given the syndemic nature of SRB and high prevalence of STIs, HIV, and ACEs in urban communities of color, future research should consider a more comprehensive and integrative approach to preventing both childhood adversity and unwanted sexual risk outcomes. Directions for future research and clinical implications are discussed.

U.S. incarceration rates have soared over the past three decades and the demographic characteristics of those who end up in prison are a reflection of the nation's structural inequality. Incarcerated fathers are a socially disadvantaged group and spending time in prison compounds already significant risk factors that these men experienced throughout their lives. In addition, it increases the risk that their children will suffer from the intergenerational transmission of social inequality. While studies indicate that maintaining contact between incarcerated fathers and their children has the potential to benefit them both and improve a variety of outcomes, there is limited research on the factors that impact incarcerated father-child contact. Based on the ecological model and the cumulative risk framework, this thesis attempts to help fill this gap in the current literature by examining whether an incarcerated father's cumulative risk factors impact the frequency of contact he has with his children. Using a nationally representative data set of men in state prisons and a negative binomial regression analysis, this study found that number of childhood risk experiences was a significant predictor of an incarcerated father's contact with his children. In addition, minority status moderated the relationship between childhood risk and frequency of visits, with an increased effect of risk on father-child contact for African American and Hispanic men. While the quadratic term of Risk² was not significant, disproving the hypothesis that there is a non-linear relationship between risk and contact, a visual representation of the distribution showed that contact between fathers and their children dropped substantially for men with the highest number of risk factors. This study provides valuable information about the relationship between the childhood experiences of incarcerated fathers and their subsequent social ties. The knowledge that childhood risk impacts frequency of father-child contact has the potential to inform interventions aimed at improving outcomes for these at-risk families. / Graduation date: 2013

À la base, les jeux de hasard et d’argent (JHA) se révèlent pour la grande majorité des gens une activité ludique agréable. On les associe effectivement aux loisirs, puisqu’ils répondent pratiquement aux mêmes besoins, dont la curiosité, le divertissement, la détente, la socialisation et la reconnaissance (Chevalier, 2003; Chevalier & Papineau, 2007; Paradis & Courteau, 2003). En contrepartie, ils constituent tout de même un risque d’excès. Bien que personne ne soit vraiment à l’abri de la dépendance, les écrits scientifiques montrent que certains groupes se révèlent particulièrement à risque. Avec les personnes qui souffrent de troubles mentaux et toxicomaniaques (Walters, 1997), la population correctionnelle se trouve parmi les individus les plus susceptibles de présenter des problèmes liés au jeu pathologique (Abbott, McKenna, & Giles, 2005; Ashcroft, Daniels, & Hart, 2004; Lahn, 2005). Or, si plusieurs études informent sur les habitudes de jeu précarcérales des hommes condamnés à l’emprisonnement, peu renseignent sur ce qu’il advient de cette pratique à l’intérieur des établissements de détention. Malgré une interdiction formelle des services correctionnels, on reconnaît pourtant la présence des JHA en prison (Abbott et al., 2005; Lahn & Grabosky, 2003; Nixon, Leigh, & Grabosky, 2006; Williams, Royston, & Hagen, 2005; Lahn, 2005). Cependant, la plupart des études se contentent trop souvent de dresser un portrait purement descriptif des types de jeux et des formes de mises. Une meilleure compréhension de cette pratique intra-muros se révèle essentielle, ne serait-ce que si l’on tient compte de la proportion non négligeable de détenus aux prises avec une telle dépendance. Cette thèse entend donc améliorer la compréhension de cette pratique dans les établissements de détention fédéraux du Québec, en se basant sur l’opinion et l’expérience de 51 hommes qui y sont incarcérés. Des entrevues qualitatives en français ont été effectuées avec des détenus québécois de plus de 18 ans, purgeant une peine d’emprisonnement minimale de vingt-quatre mois. Les résultats obtenus suite à des analyses thématiques sont répartis dans trois articles scientifiques. Le premier article décrit le déroulement des JHA intra-muros et analyse l’influence du milieu carcéral sur l’accès à ces activités et leur signification. Contrairement à nos attentes, le règlement interdisant les paris ne s’avère pas un obstacle central à leur pratique. Des éléments liés au contexte correctionnel et à la sentence en restreignent davantage la participation. La disponibilité et les bienfaits habituellement retirés des JHA, comme le plaisir et l’excitation, s’avèrent beaucoup plus limités que ce que ces activités offrent habituellement dans la société libre. Le second article étudie les conséquences potentielles des JHA, de même que la façon dont les détenus y réagissent. À la base, le seul fait que ces activités impliquent obligatoirement un échange d’argent, de biens de valeur ou de services rendus engendre pour tous les joueurs un risque de contracter des dettes. Une analyse dynamique montre que certaines frictions se développent autour des JHA, qui s’expliquent toutefois mieux par les caractéristiques du milieu carcéral. Le dernier article aborde les motifs qui justifient la participation ou non de la population correctionnelle à des JHA durant leur incarcération. Il tient compte des habitudes de jeu au cours des douze mois qui ont précédé la détention, soit des non-joueurs, des joueurs récréatifs et des joueurs problématiques. Pour la plupart des détenus, les JHA servent d’alternative ludique à l’ennui, mais certains les utilisent également dans le but de s’intégrer, voire indirectement de se protéger. Fait encore plus intéressant, malgré la présence de joueurs dépendants parmi les hommes interviewés, aucune des motivations généralement associées au jeu pathologique n’a été rapportée pour justifier la pratique des JHA en prison. En somme, les JHA demeurent généralement sans conséquence dans les établissements de détention québécois, puisque très peu de détenus semblent dépasser leurs limites et s’endetter. Les conflits entourant ces activités apparaissent surtout sous forme de querelles, suite à des doutes sur l’intégrité d’un joueur ou une défaite non assumée. Les événements violents, comme des règlements de compte, faisant suite à des dettes impayées se révèlent exceptionnels. Les résultats de cette thèse montrent également que certains joueurs pathologiques, malgré l’opportunité de s’adonner à des JHA, s’abstiennent ou cessent de miser au cours de leur incarcération. Ces dernières données permettent de réfléchir sur le concept de dépendance et sur les éléments prometteurs pour le traitement des joueurs problématiques incarcérés. / Basically, gambling is a pleasant pastime for the vast majority of people. It is indeed associated with leisure, since it fills almost the same needs, including curiosity, entertainment, relaxation, socialization and recognition (Chevalier, 2003; Chevalier & Papineau, 2007; Paradis & Courteau, 2003). However, it still involves a risk of excess. Although no one is truly immune to addiction, scientific papers show that certain groups have been found to be particularly at risk. In addition to people with mental disorders and addictions (Walters, 1997), members of the correctional population are among those most likely to present pathological gambling problems (Abbott, McKenna, & Giles, 2005; Ashcroft, Daniels, & Hart, 2004; Lahn, 2005). And yet, while several studies examine pre-incarceration gambling habits of men sentenced to prison, few report on what happens to this practice in detention facilities. Although gambling is formally prohibited by correctional services, its presence in prison is nevertheless acknowledged (Abbott et al., 2005; Lahn & Grabosky, 2003; Nixon, Leigh, & Grabosky, 2006; Williams, Royston, & Hagen, 2005; Lahn, 2005). However, studies too often content themselves with drawing a purely descriptive portrait of the types of games and bets. A better understanding of gambling in prison is essential, if we consider the non negligible proportion of inmates struggling with such an addiction. The objective of this thesis is therefore to improve our understanding of gambling in Quebec’s federal detention facilities, based on the opinions and experience of 51 male inmates. Qualitative interviews were conducted in French with male inmates over 18 years of age from Quebec, serving a minimum prison sentence of 24 months. The thematic analysis results were divided into three scientific articles. The first article describes the conduct of gambling within the walls and analyzes the influence of prison settings on access to these activities and their significance. Contrary to our expectations, the regulation prohibiting betting is not a central obstacle to this practice. Participation is restricted more by factors related to the correctional context and the sentence. The availability of gambling and the usual benefits derived, such as pleasure and excitement, are far more limited than those generally provided by this activity in free society. The second article examines the potential consequences of gambling, as well as the inmates’ reactions to them. Basically, the fact alone that this activity necessarily involves an exchange of money, valuable items or services rendered puts all players at risk of incurring debts. However, a dynamic analysis shows that some frictions related to gambling are better explained by characteristics of the prison environment. The last article addresses the reasons why members of the correctional population do or do not gamble during their incarceration. It takes into account the gambling habits of non-gamblers, recreational gamblers and problem gamblers over the 12 months prior to detention. For most inmates, gambling serves as a recreational alternative to boredom, but some use it also for the purpose of integrating, or even protecting themselves indirectly. Even more interesting is the fact that, despite the presence of gambling addicts among the men interviewed, none of the motivations generally associated with pathological gambling was given as a reason for gambling in prison. In summary, gambling generally remains without consequence in Quebec’s detention facilities, since very few inmates appear to exceed their limits and incur debts. Conflicts related to this activity consist mostly in arguments stemming from doubts concerning a player’s integrity or an unaccepted defeat. Violent events, such as settlings of accounts due to unpaid debts, were found to be the exception. The results of this thesis show also that, despite having the opportunity to gamble, some pathological gamblers quit or abstain from betting during their incarceration. This new information enables us to reflect on the concept of addiction and on promising avenues for treating incarcerated problem gamblers.