<p>The aim of this study is to look into the correctional system’s work with parent ship of incarcerated mothers and fathers from a gender perspective. It is a qualitative study and two interviews have been done with employees from a prison for women and one interview from a prison for men. Two interviews have been done with two former incarcerated parents, one mother and one father. One interview has also been done with an organization which gives children with incarcerated parents support and an opportunity to meet other children in the same situation. They also give incarcerated parents support in the contact with their children.</p><p>The results of the study imply that the correctional system has the same theoretical approach when working with incarcerated mothers and fathers. It is obvious that when it comes to attitudes and presumptions about parent ship, there are differences based on a gender perspective. This affects the practical work with parent ship within the correctional system. The results show that gender is always present in the discussion about parent ship within the correctional system even though the framework tells us different. This makes it even more important to be aware about how gender makes us look at parent ship depending on sex. Not least in the correctional system.        </p>

abstract: There has been a rise in heroin use throughout the United States due to doctors increasingly prescribing painkillers to patients with chronic pain (Kanouse & Compton, 2015; Compton, Boyle, & Wargo, 2015). Individuals get addicted to painkillers and, when their doctor will no longer prescribe them, turn to alternative methods of relief; heroin is often their cheapest option (Kolodny, Courtwright, Hwang, Kreiner, Eadie, Clark, & Alexander 2015). Heroin users are three to four times more likely to die from overdose than other types of drug users (Darke & Hall, 2003). The purpose of this study is to determine the likelihood that heroin users successfully reenter the community upon release from prison in comparison to other types of drug users. There are several re-entry outcomes that can be considered “success”; this study measures success as an index of the quality of the returning offender’s familial relationships as well as recidivism. The data used for this analysis is the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). The sample consists of male offenders, aged 18 years and older, who have been convicted of and imprisoned for a serious or violent crime. Findings suggest familial social support does not have an effect on heroin use, but heroin use increases the risk of recidivism. These findings will provide a context for rehabilitation of heroin offenders and will launch future research focusing on the differences between heroin users and other types of drug users. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2016

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Ecology-Personal Financial Planning / Maurice M. MacDonald / Crimes are committed for a vast and varying number of reasons. Many of those who commit crime are found guilty and serve their sentences. In most situations, the offenders will complete their sentences and subsequently be released back into society. The question then arises, is the offender prepared to return to society? There are numerous factors associated with successful reentry, but one that has not yet been addressed is financial behavior after release. This dissertation takes a first step toward understanding potential post-release financial behavior. The purpose of this primary data study was to use the theory of planned behavior as a context to examine how aspects of incarceration history—the type of crime committed (financial and non-financial), total years incarcerated, and total number of convictions—may influence financial attitude, financial subjective norms, perceptions of behavioral control, and post-release financial intentions. Use of the theory of planned behavior in this special, vulnerable population is needed to assist educators and professionals to determine what training offenders may need to succeed once back in society. This study focuses on Georgia Transitional Center participants’ post-release financial intentions. There is not much research regarding men and women who have experienced incarceration and their relationships with financial resources. Understanding the nature of Americans’ financial resources is challenging. Adding incarceration to the equation further complicates the investigation, but it is a worthwhile for a more comprehensive understanding of factors that may later affect success in society. This dissertation is the first study to investigate post-release financial intentions of men and women in a work release program.

No description available.

Thesis(M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The study explored recidivism as a lived experience among the youth incarcerated at Polokwane Secure Care Centre in Polokwane, Limpopo Province. The study focused on describing the subjective meanings that recidivist youth attach to their behaviour and established what the youth consider to be the causes of their recidivist behaviour. Furthermore, the study explored what the youth perceive as possible interventions to reduce recidivism. A total of six participants (all males; aged between 16 and 18) were selected using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected using semi structured interviews. Thematic analysis method was used to analyse the data. The six major themes that emerged during data analysis were; a) labelling; b) peer pressure; c) substance abuse; d) socialisation; e) conduct disorder; and f) self discipline and constructive activities. The findings of the study suggest that various factors contribute to recidivism including the use of substances; parenting styles as well as peer pressure. Furthermore, the findings showed that behavioural problems including criminal behaviour in the youth, may be due to being labelled as a criminal or Conduct Disorder. The findings further suggest the influence the environment has on the youth, and how being socialised in an environment that emphasises a fancy lifestyle may contribute to the youth engaging in criminal activities to meet the standards of that particular environment. The findings further suggest that self discipline and of constructive activities may help to reduce recidivism among the youth. The study is concluded by, among others, recommending that psychological services be widely available to communities which will allow the youth to have easy access to such services. This may assist them in dealing with issues such as their experiences within the households (such as abuse) and how to better manage/ control their emotions as opposed to responding aggressively.

This essay explores the design, measures and effectiveness of parenting programs for incarcerated parents. There is a growing concern for children who have incarcerated parents. The potential effects of parental incarceration and the intergenerational nature of crime and delinquency is one reason to develop parenting programs. Experiences of parental incarceration are believed to cause mental, physical, emotional and economic hardship for children. Parenting programs might be beneficial for both parents and their children. Results suggest that further efforts need to be made to support incarcerated parents during incarceration as well as after release.

Formerly incarcerated students comprise a population that has been largely overlooked, when it comes to the recognition of their higher education promise and potential (Strayhorn et al., 2013; U.S. Department of Education, 2021). This lack of recognition contributes to the perpetuation of race- and class-based inequities and discounts the talents and potential of a multitude of individuals. In order to advance social justice and equity for this marginalized group, further exploration of their experiences with higher education is warranted. This exploration is increasingly timely, as the reinstatement of Pell eligibility for incarcerated students may place many more incarcerated individuals on a trajectory to continue pursuing their degrees at higher education institutions located outside of prison walls post-release. Although much research has been done on higher education courses offered in prison, relatively little is known about the experiences of formerly incarcerated students as they pursue higher education after prison release (Donaldson & Viera, 2021; Livingston & Miller, 2014; McTier et al., 2020b; Strayhorn et al., 2013).This qualitative study used the theoretical framework of social capital to explore the experiences of formerly incarcerated students as they have transitioned out of prison and into on-campus learning at institutions of higher education. The study was primarily aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the barriers and supports that formerly incarcerated students experience as they pursue higher education, focusing specifically on the ways in which they are able to cultivate a sense of belonging. Additionally, the study explored the motivations behind formerly incarcerated students’ decisions to continue pursuing higher education after their release from prison as well as their expectations for the future post-graduation. Data were collected through surveys, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with formerly incarcerated undergraduate and graduate students, and publicly accessible articles and video featuring the higher education experiences of formerly incarcerated students. Findings revealed that formerly incarcerated students’ decisions to continue higher education after prison were influenced by several factors, including personal transformations that led to the revaluation of higher education and the desire for better professional prospects after prison. Additionally, the decision to continue higher education was influenced by the acquisition of meaningful social capital that occurred through in-prison education. Connections to faculty members and fellow students made the task of earning a college degree on campus seem more attainable. Pertaining to barriers to experiencing a sense of belonging on campus, students who were formerly incarcerated dealt with culture shock during their transition from prison to on-campus learning; concerns over being stigmatized and perceived negatively by others; limitations and restrictions imposed on them by the halfway houses in which many of them lived; and a lack of shared experience with others on campus. Conversely, formerly incarcerated students found support and a sense of belonging in the context of the program in which they were involved, which offered them a sense of family and access to multi-faceted support services. Positive relationships with faculty also facilitated the cultivation of a sense of belonging among formerly incarcerated students, as did instances where they were able to leverage their life experiences in order to educate, inform, and mentor others on campus. Notably, the program provided various resources and opportunities to form meaningful connections with others, including other formerly incarcerated students, program staff, and faculty connected to the program. In this way, social capital acquisition—in the form of meaningful and supportive relationships fostered through the program—was most instrumental in facilitating a sense of belonging within their institution of higher education. Findings also showed that the higher education experiences of formerly incarcerated students had an overall positive effect on their perceptions of post-graduation opportunities. Through their higher education experiences, and more specifically through their time in the RISE-UP [a pseudonym] program, participants expanded their perspective on what they thought possible for themselves and gained confidence that their goals for the future were attainable. The program facilitated widespread networking and other opportunities for students, which led them to acquire a great deal of social capital. This social capital they acquired was most important in shaping their positive expectations for their post-graduation futures. As formerly incarcerated students are not a homogenous group, findings differed slightly based on factors such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, and campus attended. Findings of the current study show that in higher education spaces formerly incarcerated students have much to contribute but often face considerable barriers, particularly when it comes to establishing a sense of belonging. The findings have many important implications and suggest that by adopting certain policies and practices universities, administration, and faculty could help to better meet the needs of formerly incarcerated students and thereby increase their chances of academic, professional, and personal success. Future research should be conducted to further understand the experiences of diverse groups of formerly incarcerated students situated in various higher contexts. / Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies

Children of incarcerated parents are a hidden and growing population in schools. Currently in California, no systematic collection of data is gathered regarding prisoners' children. In 2000, approximately 9% of school-age children had a parent involved in the criminal justice system. Parental incarceration is a risk marker school personnel can use to trigger a concern that multiple risk factors are most likely present in the life of a student. Many of these children struggle academically and socially. Sixteen interviews were conducted with adults who as school-age children had a parent incarcerated. Only one of these adults earned a high school diploma through traditional means. Schools can begin to address this population's struggle to achieve academically by providing alternative opportunities. The underlying theme found threaded through the responses was the participants' need to feel normal. Strategies exist that school personnel can use to help these children understand that they can become resilient in the face of adversity and achieve a sense of normality. Most staff development programs do not directly address the needs of this population. This research identified many of the needs of these children and some promising practices that school personnel can use when working with children of incarcerated parents.

There is an abundance of literature that examines the comorbidity of domestic violence and trauma as well as domestic violence and alcohol and/or substance abuse in both community and incarcerated samples of women. There is a paucity of research dedicated to discovering if incarcerated women are significantly more likely to have this triad of domestic violence, trauma, and alcohol and/or substance abuse than their community cohorts. The present study examined this under-researched area by analyzing data from 147 women who participated in an extensive, ongoing research project. Women in this sample were from the United States, Russia, Colombia, Spain, Trinidad, and Greece. Results found that the incarcerated women were significantly more likely to suffer more severe domestic violence and were also more likely to abuse substances. No significant differences were found with respect to witnessing domestic violence or childhood sexual abuse, but both groups reported high rates. There were also no significant differences found between the groups on current symptoms of trauma, but both groups obtained scores that hovered just below the clinical cutoff. Although these variables were not statistically significant, they are diagnostic in that they describe experiences related to being a victim of domestic violence and are therefore, areas of potential intervention.

Women’s lived experiences of abuse and depression are examined within the context of gendered and racialized pathways to incarceration among 403 women randomly selected from a diagnostic unit in a state prison. This study utilizes feminist action research and community psychological methods to understand what factors predict incarcerated women’s placement on the mental health caseload and provides quantitative support for the pathways theoretical framework. Findings indicate that, among the sample, the prevalence of abuse experiences prior to incarceration exceeded 90%, prevalence of mental health problems exceeded 70%, and less than 35% were receiving mental health care. Being Caucasian, experiencing depression and suicidal ideation, and serving time for certain types of (non-violent, non-property, and non-drug related) crime (e.g., cruelty to children, prostitution, public order, “technicals,” and others) predicted the placement of women on the mental health caseload. Implications for trauma-informed, anti-racist, gender-responsive policies and interventions are discussed.