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MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE PRISON SYSTEM: EXPLORING THE ISSUES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Title
MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE PRISON SYSTEM: EXPLORING THE ISSUES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS.
Creator
Pacecca, Melinda, Saunders, W. Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of this research was to explore the issue of mental health in the prison system. A large portion of the prison population is mentally ill. The prison environment poses special challenges to these individuals. Treating mental illness in a prison environment can be difficult as there are many factors that must be considered in deciding the best way to handle mentally ill offenders. Mental health courts show promise in dealing with these issues, but methods vary quite significantly...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to explore the issue of mental health in the prison system. A large portion of the prison population is mentally ill. The prison environment poses special challenges to these individuals. Treating mental illness in a prison environment can be difficult as there are many factors that must be considered in deciding the best way to handle mentally ill offenders. Mental health courts show promise in dealing with these issues, but methods vary quite significantly from region to region. A literature review was conducted to provide an overview of the types of mental illnesses seen in prison populations, the types of crimes committed by those with a mental illness, treatment options, efficacy of treatment, and recidivism of mentally ill offenders. Data from a 2000 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation report on California prisoners and parolees and data from the California Department of Mental Health were used to run a Pearson R correlation matrix. It was predicted that there would be a higher correlation between mental illness in the general population and incarceration than socioeconomic class, in this case individuals below the poverty level, and incarceration. The results supported the hypothesis which highlights the prevalence of the issue of mental illness in the prison system. It is important to ensure that those with mental disorders are receiving appropriate treatment while incarcerated. Effective treatment may have the potential to help the individual better adapt to prison life and possibly have a better outlook upon release into the community and more research should be done to explore this possibility.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFH0004402, ucf:45126
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004402
ART THERAPY TREATMENT WITH INCARCERATED WOMEN
Title
ART THERAPY TREATMENT WITH INCARCERATED WOMEN.
Creator
Erickson, Bonnie, Young, Mark, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study examined the effectiveness of art therapy in decreasing symptoms of trauma and psychological distress in women who were incarcerated in county jails in the Southeastern United States. In order to protect the integrity of the study, control subjects were in different dormitories from the treatment subjects. While the dormitories were randomly assigned to treatment or control, the subjects were not. The dependent measures were paper and pencil tests, the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45...
Show moreThis study examined the effectiveness of art therapy in decreasing symptoms of trauma and psychological distress in women who were incarcerated in county jails in the Southeastern United States. In order to protect the integrity of the study, control subjects were in different dormitories from the treatment subjects. While the dormitories were randomly assigned to treatment or control, the subjects were not. The dependent measures were paper and pencil tests, the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2) and the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) given at pretest and posttest. A demographic questionnaire was completed in the first session to better characterize the participants. In addition, a post study evaluation with open ended questions was completed at the end of the study that allowed participants to share their feelings about the treatment experience. Additional qualitative information was obtained through observation data collected by the investigator who served as the provider of treatment. Art therapy group participants attended six sessions of art therapy over a three week period which was administered using six standard art projects. Like treatment subjects, control participants had access to the treatment available in the jail to all inmates, and were offered art therapy treatment after final data were obtained. Though the statistical data gathered in this study did not provide empirical evidence that the group art therapy treatment was effective in reducing symptomatology, the qualitative responses indicated that the treatment was rated very positively by the participants. No statistically significant changes were found in overall scores, however, some significance was found on some individual treatment scales. Scores measuring psychological distress and trauma symptoms generally decreased over time for all study participants, however, treatment participant scores improved at a greater rate. The study was limited due to small sample size (N=26). Nearly half of the original participants were lost to attrition associated with administrative actions in the county jail system. The measurement instruments used were not specifically adapted to incarcerated individuals and may not have provided adequate measurement for this population. Responses from the participants were overwhelmingly positive. Inmates responses to the post study evaluation indicated that they had enjoyed the experience and would recommend the group to others. More than 75% stated that they felt that the treatment had helped them deal with difficult experiences in their past. The most frequent suggestion for the future was that the groups needed to be continued, and should be longer and more frequent.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002407, ucf:47753
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002407
We Live This Shit: Rap as a Reflection of Reality for Inner City Youth
Title
We Live This Shit: Rap as a Reflection of Reality for Inner City Youth.
Creator
Patel, Parag, Wright, James, Carter, Shannon, Carter, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Rap is an extremely popular form of modern music that is notorious for incorporating themes of guns and violence into the lyrics. Early rap was mainly party or dance music until the mid-80s when structural shifts in social conditions brought feelings of hopelessness and frustration into black inner city communities and youth culture. These feelings now find expression in rap lyrics. This thesis uses rap lyrics as qualitative data to understand the plight of urban black youth. Rap music can be...
Show moreRap is an extremely popular form of modern music that is notorious for incorporating themes of guns and violence into the lyrics. Early rap was mainly party or dance music until the mid-80s when structural shifts in social conditions brought feelings of hopelessness and frustration into black inner city communities and youth culture. These feelings now find expression in rap lyrics. This thesis uses rap lyrics as qualitative data to understand the plight of urban black youth. Rap music can be seen as a form of resistance for young African Americans who have historically never had such a medium to express their lived experiences and frustrations with society. The rap performance becomes a stage where the powerless become powerful by using the microphone as a symbolic AK-47 and words as weapons in the form of symbolic hollow point cartridges. This Thesis examines the contemporary African American experience, its reflection in the lyrics of rap music, and its fascination with guns, violence and death. A key theme is while rap lyrics sometimes seem radical and frightening to the mainstream, they often express lines of analysis and understanding that have been widely discussed in conventional sociological literature.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0004151, ucf:49047
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004151
The Disobedient Prisoner: A Racial Comparison of the Level of Punishment Prescribed to Inmates for Rule Violations
Title
The Disobedient Prisoner: A Racial Comparison of the Level of Punishment Prescribed to Inmates for Rule Violations.
Creator
King, Sarah, Corzine, Harold, Gay, David, Reckdenwald, Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
With the various studies that point to racial disparities at different levels of the United States' criminal justice system, it is necessary to uncover all places within the system where racial disparities might exist. Understanding that Black inmates are disproportionately represented within the prison system led to the hypothesis that Black inmates receive harsher punishments than White inmates when they violate a rule while in prison. A cross-sectional study, (")Survey of Inmates in State...
Show moreWith the various studies that point to racial disparities at different levels of the United States' criminal justice system, it is necessary to uncover all places within the system where racial disparities might exist. Understanding that Black inmates are disproportionately represented within the prison system led to the hypothesis that Black inmates receive harsher punishments than White inmates when they violate a rule while in prison. A cross-sectional study, (")Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 2004,(") which was available through ICPSR, was used in order to test the hypothesis. The data were collected from October 2003 through May 2004. For the current study, only inmates who had committed armed robbery, aggravated assault, or murder were in the sample. After the modification of the variables comprised of race, rule violations, and punishment type, the sample size was 652. First, an OLS regression was used in three models, which showed that major rule violations had a significant effect on the type of punishment an inmate received, but race did not. Second, age groups were employed to run an OLS regression within each of the four age groups. This revealed that major rule violations had a significant effect on the type of punishment an inmate received in four of the age groups, but race was not significant in any of the models. Implications and possible explanations regarding these findings are discussed.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005819, ucf:50045
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005819
RESILIENCY FACTORS AND PATHWAYS TO INCARCERATION IN FEMALE SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE
Title
RESILIENCY FACTORS AND PATHWAYS TO INCARCERATION IN FEMALE SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE.
Creator
Asberg, Kia, Renk, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Studies find consistently that survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are likely to suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress, and problematic substance use, and may experience also a variety of adjustment difficulties in several emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal domains. Involvement with the legal system is one such outcome to consider, especially given the increasing number of women serving time in correctional facilities with nearly two-thirds of these women being survivors...
Show moreStudies find consistently that survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are likely to suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress, and problematic substance use, and may experience also a variety of adjustment difficulties in several emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal domains. Involvement with the legal system is one such outcome to consider, especially given the increasing number of women serving time in correctional facilities with nearly two-thirds of these women being survivors of CSA (e.g., Browne, Miller, & Maguin, 1999). The current literature lacks comparisons between female survivors of CSA who have legal involvement and those who do not; hence, the current study addresses the need for a comprehensive investigation of early victimizations and later adjustment. Data were obtained from 169 female inmates and 420 female college students, a number of whom were survivors of CSA (66% and 35.5%, respectively), so that group differences could be examined and relationships among family environment, abuse disclosure history, coping, perceived social support, adjustment (i.e., trauma symptoms, substance abuse, depressive symptomatology, revictimization), and criminal history could be explored. Results suggested that inmate survivors experience poorer functioning overall relative to student survivors of CSA, including more depressive symptoms, trauma symptoms, and substance abuse. Further, avoidance coping by using substances mediated fully the relationship between trauma symptoms and substance abuse for both groups. Finally, severity of CSA, problematic substance use, and social support emerged as significant predictors of incarceration among survivors of CSA. Findings may aid in the refinement of interventions, prevention efforts, and educational programs regarding CSA, and shed light on pathways to incarceration.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002331, ucf:47777
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002331
Victimization and Health Experiences for TGNC Individuals in Women's Prisons
Title
Victimization and Health Experiences for TGNC Individuals in Women's Prisons.
Creator
Davis, Kristina, Armato, Michael, Ford, Jason, Hinojosa, Ramon, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This text examines the health-related experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming persons assigned female at birth within the criminal justice system. It moves through a transgender-centric approach to explore the ways gender nonconformity relates to experiences of violence and healthcare disparities for those interacting with law enforcement and incarcerated in women's prisons. The study utilized statistical analyses of nationally representative data in the 2015 U.S. Transgender...
Show moreThis text examines the health-related experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming persons assigned female at birth within the criminal justice system. It moves through a transgender-centric approach to explore the ways gender nonconformity relates to experiences of violence and healthcare disparities for those interacting with law enforcement and incarcerated in women's prisons. The study utilized statistical analyses of nationally representative data in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey carried out by the National Center for Transgender Equality. Multivariate analyses suggested significant connections between race and education and experiences of harassment and assault within the criminal justice context. There were largely mixed results regarding the direct connections between gender conformity and transition status and experiences of violence. These findings provide initial exploratory quantitative data for the realities of transmasculine and nonbinary persons assigned female at birth within the criminal justice system and provide starting points for future research.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007621, ucf:52558
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007621