Suchergebnisse

There are few existing studies that address sexual misconduct of women offenders toward other women prisoners. This qualitative study examined themes of sexual coercion and sexual assault among women offenders that surfaced in letters sent by one woman offender from prison during a period of 5 years. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) female apathy toward sexual coercion and sexual assault, (b) the femme as the sexual aggressor, (c) insight into one female rape situation, and (d) institutional factors contributing to sexual coercion. To prevent incidences of sexual assault by other offenders, policy suggestions specific to the study included a staff focus on identifying and consistently curbing sexual coercion and installing monitored cameras in restriction dorms.

This study examined sexual identity and perceptions of treatment by other prisoners and staff of incarcerated bisexual and gay men in special housing. Eigenberg's social constructionist model guided theoretical inquiry, and questions were derived from Wooden and Parker's survey. Although all inmates surveyed felt safer in protective custody than in general population, gay men were more likely to pressure bisexual and/or heterosexual offenders for sex while in protective custody. Bisexual offenders who preferred women to men more often sought protection from another inmate, reported more pressure from others to have sex, and felt less safe in jail than gay or bisexual men who preferred men over women. Sexual patterns tended to be indistinct for bisexuals, a factor that contributed to lower institutional adjustment and less satisfaction with regard to their sexual identity.

A theme of the late modernity perspective as applied to prisons is maximizing safety and minimizing risk in the face of an uncertain work environment. Correctional officers in two states were surveyed about how their knowledge of HIV relates to their perceptions of risk. Officers who knew less about HIV, had less formal education, feared contact with prisoners known to be HIV positive, and who viewed prisoner tattooing, intravenous drug use, and sex as common at the unit in which they worked were more likely to perceive a higher risk of contracting HIV on the job.

Probation supervision with and without home visits is an underresearched area for adjudicated higher risk youth. This study compared 287 juvenile probationers receiving police/probation home visits with similar youth ( n = 437) who were supervised on regular probation without home visits. Youth performance was measured during supervision and up to 24 months following probation. The most notable finding was that the rearrest rate for youth who had home visits during supervision was 3 times lower after probation supervision ended than for youth who did not have home visits.

Research on perceptions of sanction severity reveals a gap between White and Black respondents in terms of their preferences for incarceration compared to alternative punishments. Little is known, however, about Latinx preferences. Using a sample of jail inmates, we explore differences across White, Black, and Latinx respondents in terms of their preferences for incarceration versus probation, as well as the factors that relate to these preferences. Findings show that White respondents prefer probation far more frequently than Black and Latinx respondents. Additionally, factors which relate to sanctioning preferences for Whites are fundamentally different than those for Black and Latinx adults.