MAY CONTAIN MARKUP

BY Gordon Hawkins

The Prison: Policy and Practice delves into the intricate world of correctional facilities, offering a comprehensive overview of the policies governing them and the practices implemented within their walls. This book provides readers with a deep exploration of the evolution of prison systems, the impact of various policies on inmates and staff, and the challenges faced by modern correctional institutions. By examining the intersection of policy and practice, this insightful work sheds light on the complexities of the prison environment and the ongoing debates surrounding criminal justice reform. An essential read for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the role of prisons in contemporary society.

Chicago. University of Chicago Press. 1976. 228p.

Rachel E. Bennett

Should pregnant women be sent to prison? Is prison a place for the birth and care of babies? Can it ever be? This book is the first extensive historical examination of how the modern prison system sought to answer these perennial questions. The book takes the reader through the prison gates to demonstrate that, although a common feature of everyday life in women’s prisons, pregnancy, birth and motherhood were rarely fully considered at policy level. Instead, the experiences of mothers and children were shaped by a myriad of factors including debates about reconciling the management of institutional discipline with the maintenance of health and issues of gender and class. Lamented as an inalienable heritage of woe but also as an opportunity for the closer supervision of mothers, prison births evoked intense debate and required the negotiation of obdurate regimes. The book reveals how oscillating debates about the purpose of prisons shaped the punitive, reformatory and medical treatment of confined mothers. It also challenges scholarly debates about institutional discipline by delving further into the role of prisoners and prison staff in shaping the terms of their incarceration.

Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 2024. 217p.

By: Food Matters

The World Health Organisation has emphasised the importance of seeing prisons as whole food systems. In this paper, Food Matters highlights numerous opportunities for food to play a broader role in prison life. In January 2023, Food Matters organised a roundtable workshop to discuss the issue of food in prisons, involving experts from the voluntary sector, academia, and individuals with lived prison experience. The central theme was the significant role of food in prisons and its impact on the lives of those held in them. We coupled the findings from this workshop with a review of related policy and literature in an interim paper which was shared with key stakeholders, including His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, the Care Quality Commission, the Independent Monitoring Board, Clinks and other voluntary sector organisations. This paper explores the crucial role of food in shaping prisoners' identities and relationships and its potential to have positive impacts in prisons, including fostering relationships; promoting education, exercise and meaningful activities; enhancing cultural understanding improving physical and mental health; enhancing safety; and reducing reoffending. Food Matters has concluded that food should move from being a functional aspect of prisons to become a focal point for various activities and improvements to prison regimes. Key findings and considerations include: Opportunities for building on existing initiatives: Positive initiatives related to food and nutrition have been undertaken in prisons by voluntary sector organisations, supported by HMPPS and/or individual governors and more recently by HMPPS itself in promoting self-production initiatives and creating healthy recipes. However, limited resources and short-term funding have hindered the sustainability and longterm impact of these efforts. There is potential for collectively sharing best practices and building an evidence base for food and growing-related initiatives across prisons. Opportunities for greater transparency over food quality, standards, and sustainability following strengthened government commitments to adopting sustainable food procurement, the introduction of new nutritional guidance for public catering, and requirements for data reporting on food procurement and waste. More broadly, there is potential for widespread adoption of mainstream public health initiatives in prisons, including accreditation schemes for caterers and food suppliers. There is also scope for enhanced independent inspection and parliamentary oversight to encourage more creative approaches to be taken, building on a thematic review that explored the role of food in connection, comfort, and mental health support in prisons. Opportunities for HMPPS to adopt a strategic approach to developing food-related initiatives, integrated within a range of policies and practices such as rehabilitation, learning and skills development, family ties, and well-being and ensure that opportunities for self-catering, communal dining, and sustainable food production are maximized in redevelopment and new building projects.

Brighton , UK: Food Matters, 2024. 42p.

By Heino Stöver, Anna Tarján, Gergely Horváth & Linda Montanari 

People who inject drugs are often imprisoned, which is associated with increased levels of health risks including overdose and infectious diseases transmission, affecting not only people in prison but also the communities to which they return. This paper aims to give an up-to-date overview on availability, coverage and policy framework of prison-based harm reduction interventions in Europe. Available data on selected harm reduction responses in prisons were compiled from international standardised data sources and combined with a questionnaire survey among 30 National Focal Points of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction to determine the level of availability, estimated coverage and policy framework of the interventions. …. While 21 countries address harm reduction in prison in national strategic documents, upon-release interventions appear only in 12.

Conclusions. Availability and coverage of harm reduction interventions in European prisons are limited, compared to the community. There is a gap between international recommendations and ‘on-paper’ availability of interventions and their actual implementation. Scaling up harm reduction in prison and throughcare can achieve important individual and public-health benefits.

Harm Reduction Journal volume 18, Article number: 67 (2021) 

By Lauren G. Beatty and; Tracy L. Snell

This report provides statistics on whether prisoners were required to have a work assignment, the types of work they performed while incarcerated, and reasons they chose to have a work assignment if one was not required. Findings are based on data collected in the most recent Survey of Prison Inmates, which was conducted in 2016 through face-to-face interviews with a national sample of federal and state prisoners.

Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023. 7p.

By Torsten Eriksson

Translated from the original Swedish text by Catherine Djurklou. From the cover: Torsten Eriksson traces the history of reform experiments in criminal treatment in Europe and the United States from the sixteenth century to the present day. Experiments with separate and solitary confinements, self-government in institutions, and modern methods of treatment in psychiatric and psychological institutions are among the topics covered in Eriksson's d scription of the achievements and failures of pioneer reformers. The Reformers recounts ideas conceived, expressed, and executed throughout history which parallel our thoughts today, lending perspective to present-day attempts at prison reform. It is the first book of its kind that concentrates entirely on the develop- ment of treatment methods for criminals. This unique and scholarly volume should be essential reading for al those who take a serious interest in the treatment of offenders.

NY. Elsevier. 1976. 320p.

By Marcelo F. Aebi and Yuji Z. Hashimoto

The main findings of the SPACE II 2021 report are presented in a separate booklet (Probation and Prisons in Europe, 2021: Key Findings of the SPACE reports), which includes analyses of the data collected and comparisons with the main results of the SPACE I 2021 report on prison populations. This section only provides a snapshot of the situation regarding the use probation in Europe. ➢ The participation rate in the SPACE II 2021 Survey was satisfactory: 48 out of the 52 countries or administrative entities of the 47 Council of Europe Member States answered the questionnaire. ➢ Probation agencies are usually placed under the authority of the National Ministry of Justice. In ten countries/administrative entities, the Ministry of Justice is neither responsible nor co-responsible for their functioning. ➢ Probation agencies are independent from the Prison Administrations in 26 countries/administrative entities, while in 15 there is a shared prison and probation administration. ➢ 25 of the 48 probation agencies which provided data use the person as the counting unit. Seven probation agencies do not use the person as the counting unit for neither stock nor flow, two do not use the person for flow and 12 use it partially, most often only for the total stock and the total flow. ➢ Stock of probationers: On 31 January 2021, there were 1 773 556 persons under the supervision of the 32 probation agencies that provided data on this item and use the person as the counting unit for their stock. The absolute number of persons on probation is much higher than in 2019 because the Russian Federation provided data for SPACE II 2021 but not for SPACE II 2020. ➢ Flow of entries to probation: During the year 2020, 1 860 352 were placed under the supervision of the 29 probation agencies which provided data on this item and use the person as the counting unit for their flow of entries. ➢ Flow of exits from probation: During the year 2020, 1 700 528 persons ceased to be under the supervision of the 29 probation agencies which provided data on this item and use the person as the counting unit for their flow of exits. ➢ Non-custodial sanctions and measures are seldom used as an alternative to pre-trial detention; only 14% of the probation population on 31 January 2021 corresponds to persons placed under supervision before trial in the 18 probation agencies which provided data on this item and use the person as the counting unit for their stock of probationers. ➢ On 31 January 2021, among the 28 probation agencies which provided figures on female probation clients and use the person as the counting unit, women represented 11% of the total probation population. ➢ Among the 20 probation agencies that provided figures on foreigners and use the person as the counting unit, foreigners represented 13% of the total probation population. ➢ Among the 20 probation agencies that provided figures on minors and use the person as the counting unit, minors represented 4.8% of the total probation population. ➢ Among the 27 probation agencies that provided figures on total stock and total staff and use the person as the counting unit, there are around 38 probationers for each probation staff member, but that ratio varies considerably across countries. ➢ Among the 32 probation agencies that provided figures on total staff and pre-sentence reports, there are around six (6) pre-sentence reports produced for each probation staff member across Europe. ➢ In 40 jurisdictions, probation is used for all of the major categories of criminal offences specified (against persons, against property, drug offences, road traffic offences).

Strasbourg: Council of Europe & University of Lausanne, 2022 . 149p.

By Caitlyn Norman

Prisoners have significantly greater levels of drug use than the general population, which is related to many adverse outcomes both during and post-imprisonment. Reducing the availability of drugs in prison can lead to a reduction in the drug use of prisoners but requires knowledge of the different drug smuggling routes and the implementation of effective security measures. The main smuggling routes identified in the literature are through visitors; mail; prisoners on reception, remand, or work release; staff; and perimeter throwovers, but they differ between prisons depending on various contextual factors and security measures in place. Based on a total of 81 studies from 22 different countries, the average prevalence of drug use during incarceration is 32.0% with a range from 3.4% to 90%. The types of drugs used in prisons vary among geographical regions, countries, and even regions within countries. The most common drug reported to be used by prisoners in most studies was cannabis, except in South Asia and Scotland, where heroin was more prevalent. The drugs used in prison tend to reflect the prevalence of drugs in the local community, except where a drug has advantages unique to use in prison. It is vital to examine the prevalence of drug use and different types of drugs used during incarceration to help inform drug treatment services, assist prison staff in identifying potential drug use or intoxicated prisoners, and advise prisons about the most prevalent drug smuggling routes so new security measures can be considered.

WIREs Forensic Science, e1473. 

By David J.Cooke, Pamela J.Baldwin and Jacqueline Howison

Prisons have a very distinctive environment; one in which particular psychological problems occur with exaggerated frequency and intensity. If prison staff are to work effectively they must be aware of the influence of this unique environment upon the behaviour of those who inhabit it. Psychology in Prisons argues that, by applying psychological principles, behaviour within prisons can be better understood, and violence, distress and stress can be limited. The authors show how psychology can be used to increase our understanding of prisoners, how they became involved in crime, and how they adapt to prison life. They explain how psychology can be used and applied to make for more effective day-to-day dealing with prisoners. The authors focus on key areas of tension and particular problem groups, including sex offenders, violent offenders and the issue of AIDS. But the book also considers how working in prison affects its staff and explores how they can use psychological principles both to reduce the level of stress they undergo in their work and to secure the prisoners’ mental well-being. Psychology in Prisons will be of interest to those with a broad interest in applied psychology or to anyone who is involved with work in prisons.

London; New York: Routledge, 1990. 160p.

By David Scott and Nick Flynn.

2nd ed. Covering all the key topics across the subject of Penology, this book gives you the tools you need to delve deeper and critically examine issues relating to prisons and punishment. The second edition: (1) explores prisons and punishment within national, international and comparative contexts, and draws upon contemporary case studies throughout to illustrate key themes and issues (2) includes new sections on actuarial justice, proportionality, sentencing principles, persistent offending, rehabilitation, and abolitionist approaches to punishment.

Los Angeles: Sage, 2014.