Matching Items (2)
Description
The use of restrictive housing in prisons is at the forefront of national discussions on crime and punishment. Civil and human rights activists have argued that its use should be limited due to harmful effects on the physical and psychological health of inmates as well as its limited ability to reduce subsequent offending. Stacked against this is the need for correctional administrators to respond to institutional violence in a manner that ideally curtails future violence while doing no further harm to the well-being of those housed in these environments. The current project explores the effectiveness of a Restrictive Status Housing Program (RSHP) designed for inmates who commit violent assaults within the Arizona Department of Corrections. The program, as designed, moves beyond exclusively punitive approaches to segregation by encouraging behavior modification that is influenced by cognitive behavioral training. This study advances the literature and informs correctional policy by: 1) examining the effects of program participation on future behavioral outcomes, and 2) exploring mechanisms through which the program works (or does not work) by interviewing former RSHP participants and staff. The current research uses a mixed-method research design and was carried out in two phases. For Phase 1, quantitative data on behavioral outcomes of program participants (N = 240), as well as a carefully constructed comparison group (N = 1,687), will be collected and analyzed using official records over a one-year follow-up. Phase 2 will examine qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with former RSHP participants (n = 25) and correctional staff who oversee the day-to-day management of the program (n = 10). Results from the current study suggest that placement in the RSHP has null, and at times, an adverse effect on subsequent levels of institutional misconduct. Policy implications and recommendations based on these findings are discussed.
ContributorsMeyers, Travis John (Author) / Wright, Kevin A. (Thesis advisor) / Young, Jacob T.N. (Committee member) / Telep, Cody W. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Many working in the criminal justice system and beyond are trying to ascertain whether there should be continued use of restricted housing or solitary confinement. This study examines knowledge of and general support for restrictive housing. Using randomly assigned, factorial vignettes, the survey manipulates populations and reasons for placement in restrictive housing to determine situational support for the correctional practice. Results indicate that among a sample of students (N=363), little is known about restrictive housing, despite substantial exposure to both fiction and nonfiction media on the subject. Averages of approval ratings indicate the public is neutral on whether the practice is humane, including its placement procedures and conditions, though there was slight disapproval of the placement of mentally ill inmates in segregation. Analysis shows that age, some reasons for placement, whether placement is voluntary, and extreme durations of time in isolation are significantly associated with public approval.
ContributorsRuffner, Chelsea (Author) / Wright, Kevin (Thesis advisor) / Telep, Cody (Committee member) / Young, Jacob (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017