Transcript An eye for an eye

Jennifer Peters
Marcel Collins
Martin Hammar
“An eye for an eye only ends
up making the whole world
blind.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
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Unites States contains less than 5% of the
world’s population, but incarcerates 25% of the
world’s prisoners.
In 2002 – Inmates admitted totaled 591,000 and
those released totaled 586,000
Over 60% of the jail and prison population are
non-violent offenders.
Recidivism rates are generally not affected by
length of sentence
(Schmitt,Warner & Gupta, 2010; Katel, 2009; Savitsky, 2012)
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More than 2 million prisoners are released each
year to their communities.
People of color are disproportionately
represented within the U.S. criminal justice
system.
There are now more African Americans in
prison and jail, or on probation or parole than
were enslaved in 1850.
75% of state prisoners do not have their high
school diploma.
(Hirsch et al., 2002; Rastogi, et al., 2011)
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National survey of prison inmates found highest rate on
mental illness was among white females.
Female inmate population is rising faster annually than
males
Females of color more likely to be incarcerated
Women are often imprisoned due to crimes committed
due to multiple dependence on a man
Domestic violence is often directly or indirectly present
as a key factor in a woman’s life course.
(Center for Policy Studies, 2009)
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56% of incarcerated adults are parents.
3 million children have an incarcerated parent or
one who has been recently released.
Stigma created by incarceration makes not only
affect parents, but also can trickle down to their
children.
Many parents lose parental rights to their children
before their release from prison.
Child support orders often continue to accrue
during incarceration.
(Foster & Hagen, 2009; Nasher & Visher, 2006)
Adult/Youth
Cohabitation in Prisons
 Harrison & Kargerg
(2004) states that out
of an increase of
40,983 prisoners—
3,006 were under the
age of 18 and another
6,869 were in adult
jails
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Youth Corrections
Costly $88,000/year
High recidivism
Greater number of
ethnic minorities
Mostly males
High rates of MI &
substance use
disorders
(Abrams & Snyder, 2010)
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1984 Sentencing Reform Act imposed
mandatory sentencing for specific drug and
firearm offenses.
In 1996 through welfare reform, people with
felony drug convictions were subjected to a
lifetime ban from Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) and Food Stamps
benefits.
Government Institutions
Prison Industrial Complex
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Incarceration among disadvantaged groups
resulting in social exclusion has significant
impact on communities.
Effectively a caste system that promotes
preservation of power, prevents social mobility,
and dehumanizes subsets of the population.
(Jung, 2011)
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Housing
Entitlement
Programs
Voting Rights
Securing Credit
Stigmatization
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Employment
Education
Documentation
items
Loss of child and
or family
Sanctions that persist even after a
person has completed a sentence.
(Kenemore & Rolden, 2006)
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Pre-incarceration: Public defenders plea bargain
in 95% of cases, lead to the “Prisoner’s Dilemma”
(Savitsky, 2012).
Incarcerated: States spent an average $22,650 per
incarcerated inmate, but budget constraints have
resulted in few treatment programs (Katel, 2009).
Released: Majority of inmates leave prison with
no savings or job prospects. 90% leave with little
or no discharge planning (Jung, 2011).
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Depending on your role as a social worker, there will be many
different areas that you may be required to intervene. Some
examples are:
Micro level: Providing or referring for counseling services, aiding
in reunification process, and providing pre-release planning to
convicts looking to return home.
Mezzo level: Advocating for prisons to utilize internet based child
and family visitation, establishing community resources to help
ease reentry, and providing education to
Macro level: Advocating for structural changes to be made to the
criminal justice system at the federal and state level, and
advocating changing of the entire dynamics of prisons to model:
Rehabilitation not Recidivism.
2nd Chance Act
Re-assess how court costs & fines are handled; funding for
reentry program development
(Pogorzelski, Wolff, Pan & Blitz, 2005)
 Re-entry Programs
Vocational; educational; drug treatment; violent & sex offender
treatment; halfway house; and pre-release programs (Bouffard
& Bergeron, 2006).
 Advocacy
Post-release supervision based on risk not sentence (ACTF,
2010)
 Employment/Education programs
Federal Bonding Program and Post Secondary Program
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Affordable Healthcare Act
Access to community health/behavioral health services
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The goals of the Athens Re-Entry Task
Force are to:
1. Improve public safety;
2. Increase ex-offender’s personal
responsibility by making restitution to
the victims and support of family a
priority; and
3. Reduce the overall rate of recidivism.
 (2010)
Sentencing reform;
Reforming collateral sanctions;
Elimination of user fees to fund the
criminal justice system;
Reforms to allow more community
service work;
Child support reforms;
Universal community access to
substance abuse treatment programs
and requiring DRC to provide more
programs such as ABLE and mental
health treatment;
Requiring the CDJFS to determine if
the ex-offender is disabled; and
Requiring the CDJFS to coordinate
the ex-offender’s post-release
eligibility for benefits and available
services.
Restructure the RECLAIM initiative
to remove the incentive for felony
charges for youth.
(ACTF, 2010)
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Social Worker involvement both while in
prison and when the ex-offender is released.
Positive peer mentoring: those who have reentered successfully can mentor peers who are
being released.
Social worker/outreach center need
standardized discharge planning times and
locations.
Showcasing and educating communities on the
positives of successful rehabilitation and
reentry
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Huge need: PRE-RELEASE PLANNING.
Many ex-offenders are released from jail or prison
without their basic needs being able to be met or
sustained.
Documentation can be an issue as most prisoners
do not have access to birth certificates, social
security cards, etc.
Housing can be an issue as some ex-offenders are
released with no where to call home.
Health Care: some leave with only a few weeks of
medication
(Kenemore & Roldan, 2006)
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Permanent address: job applications, degrees,
certificates, or other mailings. Suggestion:
providing ex-cons with a post-office box
Transportation: can cause ex-offenders to fail
meeting required visitation, hearings, or
probation responsibilities. Suggestions: free
taxi card or re-entry shuttle services…..
Safe house: a central, safe environment just for
ex-offenders with a supportive, multidisciplinary team
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Mental Health & Health Needs: Hard to get
into providers, much less if you have no
insurance or documentation.
Fees: Many transactions require fees and
often ex-offenders do not have money.
Example: Drivers licenses fees
Strong Social and Family Attachments: After
being isolated for their crimes, coming back
to strong, supportive attachments can increase
success.
ACTF. (2010). Recommendations from the Athens County Reentry Task Force. Retrieved from
http://jfs.athenscountygovernment.com/documents/ACTFrecommendations12-10.pdf
Abrams, L. & Snyder, S. (2010). Youth offender reentry: Models for intervention and directions for future
inquiry. Children And Youth Services Review, 321787-1795. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.07.023
Alexander, M. (2010). The new jim crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. New York: The New
Press
Bouffard, J. A., & Bergeron, L. E. (2006). Reentry works: The implementation and effectiveness of a serious
and violent offender reentry initiative. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 44(2), 1-29.
Centers for Policy Studies. (2009). Women, integration, and prison: Research hypothesis. Retrieved from
http://cps.ceu.hu/research/mip/research-hypotheses
Foster, H., & Hagan, J. (2009). The Mass Incarceration of Parents in America: Issues of Race/Ethnicity,
Collateral Damage to Children, and Prisoner Reentry. Annals Of The American Academy Of Political And
Social Science, 179. doi:10.2307/40375895
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and Times. (107). N.Digham, MA:J.G. Press.
Hirsch, A. E., Dietrich, S. M., Landau, R., Schneider, P. D., Ackelsberg, I., Bernstien-Baker, J., & Hohnenstein,
J. (2002). Every door closed: Barriers facing parents with criminal records. Retrieved from
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Jung, H. (2011). Increase in the Length of Incarceration and the Subsequent Labor Market Outcomes:
Evidence from Men Released from Illinois State Prisons. Journal Of Policy Analysis And Management,
30(3), 499-533.
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Kenemore, T.,K., & Roldan, I. (2006). Staying straight: Lessons from ex-offenders. Clinical Social Work
Journal, 34(1), 5-21. doi:10.1007/s10615-005-0003-7
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united states: A look at the racial disparities inherent in our nation’s criminal-justice system. Center for
American Progress. Retrieved from
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279-286. doi:10.1080/10402659.2011.596044
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of Color: A Call to the Communities. Journal Of Black Studies, (5), 633. doi:10.2307/40034341
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Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections). Retrieved from:
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2010. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-06.pdf
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stratification and overcrowding in the United States prison system. Rationality And Society, 24(2),
131-167.
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from http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/incarceration-2010-06.pdf