Institutional thoughtlessness and the needs of older probation clients.

This article explores the increase in the number of older people on probation caseloads, ‘Older’ clients are defined as those aged 50 and over, in line with the use of this definition by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Drawing upon a Freedom of Information request submitted to the Ministry of Justice, the research shows increases in the age of probation clients across community orders, suspended sentences, and a particular increase in the proportion of clients being supervised on licence. Furthermore, increases in the number of older clients accommodated in Approved Premises means that one in five residents are aged over 50. Despite this increase, there is a dearth of research relating to the needs of older people on probation caseloads, and how well probation services and staff are equipped to meet their needs. Consequently, this article draws upon research outlining how the needs of older people in prison are identified, met, and draws some inferences to the probation experience. This prompts the question of whether probation is ‘institutionally thoughtless’ a term coined relating to the daily experiences of older prisoners. Such thoughtlessness includes a lack of appreciation of the physical environment, alongside a regime tailored towards the needs of younger prisoners, e.g. education, work and programmes. The article also draws on research from qualitative interviews with older prisoners who are in prison for the first time. The interviews highlighted their ambivalence towards completing accredited programmes which may also be applicable to probation settings. The article concludes that action to tackle potential discrimination is required through a commitment to justice, self-awareness and knowledge via pragmatic action at policy and practice level

Cost and profit efficiency of banks in Haiti: do domestic banks perform better than foreign banks?

I use the stochastic frontier methodology to estimate a cost and a profit frontier functions. The Fourier-flexible form is used in this paper because of its flexibility. Results show that, although foreign banks are more cost efficient than domestic banks, domestic banks are more profit efficient than foreign banks, in Haiti. The paper reveals also that, although treasury bills constitute an alternative source of profit for banks in Haiti, a growth of interest rate on treasury bills increases profit efficiency in current period whereas it decreases profit efficiency one period after this growth. The main implication of this paper is that foreign banks are not always more efficient than domestic banks in developing countries, and even in a country with low income level.Cost Efficiency; Profit Efficiency; Foreign Banks; Domestic Banks

A Theory of Linkage between Monetary Policy and Banking Failure in Developing Countries

This paper presents a model of the banking sector that maximize profit and an individual bank which is a price taker, in a developing country. The interest rate on treasury bills is included in the model to measure monetary policy. The mathematical expression of the probability of banking failure is calculated; And, I show that, in developing countries, a tightening monetary policy may induce efficient banking failure.Banking Failure; Monetary Policy; Interest Rate; Developing Countries

The distribution of cirripeds and gastropods on plain vertical rock surfaces in the upper intertidal and splash zones

This is a student paper done for a University of California Berkeley Zoology class. Since UCB didn't have its own marine lab at the time, it rented space at Hopkins Marine Station where this work was done. Cadet Hand earned his Ph.D. from Berkeley and went on to become Director of the Bodega Marine Laboratory. Donald Putnam Abbott also earned his Ph.D. from Berkeley and later became a Stanford professor at Hopkins Marine Station. (PDF contains 26 pages

The answers are within me. An evaluation of a person centred counselling service for men at HMP Doncaster who have had experience of domestic violence 2005-2007

This report is the second year evaluation of the person centred counselling service for male victims and perpetrators of domestic violence at HMP Doncaster in 2006/7. This report follows on from the previous year's evaluation, Raging Anger Within Me, which evaluated this project in 2005/6. Initiated by the Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (DRSACC), the second year of counselling service delivery was also funded by Lloyds TSB and the Tudor Trust. The report provides a background to the service offered, details the key factors in the service's success and makes recommendations for the future sustainability of this innovative service. The report also contains a particularly interesting section detailing how the appropriateness of the service is perceived by experienced prison staff

Boosting Students’ Fluency through Incorporating Context-Specific Content into Task-Based Language Teaching, Reflecting on their Fatalistic Cultural Beliefs, and Fostering their Agency.

This study will look into incorporating context-specific content into Task-Based Language Teaching techniques to enable students at the American University of the Caribbean in Les Cayes, Haiti, to develop fluency. It will particularly draw lessons from my own language learning and teaching experiences and explore ways to establish a culture that nurtures students’ agency. In my context, students have deeply ingrained fatalistic cultural beliefs which are not conducive to optimal learning. Therefore, fostering a culture that reconsiders these views could strongly help boost their self-efficacy and confidence and compel them to embrace productive learning strategies and behaviors. This study will finally delve into the literature and my own experiences to devise a theoretical framework which can help boost English learners’ fluency development in my context