"Out of the darkness into light": A Critical Evaluation Of Scottish Prison Reorganisation For Long Term Imprisonment 1988 To The Present

During the mid 1980s official accounts stated that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) was experiencing an unprecedented 'crisis' which primarily concerned: overcrowding, poor conditions, serious disorder and prisoner unrest, low staff morale and consequently loss of public confidence in the ability of the SPS to manage prisons effectively. Added pressure was placed on the SPS by a substantial increase in sentenced short term offenders together with an increase in long termers and a commitment in the courts to longer sentences. Although the 'crisis' in Scottish prisons emerged on a range of levels, producing one of the most bitter penal controversies in Europe, the SPS identified long term adult male imprisonment as fundamental to its problems and central to its programme of reform. Once it became evident that the SPS had 'lost control' of its main male prisons, a period of evaluation and self appraisal was initiated. This research examines the manifestations of the 'crisis' and considers the response of the SPS, outlining and evaluating the subsequent policy changes and new initiatives adopted to alleviate the 'crisis'. The theoretical framework of this study is derived specifically in critical analysis within criminology, which prioritises the significance of the structural relations of production and distribution, reproduction and patriarchy, and neo colonialism, as primary determining contexts, within which the inter-relationships and mutual dependencies of structural forms of oppression can be considered. In examining the relationship between the law, crime, punishment and the state, the politics of marginalisation and the processes of criminalisation are prioritised. Within this context, the means through which imprisonment is conceived and legitimated and the implications of a growing authoritarianism are discussed. This study focuses on the dynamics of long term male imprisonment in Scottish prisons. The views and experiences of long term male prisoners are contrasted with those of senior management, Governors and prison staff in order to understand the 'crisis', and ascertain the impact of policy changes and new initiatives on both the Prison Service and the experiences of men serving long sentences in Scotland's prisons. The research places official discourse, which incorporates the 'view from above', alongside the views of those individuals whose experiences provide essential testimony concerning the daily reality of operational policy on regimes

The Criminalisation of Women in Joint Enterprise Cases: Exposing the Limits to ‘Serving’ Girls and Women Justice

This paper reports original evidence about the experiences of 109 girls and women criminalised in England and Wales under the controversial legal doctrine of joint enterprise (JE). Over three-quarters of the women were convicted of murder or manslaughter. Yet, in no cases was evidence presented that the girl or woman used a deadly weapon. In 90% of the cases, the defendants engaged in no violence at all, and in nearly half of the cases, they were not present at the scene of the violent incident. In seeking to make sense of these findings, JE becomes a lens through which we can conceptualise gendered processes of criminalisation. Decisions to charge women that reflect strategic approaches to policing and prosecuting some forms of violence and harm, alongside prosecution and defence strategies used in the courtroom that reproduce patriarchy, class stigma and racism, will be explored. Simultaneously, the criminalising processes actively obscure and silence the wider context and personal histories of the lives of girls and women, which once surfaced, expose wider tensions in addressing all harms to deliver justice for women

Family Experience Tracers: Patient Family Advisor led interviews generating detailed qualitative feedback to influence performance improvement

Patient Family Advisors (PFAs) are integral partners in quality improvement processes at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Mimicking Joint Commission patient tracers, the Family Experience Tracer program was created to gather perspectives from end users of care and provide valuable insights regarding the patient experience. The Patient and Family Engagement team collaborates with departmental and organizational leadership to define the scope of the tracer project and determine meaningful topics to elicit feedback from patients and families. Tracers are conducted across the continuum of care and are led by a Patient Family Advisor to establish an immediate peer relationship. Patients and families provide detailed information in Family Experience Tracers, and CM acknowledges the importance of combining this information with other feedback sources to strengthen patient- and family-centered improvements

TeleBoard: The move to a virtual family advisory board

Restrictions on in-person meetings were going to hamper the ability for the well-established Family Advisory Board (FAB) for our pediatric hospital to continue meeting unless a virtual meeting platform was introduced. The FAB was moved to a virtual platform for the April and May 2020 meetings. Attendance rates from family members and staff were measured and compared to the previous 14 in-person meetings. Contributions during the virtual meetings from each attendee type were recorded to analyze engagement during virtual meetings. There was no statistical difference in average attendance for virtual compared to in-person meetings, 75% versus 64.3% for family members (p-value = 0.20) and 70% versus 56.2% for staff (p-value = 0.38). Family members offered more new ideas (11 to 31) and verbal contributions (24 to 53) from April to May, respectively. Staff gave more affirmations than family members in April (56 staff vs. 15 family), but this inverted in May (35 staff vs. 113 family). The variety of voice from family representatives increased for all contribution types except verbal from April (100%) to May (50%). In our setting, we found Family Advisory Board meeting attendance was equivalent to in-person meetings with the potential added benefit of being more inclusive to marginalized or under-represented groups. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework) Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens

Stories of injustice: the criminalisation of women convicted under joint enterprise laws

Joint enterprise (JE) is a set of legal principles grounded in common law and originating from Victorian times, allowing for the collective punishment of multiple defendants for a single offence. There has been a reemergence in their application in the last two decades (Clarke and Williams, 2020). This research examines the impact of the use of JE with female defendants

Substantive Equality and Jordan’s Principle: Challenges and Complexities

This article examines the conceptual and procedural aspects of substantive equality with respect to Jordan’s Principle—a child-first principle intended to ensure First Nations children have equitable access to public services in Canada. We begin by providing a brief history of Jordan’s Principle and outlining how it has been linked to the concept of substantive equality. We then suggest that despite acceptance of the concept of substantive equality as a guiding principle, the federal government has not clearly explained its meaning nor operationalized it in the implementation of Jordan’s Principle. In this regard, we explore five key challenges that undermine a substantive equality approach to Jordan’s Principle: (i) implementation based on individualistic and demand-driven processes; (ii) inconsistent implementation and discretionary decision-making; (iii) burdensome request processes; (iv) delays in provision of funding and services; and (v) lack of an independent appeals process. While endorsing improvements in the implementation of Jordan’s Principle to ensure equitable services for First Nations children and their families, we maintain that a substantive equality approach requires the development of proactive systemic solutions to address the inequities that First Nations children face

Critical Social Research as a ‘Site of Resistance’: Reflections on Relationships, Power and Positionality

This paper creates an opportunity for the authors to reflect on our collective efforts to create a space within the academy through which we can actively support communities and groups who are challenging injustice. Herein we consider the potential role of the academic in supporting sites of political or legal struggle, how we work to, with and within groups or communities attempting to resist State power. What is evident is the importance of reflexivity, considering and articulating our position, as a guiding principle. The issues we examine here are connected to our wider network beyond our collective work or institution. In attesting to the virtues of critical social research, we draw upon our experiences particular our ongoing work with, and contributions to, the Hillsborough and JENGbA justice campaigns. When considered together this activity reveals a number of emergent themes which give shape to our approach in contributing to ‘sites of resistance’. We understand these spaces to be the intersections where State power and its impact on the lives of those who experience injustice is revealed. The site is then both a physical space of meeting, but could also be conceptualised as a conscious space where, by coming together, individuals, families, supporters, critical lawyers and academics, and other stakeholders make sense of the injustice together. Through this collective awakening the group can draw strength and generate strategies to challenge State power. It is in these spaces that resistance can be developed, nurtured and discussed. The principles for discussion within this paper include: ‘being there’, ‘bearing witness’ and acknowledging injustice, of our relationships to marginalised communities and powerful institutions, and the significance of positionality (Scraton, 2007). Our aim then, is to work within collective organisations in order to expose and counter the hegemonic narratives and silencing processes through research informed interjection as opposition (Hall 1986; Mathiesen, 2004). By actively disrupting these discourses we can contribute to a process of rehumanising the ‘Other’, where the complex and historically situated relationships between communities, institutions and the State can be exposed (Scott, 2013)

Migration and attitudes towards domestic violence against women: a case study of Libyan migrants in the UK

This article analyses attitudes to domestic violence against women (DVAW) among Libyan migrants in the north of England; this is the first such study of Libyan migrants. One hundred seventy-five (175) respondents were interviewed in a questionnaire survey and 20 in semi-structured interviews. Migrant status has been identified as an important marker or precarity; gendered and racialised experiences deepen structural forms of insecurity. The research explored the impact of migration on participants’ attitudes to DVAW. The concepts of gender regime and gender order, additionally, help to provide a framework for understanding of the multifaceted nature of unequal gender relations within Libyan Arab communities. The study found that gender and educational level were the most important variables associated with views about DVAW within the sample, whereas length of stay in the UK was not statistically associated with attitudes towards domestic violence. The article explores reasons for relative continuity in beliefs about DVAW in the context of the insecurities of migration. Despite continuities, shifts and changes are taking place within many women’s lives

Substance use and HIV infection awareness among HIV-infected female sex workers in Lilongwe, Malawi

HIV diagnosis, the first step in HIV care and treatment engagement, may be inhibited by substance use among female sex workers (FSW). We assessed the relationship between alcohol and marijuana use and lack of HIV infection awareness among HIV-infected FSW in Lilongwe, Malawi

The HIV Care Continuum among Female Sex Workers: A Key Population in Lilongwe, Malawi

ObjectiveThe HIV care continuum among female sex workers (FSW), a key population, has not been well characterized, especially within the generalized epidemics of sub-Saharan Africa. This was the first study to characterize the HIV care continuum among FSW in Lilongwe, Malawi.MethodsFrom July through September 2014, we used venue-based sampling to enroll 200 adult FSW in Lilongwe, Malawi into a cross-sectional evaluation assessing HIV care continuum outcomes. Seropositive FSW, identified using HIV rapid testing, received rapid CD4 counts in addition to viral loads using dried blood spots. We calculated proportions of HIV-infected FSW who had history of care, were on ART, and had suppressed viral load and we used Poisson regression to estimate the associations of demographic characteristics and transmission risk behaviors with each outcome.ResultsHIV seroprevalence was 69% (n = 138). Among all FSW the median age was 24 years (IQR: 22–28). Among the 20% who were newly diagnosed and reported previously testing negative, the median time since last HIV test was 11 months (interquartile range: 3–17). The majority (69%) of HIV-infected FSW had a history of HIV care, 52% reported current ART use, and 45% were virally suppressed. Of the FSW who reported current ART use, 86% were virally suppressed. Transmission risk behaviors were not associated with continuum outcomes.ConclusionsFSW in Lilongwe were predominately young and have a high HIV prevalence. Only half of HIV-infected FSW reported current ART use, but the majority of those on ART were virally suppressed. To reduce ongoing transmission and improve health outcomes, increased HIV testing, care engagement, and ART coverage is urgently needed among FSW. Universal testing and treatment strategies for all FSW in Malawi must be strongly considered