Neutrality as an Element of Perceived Justice in prison

__Abstract__ In the procedural justice literature, usually four elements are distinguished that are assumed to contribute to the experienced feelings of justice of those who are confronted with the power of the authorities: voice, neutrality, respect & dignity, and trust in the authorities. According to Tyler (2010), the same elements are decisive for the experienced feelings of legitimacy of prisoners and other persons subjected to penal correction. From the general prison literature, however, it becomes clear that besides neutrality and consistency, also individual treatment is an important element of how prisoners perceive legitimacy in prison. Based on the results of a qualitative study of the experiences of Belgian prisoners detained in a Dutch penitentiary the tension between consistency and individuality is defined and further developed. The results of this study can have a broader significance than for the prison field as such, since the tension between individualized treatment and consistency is a topic that has so far been neglected in the procedural justice literature

Use of freeze-cracking in ontogenetic research in Macrostomum lignano (Macrostomida, Rhabditophora)

A method for studying whole mount flatworm embryos based on freeze-cracking of the eggs is described. This method allows successful immunohistological and immunocytological studies of whole mount embryos. It does not require the use of sharpened needles or a microinjection system to puncture the eggshell. Moreover, this method is more practical and less time-consuming than classical puncturing and much cheaper than the use of a microinjection system. The advantages of this method are illustrated by results of several immunolocalisation experiments in the macrostomid flatworm Macrostomum lignano. The optimal procedure and crucial steps for this method are discussed

Reconceptualizing Empirical Legitimacy for Situations of Severely Conflicting Social Interests

In this contribution the argument is made that the current operationalization of empirical legitimacy falls short in cases of severely conflicting societal interests where alignment on moral values between conflict resolution authorities (policy makers, courts, controlling institutions) and subordinates is lacking. We attribute this shortcoming to two dominant features of the empirical concept of legitimacy and the research based on it: first, the overwhelming procedural character of the empirical legitimacy concept; second, the dominance of deductive, quantitative survey research. The argument is substantiated by the results of ethnographic fieldwork among unauthorized migrants that show that the existing approaches are important, but insufficient to explain the constitution of legitimacy perceptions of subordinates in this field. Feelings of justice are seriously violated because fundamental substantive needs are insufficiently taken into account according to these migrants, although this does not always mean that they feel badly treated in terms of the current empirical justice concept. In the discussion we reflect on the consequences of these insights for the conceptualization of empirical legitimacy and argue that these insights are not only important for our understanding of empirical legitimacy, but should also lead to a reflection on the (interpretation of the) normative frameworks on which decision-making in this field is built

The pains of being unauthorized in the Netherlands

Ethnographic fieldwork amongst 105 unauthorized migrants in the Netherlands shows that unauthorized migrants suffer from the pains of being unauthorized. These migrants feel punished and are severely hurt by – amongst others – the deprivation of healthy and secure living conditions, social and geographical mobility and citizenship. These migrants’ pains are caused by current restrictive migration controls, something the Dutch authorities could and should be aware of given previous research that provides similar insights. While the Dutch authorities do provide – the legally required – provisions for unauthorized migrants, we argue on the basis of Hayes’ proximity model that these authorities accept the collateral consequences of (possibly) being subjected to migration controls and purposely inflict these pains on unauthorized migrants. This m

Dropping down the cascade system: comparing the educational trajectories and perceptions towards tracking between and within ethnic minority and majority students in Belgium

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Detentiebeleving van strafrechtelijk gedetineerden zonder verblijfsrecht

__Abstract__ The detention experiences of male criminal foreign national prisoners without legal residence receive little attention in penological literature. A qualitative study amongst 30 prisoners with and 16 prisoners without legal residence in the penitentiary institution Tilburg shows that contacts with the social network and the preparation of the reintegration in society are (more) complicated for foreign national prisoners without legal residence. Besides, communication with the staff is more difficult for this group. These factors have negative impact on their detention experiences. The results show that both deprivation and importation theory apply to foreign national prisoners without legal residence. However, importation aspects - especially the lack of legal residence - may substantially and systematically increase the deprivation and result in additional exclusion and isolation mechanisms for this pa