Listening to women: relational approaches to female offender management

Purpose: To explore women’s experiences of criminal justice systems to inform the development of guidance on working with women.Design/methodology/approach: A two-part, independent samples, qualitative study utilising semi-structured interviews incorporating both IPA and Thematic Analysis was conducted. In study 1, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six women on probation in the community and data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Interviews in study 2 were conducted with seven women in custody with data analysed using inductive-deductive thematic analysis. The applicability and expansion of study 1 themes was then explored.Findings: Seven emergent themes indicated relational approaches to offender management may improve experiences of judicial systems for female offenders and for their probation officers. This approach may help prevent common systemic issues from perpetuating negative interactions between these groups. Specific suggestions for developing relational security and consistency of care within these relationships are provided. Practical implications: Taking a relational approach to female offender management may help remedy some of the systemic difficulties faced by female offenders and their probation officers. Originality: By focussing on the experiences of women screened in to the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway this study provides insight as to how this service can assist in the development of relational security between probation staff and their clients

Sounding out d/Deafness: The experiences of d/Deaf prisoners

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the lived realities of d/Deaf prisoners in England and Wales, and to explore previous claims that they suffer disproportionately during their time in custody. Design/Methodology/Approach: For the purposes of this study a qualitative approach was taken. As part of this, 28 semi-structured interviews were carried out at seven adult male prisons in England with a sample of male hard of hearing/d/Deaf prisoners, and staff members who had worked with them. The interviews were recorded using a Dictaphone, and then transcribed as close to verbatim as possible. From this the transcriptions were analysed using thematic analysis. In addition to interviews, observations were made at each establishment, and later recorded in a fieldwork journal. Findings: Findings from the study showed that the way a d/Deaf person experiences prison depends strongly on the way in which they identify with their d/Deafness. However, it was also shown that there is little room for either deafness or Deafness in prison, with severely deaf and culturally and linguistically Deaf prisoners commonly experiencing the pains of imprisonment more severely than their hearing peers as a result the Prison Service's inability to accommodate such difference. Originality/Value: This study fused together the fields of Deaf Studies and prison studies in a way that had not been done before, considering d/Deafness in prison on both an audiological and cultural level. Moreover, excluding small-scale unpublished undergraduate dissertations, it was the first empirical study about d/Deaf prisoners in England and Wales to carry out face-to-face interviews with these prisoners. Finally, as the most in-depth research yet to be carried out about these particular prisoners in England and Wales, a greater level of insight was provided than previously available

Severe personality disorder in the secure estate: continuity and change

The Response to Offender Personality Disorder Consultation was released in October 2011. For some this is a welcome step in the right direction due to its therapeutic optimism, however for practitioners operating in the secure estate there are significant challenges ahead. This aim of this article is to discuss the increasing convergence of health and criminal justice and their inherent ideological and practical difficulties. It does so with reference to the consultation on offender personality disorder pathways and in particular the implications regarding multi-disciplinary and cross agency approaches to risk, public protection and personality disorder respectfully. It concludes that before embarking on a new wave of determining and responding to those with personality disorder, offender or otherwise, a more in-depth and empirically informed critical reflection is warranted

Routine practice in staffed community accommodation (approved premises) in England and Wales: Quantitative benchmarking from the first year of a longitudinal study

Background: In England and Wales, ‘approved premises’ (AP) offer 24 hour staffed accommodation for high risk offenders most of whom are returning to the community from prison. With a move towards a standardised operating model, it is essential to be able to measure outcomes. Aims: To collate and evaluate ‘benchmarks’ for approved premises. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to establish the impact of existing practice in all four approved premises in Wales. Data on well-being, life satisfaction, attitudes to violence and problem solving abilities were recorded with 114 male residents (of 484), and attitudes to personality disorder and personal wellbeing/burnout with 30 staff (of 86), in both narrative style and according to a number of scales used within criminal justice and healthcare systems. Perceptions of environmental climate were assessed with both groups. Scores were compared with those from reference groups, including prisoners and secure hospital patients. Criminological outcomes (e.g. prison recall) were obtained for all 486 men. Results: Scores on the scales used were broadly comparable to those in relevant reference groups, but some measures showed floor or ceiling effects. Recall rates, whether directly from the premises or after further onward movement, were about 42% overall; comparable to those reported for similar offenders elsewhere. Conclusions: This paper provides a short battery of measurements for use as benchmarks of experience and outcomes in staffed community accommodation for high risk men

Transfers from prison to hospital under Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act between 2011 and 2014

In England and Wales, prisoners with mental disorder of such severity as to warrant inpatient treatment may be transferred to hospital under the Mental Health Act. UK Government guidance recommends that this process should be completed within 14 days; however, evidence suggests that in many cases it can take much longer. This retrospective service evaluation of 64 male prisoners, who were transferred under Section 47 or Section 48, aimed to evaluate transfer durations. The mean time from referral to admission was 76 days. Prisoners with a psychotic disorder were admitted more quickly. Remand prisoners were admitted more quickly than sentenced prisoners. Findings suggest that, in the UK the transfer time of prisoners under Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act continues to far exceed the 14-day target which raises concern about equivalence of care for prisoners. Our findings support arguments for fundamental amendments to the admissions process

Delivering McJustice? The Probation Factory at the Magistrates’ Court

Despite playing a pivotal role in thousands of defendants’ experiences of criminal justice every year, the role of probation workers in the English and Welsh Magistrates’ courts has been neglected by researchers for several decades. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic study of the work of probation staff in two such courts. The study suggests that probation work in this context is being squeezed into an operating model which bears all the hallmarks of a process described by Ritzer as ‘McDonaldization’. It is argued that the proximate causes of McDonaldization in this sub-field of probation work lie at the intersection of parallel Government-led reform programmes – Transforming Rehabilitation and Transforming Justice – which have respectively focused on creating a market for probation services and enhancing the administrative efficiency of criminal proceedings. Until now, almost no attention has been paid, either by researchers or policy-makers, to the intersection of these programmes of reform in the probation suites at the Magistrates’ courts

A model of a specialist transitional support and liaison service within the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway in Wales: Learning from a regional pilot service

The process of transitioning from custody to the community can be a time of increased risk of reoffending and heightened anxiety brought on by uncertainty of future plans and unfamiliarity of new surroundings. This period can be particularly problematic for those experiencing complex needs or suffering with mental health difficulties. To address this concern, the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) in Wales established a Transitional Support Liaison service. This pilot service began with a focus on women’s criminal justice journeys and evident benefits led to service expansion to additionally address men’s transitions to the community through Approved premises. This practice note outlines the learning from these services, presenting a model of service delivery that can be adopted and expanded more widely. The paper concludes with recommendations and plans for service expansion

Training probation officers in case formulation for personality disordered offenders

Background: The recent UK Strategy on Managing High Risk of Serious Harm Offenders with Severe Personality Disorder proposes a significant role for Offender Managers (OMs) completing case formulations on personality disordered (PD) offenders. However, there is very little evidence as to whether Offender Managers can be taught to carry out case formulation. Aim: The primary aims of this study were to devise and implement a training programme to teach Offender Managers to carry out case formulations, and assess their subsequent ability to do so. A secondary aim was to assess whether the training led to changes in OMs’ attitudes towards working with PD offenders. Method: A five day training programme was delivered to 20 Offender Managers, whose ability to carry out case formulation was assessed before and after the training using a 10 point quality checklist. Attitudes towards PD were also assessed before and after. Qualitative feedback relating to the training was used to provide further insight into the findings. Results: Offender Managers showed a significant improvement in their ability to carry out case formulation following training with 7 out of the 10 quality domains on the quality checklist rated as at least ‘satisfactory’ post-training. Qualitative feedback highlighted reasons for some of the shortfalls in two of the three areas that did not show improvement. Improvements were shown in attitudes towards working with PD offenders in two out of three domains. Conclusion: This study provides some evidence for Offender Managers’ ability to carry out case formulation following training, improvements in attitudes towards working with PD offenders and difficulties specific to this addition to their current role

Towards a rhizomatic understanding of the desistance journey

Although the ‘desistance as a (zigzag) journey’ metaphor has proved useful in terms of translating theory into practice, this article makes the case that it is insufficient for conveying the truly complex, social, unpredictable and ‘messy’ process of desistance from crime. The article uses what we know about the process of desistance to discuss the utility of Deleuze and Guattari’s (2013) rhizomatic theory in recasting the desistance journey metaphor. In doing so it is suggested that the desistance journey should be understood in terms of its endless and multiplicitous nature, a symbol of metamorphosis, and it argues that our focus should be on understanding the ‘desister as nomad’. This, the article concludes, holds important ramifications for the way in which we understand and implement desistance-focused practice in the criminal justice system