The sense of meaning and purpose of hospice family members during the grief process.

This study was designed to assess the process of meaning loss for family members who cared for their terminally ill loved ones during the grief process as well as determine factors that might be related to loss of meaning. The Purpose in Life Test (PIL) was used as the dependent measure. The independent variables consisted of age, education level, relationship to patient, gender, ethnicity, whether counseling was received, types of counseling received, and time between diagnosis, death and the present. The data were gathered on 87 caregivers who were participating in the St. Mary's Hospice program in Tucson, Arizona. All caregivers were over age 18 and between three and thirteen months past the death of their loved one. The data analyzed in four stages beginning with the development of descriptive statistics. During the second stage a correlation matrix was constructed and explored. A multiple regression was performed during the third stage to assess which of the independent variables could explain any variance obtained with the dependent measure. In the last stage a factor analysis was done and compared with a factor structure from previous research with the PIL Test. Nine hypotheses were tested producing the following results: Meaning in life tended to be higher for those less close in relationship to the patient such as nieces, nephews, and in-laws. There was no significant difference between a caregiver being a spouse, child, sibling or parent of the deceased loved one and meaning in life. There was no significant difference in age, education level, gender, ethnicity, whether counseling was received, types of counseling received and time between diagnosis, death and the present and meaning in life. The factor analysis revealed a five factor solution. It was concluded that the PIL Test taps two factors that can be labeled Purpose in Life and Contentedness With Life. The overall conclusion of the study was that caregivers in the sample possess a unique and similar sense of meaning in life that may be due to a sharing a common experience. There may also be some unifying factor about those choosing to enter a Hospice program that may attract a homogeneous group of people

The Needs And Experiences Of Women In Sexually Integrated Prisons

Three issues were considered in this evaluation of the usefulness of co-corrections: violence, over-management and policies about sexuality. A study of one sexually integrated prison showed that co-corrections has both advantages and disadvantages for women. Inmates and staff were included in the research. Survey and anecdotal data were collected. The strengths of co-corrections were described from the data along with some suggestions for overcoming the weaknesses. © 1989 Springer

Media And Mayhem In Corrections: The Role Of The Media In Prison Riots

Three of the most infamous prison riots in the United States took place in Attica, New York; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Lucasville, Ohio in 1971, 1980, and 1993, respectively. Although an examination of the three riots reveals differences in the uprisings, there are important similarities in the underlying conditions behind them. Analysis of the three riots shows the significant role played by representatives of the media both in negotiating with inmates and taking back the three institutions. In this article, the authors discuss the influence and effect of media coverage on prison riots based on what was learned from the participation of the media in the Attica, Santa Fe, and Lucasville uprisings. © 1996 Sage Publications, Inc

Including Women In Corrections Texts

We studied the position of women in corrections education through a content analysis of 20 general corrections texts published between 1972 and 1992. In addition, we analyzed six editions of one major text for patterns of inclusion of women. The study found that the amount of information about women in corrections texts has not shown a clear increase. Also, enduring contradictions about women which we found in texts published in the last two decades raise important questions about how women are represented in the field of corrections. © 1992, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. All rights reserved

Sexually Integrated Prisons: Advantages, Disadvantages And Some Recommendations

The effectiveness of sexually integrated corrections programs was evaluated from three different perspectives. The opinions of employees and inmates were studied using questionnaire and anecdotal data, and co-corrections facilities were compared with other federal institutions incarcerating convicted felons at similar security levels. Some of the benefits of co-corrections which were determined by the current research included: safety from violence, more normal male/female relationships, greater employment opportunities for women, and administrative flexibility. On the other hand, some of the disadvantages included : increased need for surveillance, broad areas of staff discretion, and problems arising from opposite-sex staff members supervising inmates\u27 living quarters. Despite the shortcomings, staff and inmate responses were in general agreement with the statement: For the most part the co-corrections institution is an agreeable place. © 1989, Sage Publications. All rights reserved

Restoring Justice In Colombia: Conciliation In Equity

Examining the ‘Conciliation in Equity’ program in Colombia, this book provides a dramatic, cross-cultural example of community justice and a model for developing alternative methods of resolving crime and conflict