Does Involvement in Religion Help Prisoners Adjust to Prison? (FOCUS)

Research conducted by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency has uncovered an abundant variety of religious responses to incarceration. First, religious participation can help an inmate overcome the depression, guilt, and self-contempt that so often accompanies the prison sentence. Second, inmates may seek a way to avoid the constant threats faced in prison. In many ways, the prisoner's desire for religion is not very different from that of the free-world citizen in that he or she seeks religion to make life more livable

Quality of schooling and quality of schools for indigenous students in Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru

A substantial gap in test scores exists between indigenous and non-indigenous students in Latin America. Using test score data for 3rd and 4th yearprimary school pupils in Guatemala and Peru, and 5th grade pupils in Mexico, the authors assess the magnitude of the indigenous and non-indigenous test score gap and identify the main family and school inputs contributing to the gap. A decomposition of the gap into its constituent components suggests that the proportion that is explained by family and school characteristics is between 41 and 75 percent of the overall test-score gap. Furthermore, family variables contribute more than school variables to the overall explained component.Tertiary Education,Secondary Education,Primary Education,Teaching and Learning,Education For All

Mississippi Mud / music by Harry Barris; words by Harry Barris

Cover: photo of a Caucasian male playing violin; Publisher: Shapiro Bernstein and Co. (New York)https://egrove.olemiss.edu/sharris_d/1082/thumbnail.jp

The ABC\u27s of Redemptions and Liquidations

The authors review various problems which the corporate planner frequently confronts with respect to redemptions and liquidations. They examine selected recent developments in these areas for the purpose of emphasizing where thoughtful planning is necessary

Enrollment in YFV Vaccine Trial: An Evaluation of Recruitment Outcomes Associated with a Randomized Controlled Double-Blind Trial of a Live Attenuated Yellow Fever Vaccine

This investigation evaluated several factors associated with diverse participant enrollment of a clinical trial assessing safety, immunogenicity, and comparative viremia associated with administration of 17-D live, attenuated yellow fever vaccine given alone or in combination with human immune globulin. We obtained baseline participant information (e.g., sociodemographic, medical) and followed recruitment outcomes from 2005 to 2007. Of 355 potential Yellow Fever vaccine study participants, 231 cases were analyzed. Strong interest in study participation was observed among racial and ethnically diverse persons with 36.34% eligible following initial study screening, resulting in 18.75% enrollment. The percentage of white participants increased from 63.66% (prescreened sample) to 81.25% (enrollment group). The regression model was significant with white race as a predictor of enrollment (OR=2.744, 95% CI=1.415-5.320, p=0.003).In addition, persons were more likely to enroll via direct outreach and referral mechanisms compared to mass advertising (OR=2.433, 95% CI=1.102-5.369). The findings indicate that racially diverse populations can be recruited to vaccine clinical trials, yet actual enrollment may not reflect that diversit

NPS comes of age: a UK overview.

Summary • All the available official data indicates that in general terms, albeit with some recent blips and changing patterns of use, non-medical drug use in the UK has been in decline since the start of this century. • However, from around 2006, there has been a growing interest in, and availability of, a new generation of drugs collectively known as Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) or more colloquially, 'legal highs' and less frequently 'research chemicals.' • The arrival of NPS has been something of a ‘game-changer’ in that traditional models of drug diffusion and supply (e.g. for heroin or cocaine) have been joined by the internet as a new route of wholesale and retail supply, distribution and information exchange. • From 2006 until 2016, many of these substances have been legally available on the high street, both from 'head shops' and a range of other retail outlets such as petrol stations and fast food outlets. However, the Psychoactive Substances Act which came into effect on 26th May 2016, bans the manufacture, sale and distribution of any and all psychoactive substances accompanied by a list of exemptions including tobacco and alcohol. • The citing of NPS patterns and prevalence of use in official datasets remains patchy, not least because those groups most affected are least likely to be identified by official surveys like the Crime Survey for England and Wales. But from what exists plus a growing body of anecdotal evidence and unofficial reporting – a picture is emerging of NPS use in the UK in 2016. • That picture is not dissimilar to the emergence of crack cocaine in the UK: much sensational media reporting and dire predictions for the future, but ultimately finding a level in the drug scene with regular use primarily concentrated among those with existing serious drug problems and other vulnerable groups. • The main group of drugs are the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) which are currently presenting serious problems in prisons and young offender institutions, among the homeless and existing service users. • Still thought of as an NPS, mephedrone is the other main source of problems across a range of user cohorts, from young people, to those on the ‘chem sex’ party scene, through to traditional service clients. • Relatively few people are coming forward to treatment services in the community citing an NPS as their primary drug problem in 2016. Workers see more of the problem out in the community with clients who are not accessing treatment, for example homeless and rough sleepers. • While NPS have been mentioned in a number of fatalities, very few deaths appear to have been as a direct result of taking an NPS in isolation. • The issue of providing up to date and credible information in such a new and rapidly developing scenario is problematic – and there is a danger of over-reacting to the situation. For drugs workers, the key message is to ‘deal with the problem in front of you’ rather than being overly concerned about the substance that is alleged to have been taken. Useful clinical guidance has been published under the auspices of Project Neptune with more targeted care bundles to come