Institutional thoughtlessness and the needs of older probation clients.

This article explores the increase in the number of older people on probation caseloads, ‘Older’ clients are defined as those aged 50 and over, in line with the use of this definition by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Drawing upon a Freedom of Information request submitted to the Ministry of Justice, the research shows increases in the age of probation clients across community orders, suspended sentences, and a particular increase in the proportion of clients being supervised on licence. Furthermore, increases in the number of older clients accommodated in Approved Premises means that one in five residents are aged over 50. Despite this increase, there is a dearth of research relating to the needs of older people on probation caseloads, and how well probation services and staff are equipped to meet their needs. Consequently, this article draws upon research outlining how the needs of older people in prison are identified, met, and draws some inferences to the probation experience. This prompts the question of whether probation is ‘institutionally thoughtless’ a term coined relating to the daily experiences of older prisoners. Such thoughtlessness includes a lack of appreciation of the physical environment, alongside a regime tailored towards the needs of younger prisoners, e.g. education, work and programmes. The article also draws on research from qualitative interviews with older prisoners who are in prison for the first time. The interviews highlighted their ambivalence towards completing accredited programmes which may also be applicable to probation settings. The article concludes that action to tackle potential discrimination is required through a commitment to justice, self-awareness and knowledge via pragmatic action at policy and practice level

The answers are within me. An evaluation of a person centred counselling service for men at HMP Doncaster who have had experience of domestic violence 2005-2007

This report is the second year evaluation of the person centred counselling service for male victims and perpetrators of domestic violence at HMP Doncaster in 2006/7. This report follows on from the previous year's evaluation, Raging Anger Within Me, which evaluated this project in 2005/6. Initiated by the Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (DRSACC), the second year of counselling service delivery was also funded by Lloyds TSB and the Tudor Trust. The report provides a background to the service offered, details the key factors in the service's success and makes recommendations for the future sustainability of this innovative service. The report also contains a particularly interesting section detailing how the appropriateness of the service is perceived by experienced prison staff

Cost and profit efficiency of banks in Haiti: do domestic banks perform better than foreign banks?

I use the stochastic frontier methodology to estimate a cost and a profit frontier functions. The Fourier-flexible form is used in this paper because of its flexibility. Results show that, although foreign banks are more cost efficient than domestic banks, domestic banks are more profit efficient than foreign banks, in Haiti. The paper reveals also that, although treasury bills constitute an alternative source of profit for banks in Haiti, a growth of interest rate on treasury bills increases profit efficiency in current period whereas it decreases profit efficiency one period after this growth. The main implication of this paper is that foreign banks are not always more efficient than domestic banks in developing countries, and even in a country with low income level.Cost Efficiency; Profit Efficiency; Foreign Banks; Domestic Banks

A Theory of Linkage between Monetary Policy and Banking Failure in Developing Countries

This paper presents a model of the banking sector that maximize profit and an individual bank which is a price taker, in a developing country. The interest rate on treasury bills is included in the model to measure monetary policy. The mathematical expression of the probability of banking failure is calculated; And, I show that, in developing countries, a tightening monetary policy may induce efficient banking failure.Banking Failure; Monetary Policy; Interest Rate; Developing Countries

Coopérer pour aborder des questions de société à l'Ecole?: L’école peut-elle aider ou non à changer le regard de notre société porté sur le handicap ?

International audienceWe have worked within schools on what the contribution of exchanges of collective experiences could bring on the representation of handicap. School that is a primary source of information tends to neglect the mutualisation and sharing of life experiences, which are of special relevance/which have special significance.The experiments we have carried out for three years in high schools tend to show that cooperating to broach these controversial issues lead the students to go beyond institutional knowledge.We have compared what pupils wrote, the recordings of what pupils said during classes with what was said during individual encounters and during informal debates in which pupils were invited to express themselves freely on the topic.Nous éprouvons l’apport d’un travail de coopération sur la représentation du handicap dans un contexte où l’Ecole est désignée comme première source d’information. Pour cela, nous invitons l’Ecole à privilégier le partage et la mutualisation d’expériences vécues pris comme éléments significatifs. Notre expérience, conduite sur trois années en lycée, tend à montrer que le travail de coopération pour aborder des questions de société conduit les élèves à dépasser les savoirs institutionnels. Nous mettons en perspective écrits et enregistrements réalisés en situation de classe avec les enregistrements des débats informels et des entretiens individuels où l’élève est invité à s’exprimer librement sur le sujet

Making students sensitive to entrepreneurship

The aim of this paper is to present a {proposal to make students sensitive to entrepreneurship} aiming at familiarizing students to the setting up of new firms and stimulating such a course of action. This {{awareness campaign}} would take place during the student's curriculum and rest on a simulation exercise. This campaign is based on the results of a survey conducted at the Technical University of Cartagena (Spain). This study has identified some students’ aspirations to salaried employment and entrepreneurship. This survey also recognized some specific features that the campaign must integrate, in particular the need to make entrepreneurship compatible with the preparation for salaried employment. The results of this study are completed comparing them with the opinion from entrepreneurs of the same region. This comparison highlights some barriers to entrepreneurship among the students population, making it possible to complete the content of the proposed simulation exercise. This paper also highlights the absence of barriers of a psychological nature usually put forward by the literature, such as a low level of the {need for achievement or the propensity for risk-taking}.career, company, entrepreneurship, making sensitive, student

Evaluation of Sheffield City Council's Community Justice Panels Project

This report is the output of an evaluation commissioned by Sheffield City Council and undertaken by the Hallam Centre for Community Justice at Sheffield Hallam University. The evaluation was undertaken during October and November 2009 with the objectives of assessing the effectiveness of the Community Justice Panels project so far and providing recommendations for future development. The evaluation used an action research methodology and included documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews with strategic partners and stakeholders, wrongdoers and harmed persons, facilitator focus group and observation of the Panels