Running Head: RESEARCH CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ISSUES (AUSTRALIA)
Research on Correctional Services Issues in Australia
Introduction
The World Health Organization sounded an alarm regarding the state of affairs in prisons. The report warned that if there were no collective and holistic action, incarceration centers would quickly turn into asylums for the mentally ill. It further pointed out that such a development was unfortunate because prisons were not suitable for the mentally ill. There was no treatment program or the capacity to handle such illnesses (WHO, 2008). Despite the report, prison facilities continue to house many people with mental illness. It is also cited that the rate of people becoming seriously mentally ill in some places is increasing fast (Young et al., 2019). The prevalence of mental illness cases in Australia can be compared to the ever-rising rate internationally. Figures indicate that one out of two people sent to prison in Australia report to have been informed of some kind of mental illness. The rate represents 49% of all incarcerated people (Young et al., 2019).
The mental illness prevalence in prisons in Australia over 12 months has been estimated to stand at between 43 and 80%. The report further shows that women are more affected (Butler et al., 2011; Young et al., 2019). Depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders account for 25%, 14%, and 10%, respectively, for native Australians in prison, over 12 months (Heffernan et al., 2012). Prisoners are said to be 3 to 11 times likely to develop an effective, psychotic, anxiety, or personality disorder relative to the general population of Australians (AIHW, 2019; Young et al., 2019).
The rising incidence of mental problems in Australia's prisons could be a result of the psychosocial environment and the effectiveness of the set rehabilitation programs. The general belief is that prisons are not well slated to rehabilitate inmates. Several research pieces, both qualitative and quantitative, have suggested that prisons could be acting counter-purpose, albeit unintentionally (Day et al., 2011). Many concerns have been raised regarding the effectiveness of the rehabilitation programs running in Australian prisons. Critics have pointed out the gap between the policies for rehabilitation and how they are implemented (Day et al., 2011).
Research objective
This research aims to examine two phenomena occurring among prisoners in Australia: one of them is their mental health, and the other is the social climate within these institutions. The specific objectives are
i. To handle and bring into perspective the specifics of mental health cases in prisons, and how they relate with Anti-Social Personality Disorder among prisoners. Further, to establish how this relationship connects to criminal tendencies, to assess Australian prisons' social climate and establish the effectiveness of the rehabilitation programs.
ii. To discover the offender's behaviors of those with mental health problems and how they are connected to the crime.
iii. To establish how effective the implementation of reforms is and how they affect the quality of life and inmates'...
To evaluate the outcomes of rehabilitation meant to reduce offending tendencies and determine the rate of reoffending for the individual offender.
Significance of the study
The research findings from this study will address rehabilitation developments in the Australian Criminal Justice System by shedding light on the relationship between mental health and crime. Mental health problems can affect how someone thinks, feels, and reacts to situations (AIHW, 2019). The statistics point out that the rehabilitation programs in Australia should be redesigned to accommodate inmates with mental health complications and reduce the rate of mental health deterioration among incarcerated individuals. The study is useful because it will establish the current conditions and recommend improving the mental health of prisoners in Australia, and the social environment within...
…treatment by prison staff, and absence of victimization, among others, determine the prisoner's wellbeing.
08/08/2020
Social climate of Australian prisons and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs
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Website: Australian Institute of Criminology
Accessed: Thrice
Title: Assessing the social climate of Australian prisons
Reference: Day, A., Casey, S., Vess, J., & Huisy, G. (2011). Assessing the social climate of Australian prisons.Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice, (427), 1.
The social climate within a prison significantly affects rehabilitation outcomes
The social climate within Australian prisons isn't conducive for successful rehabilitation
The concept of therapeutic prisons in Australia is influential and has in recent years progressed to the creation of specialist rehabilitation prisons
Support for the social climate idea within a prison can improve the outcome of the rehabilitation program.
08/08/2020
Social climate of Australian prisons and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs
Google Scholar
Website: Australian Institute of Criminology
Accessed: Thrice
Title: Study in prison reduces recidivism and welfare dependence: A case study from Western Australia 20052010
Reference: Giles, M.(2016). Study in prison reduces recidivism and welfare dependence: A case study from Western Australia 20052010.Trends & issues in crime and criminal justiceno. 514. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
Aim of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of correctional education in bettering post?release outcomes
More men (81%) participated in the studies as compared to women (76%)
Prisoners who up their skills while in prison are less likely to commit a serious offense after release
Ex?prisoners without skill or opportunity to generate income for self-sustenance are more likely to commit a crime upon release
The Australian correctional system needs to invest in opportunities for prisoners to upskill and develop modalities to encourage prisoners to partake in the program.
08/08/2020
Mental illness in incarcerated offenders and their connection to crime
Google Scholar
Website: Australian Institute of Criminology
Accessed: Thrice
Title: Mental disorder prevalence at the gateway to the criminal justice system
Reference: Forsythe, L., & Gaffney, A. (2012). Mental disorder prevalence at the…
