Marieke Liem
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781479806928
- eISBN:
- 9781479860746
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479806928.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
Today, one out of every nine prisoners is serving a life sentence. Even though a proportion is serving a sentence of life without parole, the majority of lifers will at one point be released to ...
More
Today, one out of every nine prisoners is serving a life sentence. Even though a proportion is serving a sentence of life without parole, the majority of lifers will at one point be released to society. We know, however, very little on what happens to those sentenced with life imprisonment after release. As they have been removed from society for decades, their re-entry process cannot be equated to that of other delinquents who have served much shorter prison sentences. To shed light on this question, this book discusses the life histories of more than sixty homicide offenders who completed a life sentence. Some were re-incarcerated, while others were able to build a life beyond bars. Against the backdrop of tough-on-crime policies, the book takes the reader on a journey into the lives of these men and women, the events that lead to their incarceration, and the struggles they faced upon release. The goal of this book is to offer the reader a unique insight into the lives of long-term incarcerated individuals and to provide them with a new understanding on how to explain their successes and failures post-release. Not only does the book move forward our theoretical understanding of crime throughout the life course, it also provides a basis for future discussion for policy and legislature changes in the context of the goals, costs and effects of long-term imprisonment.Less
Today, one out of every nine prisoners is serving a life sentence. Even though a proportion is serving a sentence of life without parole, the majority of lifers will at one point be released to society. We know, however, very little on what happens to those sentenced with life imprisonment after release. As they have been removed from society for decades, their re-entry process cannot be equated to that of other delinquents who have served much shorter prison sentences. To shed light on this question, this book discusses the life histories of more than sixty homicide offenders who completed a life sentence. Some were re-incarcerated, while others were able to build a life beyond bars. Against the backdrop of tough-on-crime policies, the book takes the reader on a journey into the lives of these men and women, the events that lead to their incarceration, and the struggles they faced upon release. The goal of this book is to offer the reader a unique insight into the lives of long-term incarcerated individuals and to provide them with a new understanding on how to explain their successes and failures post-release. Not only does the book move forward our theoretical understanding of crime throughout the life course, it also provides a basis for future discussion for policy and legislature changes in the context of the goals, costs and effects of long-term imprisonment.
John H. Evans
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226222653
- eISBN:
- 9780226222707
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226222707.003.0008
- Subject:
- Sociology, Science, Technology and Environment
New technological achievement in human reproduction are emerging at a dizzying speed, with very little or no opportunity for the public to debate their merits. The first and probably most anticipated ...
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New technological achievement in human reproduction are emerging at a dizzying speed, with very little or no opportunity for the public to debate their merits. The first and probably most anticipated is the embryonic life discourse. Abortion for cystic fibrosis, preimplantation genetic diagnosis for deafness, and human genetic engineering for cystic fibrosis are all for one group of persons acceptable because they improve the health of someone, be it through bringing a healthier person into the world or modifying an existing person to make them and their offspring healthier. On the other hand, the pro-lifers do not place the same issues in their health-related domain. They oppose abortion and preimplantation genetic diagnosis for cystic fibrosis, but they do approve of human genetic engineering for cystic fibrosis. Their “health” domain is better described as “medicine” and is limited to reproductive genetic technologies (RGTs) where currently existing people are modified to help the health of themselves and their offspring.Less
New technological achievement in human reproduction are emerging at a dizzying speed, with very little or no opportunity for the public to debate their merits. The first and probably most anticipated is the embryonic life discourse. Abortion for cystic fibrosis, preimplantation genetic diagnosis for deafness, and human genetic engineering for cystic fibrosis are all for one group of persons acceptable because they improve the health of someone, be it through bringing a healthier person into the world or modifying an existing person to make them and their offspring healthier. On the other hand, the pro-lifers do not place the same issues in their health-related domain. They oppose abortion and preimplantation genetic diagnosis for cystic fibrosis, but they do approve of human genetic engineering for cystic fibrosis. Their “health” domain is better described as “medicine” and is limited to reproductive genetic technologies (RGTs) where currently existing people are modified to help the health of themselves and their offspring.
Catherine A Appleton
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199582716
- eISBN:
- 9780191702341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199582716.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter examines the development of the discretionary life sentences in England and Wales. It describes the evolution of life sentences for non-homicide offences and the criteria used by the ...
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This chapter examines the development of the discretionary life sentences in England and Wales. It describes the evolution of life sentences for non-homicide offences and the criteria used by the courts, introduces the concept of the ‘tariff’, examines key decisions influencing release procedures and the impact of the European Court of Human Rights, and discusses the process of recall to prison for discretionary lifers.Less
This chapter examines the development of the discretionary life sentences in England and Wales. It describes the evolution of life sentences for non-homicide offences and the criteria used by the courts, introduces the concept of the ‘tariff’, examines key decisions influencing release procedures and the impact of the European Court of Human Rights, and discusses the process of recall to prison for discretionary lifers.
Catherine A Appleton
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199582716
- eISBN:
- 9780191702341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199582716.003.0005
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter compares the views of probation officers with the perceptions of lifers. It consider the lifer's view of how the probation service, as the main agency concerned with the support and ...
More
This chapter compares the views of probation officers with the perceptions of lifers. It consider the lifer's view of how the probation service, as the main agency concerned with the support and supervision of life-sentenced offenders, contributed to the prospect of readjustment and resettlement after long-term imprisonment. It also provides an analysis of data from indepth interviews with discretionary life-sentenced offenders, who talked about their perceptions of the purpose, process, and outcomes of probation supervision, their experience of probation contact and its effectiveness, and their assessment of the contribution supervision and other factors made towards tackling problems following release.Less
This chapter compares the views of probation officers with the perceptions of lifers. It consider the lifer's view of how the probation service, as the main agency concerned with the support and supervision of life-sentenced offenders, contributed to the prospect of readjustment and resettlement after long-term imprisonment. It also provides an analysis of data from indepth interviews with discretionary life-sentenced offenders, who talked about their perceptions of the purpose, process, and outcomes of probation supervision, their experience of probation contact and its effectiveness, and their assessment of the contribution supervision and other factors made towards tackling problems following release.
Catherine A Appleton
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199582716
- eISBN:
- 9780191702341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199582716.003.0006
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter provides a qualitative assessment of the subjective side of desistance from the perspective of a subgroup of discretionary life-sentenced offenders convicted of violent and sexual ...
More
This chapter provides a qualitative assessment of the subjective side of desistance from the perspective of a subgroup of discretionary life-sentenced offenders convicted of violent and sexual offences. It presents narratives from autobiographical accounts of twenty-eight discretionary lifers who had resettled in the community after long-term imprisonment. It also seeks to develop understanding of the role reform narratives and reformed identities play among those who have committed some of the most serious criminal acts.Less
This chapter provides a qualitative assessment of the subjective side of desistance from the perspective of a subgroup of discretionary life-sentenced offenders convicted of violent and sexual offences. It presents narratives from autobiographical accounts of twenty-eight discretionary lifers who had resettled in the community after long-term imprisonment. It also seeks to develop understanding of the role reform narratives and reformed identities play among those who have committed some of the most serious criminal acts.
Catherine A Appleton
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199582716
- eISBN:
- 9780191702341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199582716.003.0007
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter discusses the process of prison recall for discretionary life-sentenced offenders. First, it describes the size of lifer prison population in England and Wales and highlights the ...
More
This chapter discusses the process of prison recall for discretionary life-sentenced offenders. First, it describes the size of lifer prison population in England and Wales and highlights the increasing number of life sentence prisoners who have been recalled to prison after a period of life licence. It then describes the process of recall in practice for lifers, and depicts the release and recall status for the current cohort of discretionary life-sentenced offenders. Finally, it present lifers' ‘stories of recall’, integrating qualitative analysis of indepth interviews with those lifers in the sub-sample who were interviewed in prison.Less
This chapter discusses the process of prison recall for discretionary life-sentenced offenders. First, it describes the size of lifer prison population in England and Wales and highlights the increasing number of life sentence prisoners who have been recalled to prison after a period of life licence. It then describes the process of recall in practice for lifers, and depicts the release and recall status for the current cohort of discretionary life-sentenced offenders. Finally, it present lifers' ‘stories of recall’, integrating qualitative analysis of indepth interviews with those lifers in the sub-sample who were interviewed in prison.
Marieke Liem
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781479806928
- eISBN:
- 9781479860746
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479806928.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
The first chapter discusses the background and recent trends in the application of life sentences. Over the last decades, the number of lifers nationwide has been rising dramatically. It has been ...
More
The first chapter discusses the background and recent trends in the application of life sentences. Over the last decades, the number of lifers nationwide has been rising dramatically. It has been well documented that this growth is linked to policy changes, not to increases in crime rates. The chapter outlines the reasons why we should pay attention to the population of life sentenced individuals: The absence of crime reduction through incarceration, the financial aspects of applying prolonged imprisonment, the adverse social and psychological effects of long-term incarceration and finally, recent developments in legislation that may result in more life-sentenced individuals being released. This book seeks to shed light on this understudied population. While doing so, it assesses what determines success (desistance, or staying out on parole) versus failure (going back to prison) post-release. The chapter provides an overview of the book’s structure in addressing this question.Less
The first chapter discusses the background and recent trends in the application of life sentences. Over the last decades, the number of lifers nationwide has been rising dramatically. It has been well documented that this growth is linked to policy changes, not to increases in crime rates. The chapter outlines the reasons why we should pay attention to the population of life sentenced individuals: The absence of crime reduction through incarceration, the financial aspects of applying prolonged imprisonment, the adverse social and psychological effects of long-term incarceration and finally, recent developments in legislation that may result in more life-sentenced individuals being released. This book seeks to shed light on this understudied population. While doing so, it assesses what determines success (desistance, or staying out on parole) versus failure (going back to prison) post-release. The chapter provides an overview of the book’s structure in addressing this question.
Marieke Liem
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781479806928
- eISBN:
- 9781479860746
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479806928.003.0008
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
This chapter addresses the effects of long-term incarceration on mental health. The long-term effects of exposure to powerful and traumatic situations, contexts, and structures mean that prisons ...
More
This chapter addresses the effects of long-term incarceration on mental health. The long-term effects of exposure to powerful and traumatic situations, contexts, and structures mean that prisons themselves can bring about psychological problems resulting from prison trauma. Interviewed lifers described symptoms that were not limited to PTSD, but also included institutionalized personality traits (prisonization), social-sensory disorientation, and temporal alienation, or the idea of ‘not belonging’. Taken together, this cluster of mental health symptoms is described as the ‘Post-Incarceration Syndrome’, or PICS. Navigating the conditions of parole often clashed with their need for appropriate mental health counselling.Less
This chapter addresses the effects of long-term incarceration on mental health. The long-term effects of exposure to powerful and traumatic situations, contexts, and structures mean that prisons themselves can bring about psychological problems resulting from prison trauma. Interviewed lifers described symptoms that were not limited to PTSD, but also included institutionalized personality traits (prisonization), social-sensory disorientation, and temporal alienation, or the idea of ‘not belonging’. Taken together, this cluster of mental health symptoms is described as the ‘Post-Incarceration Syndrome’, or PICS. Navigating the conditions of parole often clashed with their need for appropriate mental health counselling.
Marieke Liem
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781479806928
- eISBN:
- 9781479860746
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479806928.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
Chapter nine arrives at the question who was able to stay out of prison after re-entry, and who was not. It first discusses the strategies these lifers employed to navigate the conditions of parole. ...
More
Chapter nine arrives at the question who was able to stay out of prison after re-entry, and who was not. It first discusses the strategies these lifers employed to navigate the conditions of parole. The interviewees mentioned several reasons in terms of ‘failing’ to stay out of prison: Being recalled for political reasons; catching up too quickly for lost time; falling back into old habits, and returning to prison as a safe place. The vast majority of re-incarcerated lifers returned to prison as a result of a technical violation, not a new criminal offense (criminal recidivism). What we should thus be questioning is not how these lifers are actively ‘going straight’ or desist, but rather, how they manage their parole conditions and similarly, how the parole system manages its parolees. The chapter further details how lifers experience their re-incarceration, with particular attention to older lifers.Less
Chapter nine arrives at the question who was able to stay out of prison after re-entry, and who was not. It first discusses the strategies these lifers employed to navigate the conditions of parole. The interviewees mentioned several reasons in terms of ‘failing’ to stay out of prison: Being recalled for political reasons; catching up too quickly for lost time; falling back into old habits, and returning to prison as a safe place. The vast majority of re-incarcerated lifers returned to prison as a result of a technical violation, not a new criminal offense (criminal recidivism). What we should thus be questioning is not how these lifers are actively ‘going straight’ or desist, but rather, how they manage their parole conditions and similarly, how the parole system manages its parolees. The chapter further details how lifers experience their re-incarceration, with particular attention to older lifers.
Marieke Liem
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781479806928
- eISBN:
- 9781479860746
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479806928.003.0010
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
Chapter ten delves deeper into the factors the interviewees mentioned as key to staying out. These included aging out of crime, a healthy fear for the conditions of parole, and self-efficacy, or ...
More
Chapter ten delves deeper into the factors the interviewees mentioned as key to staying out. These included aging out of crime, a healthy fear for the conditions of parole, and self-efficacy, or having a sense of choice and control over one’s life. Non-incarcerated interviewees, as opposed to re-incarcerated individuals, reflected a strong sense of agency in their narrative. The process of desistance is thus not the result of societal forces, as emphasized by life-course theorists. Nor does it seem to be a resolution of an individual to change, as the vast majority of interviewees said that they underwent a transformation leading to a better version of themselves. What seems to be crucial for lifers in being successful in staying out on parole is a combination of social support structures, having regained a sense of control, and a strong awareness of the restraints that govern their day-to-day life.Less
Chapter ten delves deeper into the factors the interviewees mentioned as key to staying out. These included aging out of crime, a healthy fear for the conditions of parole, and self-efficacy, or having a sense of choice and control over one’s life. Non-incarcerated interviewees, as opposed to re-incarcerated individuals, reflected a strong sense of agency in their narrative. The process of desistance is thus not the result of societal forces, as emphasized by life-course theorists. Nor does it seem to be a resolution of an individual to change, as the vast majority of interviewees said that they underwent a transformation leading to a better version of themselves. What seems to be crucial for lifers in being successful in staying out on parole is a combination of social support structures, having regained a sense of control, and a strong awareness of the restraints that govern their day-to-day life.
Marieke Liem
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781479806928
- eISBN:
- 9781479860746
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479806928.003.0011
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
Chapter eleven concludes by exploring the boundaries of two main theoretical models: Life-course theories and theories of cognitive transformation, in explaining success and failure among these ...
More
Chapter eleven concludes by exploring the boundaries of two main theoretical models: Life-course theories and theories of cognitive transformation, in explaining success and failure among these lifers. The majority of the interviewed lifers, in a strict sense, desisted from crime, but still experienced great difficulty adjusting to life outside of prison. The chapter discusses ways in which the findings can be put into practical and policy recommendations, to better prepare this unique group of offenders for release to the community: By reclaiming self-efficacy in prison and through employment, by evidence-based programming, and by acknowledging the psychological aftermath of long-term incarceration. The chapter concludes with a discussion on reform in both prison and parole systems for lifers. Providing lifers a fair chance on the job market, adequate programming taking into account the prolonged period of confinement, and a sense of certainty in terms of reasons for recall enables them to start a life beyond bars.Less
Chapter eleven concludes by exploring the boundaries of two main theoretical models: Life-course theories and theories of cognitive transformation, in explaining success and failure among these lifers. The majority of the interviewed lifers, in a strict sense, desisted from crime, but still experienced great difficulty adjusting to life outside of prison. The chapter discusses ways in which the findings can be put into practical and policy recommendations, to better prepare this unique group of offenders for release to the community: By reclaiming self-efficacy in prison and through employment, by evidence-based programming, and by acknowledging the psychological aftermath of long-term incarceration. The chapter concludes with a discussion on reform in both prison and parole systems for lifers. Providing lifers a fair chance on the job market, adequate programming taking into account the prolonged period of confinement, and a sense of certainty in terms of reasons for recall enables them to start a life beyond bars.
