Caregiving & Incarceration Evidence of Compassion, Mercy, and Redemption in Prison
Tina Maschi, PhD, LCSW, ACSW Associate Professor
Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service Executive Director, Be the Evidence Project President, National Organization of Forensic Social Work
Overview
Human Rights
The State of Death, Dying, and Prison Treatment as Usual
Peer Support, Compassion, Service, among the Incarcerated
Peer Support Program Exemplars
Human Rights as a Framework for Care Giving and Receiving
The Whole Person in the Social Environment
Human Rights Values Dignity, Respect, Intrinsic Value Duty to Others
Human Rights • • • • •
Political Civil Economic Social Cultural
Health & Well-Being Individual Family Community • Root (basic needs) • Physical • Cognitive • Emotional • Social /Cultural • Spiritual • Participatory
(Maschi, 2011)
The Critical Omega Point: How Did You Think We Got Here?
U.S-Global Mass Incarcerator (2.3 million in prison, 16% aged 50 and older)
Accelerated aging (i.e., biological vs. chronological age, e.g., early cognitive and physical decline, dementia, early mortality) in prison populations
Record numbers die a year in prison of many causes (e.g., U.S. in 2012; N = 5,000)
Lack of adequate specialized long term and hospice care or use of compassionate release laws
Undignified Practices: Incarcerated person died in
shackles chained to his bed in New Orleans hospital (1984)
(BJS, 2012; Finlay, 1998; Marushak,2008 WHO, 2010)
Understanding the Problem From A Heightened Global Historic Consciousness Perspective Common Cumulative Individual, Social and Structural Determinants: for Health, Well-being, and CJ Involvement
• Race • Gender • Age • • •
• • •
• • • • • • • • •
• •
Physical & Mental Disabilities Empathy and Moral Development Decision-Making and Problem Solving Skills Health Histories Substance Use Offense History
Trauma/Stress/Victimization Poverty/Income Education/Employment Homelessness Offense History Oppression, Stigma, Discrimination Policies (Therapeutic Jurisprudence) Social Support • Family, Peers, Community Access to Services or Legal Assistance Prior Service Use Environment (Prison, Violence, Inadequate Healthcare)
Trajectory of Care Giving Systems That Influence Aging, Longevity, and Justice
The Pathway to the Black Box of Prison for Older and Social Disadvantaged Populations
Why the Rise of the Seriously Ill and Dying in Prison? General growth in global aging population Ebb and flow of stricter punitive approaches vs. compassionate/restorative approaches 1980s U.S. stricter sentencing policies (e.g., violent crimes), disproportionate and unjust sentences and and then adopted worldwide
Created rapidly growing international human made disaster of the mass incarceration of elderly and other socially disadvantaged groups
Additional Lack of Prison Restorative Justice Practice and Fair Parole and Compassionate Release Laws and Practices
(ACLU, 2012; Aday, 2003; HRW, 2012; Maschi et al., 2011; in press; UNDOC, 2009; Wahidin, 2004; WHO, 2011; Williams et al., 2011, 2012)
Problem: Multisystemic Barriers Corrections is ill-prepared to address the problem alone:
Providing holistic long-term health and social care; or Addressing the cumulative determinants of disadvantage
(‘social determinants of health’) Multi-system service and large scale policy reform that infuses compassion and restoration Training interdisciplinary professionals Empowering individuals, families, and communities adversely affected Effectively addressing negative public attitudes towards stigmatized groups and sensitive topics
attitudes towards aging, death and dying, crime and victimization, public safety counter arguments
(ACLU, 2012; Aday, 2003; HRW, 2012; Maschi et al., 2011; in press; UNDOC, 2009; WHO, 2011; Williams et al., 2011, 2012)
Heterogeneity of Aging in Place: The Intersection of Sentence Length & Comorbid Special Needs Prison Sentence Length
Possible Special Needs Comorbidities
Life Course Older Adults in Prison (Long-termer Incarcerated early in life)serving long sentences (20+ years) often for violent offenses
Older Prisoners
Prisoners with Mental Health Care Needs
Acute and Chronic Older Person with Recidivism History-cycle in and out of prison
Prisoners with Disabilities
Foreign National Persons
Women
Late Onset Older Adult in Prison-incarcerated later in life and serving various sentence lengths
Ethnic and Racial Minorities and Indigenous Peoples
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Persons Persons Under Sentence of Death
(may have one or more special needsimplications for access to justice)
(e.g.,Goetting, 1983; HRW, 2012; Maschi et al., 2012; Williams et al. 2012)
Age and Sentence Length-US State Prisons Sentence in Months Age
≤20 years 21 – 30 years 31 – 40 years 41 – 50 years 51 – 60 years 61 – 70 years 71 – 80 years
≤ 120
Total
More than
Life without
240
parole
25,890
1,882
786
88.8%
6.5%
2.7%
0.3%
196,965
27,815
12,711
1,825
79.4%
11.2%
5.1%
0.7%
141,270
33,491
25,299
3,237
63.7%
15.1%
11.4%
1.5%
103,552
27,478
29,189
2,562
56.5%
15.0%
15.9%
1.4%
36,646
11,556
15,618
1,511
46.5%
14.7%
19.8%
1.9%
6,656
2,890
3,721
35.8%
15.6%
20.0%
1,047 32.7%
> 80 years
121-240
108
539 16.8%
57
83
18.1%
years 8
0.0% 0.0% 0.2% 0.4% 0.7%
2.3%
54
16.0%
15.1%
2.5%
512,134
105,708
87,959
9,778
65.4%
13.5%
11.2%
1.2%
19,119 12,618 16.0%
201
4,517
1.1%
24.3%
28 0.9%
9
30.2%
17,438
10.4%
580
75
8,490
7.9%
695
1.1%
Total
-
0.0% 0.1%
248,048 100%
471 0.2%
221,640 100%
520 0.3%
183,115 100%
307 0.4%
78,836 100%
113 0.6%
18,574 100%
9 0.3%
124
29,178
100%
153
924 28.8%
4
Death
529
3.4%
434
2.6%
Life
1.8%
89
476
581
Life plus additional
3,203 100%
1
357
34.7%
0.3%
100%
2,039
63,759
1,574
782,951
0.3%
8.1%
0.2%
100%
(HRW, 2012, p. 26; National Corrections Reporting Program Note: Based on 24 states reporting year-end prison population data for 2009.
U.S. State Prisoners Statistics on Cause of Deaths by Demographics (BJS, 2010) TABLE 21 Number of state prisoner deaths,by cause of death and selected characteristics,2001-2010
Characteristic Total Sex Male Female Race/Hispanic origin• White Black/African American Hispanic/Latino Otherb
Illness liver Respiratory disease diseases
Heart disease
Cancer
AIDS
All other illnesses
8,415
7,833
2,442
2,025
1,540
6,086
1,994
398
290
515
8,234 181
7,500 333
2,318 124
1 ,921 104
1,460 80
5,739 347
1 ,893 100
384 14
278 12
511 4
4,428 3,194 685 101
4,195 2,827 661 129
1,299 607 473 60
1 ,101 711 189 21
318 1,040 169 12
2,800 2,384 792 97
1 ,158 419 330 80
231 72 79 16
157 89 35 8
234 176 88 15
80 408 1,296 2,366 4,262
0 43 200 882 2,498 4,206
8 54 381 1,226 772
45 139 276 484 1,078
0 16 204 661 512 147
2 93 368 1 ,070 2,088 2,460
9 288 656 571 341 129
0 24 111 146 88 29
22 64 74 72 57
64 144 149 106 51
Suicide
Drug/alcohol intoxication
Accident
Homicide
Age
1 7 or younger 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55 or older
Note: Data may have been revised from previously published statistics to reflect updated information.Detail may not sum to total due to missing data. ' Excludes persons ofHispanic/Latino origin unless specified. blncludes American Indian or Alaska Native,Asian or Pacific Islanders,and persons identifying two or more races. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics,Deaths in Custody Reporting Program, 2001-2010.
Crime Type and Age-US State Prisons (2009) Offense Types Age < 55 Age ≥ 55
Violent Sexual crimes
Total
436,509 44,924 89,193 16,892
481,433 106,085
173,685 8,425 165,594 8,225 95,722 6,678 Other/unspecified 8,245 512 Total 879,755 68,764
182,110 173,819 102,400 8,757 948,519
among violent
Property Drugs Public offense
Percent ≥ 55 in offense group 9.3% 15.9% 4.6% 4.7% 6.5% 5.8% 7.2%
Percent with Percent with offense in ≥ 55
offense in < 55
65.3% 24.6%
49.6% 10.1%
12.3% 12.0% 9.7% 0.7% 100%
19.7% 18.8% 10.9% 0.9% 100%
(HRW, 20120, p. 27; National Corrections Reporting Program Note: Based on 24 states reporting year-end prison population data for 2009.
Methods
Funder: John A. Hartford Foundation and Gerontological Society of America-Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Award
Principal Investigator: Tina Maschi, PhD, LCSW, ACSW
Sample: 677 older adults in prison
Design: Cross-Sectional Correlational Mixed Methods Design
654 men; 24 women
Measures: Life Stressors Checklist-Revised, open-ended questions
Data Collection: Mailed Survey (Dillman 4 step method) Quantitative Analysis: Descriptive AnalysisQualitative Data Analysis: Grounded Theory Approach
Holistic Portrait: Participants’ Self Reported Personal Histories (N = 667)
Holistic Portrait: Participants’ Self-Reported Health Histories (N = 672)
Personal and Professional Contacts (past 3 months) Method of Contact (N =632) Personal Contact
• • • • • •
Marital or Life Partner Children Grandchildren Siblings Parents Friends
Professional Contact • • • • • • • •
Teachers Social Workers Medical Staff Psychologists Psychiatrists Other Incarcerated Persons Probation/Parole Officers Religious Volunteers/Staff
No Contact
Phone Contact
Visits
Phone Contact & Visits
Letters
67.5
14.1
9.2
8.7
0.5
59.8
17.6
12.9
8.2
1.6
77.4
10.3
7.5
3.9
0.9
48.5
27.8
13.6
7.6
2.5
69.8
12.3
9.0
5.2
0.7
64.1
19.7
10.2
3.8
2.2
Phone Contact
Visits
Phone Contact and Visits
Letters
92.1
1.1
6.5
.4
X
63.3
2.5
33.7
.5
X
33.9
2.8
62.7
.7
X
68.9
1.3
29.8
X
X
74.7
1.1
24.2
X
X
57.3
2.1
39.8
.6
.2
89.6
1.1
9.1
.2
X
57.0
.9
41.4
.5
.2
No Contact
Life and Death in Prison Quote from ‘Mary’, 66 year old woman in prison-Served 5 years Prison is a hard place. Pure Hell! As long as you are in khaki, you are considered non-human. I miss my family and want to go home so bad. I don't feel there is enough mental health available on a regular basis or the comfortable feeling of just expressing yourself without the fear of being put in lockdown. The elder suffer the most because there isn't much for them, us. The medical here makes no sense. Until you have an ailment, you are put off and time holds you back. I have the starts of osteoporosis and seeing how some people young and old are treated makes me suffer and deal with it. I look at it that I will deal with it when I get home. In the meantime I hurt and deal with it. Prayer and God is what gets me through every day, moment, second I am here. Overall it's horrible and wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. From T. Maschi (2010) John A. Hartford and Gerontological Society of America Geriatric Social Work Scholars Funded Project
Life and Death in Prison Quote from ‘Joseph’, 57 year old man in prison
I was assigned to a job in the Prison Infirmary (E.C.U.) as a porter. The infirmary job was often very depressing. They have a couple of padded cells there and the screams of tormented souls could be heard throughout many shifts. There were also what we called the "death rooms". These were a row of 5-6 cells which housed terminally ill inmates. They had been brought in from prisons throughout the state. Many were fairly young. The medical "professionals" working here had minimal interaction with them; they were largely cared for by-care inmate volunteers. When one of the terminal cases passed away, and ambulance would eventually arrive to take the body out of the prison. The guards and medical staff would not help "bag and tag" the body, so it was left to us porters to assist in it. From T. Maschi (2010) John A. Hartford and Gerontological Society of America Geriatric Social Work Scholars Funded Project
Life and Death in Prison Quote from ‘Joseph’, a 57 year old man in prison (continued)
The apathy of the guards toward dying inmates was unconscionable.
We had one inmate about 30 years old whose wife and 2 small children were given permission for a special visit because he was near death. As shift change approached, a nurse entered the room and the family had to stand outside of the door. A female guard yelled to the nurse, "Isn't he dead yet? I don't want to have to stay late to do the paperwork." The two little girls were sobbing in no time. We also had an inmate turn 100 years old there. He was completely bed-ridden. He passed away eventually. I was left wondering how society was being served by that. In the 6 months that I worked there, 6-7 inmates passed away. Hepatitis and diabetes cases abounded, with many amputations. From T. Maschi (2010) John A. Hartford and Gerontological Society of America Geriatric Social Work Scholars Funded Project
Qualitative Findings
Life Course Trauma and Social Contexts On average, adults aged 50+ report 3 lifetime traumatic or stressful life events and current subjective distress
80% report being witnesses to or victims of family and/or community violence, including war
60% report an unexpected death-someone class
40% report trauma and stress symptoms to being diagnosed with a serious physical or mental illness and retraumatization in healthcare settings
25% caregiver of person with serious illness 28% reported forced separation from a child 5%-have child with a handicap 60% report abuse and stress in prison From T. Maschi (2010) John A. Hartford and Gerontological Society of America Geriatric Social Work Scholars Funded Project
Serving Life Documentary "Serving Life" takes viewers inside Louisiana's maximum security prison at Angola, where the average sentence is more than 90 years. The prisoners within its walls are the worst of the worst - rapists, kidnappers and murderers. With prison sentences so long, 85 percent will never again live in the outside world. Instead, the will grow old and die in Angola. "Serving Life" documents an extraordinary hospice program where hardened criminals care for their dying fellow inmates. In doing so, they embark on a journey that may end in personal rehabilitation. " 'Serving Life' reveals the humanity that exists inside each and every one of us," said Whitaker. "In the Angola prison's hospice, we meet inmates who decide to take an opportunity for redemption, reminding us of the connection that exists between each and every human being." The volunteers are trained, pushed and tested. Some fail, but some succeed and discover that the human touch can reach the soul. "I thought maybe if I helped somebody else," one inmate says, "that would help relieve some of the guilt." From: http://press.discovery.com/us/own/programs/serving-life/
IN SMALL PLACES CLOSE TO HOME
Local to Global Innovations that Incorporate Human Rights and Compassion in Corrections
Findings: Wellness Activities Psychosocial Spiritual Empowerment Medicine: Qualitative Findings What Kinds of Things Did You Do in the Past Month to Manage Stress?
Exercise (4) I do yoga all the time
Pray (6) Read (4) Pray and read the Quran
Anger management (1) Music (1) Music relaxation are my stress relievers
Meditate (1) Self Reflection (1) Read, study, work on self, and improvement, attitude, behaviors
Leadership and Social Participation (Participatory) (5) Programs, exercise, palliative care worker, working with at risk juveniles, etc… Focus on victim program, exercise, computer workforce, community awareness day, HIV AIDS group Read my Bible, I am a minister now. I do all things the word way NA and AA Exercise, work (strip & buff floors), write letters, talk on the phone
Promising Practices-Common Factors Human Rights-Based & Target One or More Domains of Well-Being [root (basic needs), physical, cognitive, emotional, social/cultural, spiritual, participatory]
1. Geriatric case management (medical, mental health, substance abuse,, family services, social services, housing, educational or vocational training, victim-offender mediation, spiritual counseling, physical exercise, employment or benefits counseling)
2. Culturally responsive-address one or more special needs populations 3. Establishment of safe and peaceful environment 4. Assessment of cognitive and physical capacity to establish service needs (as opposed to chronological age)
5. Availability sensitive environmental modifications (including segregated units, specialized lighting and open shared meeting space)
6. Holistic dementia and palliative and end-of-life care 7. Complementary medicine (e.g., arts, pet therapy, massage, folk healing or spiritual practices)
8. Family and peer accessibility 9. Peer support models (in-prison or community) 10. Victim and advocacy services 11. Human, Civil, and Legal Rights
Promising Practices-Exemplars Prison or Community The Unit for Cognitively Impaired (UCI) (Fishkill, NY
Corrections)-Dementia Unit-innovative, holistic design Prison Hospices with Peer Support (Prison and Community) Angola State Prison Hospice Unit -Hospice with peer support
component California Men’s Colony-Treatment of serious and terminally ill with peer support component INFIRM: Community Program in Canada with Human Rights Framework
True Grit Program-Geriatric Structure Programming in Nevada Prison India-Long Termers Family-Focused Open Prison
(Aday & Krabill, 2012; Harrison, 2006. UNODC, 2009; Maschi et al., 2011, 2012)
What ‘Lifers’ Can Teach Us About Thinking Outside of the Prison Box: ‘Prisons of Peace” Welcome to Prison of Peace Prison of Peace is a pro bono project created by professional mediators Laurel Kaufer, Esq. and Douglas E. Noll, Esq. at the request of life and long term inmates at Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, CA.
Prisoners as Peacemakers? How is it that women, with dark pasts, many of them serving time for murder and manslaughter, could possibly be peacemakers? It Started With a Letter... The story is one of personal commitment to themselves and the community in which most are destined to live out their lives.“This is an environment filled with conflict and violence. There is a dire need and want for change,” said Susan Russo, one of the fifteen initial peacemakers, serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, CA. “Mediation interests all of us because we are lifers and long-termers hoping to make a difference in teaching our peers that there is a better way.” Beginning her quest in 2007, Ms. Russo wrote over 50 handwritten letters from prison to mediators all over California. Her letters went unanswered until August of 2009 when one of her letters made it to Laurel Kaufer, Esq., a well-known Southern California mediator and peacemaker and founder of the post-Katrina Mississippi Mediation Project. “As soon as I read the letter, I was hooked, but also knew that I couldn’t do it alone. Still standing at the mailbox, I called my friend and colleague, Doug Noll, the only person I would consider working with on a project like this,” said Ms. Kaufer. “Doug is a superb trainer, mediator, and restorative justice expert. I read the letter to him. He was silent for about a nano-second before he said, ‘I’m in. What’s our next step?’” The Goals of Prison of Peace To teach personal emotional intelligence skills to inmates To teach essential personal problem-solving skills to inmates To introduce and teach the restorative process of peace circles To introduce and teach the principles of moral engagement To teach basic mediation skills as third party neutrals To embed peacemaking, defined as collaborative, respectful problem-solving processes to resolve interpersonal and group conflicts, within the prison. To create capacity to continue the expansion of training and knowledge within the prison by training inmates to be instructors and trainers. To create a sustainable program of peace building within the prison To provide an avenue for continuing education and training for correctional officers and administrators in conflict resolution, peacemaking, and restorative justice.
http://www.prisonofpeace.org/index.html
Sensei Charles "Chas" Ransome
President of the Lifers & Long Termers Organization at the Otisville Correctional Facility in New York. The Lifers & Long Termers Organization (LLO)
http://www.manipulatedtrial.de/Chas%20Ransome.htm
Lifers & Long Termers Organization Otisville Correctional Facility, Otisville, New York-1
Current Board consists of: Chas Ransome 85-A-1643 President Vacant Vacant Vice President Ronnie Bush 85-B-1355 Treasurer Alejo Rodriquez 86-A-0607 Secretary HaroldCummings 88T1116 Sgt. Of Arms
Lifers & Long Termers Organization Otisville Correctional Facility, Otisville, New York-2 Current Board consists of: Chas Ransome 85-A-1643 President Vacant Vacant Vice President Ronnie Bush 85-B-1355 Treasurer Alejo Rodriquez 86-A-0607 Secretary HaroldCummings 88T1116 Sgt. Of Arms
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” -Lewis Smedes
Be the Evidence You Want to See in the World
For More Information If you are interested in getting of this presentation or articles referenced in this presentation:
Visit Be the Evidence Project Aging in the Criminal Justice Project at: http://www.fordham.edu/btep
Contact Tina Maschi at
[email protected] Principal Investigator: Tina Maschi, PhD, LCSW, ACSW Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service 113 West 60th Street New York, NY 10023/ Tel: (914) 367-3105/Fax: (914) 367-3112 Email:
[email protected]
Resource Links
Council on Social Work Education Gero-Ed Center Aging Times Special Issue on Aging in the Criminal Justice System: http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_ version.cfm?message_id=2036636&user_id=CS WE
Web links provides bibliography and media resources, and special report links
Select References Aday, R. H. (2003). Aging prisoners: Crisis in American corrections. Westport, CT: Praeger. American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] (2012) At America’s Expense: The Mass Incarceration of the Elderly. Washington, DC: Author.
Chiu, T., (2010). It’s about time: Aging prisoners, increasing costs, and geriatric release. New York: Vera Institute of Justice.
Davidson, L. & Rowe, M. (Davidson, L. & Rowe, M. (2010). Peer support within criminal justice settings: The role of forensic peer specialists. Retrieved May 9, 2011 from http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/pdfs/integrating/Davidson_Rowe_Peersupport.pdf
Dawes, J. (2009). Ageing Prisoners: Issues for social work. Australian Social Work, 62(2), 258-271. Falter, R.G. (2006). Elderly inmates: An emerging correctional population. Correctional Health Journal, 1, 52-69.
Human Rights Watch [HRW] (2012). Old behind bars. Retrieved January 30, 2012 from http://www.hrw.org/reports/2012/01/27/old-behind-bars
James, D.J., & Glaze, L.E. (2006). Mental health problems of prison and jail inmates. (NCJ Publication No. 213600). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Justice.
Kinsella, C. (2004). Correctional health care costs. Lexington, KY: Council of State Governments. Maruschak, L. M. (2008). Medical problems of prisoners (NCJ Publication No. 221740). Rockville, MD: US Department of Justice. London, England: Author.
Select References Maschi, T., Sutfin, S., & O’Connor, B. (2012). Aging, mental health, and the criminal justice
system. Journal of Forensic Social Work, 2 (2/3), pp. 162-185. DOI:10.1080/1936928X.2012.750254. Maschi, T., Viola, D., & Sun, F. (2012). The high cost of the international aging prisoner crisis: Well-being as the common denominator for action. Gerontologist. doi: 10.1093/geront/gns125, first published on October 4, 2012. Maschi, T., & Baer, J.C. (2012). The heterogeneity of the world assumptions of older adults in prison: Do differing worldviews have a mental health effect? Traumatology. doi: 1534765612443294, first published on April 24, 2012 Maschi, T., & Baer, J.C., Morrissey, M.B., & Moreno, C. (2012). The aftermath of childhood trauma on late life mental and physical health: A review of the literature. Traumatology. doi: 1534765612437377, first published on April 16, 2012 Maschi, T., Kwak, J., Ko, E.J., & Morrissey, M. (2012). Forget me not: Dementia in prisons. The Gerontologist, doi: 10.1093/geront/gnr131 Prison Reform Trust (2008) Doing Time: The Experiences and Needs of Older People in Prison, London: Prison Reform Trust. Also find more resources at: http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?message_id=2036636&user_id= CSWE
