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COPYRIGHT 2001 Canadian Criminal Justice Association
Introduction
A Commission of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston (1996) had underscored the fact that the correctional practice of segregating offenders be administered in compliance with the law and monitored closely. Moreover, it was strongly recommended that a policy review on the use of administrative segregation be pursued. Consequently, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) launched a Task Force on Administrative Segregation. While the Task Force mandate was to examine a broad range of policy and practice issues related to administrative segregation (Kane 1997), a descriptive study was undertaken to enhance our knowledge of the nature and characteristics of segregated offenders in federal corrections (Motiuk and Blanchette 1997). The results of this descriptive study were presented with respect to segregated versus nonsegregated offenders and voluntary versus involuntary segregated offenders.
Statistical analyses revealed that, upon admission to federal custody, offenders who were subsequently placed into segregation, for whatever reason, were clearly distinguishable from their non-segregated counterparts. First and foremost, segregated offenders had considerably more previous involvement with the criminal justice system, as youth and as adult offenders. Secondly, offenders who had been segregated while in federal custody were found to be twice as likely as non-segregated offenders to have been in segregation for disciplinary reasons on previous prison terms.
In relation to personal characteristics assessed at the time of admission to federal custody, segregated offenders were more likely to have lower educational attainment than non-segregated offenders. Also, segregated offenders were more likely have been unemployed at the time of their current offence and most were found to have had unstable employment histories before entering prison. In terms of occupation, segregated offenders often lacked a skill area, trade, or profession.
A review of family background variables revealed that most segregated offenders were single at the time of their current admission. Ii: is noteworthy that segregated offenders were more likely than non-segregated offenders to have experienced more negative sibling and other relations during their childhood. Furthermore, segregated offenders were more likely to have been described as being socially isolated, associating with substance abusers, to have many criminal acquaintances and mostly criminal friends, been easily influenced by others, and having had difficulty communicating with others.
The substance abuse histories recorded at admission for segregated offenders revealed that they were more likely to have abused alcohol, begun drinking at an early age, abused drugs, and begun using drugs at an early age. It would appear from the results that, for segregated offenders as a group, drug use prior to admission had been interfering with most aspects of their lives relative to their non-segregated counterparts. Not surprising, it was found that segregated offenders were more likely than nonsegregated offenders at admission to have had unstable accommodation and financial difficulties.
At admission to...
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