Digital Commons Network^™

Technological Incarceration And The End Of The Prison Crisis, Mirko Bagaric, Dan Hunter, Gabrielle Wolf

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

The United States imprisons more of its people than any nation on Earth, and by a considerable margin. Criminals attract little empathy and have no political capital. Consequently, it is not surprising that, over the past forty years, there have been no concerted or unified efforts to stem the rapid increase in incarceration levels in the United States. Nevertheless, there has recently been a growing realization that even the world’s biggest economy cannot readily sustain the $80 billion annual cost of imprisoning more than two million of its citizens. No principled, wide-ranging solution has yet been advanced, however. To resolve …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Prisonization And The Psychological Effects Of Incarceration, Wanda Lynn Bates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adjustment to prison culture may influence the development of psychological issues for some individuals and may contribute to the difficulties of reentry to society, potentially contributing to the high rates of recidivism. The purpose of this study was to explore prisonization and its potential psychological effects from the perspective of individuals who experienced it. The theoretical foundation used to guide this study was the constructivist self-development theory, which can be used to explain how individuals may or may not have been affected by their traumatic experience. The participants for this phenomenological study included 10 individuals who experienced incarceration to fulfill …

African American Male Ex-Offenders' Perceptions Of A Reentry Program's Impact On Recidivating, Latoya Rochelle Burt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male ex-offenders struggle with lack of assistance during their transition from incarceration, and they encounter many barriers when released back into the community. The purpose of my general qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of whether the reentry program impacted African American male ex-offenders likelihood of recidivating within one year. The theoretical framework included labeling theory, social disorganization theory, and social learning theory. The population consisted of 60 African American male ex-offenders intake participants of a reentry program that all completed the Client Satisfaction Survey. A purposive random sampling method was used to select ten participants for …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Noncustodial Fathers In Tennessee, Anovia L. Slaughter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a disproportionate number of African American fathers in the State of Tennessee that experience parenting and child support disparities when compared to single parents of other ethnicities. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the experiences of African American noncustodial fathers and to examine the impact of the codification of Tennessee family laws. The theoretical frameworks for this study were critical race theory, and social construction and policy design. The key research questions examined the lived experiences of African American noncustodial fathers in the State of Tennessee and how the codification of Tennessee family laws …

Criminal Justice Majors: Are They Tougher On Crime?, Anthony Javornik

Honors College Theses

The United States of America incarcerates more individuals than any other nation in the world. Therefore, the United States has one of the most active correctional systems and it is imperative to examine the system thoroughly. Generally speaking, there have been 3 accepted models of the correctional system since the 1940’s: custodial, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Although it is possible to find institutions that subscribe to each of these models respectively, the custodial model is the most common in the United States. Therefore, this study seeks to examine college students’ perception of crime, in order to help explain why the general …

Book Review: Rethinking Prison Reentry: Transforming Humiliation Into Humility, Joni Schwartz

Publications and Research

Review of the book:

Gaskew, T. (2014). Rethinking prison reentry: Transforming humiliation into humility. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. ISBN: 978-0-7391-8312-0.

The Impact Of African American Male Incarceration Rates On The Racial Disparities In Hiv/Aids Rates, Michelle S. Aelion

DePaul Discoveries

In the United States, HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts African Americans and African American communities. The nature of this national health disparity is complex and cannot be explained simply by one factor or an individual’s behavior within a given community. This paper suggests that the disparity in African American male incarceration rates is among the most important factors to consider in the racial disparities of HIV/AIDS rates. Existing studies on relevant subjects were examined and used to create a conceptual model of factors. This model presents an outline of factors during pre-incarceration, incarceration, and post-incarceration that contribute to the racial disparities in …

The Prison Paradox: More Incarceration Will Not Make Us Safer, Don Stemen

Criminal Justice & Criminology: Faculty Publications & Other Works

No abstract provided.

Gaining Access To Socially Stigmatized Samples, Avon M. Hart-Johnson Phd

The Qualitative Report

Gaining access to stigmatized populations using qualitative sampling requires the application of carefully planned strategies to avoid inadvertent slights to research participants. While there is a growing body of literature on qualitative sampling strategies, there is less discussion on how to manage the sensitivities of stigmatized research participants, such as African American females with incarcerated mates. This paper provides insight into how successful recruitment strategies, aligned with best practices described as checkpoints, enabled this researcher to gain access to a sample of 20 African American women who experienced grief and loss, and social withdrawal as a result of their mate’s …

Heaven.Hell.Repeat., Bdk None

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

Hell Through the Eyes of a Young Child

Nineteen And Life, Clover Brown

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

The man who murdered my fiancé was in charge. I did whatever Mick said, when he said it, and in doing so, appeared complicit in the crime. A razor. A knife. Stab wounds. Once I realized that the situation was real, that he was really going to kill my fiancé, I decided to try and stop it in the best way I could. Mick asked me if I had a knife. I told him, “I’ll check the kitchen, I haven’t finished unpacking, I’m not sure.” In my mind I was going to hide the knife in the sink full of …

Captive Gender: Trans Embodiment And The Prison Industrial Complex, Edited By Eric A. Stanley & Nat Smith, Ak Press, 2015, Jess White

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

Captive Gender: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex, edited by Eric A. Stanley & Nat Smith, AK Press, 2015

A Photo-Essay, Lorna Barton

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

Dr. Dewey asked me to document our journey from Colorado to Lusk, Wyoming in photographs for this special issue I was extremely excited at the prospect. She gave me the freedom to take photographs of what I felt represented the journey for many women who have and will take to the prison, the Women’s Center in Lusk. The photos selected by Dr. Dewey are solely a handful of what was taken but are a full representation of the journey, and I wanted to introduce the photographs by highlighting my feelings and reflections on them. I do not feel that my …

The Women We Are, Katy Brock

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

The purpose of this piece is to share the social and emotional influences which impacted the lives of two women in the context of national and international events that occurred during the lives of the two women. Darla is a resident of the Wyoming Women’s Center (WWC), Wyoming’s prison for women and Katy is doctoral student at the University of Wyoming. The two women met at WWC during a college writing course in which Katy co-facilitated and Darla was enrolled.

Ignorance Is No Excuse, Sara Bueller

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

There was a time that I knew exactly who I was, and in my over-inflated sense of self, I thought that I had an awesome life and that the rules didn’t apply to me. This is a true story, a snapshot of how I once lived my life. Although I was not a heavy drug user, I was nevertheless an addict. My addiction? A relationship. This is a story of how a disillusioned single mother single-handedly changed her and her son’s lives forever, and how her actions sent them down a road to hell they will never forget.

The Place To Go In Your Head: Editing The “Telling My Story” Collection, Jess White

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

I was part of a group of MFA students who worked with the “Telling My Story” class remotely. […] Taking part in this workshop meant helping to build a platform for these women – to facilitate their work and promote their writing. I’m not a writer who prefers solitude or isolation, but I am a writer granted the privilege of select time – two pleasant years’ worth in a setting designed to teach me to value my talent and my vocation. As an editor for this anthology, I have had the opportunity to transmit some of that recognition to a …

Her Name Was Flor, Cassandra Hunter

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

During this process of helping the women draft their memoirs, I wholly admired them for their ability to share such damning and alternately courageous moments that shaped their lives, but I was also scared for them. There is such a stigma attached to the notion of incarceration and because of this I have hid my own story for years. Thus, I was left with the belief that if these women are strong enough to help each other and help other women then I should also be willing to tell my story. The purpose of this special issue, in my view, …

What Doesn’T Kill You Makes You Stronger, Kendra Leigh Horn

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

My name is Kendra and I’m a 27-year-old writing from the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk, Wyoming. I would like to tell you about my life experiences as a teenager and adult. I want to help you understand that you can overcome your hardships. I want to encourage you to never give up. I want you to empower yourself to be better than you are. I want to help you understand that you deserve the best in life if you have the courage, confidence and strength to make life great. Here is my life story to help you understand. There …

Secret Storm, Deedee None

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

The story of what brought me to prison is one of abuse. I lived with domestic violence for many years. I could see no way out as I was blinded by fear—fear of breaking up my family, fear of failing in my marriage, fear of my husband. My story is one of many behind these walls. Currently, the Wyoming Women’s Center does not offer domestic violence support groups or classes to teach the skills necessary to educate and empower women in order to prevent them from continuing this sort of relationship. It is what I call a secret storm.

3:15 P.M., Sarah M. Lujan

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

I open this memoir with Chapter 1, Special Visit, which is about the event of my loss. Chapter 2, Beyond 3:15 p.m., sheds light on my life while incarcerated. I continue with Chapter 3, Titanium, in which I go into depth about how surreal my addiction is. In Memories, Chapter 4, I explain some of my heartache. Chapter 5, My Turning Point, I focus on the change and where and how it gets its power. In my final chapter, 3:15 p.m., I return to the beginning. I paint the whole picture by elaborating on my motivation to change by using …

The Secret Life Of Dhal, D. Jackson

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

I know reading my story about child sexual abuse will be difficult for many people. I also understand you may be furious or even disgusted by what you read. This is not the purpose, and I don’t want your forgiveness. As you read this, I ask you to listen to gain a deeper understanding of how child sexual abuse impacts lives. I hope that by sharing my story I can further awareness so that all of us, including other survivors of abuse, can become more consciously aware of the warning signs and the impact that this has on children. My …

Reducing Recidivism Through Education, Katy Brock

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

Over the last two and a half decades, the population of incarcerated women in the United States has dramatically increased (Carver & Harrison, 2016). In 1980, 26,300 women were incarcerated in the U.S., while 215,300 were incarcerated in 2014 (The Sentencing Project, 2015) and the rate at which women are being incarcerated does not appear to be declining. A positive impact on women’s recidivism could be made by making more educational opportunities available to women in prison.

Editorial, Susan Dewey

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

This special issue features the dynamic results of feminist collaborative work undertaken as part of Wyoming Pathways from Prison (WPfP), a trans-disciplinary and trans-professional statewide collaborative that aspires to support currently and formerly incarcerated people in navigating the waters of higher education and life more generally. WPfP works in close collaboration with the Wyoming Department of Corrections (DOC) and is co-coordinated by Susan Dewey, Alec Muthig, Katy Brock, and Rhett Epler with the primary goals of: offering college credit to incarcerated people at no cost, mentoring University of Wyoming (UW) students in teaching and leadership, engaging in valuable service to …

Memoir & Memory: A “Telling My Story” Focus Group, Jess White

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

For the final class session, we conducted a focus group to invite the women to share their own perspectives on the “Telling My Story” class and the collaborative anthology they had produced. Our intent was to give the women in the class space to discuss the writing and workshop process. Since the workshop was designed to offer the women at the facility a creative outlet, we wanted to elicit their feedback on class structure and curriculum. In this narrative summary, the women are generally referred to by the names they chose to publish under in in order to preserve confidentiality …

Silently Crying Out Loud, Chris None

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

The expectation to do the absolute impossible is so overwhelming. The majority of us are working toward change. It’s a terribly slow process. I personally don’t feel it would be so slow if we received the help and encouragement we were promised upon being sent to prison. I have written a series of letters that discuss some of our thoughts and feelings to the people who affect or are affected by the prison system. These letters range from the prisoners all the way up to the President of the United States. They are not directed toward any one prison, but …

A Life Unraveled, Jessica Jade

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

[...] My family, besides my mom, has had its fair share of incarceration. If it wasn’t one, it was the other or none of us at all. Even though I am now the one imprisoned, my family’s support is amazing. Life-changing events happen on the daily, but it’s how you handle them. You can be on the grind, but which grind you pick up is what counts. They are a constant in my life for better or worse. When they were addicts I had to grow up extremely fast, but now, with their help I have been able to grow …

The Wound May Heal, But The Scar Will Remain, Latasha Lynn Lebeau

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

As I lay here on my bunk in my six-foot cage, trying to get past all my hate and rage. Wondering will my kids ever forgive me for being in this prison of Hell that I’ve created within myself? Hoping that they will understand my addiction has nothing to do with them. It’s been a demon that I once called friend. Only because she is always there waiting for me to give in. Please know I’ve been dealing with this demon long before I ever dreamed of having them. Yes, my four sons mean so much more than this demon …

Hard Won Lessons, Darla D. Rouse

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

Right now I’m in an orange prison uniform sitting at a desk in a cell of the Wyoming Women’s Center. It should be called Wyoming Women’s Prison. Do not get confused by the word “Center.” It is a prison. People see “Center” in its name and get a glossed-over idea that it’s not really prison. Prison is meant to keep you away from life as you knew it. You don’t get to be with your family. You don’t get to raise your kids, or go grocery shopping, or drive your car, or use your cell phone. No career, no home, …

Sissy, Sissy Pierce

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

I’ve been incarcerated for 16 years. I will be 70 years old in August of 2018. I have been here at the Wyoming Women’s Center for the last nine years, and the seven years before that were spent out-of-state in private prisons. On December 28 of 1999, I shot my husband and, I was told, killed him instantly. It didn’t mean that I didn’t value human life or that I didn’t care about him. I did. I had never been in trouble with the law in my life. I was a child bride with four children by the time I …

The Juice Box, Amanda Bayne

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

When you are young you feel that you are invincible— bulletproof. You know everything you need to know, and you can do no wrong. You feel that the world is your personal oyster and that you’re just waiting for that one grain of sand to make you the perfect pearl. Then, in an instant, youth's fragile window of optimism gets shattered and you realize that the world is now your cage. In one downward stroke of some Judge’s gavel you are forever branded a felon. The man in black has made you another American statistic. “Oh, don’t feel bad,” he …