This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social process... more This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social processes and interactions between both correctional authorities and family members that inform their sense of belonging and legitimacy. It reveals that prison visitation rooms present a complex environment in which incarcerated men have access to discreet periods of visibility and relevance to their family members and the broader community. There are, however, several precarious aspects to these processes. The family members who are central to enhancing men’s visibility and legitimacy are primarily women from economically disadvantaged, racial, and ethnic minority groups, resulting in their own marginalization, which is compounded within prison spaces. By illuminating both the challenges and opportunities of familial connections, this chapter informs a social justice framework for understanding the experiences of both incarcerated men and their family members.
... Income data for this sample were not available, thus, census data for one neighborhood,Mott H... more ... Income data for this sample were not available, thus, census data for one neighborhood,Mott Haven in the South Bronx, was analyzed to estimate the economic capital families devoted to prisoners as a proportion of their monthly income. ...
Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, Mar 13, 2009
... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and ... more ... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and Mass Imprisonment. ... women's experiences with mass imprisonment.MASS IMPRISONMENT AND AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN. ...
Despite societal perception that sex offenders will repeat their crimes, research indicates these... more Despite societal perception that sex offenders will repeat their crimes, research indicates these offenders are more likely to be generalists than sex offense–specific offenders. Sex offender–specific legislation has reinforced this erroneous perception while contributing to the excessive labeling of sex offenders as sexual recidivists. Additionally troubling is the lack of research on the efficacy of generalized risk/needs assessments for sex offenders. The present study fills this void by evaluating the adequacy of the Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R) for use with a sexual offending population. The predictive accuracy of the LSI-R for sexual and nonsexual recidivism outcomes was explored using a sample of 21,298 individuals released from New Jersey correctional facilities from 2004 to 2006. Results indicate that while the LSI-R does not have predictive utility for sexual offenses, it has utility for sex offenders overall. Policy implications of the usefulness of the LSI-...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 15377930802711797, Mar 13, 2009
... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and ... more ... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and Mass Imprisonment. ... women's experiences with mass imprisonment.MASS IMPRISONMENT AND AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN. ...
This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social process... more This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social processes and interactions between both correctional authorities and family members that inform their sense of belonging and legitimacy. It reveals that prison visitation rooms present a complex environment in which incarcerated men have access to discreet periods of visibility and relevance to their family members and the broader community. There are, however, several precarious aspects to these processes. The family members who are central to enhancing men’s visibility and legitimacy are primarily women from economically disadvantaged, racial, and ethnic minority groups, resulting in their own marginalization, which is compounded within prison spaces. By illuminating both the challenges and opportunities of familial connections, this chapter informs a social justice framework for understanding the experiences of both incarcerated men and their family members.
The more than two million incarcerated persons in U.S. prisons, jails, and other correctional fac... more The more than two million incarcerated persons in U.S. prisons, jails, and other correctional facilities are not isolated individuals existing in a vacuum, but are embedded in larger intricate family systems nested within a macrosystem. Incarceration significantly transforms familial relationships by altering the function, formation, and organization of the family system. The institutions of prison and family require differing role obligations and adhere to disparate value orientations. Despite the requirements of correctional institutions, it is imperative for inmates to remain embedded in pro-social familial roles for myriad reasons, including: the family unit informs individuals of their expected role behaviors and obligations, the maintenance of inmate-family relationships is cited as facilitating positive in-prison behavior and successful reintegration, and prisoners are likely to rely on their families to provide support post-incarceration. The dissertation research extends criminological works by uncovering the strategies utilized by prisoners to manage the simultaneous enactment and performance of prison and familial roles during visitation sessions when directly faced with conflicting role expectations, and throughout the prison sentence. The research draws on 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with male prisoners, 12 hours of observations at prison visitation sessions, and a prisoner focus group conducted at a New Jersey state male prison. The qualitative study, guided by a grounded theory methodological approach, was informed using an integration of role strain and role transition theories. The data analysis revealed the emergence of four role negotiator categories − Sustainer, Deserter, Dependent, and Restorer − embedded in a typology labeled as the Incarcerated Role Negotiator (IRN). Participants were grouped into IRN categories based on the demonstrated form of negotiation implemented to manage the incompatible role sets. The defining features of Incarcerated Role Negotiators centered on (a) pre-prison investments in the family, (b) role performances and behaviors, (c) contact with role senders, and (d) self-identity. The identification of Incarcerated Role Negotiators begins to address the knowledge gap in research pertaining to prisoner-family relationships and gives voice to the often neglected marginalized group of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, the findings have several practical and policy implications for local, state, and federal agencies that manage correctional populations.
This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social process... more This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social processes and interactions between both correctional authorities and family members that inform their sense of belonging and legitimacy. It reveals that prison visitation rooms present a complex environment in which incarcerated men have access to discreet periods of visibility and relevance to their family members and the broader community. There are, however, several precarious aspects to these processes. The family members who are central to enhancing men’s visibility and legitimacy are primarily women from economically disadvantaged, racial, and ethnic minority groups, resulting in their own marginalization, which is compounded within prison spaces. By illuminating both the challenges and opportunities of familial connections, this chapter informs a social justice framework for understanding the experiences of both incarcerated men and their family members.
... Income data for this sample were not available, thus, census data for one neighborhood,Mott H... more ... Income data for this sample were not available, thus, census data for one neighborhood,Mott Haven in the South Bronx, was analyzed to estimate the economic capital families devoted to prisoners as a proportion of their monthly income. ...
Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, Mar 13, 2009
... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and ... more ... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and Mass Imprisonment. ... women's experiences with mass imprisonment.MASS IMPRISONMENT AND AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN. ...
Despite societal perception that sex offenders will repeat their crimes, research indicates these... more Despite societal perception that sex offenders will repeat their crimes, research indicates these offenders are more likely to be generalists than sex offense–specific offenders. Sex offender–specific legislation has reinforced this erroneous perception while contributing to the excessive labeling of sex offenders as sexual recidivists. Additionally troubling is the lack of research on the efficacy of generalized risk/needs assessments for sex offenders. The present study fills this void by evaluating the adequacy of the Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R) for use with a sexual offending population. The predictive accuracy of the LSI-R for sexual and nonsexual recidivism outcomes was explored using a sample of 21,298 individuals released from New Jersey correctional facilities from 2004 to 2006. Results indicate that while the LSI-R does not have predictive utility for sexual offenses, it has utility for sex offenders overall. Policy implications of the usefulness of the LSI-...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 15377930802711797, Mar 13, 2009
... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and ... more ... Special Issue: Blacks, Crimes, and Justice. Examining the Intersections of Race, Gender, and Mass Imprisonment. ... women's experiences with mass imprisonment.MASS IMPRISONMENT AND AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN. ...
This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social process... more This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social processes and interactions between both correctional authorities and family members that inform their sense of belonging and legitimacy. It reveals that prison visitation rooms present a complex environment in which incarcerated men have access to discreet periods of visibility and relevance to their family members and the broader community. There are, however, several precarious aspects to these processes. The family members who are central to enhancing men’s visibility and legitimacy are primarily women from economically disadvantaged, racial, and ethnic minority groups, resulting in their own marginalization, which is compounded within prison spaces. By illuminating both the challenges and opportunities of familial connections, this chapter informs a social justice framework for understanding the experiences of both incarcerated men and their family members.
The more than two million incarcerated persons in U.S. prisons, jails, and other correctional fac... more The more than two million incarcerated persons in U.S. prisons, jails, and other correctional facilities are not isolated individuals existing in a vacuum, but are embedded in larger intricate family systems nested within a macrosystem. Incarceration significantly transforms familial relationships by altering the function, formation, and organization of the family system. The institutions of prison and family require differing role obligations and adhere to disparate value orientations. Despite the requirements of correctional institutions, it is imperative for inmates to remain embedded in pro-social familial roles for myriad reasons, including: the family unit informs individuals of their expected role behaviors and obligations, the maintenance of inmate-family relationships is cited as facilitating positive in-prison behavior and successful reintegration, and prisoners are likely to rely on their families to provide support post-incarceration. The dissertation research extends criminological works by uncovering the strategies utilized by prisoners to manage the simultaneous enactment and performance of prison and familial roles during visitation sessions when directly faced with conflicting role expectations, and throughout the prison sentence. The research draws on 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with male prisoners, 12 hours of observations at prison visitation sessions, and a prisoner focus group conducted at a New Jersey state male prison. The qualitative study, guided by a grounded theory methodological approach, was informed using an integration of role strain and role transition theories. The data analysis revealed the emergence of four role negotiator categories − Sustainer, Deserter, Dependent, and Restorer − embedded in a typology labeled as the Incarcerated Role Negotiator (IRN). Participants were grouped into IRN categories based on the demonstrated form of negotiation implemented to manage the incompatible role sets. The defining features of Incarcerated Role Negotiators centered on (a) pre-prison investments in the family, (b) role performances and behaviors, (c) contact with role senders, and (d) self-identity. The identification of Incarcerated Role Negotiators begins to address the knowledge gap in research pertaining to prisoner-family relationships and gives voice to the often neglected marginalized group of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, the findings have several practical and policy implications for local, state, and federal agencies that manage correctional populations.
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Papers by Shenique S. Thomas
The dissertation research extends criminological works by uncovering the strategies utilized by prisoners to manage the simultaneous enactment and performance of prison and familial roles during visitation sessions when directly faced with conflicting role expectations, and throughout the prison sentence. The research draws on 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with male prisoners, 12 hours of observations at prison visitation sessions, and a prisoner focus group conducted at a New Jersey state male prison. The qualitative study, guided by a grounded theory methodological approach, was informed using an integration of role strain and role transition theories. The data analysis revealed the emergence of four role negotiator categories − Sustainer, Deserter, Dependent, and Restorer − embedded in a typology labeled as the Incarcerated Role Negotiator (IRN). Participants were grouped into IRN categories based on the demonstrated form of negotiation implemented to manage the incompatible role sets. The defining features of Incarcerated Role Negotiators centered on (a) pre-prison investments in the family, (b) role performances and behaviors, (c) contact with role senders, and (d) self-identity. The identification of Incarcerated Role Negotiators begins to address the knowledge gap in research pertaining to prisoner-family relationships and gives voice to the often neglected marginalized group of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, the findings have several practical and policy implications for local, state, and federal agencies that manage correctional populations.
The dissertation research extends criminological works by uncovering the strategies utilized by prisoners to manage the simultaneous enactment and performance of prison and familial roles during visitation sessions when directly faced with conflicting role expectations, and throughout the prison sentence. The research draws on 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with male prisoners, 12 hours of observations at prison visitation sessions, and a prisoner focus group conducted at a New Jersey state male prison. The qualitative study, guided by a grounded theory methodological approach, was informed using an integration of role strain and role transition theories. The data analysis revealed the emergence of four role negotiator categories − Sustainer, Deserter, Dependent, and Restorer − embedded in a typology labeled as the Incarcerated Role Negotiator (IRN). Participants were grouped into IRN categories based on the demonstrated form of negotiation implemented to manage the incompatible role sets. The defining features of Incarcerated Role Negotiators centered on (a) pre-prison investments in the family, (b) role performances and behaviors, (c) contact with role senders, and (d) self-identity. The identification of Incarcerated Role Negotiators begins to address the knowledge gap in research pertaining to prisoner-family relationships and gives voice to the often neglected marginalized group of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, the findings have several practical and policy implications for local, state, and federal agencies that manage correctional populations.