Nathan Monk

This paper addresses the under representation of Black and minority ethnic (BME) sex offenders in the sex offender treatment programme (SOTP) of the prisons of England and Wales. The proportional over representation of BME men in the male sex offender population of the prisons of England and Wales has been noted for at least ten years. Similarly the under representation of BME sex offenders in prison treatment programmes has been a cause for concern during the last decade. This paper presents current demographic data relating to male BME sex offenders in the prisons of England and Wales. The paper draws together a wide range of social and cultural theories to develop a tripartite model for understanding the dynamics underlying the non-participation of BME sex offenders in therapy.

It is a fundamental belief of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons that administrative detention of children under immigration powers should be exceptional and for the shortest possible period. The conditions for and treatment of the children who experience this form of detention are therefore of great importance in the inspection process. This paper outlines the background to one of the methods the Inspectorate is beginning to use as part of its evidence gathering process. A pilot study was conducted in February 2006 at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre, and the main aim of this paper is to provide a brief insight into the research and its implications.

In March 2002, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) heard the case of P,C&S vs. United Kingdom in which the parents of a child, S, sought to establish that the domestic proceedings that had resulted in the adoption of their child had violated their human rights. In July 2002, the ECHR ruled that the domestic proceedings had indeed violated the human rights of both the parents and the child. In this paper, I seek to explain how the domestic proceedings led to the violation of human rights. It is my argument that a partial answer to this question can be found in the interplay between a) the actors that functioned to establish, maintain and stabilize the trajectory of the narrative of dangerousness, and b) the rhetorics involved in child protection and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSbP). While this is a single case study analysis, I suggest that the features of the case of P,C&S1 are not uncommon in cases of alleged MSbP abuse and may be at work in other cases of alleged abuse. A reflexive, critical and narrative approach in cases of alleged child abuse may protect families from professional failings and prevent future violations of human rights.

There is a growing interest in community-based restorative justice (RJ) initiatives. These RJ programs often rely on community volunteers to perform tasks that include facilitating meetings between victims and offenders. The present study asked 72 RJ volunteers to provide their opinions on what constitutes a ‘good’ and a ‘bad’ RJ facilitator. Volunteers reported that having adequate skills was the most important aspect of being a good facilitator, while the qualities of a bad facilitator were being judgmental and dominating in the RJ process. An understanding of the qualities of effective facilitators can inform strategies for the recruitment and training of volunteers in community-based RJ initiatives.

Abstract

Crime is endemic in South Africa. It affects citizens across, age, racial, gender, religious, and socio-economic divide. Young persons seem to be the likely suspects and offenders in most criminal acts. However, detailed investigations pertaining to the causes of youth offences mainly attributes youth offending to socio-economic factors. This research has considered home and family circumstances of youth offenders as leading factors influencing the rise in youth offences. A purposive sample of social workers and probation officers closely working with young offenders was utilized to test some of theories on youth offending. The respondents in this research have worked with offenders from all communities in South Africa. Particularly important was to look at the role of parenting during the socialization processes in youth offenders lives. The research results have revealed youth offenders either have been improperly socialized or were exposed to conditions, which might have indirectly encouraged violent behaviour. The outcome of this research suggests that South Africans ought to examine introspectively their parenting practices in order to prevent crime.

This article explores the delivery of drug services in prisons and considers whether prison officers or civilian drug workers should deliver these services. The data is based on a study undertaken by the Centre for Ethnicity and Health in association with the Home Office Drug Strategy Unit in 2004. Prison drug service commissioners, planners and providers provided details of the drug services via a self-completion questionnaire. Additionally 334 respondents including prisoners, ex-prisoners, prison officers, drug workers and members of the independent monitoring board were interviewed. The findings indicate barriers to accessibility due to inadequate environments for delivering drug services, the attitudes of prison officers, the dual roles of prison officers delivering drug services and inadequate training of staff. Whilst a service delivered by civilian drug workers would address most of these concerns, this article considers the measures that would increase the accessibility of the service as it is presently delivered.