This study of the forms and functions of expressive communication produced by 84 children and adults with severe mental retardation found significant differences among participants associated with differences in their communication levels (contact gesture, distal gesture, or symbolic), age (child or adult), and residential status (community home…

Traces the development and history of reform of the Massachusetts State Department of Human Services, which departed abruptly from a tradition of institutionalizing young offenders. The Massachusetts approach demonstrates the elements of successful intervention with young offenders through intensive services, community-based programs, small case…

Reliability analysis of the Motivation Assessment Scale was conducted on subscales completed by staff members working with 47 institutionalized adults with severe to profound mental retardation and self-injurious behavior problems. Internal consistency was found to be superior to interrater reliability. The instrument's internal consistency…

This article discusses the use of personal narrative in social science research and in helping individuals with learning difficulties renegotiate their sense of identity. One woman's story of her life is used to illustrate the corrosive effects of institutionalization in identity formation. (Contains references.) (DB)

The general aim of this study is to analyze diverse aspects relating to the use of coping strategies among prison inmates. The specific objectives are (a) to analyze which type of coping strategies predominate among prisoners, considering both the focus and the method; (b) to relate the use of coping strategies with variables related to the prison…

We provide descriptive statistics for data collected via the Residential Care Facilities Survey (RCFS), from long-term care (LTC) facilities operating in Ontario between 1996 and 2002. The LTC sector in Ontario is dominated by large, proprietary for-profit facilities. The proportion of residents receiving extended care has increased from 53 per…

Stories about people treated unfairly stir something deep in the psyche. This article briefly discusses three stories that involve people being treated unfairly: (1) Chris Crowe's Getting Away with Murder: The Tree Story' of the Emmett Till Case; (2) Michael Cooper's Remembering Manzanar: Life in a Japanese Relocation Camp; and (3) Deborah…

This article discusses the benefits and successes of the precollege and college programs available and actively used by around 150 or 18 percent of the 820 or so women in Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York. It provides background on the Facility and personal accounts from women who have had positive experiences from the…

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify individual characteristics associated with community integration of adults with an intellectual disability. Method: A group of 37 males with high support needs, and who had previously lived in a large institution, participated in the study. Using proxy respondents, data were collected on three…

This paper is the first of regular reports on the activities of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA). As many correctional educators may be unfamiliar with the EPEA, this article will outline some details about the history and policies of the organization.

Job Fairs have taken on an increasingly important role in correctional education and transition programming. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has been instrumental in promoting mock job fairs in all federal prison facilities. The focus of this research project was to understand how widespread the use of job fairs is in state prisons and correctional…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurologic disease that disables younger adults, affecting as many as 350,000 Americans. Purpose: The objectives of this study are to develop profiles of nursing home residents with MS from rural areas and compare them to residents with MS who lived in urban areas, suburban areas, and large towns.…

In India, the Constitution now includes special educational safeguards for aboriginals (Mohanty, 2003). Aboriginal communities, commonly denoted as "tribal," constitute roughly 8 percent of the total Indian population. In 1960, the Scheduled Area and Scheduled Tribes Commission was established with the aim of integrating the aboriginal…

The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) is examined for its utility in screening youth in juvenile justice settings for depression. In a cross-sectional study conducted at King County Juvenile Detention Center, a representative sample of 228 detained adolescents complete structured assessments, including the MFQ and the Massachusetts Youth…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine recidivism rates of inmates who participated in educational programs during the time they were incarcerated at Huttonsville Correctional Center in West Virginia. The Education Department at Huttonsville Correctional Center provided files pertaining to inmates who were enrolled in educational…