Use of Quick Response Codes in Healthcare Research Paper

Utilization of Quick Response Codes in Healthcare - Research Paper Example The customer would then be able to convey it with that person in a hurry. Some medicinal services offices have taken this innovation to the sound living fragment. This has permitted their customers to get to solid food without looking. Inova Health System went into an organization with rancher markets in the neighborhood urge purchasers of human services to look for their produce locally (Waters, 2012). To help the community’s â€Å"Buy Fresh Buy Local† activity, Inova made a Quick Response code that, on filtering, recovers the phone’s mapping project and offers headings to a neighborhood showcase in a split second. Human services offices can likewise utilize the QR codes to plan arrangements. Athens Regional Health Services as of late caused mammogram appointments to turn out to be a lot simpler (Waters, 2012). The office propelled a Quick Response code that has the capacity of connecting to a site where the customer can without much of a stretch and immediately book an arrangement for a mammogram. Likewise with most innovative advances in the social insurance segment, the QR codes do have their disadvantages. While it is one of the most noteworthy events in today’s web sagacious network in the human services part, it has some impressive disadvantages. The ubiquity of Quick Response has been developing quickly around the world with more wireless clients changing to PDAs from the traditional mobile phone. This has seen an expansion in iPhone and Blackberry use the world over. The main preferred position of utilizing Quick Response codes is that they can peruse basically everything that seems on the web (Waters, 2012). The camera on the iPhone has now become a connect to the online world, including medical clinic office sites utilizing a QR... This paper focuses on that on account of the older individuals from the network looking for counsel on the utilization of QR codes, there is no genuine incentive in utilizing Quick Response codes that is impossible utilizing other regular methods. There is neither one of the exclusives content that they could get to utilizing the codes nor extraordinary social insurance rate for utilizing the administration. Since the fundamental focus on QR code use in medicinal services is to go-to people to assets, utilizing SMS messages and all the more promoting material for the older age would be better. These Quick reaction codes additionally speak to a problem, particularly for an age that isn't very well informed. In any event, for those with tolerable tech-proficiency, it is conceivable to download and introduce Quick Response perusers to the advanced cell and uninstall them very quickly. This is on the grounds that their utilization can be tedious with variable results. Much of the time, p articularly during experimental runs programs for QR codes, the codes take the customers to the ordinary site rather the versatile enhanced one. This paper makes an end that Quick Response codes have various valid justifications for use in the human services part. Be that as it may, most of offices using them have done as such without applying enough idea on its system. For the correct crowd, for this situation the technically knowledgeable age, the medium is proper and timesaving with lower cost and accessibility of important substance. Nonetheless, for the old network, it is a boisterous errand and, indeed, takes steps to make emergency clinic visits progressively awkward for them.

An Ace Cause and Effect Essay Complete Guide

An Ace Cause and Effect Essay Complete Guide Circumstances and logical results Essay Topics Meaning of a Cause and Effect Essay All items, occasions and marvels †everything in this world is associated. A few associations are clear for us, yet we don't have a thought regarding huge numbers of them. Regardless of whether it’s not noticeable or clear at the outset, each cause has its results. One of the composed errands for an understudy is a circumstances and logical results exposition. When planning one, an understudy needs to portray one occasion/object/wonder and present its results. In our guide you will discover helpful hints on the best way to compose a pro circumstances and logical results article. The objective of this sort of article is to enable the understudy to build up their logical aptitudes. It is done through investigation and examination of a given choice or occasion and meaning of its outcomes. It implies that your paper ought to be consistently organized, and show that you know a great deal about the theme you expound on. Through this article understudies express the association between various things. An understudy is to give the procedure of how a choice/wonder/occasion impacts the author themselves, others, and different occasions. When composing a circumstances and logical results exposition an understudy not just needs to depict the reason and its belongings yet additionally answer two inquiries Why? what's more, How?. Aptitudes Students Develop When Writing a Cause and Effect Essay Each undertaking has its motivation. Not continually composing a paper is a delight. Regularly understudies do it since they need to do it. Nonetheless, the execution of this errand will give you benefits not just as a passing mark. At the point when you manage a circumstances and logical results exposition you build up various aptitudes: Composing aptitudes. The more you compose, the more endeavors you put resources into your work, the better you become. Hierarchical abilities. In the event that you approach things you have to do when you are sorted out you improve. Composing this paper you will assist yourself with getting increasingly sorted out. How? You figure out how to sort out the data you have in a legitimate request. You may have heaps of various impacts of one occasion, however you have to place them in the correct grouping, characterize the degree of their importance. Such a methodology will enable your peruser to comprehend the subject better. Precision about subtleties. Being mindful to subtleties encourages us much of the time. At the point when you manage a circumstances and logical results exposition you don't have to depict things clear for everybody. You should target going further into subtleties and notice what others can't see. This will make your paper incredibly fascinating. Target thinking. At the point when you compose a circumstances and logical results exposition you should put your feelings and your own mentalities away. Thinking impartially is the thing that you ought to do finishing this errand †giving realities and their sensible results. What to Write About Same like different sorts of articles, this one can tell about anything in our reality. Things, individuals, occasions, activities that encompass you consistently can turn into an incredible point for your circumstances and logical results exposition. Everything has its reasons and results and it implies you are boundless in your decision of point. A portion of the regions of intrigue include: occasions on the planet authentic occasions legislative issues public activity biological issues innovations connections between individuals family life instruction human services science Circumstances and logical results Essay Structure In spite of articles may have various objectives and styles, every one of them have a specific structure. Structure is the thing that enables the author to appropriate the whole data sensibly, feature key focuses and make the paper simple to peruse. The structure incorporates starting part, body part and end. Monitoring the exposition structure helps understudies ordering a diagram of their paper. Diagram or an arrangement assists with holding exacting to the subject of your exposition and give data organized appropriately. An ordinary framework for a circumstances and logical results article contains: Starting part in which you ought to endeavor to draw in the consideration of your crowd, depict the point you will talk further and present the advantages of your crowd from perusing your article. In this part you give your postulation. Body where you give circumstances and end results of the occasion/marvel you expound on. This is focal and greatest in volume part of your exposition. You ought to ordinarily partition into a few sections. Their number would rely upon the amount of realities you have. It is conceivable to utilize various methodologies: first, you name causes first and give their belongings a short time later; second, you give one reason and its result, etc. Definitive part. This is last yet not minimal part in your circumstances and logical results exposition. This is the exact opposite thing your perusers will peruse in your article this is the reason it ought to be composed well to leave a decent impression. All in all you sum up all that you said previously, demonstrate the noteworthiness of your subject, and supplement call for activity. Various Outlines It ought to be evident for you at this point making a decent diagram is the immediate way to composing a triumphant creation. All the pieces of the article ought to be consistently connected and have great thinking. Contingent upon the article point and the materials you have your blueprints can be extraordinary. Various Causes Lead to One Outcome In the event that the occasion you portray had various makes that all together lead one result, your exposition framework will be as per the following: Initial part Body part: cause 1 cause 2 cause (at least 3) Impacts Decisive part Model: Topic: Poor sanitation, infection and half-cooked food as reasons for loose bowels. The results can be unique: from inebriation to death. One Cause Leads to Many Outcomes Frequently understudies are approached to depict one occasion/choice/marvel that caused different impacts. I this case the layout ought to be as per the following: Basic part Body part: impact 1 impact 2 cause (at least 3) Definitive part Model: Topic: Corruption in government prompts country’s overborrowing. The outcomes can be many: decline in compensation, increment in charges, expanded typical cost for basic items, and so forth. Various Causes Lead to Multiple Outcomes Another arrangement of this sort of paper when the theme an understudy needs to portray had various reasons that lead to different impacts. Such papers can be fairly hard to compose on the grounds that an understudy must be quite centered around the subtleties, stick to sensible structure and not miss anything significant. For this situation the blueprint will be as per the following: Initial part Body part: cause 1 impact 1 prompting cause 2 impact 2 prompting cause 3 impact 3 prompting cause (at least 4) Definitive part Model: Topic: countless street mishaps are brought about by tanked drivers. The impacts can be numerous: street mishap may prompt demise of individuals, their passing will make their family members anguish. A different line of results is that smashed drivers might be fined, detained. A different line of results is the harm to the vehicle. Tips for Writing a Winning Cause and Effect Essay Acquiring new abilities and chatting regarding the matter you like can be cool. Notwithstanding, procedure of creating a circumstances and logical results sythesis causes worry in numerous understudies. The tips underneath will assist you with remaining cool and facilitate the creative cycle: Separate among circumstances and logical results. It is improbable you won't have the option to separate among circumstances and end results, yet at the same time allow it a moment to perceive what the impetus is and what the outcomes are. Lead research. Whatever your theme is, regardless of how great you know it, you need to direct research. Peruse extra data, discover the assessment of different creators on this subject, attempt to grow your cutoff points and take a gander at the issue at various edge. Intelligent associations. The impacts you give must be unequivocally and legitimately associated with the causes. In the event that you are unsure and there are no verifications of the association between an impact and a reason it is smarter to leave it. Make quality your inclination. Break down the profundity and quality of the connection between a circumstances and logical results. In the event that it is unclear, do exclude it in your paper. It is smarter to compose less however give great help to your words, than heap loads of data without great thinking. Pick your strategy. The strategies for introducing data were given previously. See what sort of data you have, what kind of occasion/marvel/choice you depict, therefore you will have the option to introduce data in intelligent request. Travel starting with one point then onto the next easily. Keep in mind, all the pieces of your article ought to be associated between one another. Change words will assist you with making the progress smooth: in light of the fact that, due to, coming about because of this, and so forth. Give proofs. Every one of your words ought to be upheld by acceptable confirmations. It isn't sufficient just to state this impact was brought about by this. Try not to misrepresent. Try not to attempt to expand the effect of your paper by distortion. Give just demonstrated realities. Set feelings aside. In a circumstances and logical results article you ought not give your own disposition to something. The point is to give realities and remain objective about your judgment. Adhere to your motivation. At the point when you compose a reason impact creation your point is giving your crowd the data about impacts of a specific reason/causes. You ought do whatever it takes not to seek after your peruser in certain perspective. Winning Topics for a Cause and Effect Essay At times subject for expositions are given by directors. Nonetheless, quire regularly understudies are allowed to think of the points all alone. This can be somewhat upsetting, this is the reason we have arranged a rundown of winning points in various subjects. Great Topics What causes voter lack of concern? What are the impacts of guardians separate on a kid? Would relationships be able to be influenced by premature birth? What are the purposes behind destitution in America? What makes heftiness increment in the US? Do rough computer games influence children’s mind? What are the impacts of being dependent t

Company Financial Analysis Essay Free Essays

Emirates Computers Name: Instructor: Task: Date: Calculate the three (3) liquidity, five (5) monetary influence, six (6) turnover and four (4) productivity proportions for all the years according to model 3. 5 in the PowerPoint introductions. Liquidity; Current ratio=current resources/current liabilities 2010:29021/19483=1. We will compose a custom exposition test on Organization Financial Analysis Essay or then again any comparative theme just for you Request Now 49 2011:24245/18960=1. 28 Quick ratio= (current resources inventories)/current liabilities 2010: (29021-1301)/19483=1. 42 2011: (24245-1051)/18960=1. 22 Cash ratio=cash/current liabilities 2010:13913/19483=0. 71 2011:10635/18960=0. 6 Financial influence; Total obligation ratio= (all out resources all out value)/complete resources 2010: (29021-7766)/29021=0. 73 2011: (24245-5641)/24245=0. 77 Debt value ratio=total obligation/all out value 2010: 30833/7766=3. 97 2011: 28011/5641=4. 97 Equity multiplier=total resources/complete value 2010:29021/7766=3. 74 2011:24245/5641=4. 29 Turnover; Inventory turnover=cost of merchandise sold/stock 2010:49128/1301=37. 76 2011:42789/1051=40. 71 Days deals inventory=365/stock 2010:365/1301=0. 28 2011:365/1051=0. 35 Receivables turnover=sales/account receivables 010:61494/10136=6. 07 2011:52902/8543=6. 19 Days deals in receivables=365/receivables turn over 2010:365/10136=0. 04 2011:365/8543=0. 04 Total resources turn over=sales/all out resources 2010:6 1494/38599=1. 59 2011:52902/33652=1. 57 Capital intensity=total resources/deals 2010:38599/61494=0. 63 2011:33562/52902=0. 63 Profitability proportions; Profit margin=net pay/deals 2010:2635/61494=0. 04 2011:1433/52902=0. 09 Return on assets=net pay/absolute resources 2010:2635/38599=0. 31 2011:1433/33652=0. 04 Return on equity=net salary/absolute value 2010:2635/7766=0. 4 2011:1433/5641=0. 25 Emirates Computer items and administrations bring income from its deals. Incomes from January 2010 to January 2011 were about 16% that is an expansion from the earlier years. This was essentially a result of the recuperation in the economy. A company’s financial wellbeing is basic in light of the fact that the items it sells are not essential items and subsequently individuals incline toward purchasing food than going through cash to secure a PC. This discloses the motivations to why there was a decrease in income for the year 2009, which was around 13. % drop in contrast with the earli er years. 2010 has detailed an expansion and this is because of an adjustment in the procedures engaged with the business. The income stream of the organization has changed because of the arrangement and administrations that Emirates Computers has set up. The administration income has indicated a huge increment throughout the years. There has been a continuous gratefulness from 14. 3% of income in January to around 18. 7%of income in January 2011. There has been a beneficial development of 25% in 2010 and a development of about 5% in the year 2009. The level of income for as far back as multi year has been because of cost of products and enterprises, which has demonstrated a relative development. Costs like selling and managerial costs and different costs have been steady for more than three years. There was an expansion on impalpable resources notwithstanding different expenses. This is a result of an expansion on immaterial resources from the Perot frameworks in 2010. The expansion in office activity expenses and severance was a direct result of conclusion of certain offices that producers utilized notwithstanding utilizing agreement makes to offer less expensive types of assistance. The organization has demonstrated increment in values due to its security in rate incomes on the grounds that the organization has great administration, which comprehends the business, and controls their expenses. The organization is very much educated, they see everything about may challenge it activity, and along these lines they never experience amazes that may adversely impact them. The organization has enlisted a great total compensation in the year 2011 which demonstrated an expansion of over 80% from the prior years. Profit for resources is 2. 5 % and overall revenue is 1. 6%, which come due to the expansion in net gain. Furthermore the development in the organization has been a direct result of higher incomes and a decent cost control. The adjustment in the company’s method of activity has prompted the expansion in overall gain. The administrations of activity of this organization have expanded when contrasted with the expense of assembling the item. The procurement of the Perot frameworks prompted the diminishing in total compensation to 42. 2 % in 2010. Wellbeing insightful the organization has indicated progress and in this manner Emirates Computers has plans to continue extending its administrations to a more significant level, which will in the long run help the organization (Peterson Fabozzi, 2012). There has been an expansion on the present resources when contrasted with earlier year from 72% to 75% in the year 2011. The organization has perceived all profoundly fluid ventures, for example, charge cards from manages an account with a multi month unique developments. These on the grounds that there was increment in real money gave by tasks while a decline in real money in contributing exercises. The decline in real money in contributing exercises is mostly a direct result of absence of material they are significant for acquisitions in 2011 when contrasted with 2010. For the most part, the organization has depicted a decent monetary year and their great wellbeing. It demonstrates an improvement in the capacity to create benefits and salary. The organization has indicated productivity and viability in light of the fact that all the three Profitability proportions that include overall revenue, return on resources and profit for value. The organization has a certified inspector who investigations the fiscal report of records of the organization. In spite of the fact that at a certain point, the examiner offered an unfit input concerning its budget reports. This is obvious while investigating the property plant gear account, which isn't exceptionally overwhelming to be determined sheet. The main portrayal is just 5. 1% resources own by Emirates Computers. Another viewpoint that the organization has demonstrated quality in is its Liquidity. The organization current resources expanded while its present liabilities and the present proportion and brisk apportion demonstrated an expansion from 1. 2% and 1. 22% in 2010 to 1. 49% and 1. 42%. Current liabilities on a dollar stayed stable. By and by, the expansion in all out resources, prompted the lessening in current liabilities to 5. 8 %. All progressions made Emirates Computers to be fluid and this gave it a lift and a bit of leeway subsequently demonstrating great wellbeing. The company’s value of partners expanded to around 2 billion dollars (Fridson Alvarez, 2011). This is a result of the expansion as are suit of profit held. In the year 2010 †2011 profit for value (ROE) rose from 28. 8% to 39. 3% in 2011 while total compensation expanded more prominent the partners value. Along these lines, Emirates Computers makes benefit with the stock value variety since it doesn't deliver profits (Tracy, 2009). Decisively, the reason for Emirates Computers Company is for the most part to balance additions and misfortunes that came about because of their introduction on contract. This diminishes unpredictability of the income notwithstanding securing the estimations of benefits and liabilities. Emirates Computers completes appraisals so as to guarantee adequacy both toward the start of support and at normal stretches so as to pinpoint out any inadequacy that may happen. Reference Peterson, P. P. , Fabozzi, F. J. (2012). Investigation of Financial Statements. Hoboken: John Wiley amp; Sons. Tracy, J. A. (2009). Step by step instructions to peruse a money related report: Wringing crucial signs out of the numbers. Hoboken, N. J: John Wiley Sons. Fridson, M. S. , Alvarez, F. (2011). Budget report examination: A practitioner’s control. Hoboken, N. J: Wiley. Step by step instructions to refer to Company Financial Analysis Essay, Essay models

The Banishment of Civilian Ownership of Assault Rifles Essay

The Banishment of Civilian Ownership of Assault Rifles - Essay Example To address this more extensive danger, American Administration needs to chalk out a complete arrangement/a powerful technique. There performing multiple tasks approach is expected to deal with guns related issues comprehensive of a) current laws of weapons will be actualized in its actual soul b) lawful lacunas in the current laws ought to be evacuated c) issuance of firearm permit ought to be connected with the psychological well-being, age and reputation of the candidate d) demoralize such projects that touches off adolescents for abuse of weapons e) back ground checks and weapon following framework ought to be improved/fortified f) praiseworthy discipline ought to be given to weapon laws violators g) mindfulness program ought to be propelled to cause the residents to understand the damage and weaknesses of having and abusing of firearms and h) firearm laws ought to successfully manage the violators. Therapeutic Measures It would be to the greatest advantage of things if the Americ an Administration should review the rigid variant of government laws, terminated in the year 2004, to manage abuse of attack weapons. This would be of incredible assistance in capturing the abuse of guns. The arms at the utilization of military ought not be permitted to use by the overall population (Duggan, 2000). On the off chance that we consider the general sentiments and the announcements of the political figures of notoriety in the United States of America, it appears that an agreement of varying backgrounds is worked for another law of ambush weapons boycott. This could be a correct methodology the correct way. The legislators remembering the risk of abusing guns by the flighty weapon holders should make a viable firearm control law. On the off chance that this issue isn't truly tended to by the Administration of the USA, there will be all the more such episodes in the not so distant future (Thompson, 1989). Numerous Americans are agreeable to Second Amendment that permits sa ving arms by each resident for their guard. In any case, similar quantities of American culture are against of utilizing deadly weapons by American Forces. Further, the permit giving power while giving weapon licenses ought to likewise consider in addition to other things, the motivation behind utilizing guns by the candidate. There is no rationale of giving deadly weapons to an athlete who utilizes it for chasing winged animals and creatures (Thompson, 1989). Significant Hindrance The key obstacle in presenting the new attack weapons boycott law is the notorious National Rifle Association which has extraordinary force on capital slope. The explanation being numerous individuals from NRA are hand picked individuals from Congress who had subsidized their political race and given them wanted political help to win the political race (Thompson, 1989). Because of impact of NRA, the ideal law manages the opportunity of utilizing uncertain arms by gullible clients couldn't be recharged fro m the date of its lapse. Consequently, the protestors, recently, in the passage of intensity, yelled against the dishonorable job of NRA (Duggan, 2000). Consequently, the NRA by utilizing its impact means to concede the issue for quite a while. They don't take part in the observer security program. Limitations The Supreme Court of America reliably intrigues that holding a firearm is a major right of a resident, however it additionally advocates burden of sensible limitations. Keeping in see the spreading arms of refered to scourge in the American Society, the research organization of America felt it important to boycott at any rate those weapons which are presently being used

A Comparison of Mac OSX Tiger and Microsoft Windows Vista Essay Example for Free

A Comparison of Mac OSX Tiger and Microsoft Windows Vista Essay Presentation: Microsofts Windows and Apples Mac OSX are one of the most conspicuous Operating Systems on the planet. Both have a large number of Active clients and are considered as significant opponents. Both Operating frameworks have their particular favorable circumstances just as certain drawbacks. Both working frameworks have advanced for the duration of the time in a particular way and has figured out how to make their own personality. This paper will look at the most recent arrivals of both programming goliaths for example â€Å"Microsoft Windows Vista† and â€Å"Mac OSX Tiger†. A Comparison of Microsoft Windows Vista and Mac OSX Tiger: Macintosh OSX Tiger 10.4x is the most recent arrival of the OSX arrangement of working frameworks discharged by Apple Corps. This adaptation was discharged in spring 2005. Like its ancestors Tigers establishment is laid on the Unix Kernel â€Å"Darwin†. The Unix establishment has made Tiger more secure and dependable than its non Unix rivals like Microsofts Windows. There are no known Viruses, Worms or Spywares which can compel Tiger to bargain . Vistas antecedent Windows XP has been enduring an onslaught by the programmers and infections since its discharge just because which constrained Microsoft to fix the escape clauses as administration packs. That why its replacement Vista has been created in light of security. In spite of the fact that Vista is by all accounts more secure than XP or other prior Windows discharges however it has not accomplished 100% insusceptibility against infections and worms. Apple has kept up a strategy of discharging new forms generally after like clockwork. Because of this methodology the progressions and developments made in the new forms were not that unmistakable to confound the clients. On the opposite Microsoft has not discharged any new form after the arrival of Windows XP in 2001. In this manner the adjustment in Vista is more emotional than change in Tiger. Talking about the GUI and its highlights Tiger and Vista share numerous likenesses. Since Tiger is two or three years more established than Vista appears to draw numerous highlights and thoughts from Tiger. Some eminent similitudes are in symbols. Vista has likewise change the names of â€Å"My Documents† and â€Å"My Computer† envelope to â€Å"Documents† and â€Å"Computer† same as in Tiger. The term Vista Aero Interface is fundamentally the same as Tigers Aqua interface in wording. The catches and other interface subtleties have a similar sparkling round look as in Tiger. Tigers most stunning element is its spotlight search innovation which is acquired by Vista so that even the hunt button is indistinguishable from it, just the amplifying glass turns on the contrary side. Yet, along these likenesses Vista is further developed and complex than Tiger in various manners. Vista gives a progressively complex document reviewing innovation not found in Tiger. It can even review content documents. Additionally Vistas organizer give the see of the documents situated inside them an element not found in Tiger. In addition Vista can scale symbols and sees up to 128 by 128 pixels. Concerning the board and looking through Vista and Tiger share numerous similitudes. Vistas new record looking through innovations are fundamentally the same as Tigers spotlight innovation, however Vista feels free to give the office of including meta information in Internet Explorer straightforwardly. Vista gives different fields to looking and including meta information a component not accessible in Tiger. Vista has likewise acquired the possibility of Tigers shrewd envelopes renaming them as virtual organizers. In any case, Vista has likewise built up some propelled document the board highlights not found in Tiger. Vista gives another reinforcement framework which record switches in the sponsored up documents time to time and spare them in a secured organizer. Vista has additionally built up an element accessible in Mac OSX since its previous occasions. OSX can make any report in PDF. Vista then again has offered backing to change any record in Metro a widespread XML report position. As to Vista is unquestionably more unrivaled than Tiger. This is essentially on the grounds that Vista is more good to Microsoft servers than Tiger. Vista has likewise given the office to interface with an undertaking on the system and send introductions to it. Vista is likewise presenting Ipv6 convention, a component which is accessible in OSX since Panther. Vista additionally has a superior help for RSS channels, Weblogs and so on. Media Center is a component which can absolutely be known as the pride of Microsoft in the realm of Desktops and working frameworks. Since neither Tiger nor some other contender such cultivated media place facitlities as gave by Microsoft. The element first presented in Quite a while XP Media Center release has demonstrated further upgrades and advancements in such manner. End: In spite of the fact that Vista is a significant imaginative change for Windows clients numerous new highlights presented in Vista are not that new in the realm of work areas. Tiger and some other working frameworks have presented them two or three years prior. Yet, Vista has gone further past. There are numerous highlights and advances in Vista which are not found in any working framework right now. Security is the key issue that is the reason Vista gives more refined security highlights than Tiger. Vista additionally has the upside of the biggest number of programming bolster which Tiger doesnt. However, Tiger has backing of open source programming projects on account of its Unix establishment. One can reason that each working framework is better than its opponent in certain attributes and comes up short on certain highlights found in the other. References James Fallows (2006), Microsoft Reboots: A Preview of the New Versions of Windows and Office, The Atlantic Monthly. Volume: 298. Issue: 5 The Atlantic Monthly Magazine J.V. Bolkan (2005), Facing the Future: Computer Hardware Is Getting a New Set of Standards. Discover How They Will Affect Your Future Purchases, Learning Leading with Technology. Volume: 33. Issue: 3, International Society for Technology in Education. Illustrious Van Horn (2006), The Perfect Computer and Web Browser Updates, Phi Delta Kappan. Volume: 88. Issue: 1. Distribution Year: 2006. Page Number: 7, Phi Delta Kappa, Inc

Top 10 Things That only Happen at SIPA COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Top 10 Things That only Happen at SIPA COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The following post was contributed by second year SIPA student Richard Parker.   Richard is working in our office this year and he, along with several other students, will be contributing posts throughout the year. _____________________ I decided to take a break from paper writing and finals studying to update the blog. This month has been long and crazy! On the 12th the SIPA Pan African Network (SPAN) hosted their annual African Diplomatic Forum. The theme was: Climate Change as the new Security Threat- Implications for Africa. Our keynote speaker was Congressman Donald Payne and we had two panels with many notable and distinguished panelists. I served as the host for the event and also the coordinator for the Human Security panel. Needless to say I was beat after it was all said and done. The next week I had a group presentation for my Peacekeeping in Africa class which drained the rest of the energy from my body. We presented on Liberia and to our surprise one of my professors colleagues who works for the UN (at the Liberia desk of course lol) was in the audience observing the presentation. But after that was Thanksgiving!!!! I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Me and my mom did the normal turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce etc…which is always a treat…but the rest of the holiday well let’s just say it wasn’t a holiday. On Black Friday, while most people spend hours waiting on line to get in to department stores, I spent hours online in the library writing the first of 4 (four, cuarto, quarte, quattro) 20 (twenty, vingt, venti, veinte) page papers. Only this type of thing happens at SIPA. So in true David Letterman style I present the top 10 things that only happen at SIPA (in no particular order) 10: You meet someone from a country that you can barely find on a map 9: You hear languages that Rosetta Stone doesn’t have a disk for being spoken on the 6th floor café 8: You have professors who are real life rockstars at the United Nations 7: You complain about Lehman library but never manage to study elsewhere and get mad when undergrads take all the tables in group study 6: During finals time when studying with friends, someone says they’re about to make a food run and you know that means either Hamilton’s, Sub Conscious or Appletree 5: You have a 2 minute pitch 4: You cringe at the thought of producer theory 3: Riding in the elevator with Mayor Dinkins or a visiting ambassador or head of state seems normal 2: You know the best time to go to the café in order to avoid the line 1: You study with and learn from the worlds best and brightest So maybe not as funny if you don’t go to SIPA but it was worth a try anyway. Back to paper writing…see those of you starting in the spring in a month! Hosting the ADF conference

Psychological effects of imprisonment on young offenders - Free Essay Example

The aim of this dissertation is to examine the claim of authors such as Harrington and Bailey (2005) that a substantial proportion of young offenders in the UK suffer from severe mental illness. In accepting this claim, the secondary aim of this paper is to glean a greater understanding of why this is the case; do these offenders acquire mental illness as a result of the modern prison regime and regardless, why is the modern youth justice system so ineffective in dealing with this seemingly widespread problem? The researcher of this paper shall argue that the currentyouth justice system needs, if it to achieve one of its primary aims,namely to rehabilitate youth offenders and prevent them from becomingrecidivists, to focus their research and practice more heavily on thepsychological processes which cause a young person to offend, so thatsuch offenders, who are clearly suffering from mental problems, can bemore easily identified and, where possible, positively helped toresolve these issues whilst they are serving their custodial sentencesso that upon release these individuals are more likely to desist fromcriminality. The principle methodology of this paper will be a literature review,a review of both primary and secondary sources from the subject fieldsof forensic psychology, criminology and penology. Introduction: The primary issue which will be raised and explored throughout thisdissertation is the contention that the current youth justice system,and in particular the youth prison system, is failing to adequatelyaddress the psychological needs (or as they are described by manycriminologists: criminogenic needs) of youth offenders in the UK.Such an argument necessarily involves a simultaneous examination notonly of the statistics which are available regarding the prevalence ofmental illness in youth prisons and the rates of recidivism of thoseyouths who have been previously sentenced to immediate custody, butalso an examination of the latest psychological research in prisons,the current (and, to a lesser extent, historical) policies andpractices pertaining to the treatment of those imprisoned offenderswho have been diagnosed with mental illness and also the writings ofexpert researchers in these relevant fields who provide originalinterpretative insights into the problems associated with menta lillness in youth offenders and potential approaches to minimise thisapparent epidemic. The structure of this review shall take the following form: Thisdissertation will commence with a brief overview of past and presentsystems of caring for children serving custodial sentences and howtheir mental health needs were and are now met, including anexamination of the changing definition of needs in this context. Theresearcher, using research from government enquires, literature andreports concerned with this issue will then seek to identify thoseyouth justice policies and practices which are apparently ineffectiveand/or inappropriate in reducing this problem and, in conclusion, makerecommendations for future necessary/ effective reforms and also futureresearch which should be conducted to assist in our understanding ofthe psychological causes of crime and to assist in the formulation ofsuch reforms. The researcher of this paper is greatly interested in the subject ofthis paper: After reading in Society Guardian articles about our youngprison population the researcher was surprised to learn that there areover 11,000 young people between 15-20 in jail in England and Waleswith a diagnosable mental disorder, that 10% will suffer a severepsychotic disorder in comparison with 0.2% of the general populationand that the UK has the highest number of prisoners under 21, incomparison with the rest of Europe, 3000 of them being held in youthoffenders institutes. Similar surprise ensued from discover of researchconducted by the UK Office for National Statistics which found thatnine out of ten youth offenders in the UK suffer from a mentaldisorder. The researcher feels strongly that more research needs to beconducted into these issues so that these worrying findings can bediluted; it is primarily for this reason that the researcher has chosento conduct this research on that topic. Intending t o pursue a career inthe youth justice system working with young offenders in the UK, theresearcher also feels strongly that a deeper substantive knowledge inthis area will aid not merely his professional development but also hisability to help reduce the incidence of mental disorder in the UK youthjustice system. The researcher concedes that the objectives of this research didchange direction at various points of the review: Initially, the aimwas to identify the current practical failings of the youth justicesystem and to convincingly demonstrate that these failings directly orindirectly contribute to the problematic prevalence of mental illnessin youth offenders and to likewise suggest practical reforms whichshould be employed to reduce this phenomenon; latterly, the researcherunderstood that rather than suggesting changes in practical reform thathe should attempt to identify the failings in the current research andthe strategies employed by the justice system, and to suggestalternative strategies and ideas for future research which will then inturn result in more effective justice practice. The structure of this paper, as described in paragraph two of thisintroduction, has been carefully constructed to complement itsarguments: the historical analysis of trends in UK penal policy andpractice (pertaining to youth offenders) over the past fifty years,with which this paper will commence, provides ample support for thelater contention that the current approach employed by the youthjustice system in the UK to reduce the incidence of mental illness inits prisons is inadequate and also for those policy reforms which willbe recommended by the researcher in this papers conclusions. The Structure of the Literature Review: As noted previously in the introduction, above, the literaturereview of this paper will not confine itself to any one particulardiscipline; after all, the subjects of criminology, forensicpsychology, social work and, to some extent, penology are havededicated varying proportions of their research on the issues withwhich this paper is concerned; namely the prevalence of mental illnessin young offenders in the UK Youth Justice system, in particular thoseoffenders currently serving custodial sentences in young offendersinstitutes, and practical methods for reducing this problematicphenomenon. A clear concern to any researcher conducting amulti-disciplinary literature review of this kind is that the order ofthe analysis is prone to be confusing; a researcher could choose toperform a separate review of the literature from each respectivesubject area or, alternatively, a researcher might choose to make nosuch division but rather separate the review into the relevantquestions and under each separate heading utilize the literature fromany relevant discipline in no particular order. The researcher of thispaper has chosen to adopt the latter of these two approaches; he feelsthat to divide the review analysis according to topic area is whollyartificial, especially in light of the fact that any research orliterature which will be discussed will be wholly relevant to the sameissues pertaining to young offenders. With this methodological approach in mind, the questions which thisliterature review will seek to discuss and, where possible, answer, areas follows: 1] What is defined as mental illness and how has this definition changed over the past 60 years? 2] How prevalent is mental illness in young offenders who arecurrently serving custodial sentences in young offenders institutes inthe UK? 3] To what extent is this a recent phenomenon? And to what extent isthis a phenomenon which is particular to young offenders serving asentence in a secure institution rather than to those young offenderswho are serving non-custodial sentences or those young persons who havenot been involved in the Youth Justice system at all? 4] Historically, how has the UK Youth Justice System responded tothe problem of mental illness in young offenders who are currentlyserving custodial sentences in young offenders institutes? 5] Is there convincing evidence which suggests that there is linkbetween this prevalence of mental illness and the high rates ofrecidivism in young offenders serving custodial sentences? 6] What is the approach which is currently employed by the UK Youth Justice System to tackle this problem? 7] To what extent is the current policy approach of the UK YouthJustice System appropriate in achieving its objectives in this regard? 8] How is this policy approach being implemented by the UK Youth Justice System? 9] Are these practical reforms appropriate in light of the policyapproach adopted to reduce the incidence of mental illness in youthoffenders in the UK? 10] What changes should be made to the current policy and practiceof the UK Youth Justice System to effect a more successful reduction ofthis problem? 11] What further academic research is needed to assist in the formulation of these new policies and practices? 1] What is defined as mental illness or mental health and how has this definition changed over the past 60 years? Any literature review on the prevalence of mental illness in aparticular population, in this case young offenders serving custodialsentences, would be incomplete without a preliminary discussionpertaining to the definition of mental illness or mental health inthat context. Within the context of young offenders, it is interesting to notethat there is very little consistency in the definition of mentalhealth: In fact, a review of over 60 national and local education,health and social care documents (policy, strategy and guidance)revealed little consistency within, as well as, across agencies. Therewere 10 different terms or phrases used to label the positive end ofthe mental health continuum and 15 to describe the negative [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6]. This having been said, it does not seem that the definition of mentalhealth in this context is particularly contentious. The Kent andMedway Multi Agency CAMHS Strategy Group have provided a workingdefinition which incorporates each of the individual definitions foundduring their literature review of relevant policy documents: Mentalhealth can be defined as: The ability to develop psychologically,emotionally, intellectually and spiritually, to initiate, develop andsustain mutually satisfying personal relationships, including theability to become aware of others and to empathise with them, and theability to use psychological distress as a developmental process, sothat it does not hinder or impair further development [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6]. However, to find a comprehensive definition of mental illness in thiscontext is not so straightforward: It would seem that practitioners inthe field of forensic psychology have divided mental ill-health intothree separate categories separated on the basis of severity ofsymptoms; namely, mental health problems, mental health disordersand mental illness. Mental health problems, the least serious form of mental ill-health,may be reflected in difficulties and/or disabilities in the realms ofpersonal relationships, psychological development, the capacity forplay and learning and in distress and maladaptive behaviour. They arerelatively common, and may or may not be persistent [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6]. Mental health disorder is the term subscribed to those persons whoare suffering from persistent mental health problems which affect theirfunctioning on a day-to-day basis. Whilst most young people will atsome stage in their development suffer from mental health problems, itis not normal to expect such persons to suffer from mental healthdisorders. As noted by the Kent and Medway Multi Agency CAMHS StrategyGroup, mental health disorder, as a term, [implies] a marked deviationfrom normality, a clinically recognised set of symptoms or behaviourassociated in most cases with considerable distress and substantialinterference with personal functions or development [JointCommissioning Strategy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servicesin Kent, Draft Report, 15th January 2007, p6]. Finally, mental illness, the most serious of the three forms ofmental ill-health, can be recognized in those young persons sufferingfrom severe clinical psychosis or neurosis, e.g. those suffering fromschizophrenia. These definitions provide a clear and useful taxonomy from which wecan begin to analyse the statistics on the prevalence of mentalill-health in young offenders in the UK. However, before we commencethis analysis, it is first important to briefly examine the perceivedhistorical relationship between mental ill-health and crime ; afterall, it has often been the case in the past that societies across theworld have attributed certain (if not all) aspects of criminality tosymptoms of mental ill-health, in particular mental disorder and mentalillness. For example, The USSR during the Cold War often incarceratedpolitical criminals on the basis that they must be mentally insanefor holding such opinions and beliefs. Whilst the above example would shock most people of today, thisphenomenon is not that far removed from how the UK government hastraditionally treated the mentally ill: In the UK, mental health carewas for decades provided only in large asylums keeping mentallyill people out of society believing this to be for their own good andthat of their communities. Beginning in the 1950s and accelerating atthe end of the 1980s, government policy switched to providing moreservices in the community and in most cases limiting hospital treatmentto when it is needed most acutely [All-Party Parliamentary Group onPrison Health, House of Commons, November 2006, p2]. In light of the fact that historically the mentally ill have beendealt with in the same way as convicted criminals, it is not toodifficult to understand why there has developed a publicly perceivedlink between mental illness and criminality. This misconception hasalso been given weight by a small number of brutal homicide cases inwhich the perpetrator was schizophrenic; whilst social workers andpsychiatrists of today realise that schizophrenia does not necessarilycause its owners to be criminally violent, public opinion is still notas understanding: Our understanding of mental ill health hasdeveloped [since] that time, though public debate on the topic has notalways been in step the popular assumption that mental ill health andcriminality are inextricably linked needs to be broken and policyinformed by a deeper understanding of the complex links between mentalill health and offending [All-Party Parliamentary Group on PrisonHealth, House of Commons, November 2006, p2]. Therefore, whil st theremay be certain links between mental ill-health and criminality, thereis no intuitive similarity between these two respective phenomena. 2] How prevalent is mental ill-health in young offenders who arecurrently serving custodial sentences in young offenders institutes inthe UK? N.B. At the outset of this section of the literature review it isimportant to remind ourselves that secondary reviews of primary datacan often be misleading or, worse, erroneous. For example, to quote asection from the website of the governments Crime Reduction ToolkitA recent report by the Office for National Statistics, PsychiatricMorbidity Among Young Offenders, found that 9 in 10 young offendersaged between 16-20 years old showed evidence of mental illness. Thisstatement would, using the taxonomy of mental ill-health discussed insection [1] above, appear to suggest that 90% of young offenders in UKPrisons are suffering from severe psychiatric illnesses such aschizophrenia: such a contention is clearly erroneous as if this werethe case then 90% of young offenders in Prison should in fact not be inprison at all but rather in secure mental hospitals. What the statementshould have said is: A recent report by the Office for NationalStatistics, Psychiatric Morbidity Among Young Offende rs, found that 9in 10 young offenders aged between 16-20 years old showed evidence ofmental ill-health. Hopefully this example has shown how careful onemust be when attempting to describe or analyse the data findings fromprimary research. All of the literature and research supports the contention thatmental ill-health among young offenders in UK Prisons is prevalent. Arecent Report suggests that Young people in prison have an evengreater prevalence of poor mental health than adults, with 95% havingat least one mental health problem and 80% having more than one. [Laderet al., 2000, cited by Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, March 2006,p3]. This same conclusion is reported by Singleton et al. (1998): 95per cent of young prisoners aged 15 to 21 suffer from a mentaldisorder. 80 per cent suffer from at least two. Nearly 10 per cent offemale sentenced young offenders reported already having been admittedto a mental hospital at some point. A more recent research study conducted by Professor RichardHarrington and Professor Sue Bailey on behalf of the Youth JusticeBoard, entitled Mental Health Needs and Effectiveness of Provision forYoung Offenders in Custody and in the Community, found thatapproximately 33% of the young offenders sampled had at least onemental health need, approximately 20% suffered from clinicaldepression, approximately 10% of these young offenders had a history ofself-harm and approximately 10% suffered from post traumatic stressdisorder and severe anxiety . This study also found that approximately5% of the young offenders sampled had symptoms indicative of clinicalpsychosis and that 7% of the sample population seemed to suffer fromhyperactivity. [Harrington and Bailey, 2005]. In conclusion, it seems indisputable that mental ill-health isprevalent among young offenders in the UK, in particular among thoseyouths serving custodial sentences. 3] To what extent is this a recent phenomenon? And to what extent isthis a phenomenon which is particular to young offenders serving asentence in a secure institution rather than to those young offenderswho are serving non-custodial sentences or those young persons who havenot been involved in the Youth Justice system at all? Whilst there is evidence that even as far back as 200 years ago UKPrisons were occupied to some extent by persons who suffered frommental problems, disorders and illness [Thomas Holmes, 1900], it isdifficult to ascertain whether this was due to the same reasons whichcause the phenomenon today, or whether these offenders were simply putin prison because of their mental ill-health, a practice which, asdiscussed above, was common in the nineteenth century. Unfortunately,in regards to the historical po sition, this is not a problem which canever be easily resolved, and it is a question which is still relevantto a discussion of the phenomenon of today: Is the prevalence of mentalill-health among young prisoners due to their treatment within theyouth justice system or did these individuals suffer mental ill-healthprior to their involvement with the justice system? Hagell (2002) p37 suggests that mental ill-health is more prevalent inyoung offenders than in their law-abiding peers, but this still doesnot answer the question of whether the reason that these individualsbroke the law in the first place was because of their mental problems,disorders or illness: there is little doubt that young people caughtup in the criminal justice system do have elevated rates of mentalhealth problems when compared to other adolescents. A conservativeestimate would suggest that the rates of mental illness in these youngpeople is three times as high as that for their peers. Likewise, an article by Sir David Ramsbotham entitled The Needs ofOffending Children in Prison, which was published in the Report fromthe Conference of the Michael Sieff Foundation entitled The Needs ofOffending Children, at p19, that whilst 95% of young offenders incustody are suffering from mental ill-health, only 10% of the generalpopulation are suffering from such problems, disorders or illnesses. This finding is supported in result, if not precise figures, by aresearch study which was conducted by the Mental Health Foundationentitled: The Mental Health of Young Offenders. Bright Futures: Workingwith Vulnerable Young People [Hagell, 2002]. This study stated:Despite methodological hindrances, it is clear from this review of theliterature that there is a consensus that young people who offend arelikely to have much higher than usual levels of mental health problems.Estimates from research studies suggest that the rates of problems wereapproximately three times as high as for their peers in the generalpopula tion. In general, the mental health needs of young offenders arethe same as those of the general adolescent population but more acute.[Hagell, 2002, p28]. Regarding whether the prison regime itself is responsible for thisprevalence, or merely the fact of incarceration, a study by Nicol et al(2000) found that there was very little difference between the levelsof mental needs in those young persons held in prison and those held inother forms of welfare establishment. This implies that the same mentalproblems, disorders and illnesses which lead a young person to beincarcerated in a welfare institution are also present in those youngoffenders who break the law and are subsequently sentences toimprisonment. A study commissioned by the Youth Justice Board [Harrington andBailey, 2005, p8] seemed to suggest that the mental needs of youngpersons were reduced as a result of being sent to Prison: Youngoffenders in the community were found to have significantly more needsthan those in secure careNeeds increased for young offendersdischarged from secure facilities back into the community, suggestingthat needs are only temporarily reduced while in custody. In conclusion, there is no doubt that the prevalence of mentalill-health amongst young incarcerated offenders is not a newphenomenon, although it is impossible to state with any certaintywhether this phenomenon is worse now than it ever has been in historypreviously. Regarding whether this phenomenon is particular to youthoffenders over their law-abiding peers, it would seem that it iscertainly more pronounced with this former group, but also with thoseoffenders serving community sentences and those young persons who arebeing held in welfare establishments. 4] Historically, how has the UK Youth Justice System responded to theproblem of mental illness in young offenders who are currently servingcustodial sentences in young offenders institutes? As noted earlier, In the UK, mental health care was for decadesprovided only in large asylums keeping mentally ill people out ofsociety believing this to be for their own good and that of theircommunities. Beginning in the 1950s and accelerating at the end of the1980s, government policy switched to providing more services in thecommunity and in most cases limiting hospital treatment to when it isneeded most acutely [All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prison Health,House of Commons, November 2006, p2]. During the 1950s and 1960s the link between mental ill-health andcriminality had arguably never been stronger; all prisoners wereregarded as patients who could be effectively treated to prevent themfrom re-offending in the future and whilst little specific attentionwas paid to the individual mental needs of offenders, the types oftreatment reforms which were offered by the Criminal Justice System atthis time were very similar to the kinds of group treatment therapiesbeing offered to those mentally disordered and mentally ill patients inthe mental asylums and hospitals of the day. During the 1970s thisparadigm of offender treatment was abandoned primarily as a result ofresearch studies conducted into the success of some of these treatmentreforms: conclusions from several research studies into theeffectiveness of these criminal treatments on reducing criminalbehaviour strongly suggested that nothing works (Thomas-Peter, 2006,p29). These embarrassing findings caused the pendulum to swin g awayfrom rehabilitation towards a firmer commitment to incapacitation andpunishment through positive custody. During the 1980s, the wave of new public management was born(Thomas-Peter, 2006, p30). This movement focussed heavily upon theprocedural roles of the Prison and Probation Services in reducingre-offending. The Prison service started to contract out some of theirprimary responsibilities in a quest to encourage more efficient servicefrom both their private sub-contractors and also their remaining statePrisons who would have to meet their performance targets to avoid beingprivatised in the same way as so many other Institutions had been.Likewise, the Probation service was reorganised and reintegrated toencourage greater efficiency of performance: [The Probation Service,rather than] a loosely co-ordinated collection of individual socialworkers [became a unified and managed service] with a clearer sense ofdirection and purpose, which was more able to engage on equal termswith other services and to contribute and give effect to nationalpolicies (Faulkner, 2007, p7). During the 1990s researchers revisited the studies conducted in the1970s and found that rather than demonstrating that nothing works,rather they supported the contention that certain types of treatmentinitiatives were working with certain types of individuals: Whilst only10% of a group may have responded well to that treatment, if thesimilarities between those responding offenders could be identifiedthen for this new group, the reform could be said to be verysuccessful. This has lead researchers such as Harper and Chitty (2005)to argue that the new question should not be what works? but whatworks for whom, and why? This paradigm shall be discussed in greaterdetail in section [6] of this literature review. It is important to note that, except for the changes made to theProbation Services in the 1980s, the above discussion summarizes thedevelopments in the paradigm of Criminal Justice generally and does notspecifically answer the question of how the Criminal Justice system hashistorically dealt with the problem of mental ill-health in youngimprisoned offenders. The fact is that even as late as 2002, there was no real unifiedsystem implemented to deal specifically with this particular problem.Research on this topic was sparse and focused rather than on nationalstrategies, on local remedies such as the pioneering work done by theAdolescent Forensic Services in the Midlands. Generally, where YoungOffenders Institutions were involving forensic psychiatrists or mentalhealth social workers this was not being done with the aim of treatmentor rehabilitation but rather for the purposes of assessment. Also,rather than assessing each young offender, these processes tended to beused for those offenders who were clearly suffering from mentalill-health and those offenders who specifically asked for suchassistance. A report published by the Mental Health Foundation in 2002,entitled The Mental Health of Young Offenders. Bright Futures: Workingwith Vulnerable Young People [Hagell, 2002, p23] summarized theposition at that time in the following way: As far a s the MentalHealth Foundation is aware, there is no recent research data availableon the provision of psychological and psychiatric services to youngoffenders across the criminal justice system. However, at the time ofwriting it is clear that, from existing fragmented information, thereis no routine, standardised screening employed across the criminaljustice system and that responses to problems are inadequate andfragmented. Whilst it is true that certain practical initiatives were introducedfrom the mid-nineties, such as Youth Offending Teams, Detention andTraining Orders, Parenting Orders and Child Safety Orders, thediscussion of the effects of these reforms shall be reserved forsections [6] and [9] of this literature review, in which we shallanalyse the current policy and practical approach employed by the YouthJustice System in dealing with the problem of prevalent mentalill-health among young prisoners. 5] Is there convincing evidence which suggests that there is linkbetween mental illness and the likelihood of being sentenced toimmediate custody? Is there convincing evidence which suggests thatthere is link between mental illness and the prevalence of mentalillness and the high rates of recidivism in young offenders servingcustodial sentences? One would be right to question the relevance of this enquiry to themain purposes of this research paper; after all the objective of thispaper is to examine the current strategy in dealing with the problem ofmental ill-health in young offenders institutes and to proposerecommendations for future clinical research and immediate reform.However, the researcher of this paper has chosen to dedicate a sectionof its literature review to the issues raised in the title of thissection because he feels that, if a convincing link between mentalill-health and criminality/criminal recidivism can be demonstrated thenit would provide additional support for the importance of reform inthis area. After all, the youth of today are the adults of the future,and if it can be shown that reducing the prevalence of mentalill-health in young offender institutions has a positive (reducing)effect on the rates of recidivism then the Criminal Justice System maybe compelled to dedicate extra time, money and resource s on furtherresearch in this area and also on the implementation of reformsdesigned to reduce the prevalence of this problem. The first point to note is that there is a body of research whichsuggests that young persons with mental disorders are more likely to bearrested, charged and convicted for their criminal behaviour than thoseyoung people in similar circumstances who do not have such severemental problems [Teplin, 1984]. This is supported by the research studyconducted by Singleton et al (1998) which found that the majority ofprisoners who had been diagnosed as having mental illness had, prior tohaving contact with the Justice System, already had contact with theNHS and other welfare services. These findings cannot be squared easily with the findings of otherresearch studies which suggest that further offending [is] notpredicted by mental health needs or alcohol and drug abuse problems.[Harrington and Bailey, 2005, p8] After all, if mental ill-health canpredict first instance-offending in young persons, then it must alsosurely be a predictor of recidivism in these persons also. Thisresearcher is therefore more inclined to rely upon other researchstudies which suggest that this is not the case: For example, the studyconducted by the Mental Health Foundation [Hagell, 2002, p24] foundthat: The outcomes for young offenders in need of mental healthservices include: further offending and worsening mental healthproblems if the needs are not met. The two are interlinked. While theoffending may have been a risk factor for mental health problems in thefirst place, it has long been understood that mental health problems inturn go on to be a risk factor for continued offending (Kandel , 1978;Rutter et al 1998). Early detection may reduce the likelihood thatyoung offenders will persist into adulthood. 6] What is the approach which is currently employed by the UK Youth Justice System to tackle this problem? As discussed earlier, the current approach employed by the YouthJustice System to deal with this problem is very much one which relieson providing treatment programmes for those youths who are eitherdeemed mentally disordered or ill or those who come forward and requestsuch programmes. This approach can be seen underlying new projectswhich are being implemented to deal with this problem: For example, anarticle published on the 5th March 2007 by the Sainsbury Centre forMental Health states: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) and the Departmentof Health (DH) are to join forces with the Sainsbury Centre for MentalHealth (SCMH) with a major new project to improve services for childrenand young people who offend and have mental health needs. The YouthJustice Service Development project will test out the most effectiveways health and criminal justice services can meet the mental healthneeds of young people in custody or involved with youth offending teamsin the community. The two-year project, which is joint funded by theDH, SCMH and YJB, will review the evidence of what work is mosteffective to address mental health needs. The results will be used todevelop the most promising approaches locally. This is great exampleof what Harper and Chitty (2005) describe as the what works and forwhom treatment paradigm. 7] To what extent is the current policy approach of the UK YouthJustice System appropriate in achieving its objectives in this regard? The approach discussed above in section [6] of this literaturereview is, in the opinion of this researcher, a valid one. It reliesheavily upon clinical research which indicates what works in treatingyouth offenders with mental ill-health, and therefore the JusticeSystem must ensure that such research is promoted (through finance) asa priority. As Professor Sue Bailey writes: The recent evidence basein the field of child and adolescent forensic mental health andjuvenile justice is starting to make a real difference to clinicalpractice, pointing to practice that can offer multiple interventions atmultiple points across the childhood years, and on into adult forensicpractice. Bailey (2003) p1. 8] How is this policy approach being implemented by the UK Youth Justice System? As mentioned previously, in 1997 multi-professional Youth OffendingTeams [YOTs] were introduced across the Youth Justice System in Englandand Wales. Because of the multi-disciplinary makeup of each YOT,assessments made for each young offender who comes before them will betailored to the specific needs of that individual, not merely themental needs but also any other needs which are relevant to thatoffenders criminal behaviour and risk of re-offending. Also, the introduction of a wider range of community sentences such asthe recently implemented Detention and Training Orders, ParentingOrders and Child Safety Orders have been introduced not merely toprovide the courts with an alternative to custodial sentences but alsoto reduce the length of custodial sentence of those individuals who arecurrently serving time in prison. The other practical reforms which have been implemented to reducethe prevalence of mental ill-health in young offenders and the problemscaused by this phenomenon will be discussed in greater detail in thefollowing section of this literature review. 9] Are these practical reforms appropriate in light of the policyapproach adopted to reduce the incidence of mental illness in youthoffenders in the UK? In this section of the literature review we shall examine theparticulars of the current policies and practices and identify thoseareas which are most in need of reform. One of the most comprehensive evaluations of the current approach totacking mental ill-health in youth prisons is provided by Harringtonand Bailey (2005). Their report identified, as we have argued earlier,that the current approach to the problem of mental ill-health in youngprisoners is very much an ad hoc one; Provision of mental healthservices in many secure estate institutions was provided on a sessionalbasis by mental health professionals who had a personal interest in thearea. Continuous provision was subsequently vulnerable to changes inpersonnel and priorities and, unlike community child and adult mentalhealth services, a multi-disciplinary approach was not common.[Harrington and Bailey, 2005, p5] Clearly this is not in-line with thepolicies underlying the introduction of the YOTs which clearly intendedassessments and prospective treatment programmes to be provided by amulti-disciplinary team. Other findings of this research revealed that it was not routinepractice to assess each offender on admission to young offenderinstitutions, the National Offender Management Service (the newlyintegrated Prison and Probation Services) would rely on previousassessments, where infrequently available. The report also found thatwhere assessments had been, appropriate intervention packages wereoften not available either due to under-resourced treatment programmesor the simple lack of any appropriate programmes. Another research study, commissioned by the Healthcare Commission,found, similarly, that Too many young offenders have insufficientaccess to healthcare, particularly the large proportion needing mentalhealth services [HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 1st November 2006]. Thereport found that often YOTs were inappropriately staffed, many lackinga healthcare worker, although did find that generally the introductionof this reform was having positive effects in increasing theaccessibility of mental health services to young offenders. What isclear is that accessibility is simply not enough; to use the old adage,you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink. Regarding the introduction of the new range of community Ordersentences, generally these are perceived as a good thing: A Lack ofAlternatives It is a common complaint of judges that they feel obligedto imprison offenders with mental health problems because they can findno alternative way of getting treatment for their condition.[ All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prison Health, House of Commons,November 2006, p6]. 10] What changes should be made to the current policy and practice ofthe UK Youth Justice System to effect a more successful reduction ofthis problem? In line with the what works paradigm of modern Criminal Justice,one general improvement which should be made is a greater ability todisseminate examples of local best practice to the national level. Thismight be achieved by encouraging individual secure facilities toexperiment with new forms of treatment programme and publish theirfindings on the Youth Justice website. As concluded by Harrington andBailey (2005) p 6: There needs to be further development ofaccredited, evidence-based interventions to reduce offending behaviour,with implementation by trained staff. A routine screening process needs to be effectively implemented toensure that the needs of each young offender entering a youth prisonare identified. Harrington and Bailey (2005) p6 recommend thefollowing: Structured and continuous assessment of the mental healthneeds of young offenders is required, using reliable and validatedtools e.g. the Mental Health Screening Interview for Adolescents(SIFA) and the Mental Health Screening Questionnaire Interview forAdolescents (SQIFA). On this point, this researcher agrees with the content of thecurrent Youth Justice Board Screening Manual which states that: Tohelp identify mental illness and potential risk of such problems thereshould be a Closer link between the Youth Justice System and the Childand Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This screening policywill only be effective however if the CAMHS are appropriately staffedand resourced which, according to the Report of the Mental HealthFoundation entitled: The Mental Health of Young Offenders. BrightFutures: Working with Vulnerable Young People [Hagell, 2002] p28: arenot sufficiently resourced, organised or varied enough in theirapproach to be able to respond quickly and appropriately. Once the needs of an offender have been appropriately identified byan appropriately staffed multi-disciplinary YOT, this team shouldformulate an appropriate treatment programme which should then beimplemented as continuous support. Such co-ordination will only bepossible if each local authority drafts a careful and consideredstrategy describing routine practice. One might also argue that whilst the government has come a long wayin appreciating the importance of treating both mental and physicalill-health in youth offenders, the public is some way behind. Thisresearcher therefore proposes that the Youth Justice system implement aMental Illness in youth offenders public awareness campaign. As statedby Hagell (2002) p28: A shift in understanding by politicians, policymakers, practitioners and the general public about how importantdiagnosing and meeting young offenders mental health needs is to thelonger-term success of current and new programmes to reduce youthoffending behaviour is also required. Another reform which might be beneficial in the reduction of theprevalence of mental ill-health in young prisoners is an actual reformof the Mental Health Act. As was found by the research studycommissioned by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (March 2006) p5:One of the recurring problems during our prison visits was the factthat there is no statutory provision for the treatment of people withmental health problems. Prisoners cannot be treated for mental healthproblems without consent. The visit to Leeds Prison highlighted theproblems of treating people with severe mental health problems, asprisons do not come under the auspices of the Mental Health Act. Also raised by this Report was the question of whether the Prisonand Probation services were the appropriate bodies to deal with thetreatment of the mentally disordered and ill young prisoners. It hasbeen contended that Many would be much more appropriately cared for inthe National Health Service (NHS) (Coid 1988; Brooke et al, 1996). On this point, this researcher agrees with the content of the currentYouth Justice Board Screening Manual which states that: To helpidentify mental illness and potential risk of such problems thereshould be a Closer link between the Youth Justice System and the Childand Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This screening policywill only be effective however if the CAMHS are appropriately staffedand resourced which, according to the Report of the Mental HealthFoundation entitled: The Mental Health of Young Offenders. BrightFutures: Working with Vulnerable Young People [Hagell, 2002] p28: arenot sufficiently resourced, organised or varied enough in theirapproach to be able to respond quickly and appropriately. 11] What further academic research is needed to assist in the formulation of these new policies and practices? Further research needs to be conducted utilizing longitudinalmethodologies to evaluate how individual offenders needs change overtime: These young people frequently move within the youth justicesystem between community and secure sites, but there have been fewlongitudinal studies describing how their needs change. Such studies although difficult to conduct are vital when considering what mentalhealth resources are necessary to meet changing needs. [Harrington andBailey, 2005, p4]. Likewise, as recommended previously in section [12] of thisliterature review, further research needs to be conducted to test newtypes of treatment programmes the result of which can form the basis offuture practical reform. Conclusions: In light of the clearly divided structure of the literature reviewof this paper the conclusions of this research dissertation havealready been made quite clear. In this concluding section of the paperlet us summarize the contents of these conclusions: First, the prevalence of mental ill-health among young offenders whoare currently serving custodial sentences is worryingly high. Second, there is clear evidence that the current practical approachwhich is being implemented by the Youth Justice System is not realisingits full potential in reducing this worrying phenomenon; YOTs aregenerally under-resourced, under-supervised and under-staffed and therange of practical treatment packages available to them is currentlyinadequate; there is currently no effective screening system to ensurethat the mental needs of each young offender are assessed oncommencement of their custodial sentence, and; there are not enoughlocal level YOT strategy plans to aid in the effective operation oftheir functions. Third, the Mental Health Act 1983 needs to be amended to maketreatment compulsory for all young offenders diagnosed with a mentaldisorder or illness. 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