4 Myths About Hangings in Jails and Prisons
The prison intercom crackles with the news of an emergency on Pod 7. Arriving with the emergency bag in tow, the nurse finds a crime scene in full swing. An inmate is hanging from a makeshift bed linen noose creatively tied around the upper bunk slats.
The actions taken in the first few minutes after a discovered hanging can be the difference between a hospital transfer and an in-custody death. Hanging is the most common form of successful suicide in corrections.
Correctional nurses are confronted with situations unusual in other care settings. Be sure to prepare yourself by eliminating these common jail and prison nursing myths from your practice.
Myth #1: It won’t happen here – this is a small jail.
Although it might appear that most hangings happen in large urban jails, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Special Report on Suicide in State Prisons and Local Jails reports that the country’s smallest jails had suicide rates 5 times higher than the largest jails. Jails holding fewer than 50 inmates accounted for 14% of all jail suicides. With smaller staffs and fewer resources, small jails need to remain vigilant to the potential for hangings. Detailed policies and procedures on prevention and post-hanging interventions should be in place. Emergency procedures for a hanging situation should be periodically practices and involve both custody and medical unit staff.
Myth #2: It won’t happen here – We have great suicide screenings and watch suicidal inmates closely.
Improved suicide prevention and management processes have definitely reduced hanging suicides in the correctional setting over the last two decades. As outlined in a prior column I wrote for CorrectionsOne, incarcerated suicide rates in both jails and prisons have declined sharply; with jail suicides still over 3 times the rate of state prisons. Suicidal inmates are creative and will use any resource available to craft a noose and the leverage to asphyxiate by hanging body weight. Screenings can help weed out obvious potential for self-injury, but require a good mechanism for protecting those who do not pass the screen. A strong communication process with mental health services is needed to complete the protective program. All staff must be vigilant for indications of self-harm. Suicide attempts can take place later in the incarceration period triggered by court hearings, family issues such as divorce proceedings or custody issues, and classification changes such as administrative segregation placement. Do you have a process that allows for re-evaluation following such events.
Myth #3: Hangings are lethal. If found strung up and lifeless, no need to intervene.
The major factors leading to a hanging fatality is height of the drop during hanging and the suspension of the body (full or partial). Most hangings in corrections take place in the housing area (primarily the inmate cell) which leaves little chance for a full body suspension and great height. This results in good chances of survival with early intervention. One study concluded that even if the victim is found to be lifeless, aggressive intervention with CPR and emergency medical transport is warranted. Another study found overall mortality associated with hanging was 33%. Those who survived to admission to the hospital had a relatively low rate of severe functional disability. Initiate medical intervention immediately when a hanging is found.
A significant percentage of hanging victims will have spinal fracture, therefore spine immobilization and jaw thrust maneuvers should be taken into account at the scene. In order to accomplish this, easy access to a rescue tool, such as this seatbelt release device, is needed to quickly lower the person to the floor for emergency resuscitation intervention.
Myth #4: Every hanging is a crime scene. The inmate can’t be cut down until the location is photographed and evidence accumulated.
There have been reports of medical staff being delayed from attending to a hanging victim while crime scene investigation takes place. Minutes are precious in emergency treatment and can make a difference in ultimate survival. Cut down the victim and initiate emergency medical intervention as soon as the scene has been secured. Saving a person’s life trumps all need for determining criminality. Nurses must advocate for immediate patient treatment in this situation. Even better, pre-empt an emergency situation like this by reviewing a hanging medical intervention process with custody administration before a hanging event.
What has been your experience with post-hanging treatment. Share in the comment box below.
Photo Credit: © LituFalco – Fotolia.com
The Murky Past of Medical Research in Prisons
My clinical experience in a variety of settings always involved participation and application of clinical research. When I entered the correctional setting in the early 2000’s I was surprised at how closed the specialty was to research. Many departments of corrections have a hard and fast rule – no research involving inmates, no exceptions. With modern safeguards of participant informed consent and Institutional Review Board oversight, this stance seemed unreasonable.
While investigating the history of medical research in prisons for a writing project, I was stunned to find the extent of past abuse of inmates for medical research purposes that did not benefit the inmates involved. It helped me better understand the current chilly climate toward medical research in jails and prisons. The Belmont Report, a 1978 document dealing with human subjects research , sums up the issues nicely by stating “on the one hand, it would seem that the principle of respect for persons requires that prisoners not be deprived of the opportunity to volunteer for research… on the other hand, under prison conditions they may be subtly coerced or unduly influenced to engage in research activities for which they would not otherwise volunteer.”
Human studies research regulation grew from the public awareness and concern over such unethical practices as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study where rural black men were allowed to progress through the stages of syphilis while thinking they were receiving free treatment. During this same time period, prison inmates were lured into participation in medical research by financial reward and hopes of better living conditions or favorable treatment. Most infamous was the Holmesburg Prison medical research performed by doctors from the University of Pennsylvania.
Photo credit: Unknown from NY Times Article Inmates in Holmesburg Prison, Philadelphia participating in skin testing research.
Enticing a vulnerable and underprivileged population, such as prison inmates, to take part in medical research is understandably unethical. The ‘no research in prison’ response to the abuse, however, limits inmate participation in clinical trials that may potentially and directly benefit them. I am thinking, in particular of cancer treatments, which are sometimes still in experimental stages and therefore only available to those who participate in trials.
Should inmates be able to participate in clinical trials which could directly benefit them? I say yes, they should. What do you think?
Photo credit: Marvin Koner from British Medical Journal Article Prisoners line up for skin research
Professional boundaries in corrections: How to set and keep them
ACA session told boundaries allow COs to screen input from the world and know what input to ward against |
| By Erin Hicks CorrectionsOne Associate Editor(Reprinted with permission)  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — You probably set boundaries in your personal life, but did you know how important boundaries are in a corrections setting?
Mark Fleming, Ph.D., Director of Behavioral Health, Correctional Medical Services told session attendees at the American Correctional Association’s (ACA) conference in Kissimmee, Fla., how important it is to understand the psychological components of why employees cross professional boundaries, and how to screen potential officers to make sure they possess the skill set to keep inmates at a professional distance. “It is part of our job to decide how our employees are and whether or not they are a good fit for corrections,” he said. “We don’t want to set people up to fail. We want to make sure we’re putting the right person in the right position.” Boundaries allow us to screen input from the world, to know what input to let in, and what input to protect ourselves against, Fleming said. The need for setting boundaries is especially important in a corrections setting because of the innate power imbalance. Not only is there a power imbalance between employees and staff, but there is also a power hierarchy among inmates, and of course, between any correctional staff member and the inmate. “You have power and authority over offenders,” Fleming said. “When you choose not to own your power, that’s when boundaries get crossed and problems occur.” Read the full article on CorrectiosOne.com
Photo Credit: © photoart – Fotolia.com |
Confidentiality, HIPAA and the Correctional Nurse
An RN calls the hospital for discharge information on a patient transported back to the prison infirmary from the local hospital after his jaw was wired following an inmate brawl in the exercise yard. The emergency room nurse refused to provide any information stating it would be a violation of HIPAA. She instructs the prison RN to obtain any information she needs from the patient himself.
An NP is reprimanded for telling a housing officer that one of the inmates is a severe diabetic and needs his evening snack on time.
Confidentiality of patient health information has always been a concern for nursing. Valuing patient privacy is an ethical imperative, even in the correctional setting. In recent years the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has moved healthcare information confidentiality to a legal concern for nurses. In particular, HIPAA regulations ensure that private health information is not released to any third party without the patient’s permission .
Disclosure of medical information may be necessary for the health and safety of both the patient and the large patient community within a security facility. Officers may need to know about medical conditions or disabilities that require special equipment or scheduled appointments. Some medication side effects require additional attention or changes in work duty. Joint surgery may limit movements or abilities that security needs to be aware of. Foruntately HIPAA regulations take into account the need for some information sharing within the correctional setting and have spelled this out is the 45 C.F.R. 164.512 (k) (5) (i) section of the code.
HIPAA Permitted Disclosure to Correctional Institutions
If the correctional institution represents that such protected health information is necessary for:
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According to this section of HIPAA regulations, an ER nurse can confidently share health information with the receiving nurse in the prison infirmary and a nurse practitioner can alert an officer to a health need of an inmate in his charge.
Many in corrections are confused about how to implement HIPAA regulations and the boundaries of patient privacy and confidentiality of medical information. Share your experiences in the comments section.
Photo Credit: © mirabile – Fotolia.com
A Salute to Our Veterans: Even Those Behind Bars
Several times a year Americans pause to thank our soldiers for defending our freedom and protecting us from harm. We acknowledge the sacrifices made by American soldiers to keep us free this Independence Day. Many of those same soldiers who put themselves in harm’s way are now our patients in jails and prisons across this country. I was surprised to discover the extent of veterans behind bars. A Special Report by the Bureau of Justice lists around 140,000 veterans in our nation’s prisons in 2004. Are any of them your patients? 1 in 10 prison inmates is a veteran, so it is very likely that some of your patients have military history. A significant proportion of inmate patients have served in the armed forces and participated in defending our freedom.
Veteran inmates are higher educated than nonveterans and have shorter criminal histories. One in 5 had actual combat duty. Some of the findings of the report bust typical conclusions we might have about soldiers. For example, veteran inmates are not more likely to abuse alcohol or have mental health conditions than their nonveteran peers. In addition, they are slightly less likely to be using drugs at the time of arrest. These numbers do not vary based on whether they had combat or noncombat duty while serving our country.
What does all this mean for correctional nurses? We care for inmate patients because of their basic human dignity and do not differentiate based on type of crime or our subjective determination of goodness of character. Therefore, veteran or not, we provide nursing care to the best of our ability with the resources at our disposal. However, on this day of gratitude for those who help keep us free, maybe that inmate in pill line or sick call is someone who served…..and they deserve our gratitude, as well as our best nursing care.
Photo Credit: © cornel2911 – Fotolia.com
Featured Video: Hospice Nursing at Iowa State Penitentiary
This video clip is from a documentary being filmed by my friend Edgar Barens. Hospice nursing in correctional facilities is a compassionate field of nursing made visible and given voice by this work. Consider supporting this fine work.
Prison Terminal: They’re Warriors from Edgar Barens on Vimeo.
Do you work in a hospice setting or know someone who does? Tell us your story.
Failure to Rescue and Nursing Vigilance in Corrections
Failure to Rescue has emerged as an issue in the patient safety movement and is now being addressed as it applies to correctional nursing. I wrote about it last fall and have continued to consider how this concept impacts practice in our specialty. This morning I attended a session in the Updates in Correctional Healthcare presented by Sue Smith, MSN, RN, CCHP-RN, whom I interviewed last year on Correctional Nursing Today. Sue presented a case study based on an actual situation involving an inmate who frequently complained of chest pain without an actual medical event. After multiple episodes he again complained of chest pain. The nurse was busy and said she would assess him after completing the intakes that were at hand. We all know the ending to this story – the patient was really having an MI this time and expired before the nurse arrived to assess and render care. Correctional nursing practice seems a specialty particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon.
Failure to rescue is defined as the inability to save a patient’s life when the patient is experiencing a life threatening event. Although it originally began as a general term, it now has focused on nursing care as nurses are usually the vigilant individual at the bedside monitoring patients or, as in the case of corrections, the first and main staff member to see and evaluate an inmate-patient. Failure to rescue often involves a patient under care for a noncritical medical condition who began to show signs of an impending issue. The nurses failed to connect the dots or report the condition up the chain of command. The following factors have been found to contribute to rescue failure:
- Staffing issues: Not enough staff to allow the nurse to focus on monitoring symptoms rather than just tasks
- Levels of licensures: Expecting higher level functioning from staff members with limited scopes of practice such as LPN or LVN staff
- Levels of Experience: Inexperienced nurses who are refining their skills may overlook issues and symptoms. Ability to analyze patterns and symptoms to respond appropriately. However, there can be a downside to experience as it can lead to tunnel vision and mental short-cuts. We can see this in correctional practice as we deal frequently with inmates who may be manipulating the system for secondary gain.
- Task orientation: Overly concerned with getting tasks done make staff too busy to notice.
Nursing requires engaged analysis and trending of information to make meaning of assessment and response data presented to us by our patients.
Another issue leading to failure to rescue is the communication system among care providers including the nurse/physician relationship. I talked about communication in an earlier post. If nurses are hesitant about contacting the physician provider or nurse practitioner, the.y may not respond to subtle changes in a patient’s status
Security concerns can restrict your access to the supplies you need to initiate action. This can discourage action when so many tasks are at hand that much be done.
The frequency of emergency assessments can reduce vigilance. If nurses are interrupted constantly in duty performance, patient error can result.
Our inmate patients lend toward failure to rescue – they can be hard to care about, manipulative, have hidden agendas and potential for violence. To what degree does this affect our ability to provide vigilant nursing care? An interesting question to ponder.
This was an intriguing presentation. Do you think failure to rescue is a concern in corrections?
Photo Credit: © James Thew – Fotolia.com
Unhealthy Inmate Relationships: 5 Danger Signs
This article was originally published by CorrectionsOne.com
Prison and jail medical units are over-represented by female staff, creating a number of challenges to avoiding inappropriate inmate relationships. It is a common saying that the inmates go to medical to ‘enjoy the view’, and in one prison system in which I, we explicitly stated to all orientees that “You cannot have sex with an inmate.” As crass as that sounds, it was necessary to make it crystal clear that a sexual relationship with an inmate, no matter if it was consensual or not, was illegal in that state and would be prosecuted. In that same system former nursing staff were doing time for this very transgression.
Corrections professionals rarely start their careers expecting or desiring an intimate relationship with an inmate. So how does it happen? Here are some signs to watch for – not only for yourself, but for your team mates.
Sign #1: Personal life in disarray
When things are falling apart in your personal life you become emotionally vulnerable to an inmate relationship. Family conflict, divorce, discovery of infidelity or even children behaving badly can open you to an inmate relationship.
Counteractions:
• Be on guard when your personal life is in upheaval
• Ask a trusted peer to help you stay in line by privately confronting you when wander out of bounds
Sign #2: Doing little favors
Having day-to-day contact with any individual makes it easy to begin identifying with their beliefs and sympathizing with their plight. We all struggle maintain a balance between the need to avoid identifying with our inmate charges and the need to maintain an awareness of their humanity.
Manipulative inmates will study your attitudes and actions, using them to their own benefit. If an inmate convinces you to do even a small favor, you have started down the path of obligation. Feelings of obligation are universally human, but obligation to inmates is the enemy of a secure workplace.
Counteractions:
• Don’t do even the smallest ‘favor’ for an inmate if it is against regulation
• Create clear boundaries in your relationships with inmates — firmness, fairness and consistent words, actions, and interactions protect you and others.
Sign #3: Looking for opportunities for contact
Do you find yourself looking for opportunities to be with a specific inmate? Watch carefully for this. This may be a subtle beginning to an unhealthy relationship.
Counteractions:
• If you find yourself attracted to a particular inmate, ask for a re-assignment immediately
• When the inmate comes to mind, immediately change your mental channel –think about something positive and motivational, and change your location or activity to help in re-orienting your thoughts
• If you see this sign in another officer, have a serious talk about it in private
Sign #4: Correspondence with an inmate
Often, the first step to a more intimate relationship with an inmate involves written communication. A note, letter or email moves the relationship one step further down the road to ruin. Even when not sexually explicit, written communication has been used as evidence of an improper relationship with an inmate.
Counteractions:
• Avoid ALL written communication involving inmates — this includes mailing letters and passing notes from one inmate to another
• Do not tolerate these actions from another officer — call them on it personally and suggest they turn themselves in
Sign #5: Falling off the cliff
Yep, this is the Full Monty – personal and physical contact. The thing is done. At this point many procedures have been violated, rules breached and laws broken. This point is only reached after many of the above sign posts have been passed. But it is still not too late to turn back.
Counteractions:
• If you know of a staff member in this situation, do something about it
• First, confront the colleague and suggest they turn themselves in — management and the courts are often more lenient with repentant transgressors
• If this is you, notify the inmate and turn yourself in — suggest the inmate do the same
• If you know about this activity and the fellow officer refuses to report themselves, you must do it for them — you protect your team, the officer, yourself, and the inmates by doing so
• Get help! Consider all your options including counseling, and legal or employee assistance.
• Seek a unit or facility transfer and take any accumulated time off to contemplate your future.
Take action now!
If you see yourself or a fellow staff member in any of the above descriptions, take action. Protect yourself and your peers. Unhealthy inmate relationships jeopardize not only the individual but also the security of other staff members. You are doing yourself and others a favor by intervening before it is too late.
What have we forgotten? Leave your strategies for avoiding inmate relationships in the comments section below.
Photo Credit – © Olga Lipatova – Fotolia.com
Sex Offender Rehabilitation
This video describes the sex offender treatment program in Washington State. 95% of sex offenders are eventually released back into the community. There are several current treatment models in use as described by this Canadian source. Treatment is needed to reduce recidivism, but sex offenders are usually the most vulnerable to inmate on inmate violence and entering a program could elevate visibility in the inmate population. Although sex offender treatment is controversial, according to Washington State Corrections, those who complete a program are twice as likely not to re-offend. What do you think? Are sex offenders part of your inmate population? What have been your experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
Medical Compassionate Release Debate
A short video showing various sides of the issue of compassionate release of medically disabled inmates in the California Prison System. Do you think inmates with severe disease should be moved to community facilities for care? Post your thoughts in the comments section.
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BlogTalkRadio Podcasts- I Can't Eat That! Food Allergies in Corrections - Dec 22,2011 December 22, 2011Jeffrey Keller, MD, FACEP, discusses the thorny issue of self-reported food allergies in the correctional setting. There are many misconceptions about what constitutes a food allergy. In addition, food preferences can be inappropriately identified as an allergy. How should correctional nurses sort out food allergies? Dr. Keller is the president of Badger Cor […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Are Correctional Nurses Outcasts? - Oct 04,2011 October 4, 2011Lorry chats with Kevin Connor, BSN, RN, CCHP, President of the California-Nevada Chapter of the American Correctional Health Services Association about the image of correctional nursing. Keven is Communicable Diseases Coordinator for the San Bernadino Sheriffs Department and works out of the West Valley Detention Center in Ranco Cucamonga, CA. The CA-NV ACHS […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Aging, Stressors and Inmate Health - Sep 17,2011 September 17, 2011Lorry talks with Dr. Tina Maschi, assistant professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service in New York City about her work on behalf of prisoners. She is a 2010 recipient of the competitive Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Program Award, which is funded by the Hartford Foundation and the Gerontological Society of America […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Correctional Nursing in the UK - Aug 29,2011 August 29, 2011A chat with Ann Norman, SEN, RGN, a long time prison nurse now advising the Royal College of Nursing where she assists in the development of policy, support members locally and nationally across the 4 UK countries. In her role she actively supports the interests of prisoners and detainees, prison and police custody nursing staff, individuals who have a learn […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Thoughts on Correctional Nursing from the ACA Exhibit Hall - Aug 28,2011 August 28, 2011Lorry roams the Exhibit Hall at the 2011 American Correctional Association Conference in Orlando tracking down correctional nurses. They share advise for nurses new to the specialty.correctional nursing | American Correctional Association | Lorry Schoenly | corrections | nurse interviews […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Tales from the Jail: Inside Jail Nursing - Jun 30,2011 June 30, 2011Paul "Trey" Flores, BSN, RN, CCHP shares an insider look at nursing in couny jails and detention facilities. He should know, having worked a variety of these settings from small 400 inmate sites to those with over 3,700 average daily population.Jail Nursing | Correctional Health Care | Correctional Nursing | Trey FLores | Lorry Schoenly […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Critical Thinking in Correctional Nursing Practice - May 26,2011 May 26, 2011Lorry interviews Tre’ O’Brien, BSN, RN, CCHP-RN about her work in developing critical thinking skills for correctional nurses. Tre has been a registered nurse for over 23 years with experience in nursing including acute care, outpatient services and management. She has worked in correctional nursing for the past 16 years and currently practices as a clinical […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Understanding Inmate Seizure Disorders: Considering Psychogenic Causes - Apr 07,2011 April 7, 2011Guest Gregory Famiglio, MD discusses his experiences with seizure management in the inmate population, especially the challenges of psychogenic seizures and the female population. Dr. Famiglio practices in a female prison in the Pennsylvania Prison System. Seizures | Psychogenic | Corrections | Lorrys Schoenly | Gregory Famiglio […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Healthy Inmates 2020 - Mar 25,2011 March 25, 2011In this episode Lorry talks with Susan Tiona, MD, who is heading up a project which applies the Healthy People 2020 effort to the US inmate population. Dr. Tiona is a family practice physician currently practicing in a medium security prison in Colorado. More Healthy Inmate 2020 info can be found at their website: http://www.healthyinmates.org/Healthy Inmate […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- Psychiatric Emergency Response: Just In Time Intervention - Feb 17,2011 February 17, 2011Kat Major is an RN working a mobile unit that intervenes in psychiatric emergency situations in California. Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT)members ride with law enforcement during off-hours to respond to calls concerning mental health clients. Learn more about this unique service and the corrections connection.correctional health care | lorry scho […]CorrectionalNrsgTday
- I Can't Eat That! Food Allergies in Corrections - Dec 22,2011 December 22, 2011
- Correctional Nursing Today Podcasts
- HIV Treatment in Jails and PrisonsOriginally Aired January 13, 2011: Josiah Rich, MD, MPH, of Miriam Hospital and Borwn University talks about his research in preventing and treating HIV in the inmate population. Dr. Rich is the director and co-founder of the Center for Prison Health and Human Rights at the Miriam Hospital Immunology Center and is recent recipiant of one of 12 NIH grants to […]
- Improving Clinical Communication in CorrectionsOriginally Aired December 16, 2010: Effective communication improves patient safety and assures quality care, yet is a great challenge in the sometimes fragmented correctional healthcare system. Idaho Prison System nurse leaders share their tips for improving clinical communication including using the SBAR model for nurse-physician interactions. […]
- Reducing Legal Risk for Correctional NursesOriginally aired November 20, 2010: Valerie Lane, RN, CLNC, discusses legal risk for correctional nurses. Valerie is a certified legal nurse consultant specializing in correctional cases and has worked many years in the California Corrections System. […]
- Cancer Care Behind BarsOriginally aired October 27, 2010: A chat with Gail Kwarciany, RN, MSN, about her work with inmate cancer patients at UTMB, Galveston. Discussion includes the challenges of cancer care behind bars and the special needs of inmates with cancer. […]
- Infusing End of Life CareOriginally aired August 31, 2010: Susan Loeb, PhD, RN, discusses the National Institute of Nursing Research Grant funded project to include End-of-Life Care in corrections. Dr. Loeb is Associate Professor of Nursing at the Pennsylvania State University and Faculty Affiliate in the Gerontology Cneter and Bioethics Program. She is Principle Investigator for th […]
- Failure to RescueOriginally aired August 19, 2010: Sue Smith, RN, MSN, CCHP-RN, joins Lorry to discuss the issue of failure to rescue. First recognized in acute care facilities, failure to rescue has come to be associated with understaffing, lack of communication, healthcare staff who become overly task oriented and to lack of vigilance. In the correctional setting, inmate-p […]
- Inmate Health Perspective with Author Piper KermanOriginally Aired July 14, 2010: Piper Kerman, author of the memoir "Orange is the New Black" discusses her book and experiences in a federal prison, focusing on the healthcare perspective. […]
- Exploring Juvenile Correctional NursingOriginally aired July 1, 2010: A chat with Ellyn Presley, RN, CCHP, Public Health Nurse at Prince William County Juvenile Detention Center. Ellyn has worked in Juvenile Corrections for almost 20 years and is very active in professional correctional health care activities. […]
- Correctional Nurse TrailblazerOriginally aired June 17, 2010: Lorry chats with Jackie Moore, PhD, RN, CCHP-A, CCHP-RN, about the beginnings of organized correctional healthcare. Whe was there at the start! Dr. Moore has over 3 decades of nursing experience primarily in corrections and started the first correctional healthcare company providing services to facilities in the northeast. She […]
- Double Down on TB in JailsOriginally posted 06-02-2010: Janice B Hill, RN, MPH, is a correctional nurse leader with nearly 3 decades of experience with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Largo, FL. She is an active nurse educator frequently presenting on juvenile standards for the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. She was instrumental in the development of Fl […]
- Preventing Suicides in Jails and PrisonsOriginally posted 05-06-2010: Lorry talks with Anne Hanson, MD, about strides made to reduce suicide in corrections. Dr. Hanson is the director of the University of Maryland's forensic psychiatry fellowship program and chair of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law's correctional psychiatry committee. She has worked in correctional psychiatry […]
- Talking About Jail NursingOriginally Posted 04-14-2010: Becky Pinney, MSN, RN joins Lorry to provide an insider look at jail nursing. Becky is currently President, Metropolitan Corrections Systems, for Prison HEalth Services with multi-facility responsibilities for PHS sites and regions. In her current position, she is responsible for the oversight and direction to facility-based sta […]
- ANA Correctional Nursing StandardsOriginally posted 03-19-10: Lorry talks with Catherine Knox, MS, RN, CCHP-RN, about the latest revision of the Scope and Standards for Correctional Nursing. Catherine has 22 years of correctional nursing experience in a variety of settings. She was the Statewide Director of Nursing for the Washington Department of Corrections from 2004 until the Fall of 2008 […]
- Is Prison Nursing for Me?Originally Posted 02-18-2011: Margaret M. Collatt, BSN, RN, CCHP-RN/A, joins Lorry to talk about correctional nursing in the prison setting - What it takes to be a Correctional Nurse. Margaret has over 26 years of correctional healthcare experience and was the Health Services Manager at the Oregon State Penitentiary for 8 1/2 hears. She has developed and ins […]
- Dealing with EmergenciesOriginally Posted 02-09-2010: Lorry interviews SUsan Laffan RN, CCHP-RN/A about how to handle emergency medical issues in a correctional facility. Susan has been a registered nurse for 28 years. She has worked in the ED for 28 years and correctional nursing for 18 years. Susan is currently the chairperson of the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals. […]
- History of Correctional NursingOriginally posted 01-21-10: Mary Muse, MS, RN, CCHP-A, joins Lorry to talk about the hisory of the correcitional nursing specialty and its future direction. Mary has over 14 years of correctional health care experience and was the Chief Nursing Officer for the Cook COunty correctional system for a dozen years. She currently works in the Wisconsin State Priso […]
- HIV Treatment in Jails and Prisons
Lorry Schoenly
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News Briefs- They call us 'jail nurses' January 13, 2012
- Pennsylvania county OKs inmate medical costs program January 13, 2012
- Ensuring standards are standard behind bars January 13, 2012
- Academy seeks scholarship applicants January 13, 2012
- Study: Why is alcohol addictive? January 13, 2012
- California convicts arrive in Los Angeles County with costly mental illnesses January 13, 2012
- Do no harm — and keep an eye on costs January 13, 2012
- Xanax abuse and addiction January 13, 2012
- Prometa protocol: Not effective for meth dependence? January 13, 2012
- Brain activity linked to delusion-like experience January 13, 2012
Corrections One- Contraband: Cell phone carrier pigeonThis photo, taken by the Sao Paulo State Prison Affairs Department, shows a live pigeon carrying a makeshift backpack with a cell phone in it.The bird was caught flying into a prison in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In Sao Paulo, gangs frequently use carrier pigeons to smuggle phones behind bars. Tell us: Have you ever seen something like this at your facility?Have you […]
- Top 3 challenges for women in corrections in 2012I have worked in male dominated professions my entire life. I started in a county jail in the 80s where the only women were me, the nursing staff and a former Jail Matron who had managed to work her way up to Assistant Superintendent. When I got there in the 80's, I had little trouble adapting to jail life. The inmates seemed receptive but I faced chall […]
- 4 correctional healthcare game changers from 2011By Lorry SchoenlyAnother year is here and we can look back on plenty of correctional healthcare news from 2011. What top stories from the past year are most memorable to you? Here are my top picks for 2011 game changers along with suggested action to reduce their impact. #1 Legal eagles rule the roost Healthcare is now the most common legal issue raised by i […]
- Top 10 corrections resolutions for 2012By Robert HoodAs 2011 comes to an end, it is time to make plans for 2012. Many people are thinking of resolutions for the New Year. Each year millions of adults resolve to "get in shape" or "lose weight." While the effort to adopt resolutions shows an optimistic sense of good intent personally, the same idea can be applied to your profess […]
- 5 most dangerous contraband items of 2012By Joe BouchardIt is easier to look back than to look forward. No matter if you are Nostradamus or Jean Dixon or even the modern-day psychic Sylvia Browne, making predictions for coming times can be tricky. This is especially true if your ego makes it difficult to commit an error.No Nostradamus am I! Still. I can make two predictions for the year 2012. First […]
- Private corrections: We can do it better and cheaperBy Charles AlbinoIn the first segment of this series, I detailed some of the conditions that led to the formation of private companies to operate correctional facilities in the United States. As we move forward in Part 2, we will hear from the private sector and why they believe they merit a "place at the table" in correctional facility operations. […]
- When officials fall from graceBy Cherrie GrecoWhen well-known officials fall from grace, members of the general public express a variety of emotions and impose vigorous vocal judgment. Feelings of shock, disgust, and disappointed head-shaking are commonly exchanged at the water cooler. Faith in a system once trusted becomes fragile; trust caves in and is replaced by cynicism. In time, th […]
- Success with one is success with manyBy Eugene AthertonI remember a promotional interview for Warden in our correctional system. I suggested that effective leaders encourage successful relationships among staff in order to achieve success. When asked how that could be done, I answered, "One relationship at time." Now, at the time I was not sure of the meaning of the statement. It soun […]
- Top 10 corrections stories of 2011: A look backBy Carol McKinley Stories come and go throughout the year on our website, and there are so many, sometimes we forget them. So CorrectionsOne looked back at the most popular stories of the year and called the people and facilities involved to get an update. Here's a look back at the top stories of 2011. 1. The 23-year-old California woman who police say […]
- California corrections 2011: A year in reviewBy Bob WalshThis has been a momentous year for the profession within the formerly great state of California. Monumental. Nearly overwhelming. Maybe even disastrous. It depends a lot on who you ask and from which side of the issues you are looking.The Books Not Bars crowd is no doubt deliriously happy about the near-total demise of the Division of Juvenile Ju […]
