NCJ Number
155354
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1995) Pages: 158-175
Date Published
1995
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Fifty male and 55 female inmates, representing 24 other nationalities, were interviewed in 12 English jails.
Abstract
All these foreign prisoners had been arrested and convicted of drug-related offenses; they were serving sentences of at least 18 months and had been in prison at least 2 months. Compared to their British counterparts, foreign inmates were older, had wider family obligations, and were serving longer sentences. Most of the inmates had few visitors, and those they did receive were family members or friends living in the U.K. or members of religious or voluntary organizations. Only 2 of the 42 mothers had seen their children while in jail, and those children were all living in the U.K. Most of the inmates kept in touch with relatives and friends via the mail. The language barrier, lack of familiar food, and a lack of reading materials in their own language contributed to the sense of social and cultural violation expressed by most foreign inmates. 10 tables, 3 notes, and 5 references