1st Edition

Stress, Crowding, and Blood Pressure in Prison

    Originally published in 1987, the purpose of Stress, Crowding, and Blood Pressure in Prison was to present, in a single location, the rationale, background, methods, principal results, analyses, interpretations, and conclusions of the authors’ studies at Massachusetts correctional institutions. Employing a longitudinal method for studying 568 inmates, the authors drew on psychological, social and health sciences assessments to identify the effects of housing mode, prison employment, leisure activities, disciplinary actions, and personal and sociodemographic characteristics to identify what was particularly stressful for inmates. A parallel study of prison staff and a specific series of conclusions and recommendations concludes the book.

    Introduction and Overview.  1. The Study of Human Crowding  2. Studies of Crowding and of Health in the Prison Setting  3. Blood Pressure as a Measure of Psychosocial Stress  4. The Initial Cross-Sectional Study  5. Middlesex County House of Correction and Jail  6. The Methods of the Longitudinal Study  7. Correlates of Blood Pressure at the Start of Imprisonment  8. Changes in Housing Mode: Effects on Blood Pressure, Perceptions, Mood, and Symptoms  9. Correlates of Blood Pressure Throughout the Sentence  10. Time Trends in Inmate Activities and Perceptions  11. Health Status of Inmates of Billerica  12. Job-Related Stress Among Correctional Officers  13. Summary, Synthesis, and Recommendations.  Appendixes.  References.  Author Index.  Subject Index.

    Biography

    Adrian M. Ostfeld, Stanislav V. KKasl, David A. D'Atri, Edward F. Fitzgerald