The 8 Main Characteristics of Animals

Essay on The Medical Marijuana Debate - 1198 Words

Introduction: The medical use of marijuana has been a discussion that has been in the news and all around us recently. This is currently a hot topic of interest. There is an enormous amount of evidence that marijuana could be effect against many things. For example evidence shows it could be used to help relieve pain during chemotherapy, but along with this there is also evidence that at times marijuana can cause harm to someone as well. As nurses we must see each side of the debate to make our care for our patients sounder. One quote that directly applies to this topic, which is very important, was written in the Journal of Clinical Nursing: â€Å"There are many issues and concerns for the health care professional and nurse when caring and†¦show more content†¦In the UK currently committees of inquiry have encouraged the prescription of cannabis (Hall Degenhardt, 1) But we know that the rest of the United States and other various places have yet to establish these laws. If cannabis for medical use was passed as a law researchers would be more capable of doing studies to add onto the already numerous amounts of studies that they have done, but these new studies would open up the eyes to many negative or positive. What we do know is that studies have shown that medical marijuana reduces intraocular pressure in the eye, which slows the development of glaucoma. (Businessinsider.com) In another study done in 2007 medical marijuana, which contains cannabidiol, was once again able to slow down the advancement of the spread of cancer cells because the affect that this cannabidiol has on a certain gene (businessinsider.com). Once again due to a study completed by Kim Janda of the Scripps Research Institute in 2006, showed that the THC contained in marijuana slowed affects of plaque build up that destroy brain cells and cause the disease known as Alzheimer’s (businessinsider.com). These are only a few reports of the diseases that marijuana can have a positive affect on. Con: Although there are few, cons of medical marijuana do exist. Those who are against medicinal marijuana are very passionate against it. One thing we do know about medical marijuana is if we it was to become legal statewide it would have toShow MoreRelatedMedical Marijuana - the Debate2135 Words   |  9 PagesMedicinal Marijuana: The Debate Marijuana or Cannabis sativa is a natural grown plant in which the leaves, stems and flowers contain delta-9-tetrahydro-cannibinal (THC). When smoked, THC gives the user a type of euphoria or â€Å"high† feeling. However, many medical professionals and patients claim that this drug also gives users medical benefits for various ailments; and they are fighting to have this drug legalized for this reason. According to the National Academy of SciencesRead MoreThe Great Debate: Medical Marijuana, Is It Ethical?866 Words   |  4 PagesThe debate on Medical marijuana has been a controversial subject mainly because people have an abundance of opinions and very little scientific research to back up either side of the debate. The most important question here is â€Å"will medical marijuana be used for medical purposes or will it be used inappropriately?† Unlike a person who uses marijuana for medicine or entertainment, some people use marijuana as a means for income. Honestly marijuana sales is a very profitable business but the problemRead More The Debate Concerning Medical Marijuana Essay1885 Words   |  8 Pagesinitiative that could make marijuana legally available as a medicine in the U.S. for the first time in 60 years. Under this initiative the government will not prosecute patients or their caregivers who possess or cultivate marijuana for medical treatment. The medical recommendation may be either written or oral and doctors cannot be penalized by the state of Arizona at the same time. However at this time it is still illegal to posses, administer, sell or use marijuana in any of the other 48 statesRead Moreliterature review- should marijuana be legalised?1457 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Literature review The legalisation of marijuana has long been a debated subject, and not only in Australia But all around the world. People’s views in this area vary greatly, with many reasonable arguments for and against the issue. In this report, past studies and literature will be reviewed providing an understanding into the possible consequences of legalising marijuana as well as the views and debates regarded to the issue. The organisation, Gallup has been examining America’s attitudeRead MoreThe Over Baked Marijuana Debate826 Words   |  3 PagesThe Over Baked Marijuana Debate Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, â€Å"That is not a drug. It’s a leaf.† The leaf he was referring to is marijuana. Skeptics view marijuana as a hazard to society and the well-being of our country’s people. Although, for others it is a solution to their disease. This kind of marijuana is medical marijuana, and it has the ability to provide relief to many, if only it was fully supported. However, there are many debates over whether or not medical marijuana should be legalizedRead MoreEssay about Should We Legalize Marijuana in Canada?1081 Words   |  5 PagesTo Legalize or to Not Legalize: The Debate Behind Marijuana in Canada The legalization of marijuana is an issue that consistently discussed and debated, not only in North America, but throughout the entire world. Despite being illegal in every country, marijuana remains the most widely used illicit drug in the world. The popularity of this drug is the cause for the continuous legalization debate, resulting in various legislations pertaining to the consumption of the substance. Every country hasRead MoreThe Debate Over Legalization Of Marijuana1732 Words   |  7 PagesThe Proposed Debate for the Legalization of Marijuana Jonathan Acree Online Research Methods Middle Georgia State University Fall 2016 Abstract The purpose of this content is to strategically examine the overwhelming plethora of information surrounding the legalization of marijuana. Many sources available have been used to identify the mental, physical, economic and social issues surrounding the facets of marijuana use on both ends of the spectrum. While the judicial system is holding to theRead MoreMedicinal Marijuana Should Be Decriminalized Essay851 Words   |  4 PagesFor the past fifty years, heated debates over the topic of the decriminalization of marijuana have been a great controversy among politicians. Some politicians believe that marijuana for the use of medicine should be outlawed. As Congressman Bob Barr in his debate with radio talk show host Neil Boortz on May 14, 2002, stated, quot;There is no legitimate medical use whatsoever for marijuana. This [marijuana] is not medicine. This is bogus witchcraft. It has no place in medicine, no place in painRead MoreEssay about Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized1554 Words   |  7 Pageserroneous. Early in the 1900s, a surge of Mexicans immigrated to the U.S., and the marijuana they brought with them was quickly associated with them. In the 1930s, tensions between white Americans and Mexican immigrants were heightened due to the Great Depression, and the use of marijuana was ultimately prohibited for the general public in 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act (Marijuana Timeline). By the 1960s, marijuana became a symbol of counterculture, and the government stopped any research involvedRead MoreEssay about Should Marijuana be Legalized?968 Words   |  4 PagesShould marijuana be legalized for recreational or medical use? This is a debate that has been happening for quite some time and this is not just a debate that is happening among people. There are many that have taken sides including medical personal and government officials. Currently in the United States there are two states in which recreational use of marijuana is legal; Colorado and Washington. There are three states currently that have pending legislation to legalize recreational use; California

Summarise the historic use of management of woodlands Free Essays

Here I want to focus on the part of Stopover which I fell in Love with first: Brashness Wood. â€Å"Brashness Wood is km east of Oxford City, centered at Grid Reference SEPSIS’S. It is on the south-western lower slopes of Stopover Hill and Is within Stopover Country Park. We will write a custom essay sample on Summarise the historic use of management of woodlands or any similar topic only for you Order Now Stopover Hill is In the geographical area known as the Mid-vale Ridge or Upper Thames Basin and Is In the Stopover Conservation Target Area (TAVERN, I know from my work as Chair of the â€Å"Friends of Magdalene Wood†, that the site Is managed by the Oxford City Council. The â€Å"Parks-Team† is managing the park with a team of volunteers, who are trained in copping and pillaring and they support the various â€Å"Friends† groups all over Oxford. In a document that classifies â€Å"Brashness Wood† as a â€Å"Site of Special Scientific Interest SSI) notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981† the management of the wood is described as followed: â€Å"Brashness Wood has a well defined copied-with-standards structure and Is one of the few English woods which is still actively managed by this traditional method. The greater part of the wood Is an ancient remnant of Stopover Forest with a documented history dating back to the thirteenth century. The wood Lies on poorly drained Simmering clays but Elliott limestone occurs close to the south western boundary and the presence of lime-loving plants suggests that it outcrops elsewhere in the DOD. The flora is exceptionally rich for a wood of this size with 221 recorded vascular plant species including 46 which are characteristic of ancient woodland(2). The woodland has all four layers well developed: Canopy: Oak (mature, in abundance), Field Maple (widespread), Aspen, Wild Cherry. Small amounts of: Silver Birch, Beech, Rowan and Yew. Ash is confined to newer parts of the wood (Open Brashness, recent origin derived from an open common). Shrub layer: Hazel (dominant), Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Midland Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Held Maple, Dogwood, Ash, Holly and Elm suckers (all In abundance). Smaller amounts of Guilder Rose, Wayfaring and Spindle (Southern part). Field layer: â€Å"Rich and varied, the composition of which Is dependent on the stage of copping. Bramble dominates Buttercup (Rancorous auricles), Repine (Sedum telephone), Nettle Leaved Bellflower (Campanile treacheries), Spurge Laurel (Daphne laurel), Blackcurrant (Rib’s Ingram), Wood Meadow-grass (Pop memorials) and Bearded Couch (Olympus Canines) occur. In recently cleared areas plants such as Henbane (Housecoats Niger) and Deadly Nightshade (Troop Belladonna) may flourish for a short time. (3)† We also mind a network of sinuous rides (intersections and two ponds). Ground: Stopover Wildlife – a local wildlife group which has studied Stopover since 1999 and has profound knowledge about the ancient woodland – has identified over 100 Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) as well as a huge variety of lichens(4). â€Å"The vegetation of Stopover has been studied by botanists for the past three hundred years and some of Britain’s earliest scientific collections were made here. The sheltered open swards, sandy banks, scrub woodland, wet flushes and stream banks of Stopover Hill are of outstanding entomological interest. A substantial number of rare species occur here, particularly among the Dippier (true flies) and Calculate (bees, wasps and ants). The recorded total of 174 Calculate species is one of the highest in Britain and although many of these have not been seen in recent years, the area is still an important one. Stopover Hill is also of local importance for breeding and wintering birds. â€Å"(5) One of the pioneers who developed a substantial management plan was David Steel, who spent a long time in the woods studying it. His publication â€Å"Stopover – The Natural History of a Royal Forest† which was published by himself at Brashness Farm n 1984 is a rich source of information about this beautiful woodland. He says about Brashness Wood, that â€Å"an active copping policy [which he developed] has given the wood the whole range of underworld age-classes. The extensive system of rides, provided because the wood is a public amenity, results in many flowery margins which are both attractive and of high nature conservation value. (6)† â€Å"Stopover Wildlife† refer a lot to the work of David Steel and have continued his great work. I conducted an interview with Ivan Wright (Co-founder of the group and one of the rustles) about their substantial management plan, which goes way beyond what is taking place at the moment. I learned from that interview that modern ways of copping often destroy rare species and habitats since it has to be done in haste and for economic reasons, rather than forestallment reasons. Groups like â€Å"Stopover Wildlife† are invaluable for professional managing teams, since they can provide their unique knowledge to help preserve as many species in our woodlands as possible. Brashness Wood is managed on a regular basis by the Oxford parks team, following a management plan for the site. The abundant Hazel is copied frequently, the trees are managed, Brambles are cleared away – all done while bearing in mind that the main goal here is the conservation of the semi-natural space where possible. Management history: â€Å"The ancient woodlands in and around Stopover Hill have been as Brashness Wood has a documented history going back to the sass’s. (7)† Elisabeth I granted Brashness College management of their 80 acre copied in 1570. This woodland became known as Brashness Wood and had been let on a series of 21 -year leases until 1935. There is no record of copping rotation for this period. The wood as then sold to the Citizens of Oxford (Oxford City Council). â€Å"Current and past indications demonstrate the poor quality of the underworld at Brashness Wood (Fuller and Steel, 1990). Between 1920 and 1973 copping was very sporadic, and included a significant period of about 40 years in which virtually no copping was carried out (peers comma. D. Steel). Hazel was occasionally copied by gypsies around 1940. By the sass the copied had become derelict, but a new rotational regime was introduced by David Steel; the then manager of the SSI and responsible for achieving SSI status for the reserve in 1986. 8)† Current situation: We find the following habitats in Brashness Wood Copied stands with Oak standards Areas of permanent non-intervention Ancient boundary banks Veteran trees Fallen and standing dead wood Species-rich rides Bridleways Streams Ponds Brashness Wood measures 27. Aha in total including a piece of woodland to the southeast, known as Open Brashness. As mentioned above, Brashness Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI). â€Å"The woodland type is a Biodiversity Action Plan (ABA) priority habitat referred to as ‘Lowland mixed broadleaved woodland’. The National Vegetation Classification (Iredell, 1991) for Brashness Wood is WWW woodland (Ash, Field Maple, Dog Mercury). Ancient semi-natural woodlands have been in existence since at least 1600. (9)† Copping was resumed at Brashness Wood in 1973, with approximately half a hectare cut yearly, depending on manpower. In 2000 the absent Deer came back into the woodland so that it became necessary to fence the newly copied areas to prevent the Deer from browsing the new growth. Most fences have been removed now. The various rides have been mowed twice a year (Spring Autumn) and there had been some wood chipping and burning of ember by the City Council. In 2008/9 the service was severely reduced! â€Å"The Oxford City Council ‘efficiency review of 2008/9 resulted in the Countryside Service being disbanded in January 2010 and the post of Senior Ranger being terminated. 10)†. The services would now only include mowing, path maintenance and special requests by Stopover Wildlife. I know from talking to the Parks-Team Oxford, that a group of volunteers has been formed under the guidance of one of the rangers, to carry out copping and other management tasks all over Oxford. Stopover Wildlife themselves eave started a substantial management plan and carried out most of the copping and conserv ation work themselves. They claim that they do the work of 5 employees on a voluntary basis (personal comment Ivan Wright, 8/11/13). They developed a Rota Brashness Wood is poor, taking about 18 years to reach ‘Optimum’ stage The slow re-growth is mostly due to the shallow clay soil, which is mildly acidic and low in nutrients. The current emphasis for copping is on the enhancement of habitat quality for wildlife diversity [†¦ ]. (11)† Stopover Wildlife even started experimenting tit high copping to prevent the deer from browsing and to meet the needs of invertebrates that are dependent on old copied stools. They started the experiment in Winter 2008/2009, designating one area, where Hazel was cut at 1. 2 meters that should not be browsed by deer at all. This experiment in re-growth has not been as successful as the group was hoping, since a significant number of rods died down. This has also been discussed with the forestry commission (personal comment Ivan Wright, 8/11/13). As a control they also copied an area in the traditional way ground level) to be eaten by the deer. And in a third area, the group cut at 0. meters which â€Å"may get eaten, and this is being monitored. If, as we suspect, Brashness is mostly populated with Mutant Deer, we might get away with a fairly low copied height, which would be more desirable for the benefit of woodland flora. 4† Ivan told me in the interview that the medium copied produced shoots which were mainly left alone by the deer. He showed me a lovely night-vision photograph of a Mutant Deer browsing on the stool. The experimental area is stil l under monitoring. How to cite Summarise the historic use of management of woodlands, Essays

Study of Big Energy Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Case Study of Big Energy and XYZ Energy. Answer: The essay provides brief information related to Big Energy which has undergone restructuring. The process of acquisition causes a major change in the behavior of the employees. The restructuring theories help in studying the job satisfaction, motivation towards a particular job. In the given case study both Big Energy and XYZ energy is undergoing a significant change due to acquisition. XYZ Energy is being acquired by Big Energy which is a big name into the private sector industry. In such a situation it is however suggested that the company needs to take proper measures to understand employee behavior (McShane and Von Glinow, 2011). An understanding of organizational behavior is necessary to attain effective results. This is a critical situation for both of the organization to understand the work culture of each other. A thorough understanding of the integration model is necessary for an effective implementation of theories. Study of organizational behavior is important for analyzin g the traits of employees (Adler and Gundersen, 2007). In the given scenario Big Energy is acquiring XYZ energy which is facing serious business issues. The purpose of acquisition is to attain the efficiency of the sick unit and to convert it into a productive unit. This integration model is important to be implemented in order to attain effective results. The adverse effect need to be analyzed effectively in order to achieve sustainability (Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008). The employees in both the companies are facing problems while implementing changes in the routine life. Under such a situation it is necessary to find out one of the most effective policies to coordinate the organization. Acquisition of an organization drastically affects the productivity in an organization. It is difficult for the employees to acquire the capacity in order to attain desired results. In the given situation employees are not ready to absorb the changes. They are finding difficulty to perform their duties. This is putting a wrong impact on the mind of the e mployees in achieving desired results (Pinder, 2014). The old employees are getting badly affected due to change in organizational structure. It is therefore recommended to study behavior of each individual in order to train them to adopt the changing environment (Colquitt, Lepine and Wesson, 2011). Both the business is based on similar concept but the manner of work at each place is different. This is causing difficulty not for the employees of XYZ Energy but Big Energy as well. There is a lot of difference in the opinion of employees. It is necessary to understand the mindset of the employees in order to train them for betterment. Both the organizations are coordinating their efforts by absorbing the positive changes. There is a necessity to focus on both the organization. It is suggested that the changes need to be implemented systematically. This will give them proper time to absorb the changes in daily activities. Every organization has different people and it is essential for everyone to find out the most appropriate procedure to attain desired results. This is however necessary for an organization to recognize the importance of organizational behavior in order to develop an effective learning (Nelson and Cooper, 2007). The behavior of employees at each organization is different and it is necessary to focus on utilizing the efforts of each and every team member. It is necessary to focus on both the positive and negative aspects in the organization. This will help the managers to understand the behavior of the employees. The employees of XYZ Energy are already facing serious issues due to a change in the work pattern. The work environment is different for the employees of XYZ Energy. Under such a condition it is advised that the management need to give a proper consideration to every individual in order to understand their condition (Wright and Nishii, 2007). Big Energy wants to attain efficiency it has to understand the behavior of each employee and work according to the necessity. This will help in delivering the effective results within the given time period. It is generally seen that employees experience significant psychological change due to restructuring of the organization. It is advised that the organization need to improve the behavior, belief and attitude of people in both the organization. It is essential to focus on improving the leadership skills in an organization. This will help in coordinating the efforts in coming time. THE Management needs to analyze the behavior of each and every individual before implementation of the plan. Understanding the behavior of each and every employee in the organization will help in providing sustainable opportunities. This helps in delegating the most appropriate duty to the employee according to his caliber(Miner,2015). There is a necessity to put 100 percent efforts in order to attain hig h efficiency. The purpose of the organization is to concentrate on improving the behavior of every individual in order to attain desired results. The organization behavior is one of the most important tools used to understand the behavior of each and every individual at work. Company cannot afford to lose its market stature caused due to the whole process (Robbins and Judge,2012). Under such a circumstance it is advised to figure out the most appropriate structure in order to implement the plan. Coordinating the employees of both the organization is difficult to be managed. It is therefore necessary to integrate the efforts of each and every individual in the organization to improve the productivity. Improved results can only be derived if the capacity of both the organization is used efficiently. In a diversified business scenario it is necessary to eradicate the sources that can hamper production(Eder and Eisenberger,2008). It is recommended that the company must integrate the efforts of every employee working in the organization by understanding their mental status. A proper understanding of the individual behavior is necessary to delegate role and responsibilities. A manager can only delegate the responsibilities efficiently if he has proper awareness about the individual caliber. One can only be satisfied with the job role if he/she is aware about the individual behavior. It is necessary to study the nature of every individual working in the organization. It is clearly visible that the study of employee in an organization helps in increasing productivity. This provides an insight regarding job satisfaction of the employees. A study shows that unsatisfied employee reduces the overall productivity of an organization (DuBrin, 2013). It is the duty of the manager to look into the matter whether the employees are satisfied with the job or not. In case if the employees are facing any issue in the organizat ion it need to be directed effectively. It is the duty of the manager to take proper measures to understand the attitude of the employees in an organization. This not only helps in attaining sustainable results but also improves overall productivity. Organizational theories help in understanding the behavior of employees at workplace. It is essential that the behavior and values of employees at workplace need to be analyzed effectively. If the employees are wholly satisfied they will perform effectively at the workplace. Employees will give effective result in case they are performing their duties efficiently. In case if they are not performing their duties it will adversely affect the organization. XYZ Energy employees are currently facing difficulty in assimilating the role and responsibilities given to them. It is necessary to implement the effective organizational theories in order to attain desired results. It is very difficult for the employer to establish effective relationship with the employee in order to attain desired results. It is the responsibility of both the employer and the employee. The employer needs to check whether the employee is adhering upon the duties that are given to them(Jones,2010). An employer need to keep a detailed structure of the employees behavior towards the work in order to mitigate the risk involved in accepting the cultural differences. It is thereby necessary to set long term sustainable goals in order to achieve desired results(Hogg and Terry,2014). Employees loyalty need to be tested so that the company can achieve effective results. The desired results can only be achieved if the employer focuses on developing relationship. It is necessary to understand the behavior of every individual in order to manage the cultural differences. An effective method need to be adopted to absorb the differences occurring in the organization. Under such a situation the management should rather introduce activities that help in coordinating the efforts. The organization either have to figure out an activity that help in organizing the company in an effective manner. The objectives can only be achieved if the employer focuses all the sources on enhancing the caliber of employee. This will help in improving the qualitative and quantitative productivity in an organization (Slocum and Hellriegel, 2009). Employees need to be motivated towards the positive direction by the employer in order to implement positive changes. Employee productivity can only be enhanc ed in case if the employee focuses on developing efficient work environment. The employees need to adopt significant changes in order to promote efficient productivity. The change in the work environment can negatively affect the organization. Under such a situation it is suggested that Big Energy needs to focus on developing an effective work environment that will help in balancing the organization at an initial stage. The main purpose of acquisition is to synthesize the productivity of both the organization in order to achieve appropriate results. The most important part in such a situation is played by the manager as he organizes the efforts of all the employees in the organization. The absorption process has led to temporary imbalance in the organization. It is necessary to motivate the employees in a positive manner so that they can implement the changes in their daily routine (March, 2013). Organizational behavior helps in understanding the difference in the opinion of people. This helps in managing the organization to achieve common goal. It is necessary to conduct the personality test to understand the cultural difference. The difference in the work culture affects the overall productivity in an organization. In the given situation both the organizations are following a different culture at workplace that has caused variance in adopting the work environment. Under such a situation a study of organizational behavior accompanied with the individual behavior is necessary to adopt the desired results. There should be an effective model in order to support the organization to generate results in accordance with the necessity. Efforts of employees in both the organization need to be given equal care. It is certain that the employees will face difficulty in the initial stage but it is also necessary to figure out proper techniques to reduce the overall impact of the procedure. It is not a day process, and the whole procedure will take time in order to attain desired results. Under such situation the organization should give effective tools to attain desired results. This will not only improve the productivity but will also help in attaining desired set of results. XYZ Energy and Big Energy are facing changes in the overall work pattern. It is therefore difficult for them to utilize the efforts accordingly (Barling, Clegg and Cooper,2008). Changes are an important part in a life of an organization. It is important to notice that the organization can only improve if they focus on enhancing the productivity by focusing on employees. The efforts of the employees need to be recognized in order to sort out the difference in between them. The employees should adopt the changes in a short time which will help in achieving desired results. This will help in increasing the overall efficacy in an organization. The morale of the employees needs to be integrated in a positive manner as this will help in implementation of the results in a proper manner. It is recommended that Big Energy need to take proper measures to meet the desired changes occurring in the organization. The productivity can only be attained if employee is working efficiently. References Adler, N.J. and Gundersen, A., 2007.International dimensions of organizational behavior. Cengage Learning. Adler, N.J. and Gundersen, A., 2007.International dimensions of organizational behavior. Cengage Learning. Bakker, A.B. and Schaufeli, W.B., 2008. Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations.Journal of Organizational Behavior,29(2), pp.147-154. Barling, J., Clegg, S.R. and Cooper, C.L. eds., 2008.The SAGE Handbook of Organizational Behavior: Volume Two: Macro Approaches(Vol. 2). Sage. Colquitt, J., Lepine, J.A. and Wesson, M.J., 2011.Organizational behavior: Improving performance and commitment in the workplace. McGraw-Hill Irwin. DuBrin, A.J., 2013.Fundamentals of organizational behavior: An applied perspective. Elsevier. Eder, P. and Eisenberger, R., 2008. Perceived organizational support: Reducing the negative influence of coworker withdrawal behavior.Journal of Management,34(1), pp.55-68. Hogg, M.A. and Terry, D.J. eds., 2014.Social identity processes in organizational contexts. Psychology Press. Jones, G.R., 2010. Organizational theory, design, and change. March, J.G., 2013.Handbook of Organizations (RLE: Organizations)(Vol. 20). Routledge. McShane, S. and Von Glinow, M., 2011.M: Organizational behavior. Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Miner, J.B., 2015.Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge. Nelson, D. and Cooper, C.L. eds., 2007.Positive organizational behavior. Sage. Pinder, C.C., 2014.Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press. Robbins, S.P. and Judge, T., 2012.Essentials of organizational behavior. Essex: Pearson. Slocum, J.W. and Hellriegel, D., 2009.Principles of organizational behavior. South-Western Cengage Learning. Wright, P.M. and Nishii, L.H., 2007. Strategic HRM and organizational behavior: Integrating multiple levels of analysis.CAHRS Working Paper Series, p.468.

Loss of RMS Titanic (1912) Significant Events of the 20th Century

Introduction The Loss of RMS Titanic occurred on 15th April 1912 when it sunk within three hours after it struck an iceberg on 14th April 1912 at 11:40 pm. The loss occurred while the ship was on its Maiden voyage from Southampton, United Kingdom to the New York City in the United States causing one of the deadliest maritime disasters of the 20th century.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Loss of RMS Titanic (1912): Significant Events of the 20th Century specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Titanic started its maiden voyage at Southampton to New York on 10th April 1912. RMS Titanic was the largest passenger vessel at the time. It was constructed by Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast Ireland from 1909 to 1911 (The Library of Virginia, n. p.). Titanic had 2,223 people on board during the accident causing death of 1178 people (Hill, 1996). When The Virginia Newspaper examined events of sinking RMS titanic (n. p.), it was founded that it was licensed to carry 2603 passengers. The design of the Titanic was done using the best standards to conform to safety regulations. This made the engineers believe that Titanic was unsinkable and secure. The events that led to loss of RMS Titanic have changed ship design, navigation regulations and affected lives of many who survived to date. What are the Causes of Loss of RMS TITANIC? The loss of Titanic was caused by a number of reasons varying from design, regulations to operation. The main reason for the loss was the collision between the Titanic and an iceberg. This destroyed about two hundred and ninety nine feet of the ship’s steel hull allowing sea water to flow to some of its sixteen compartments. However, its construction and the kind of materials used are believed to have contributed greatly to its rapid loss. The main design of Titanic was done by Lord Pirrie. A team of engineers helped him in the design and construction including Alexander Carlisle who was in charge of decorations, general arrangement and several other duties. The hull steel which was used to construct the ship was brittle and easily broke due to impact of collision. Test done on the steel retrieved by scientists from wreckage indicates that the metal was brittle rather than ductile as required (Gannon, 1995). This was caused by high content of oxygen and sulfur. The collision with the iceberg caused a great impact due to the speed of the ship and low water temperature. The rivets used to fasten hull plates broke down too. Being made from wrought iron and exposure to very low temperatures in water, the rivets succumbed to the impact of the collision. The rivets broke because they were brittle and encounter with the cold water increased the chance of breaking (Gannon, 1995).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This opened inlets for water to flow into water t ight compartments of the ship through traverse bulkhead which were poorly designed (Broad, 2008). The water tight compartments kept water instead of spreading around making it to pitch. Water in the damaged compartments entered other compartments very fast when the ship pitched forward because they were watertight horizontally only. The topside of all the sixteen watertight compartments was open allowing water to enter easily making the ship to sink faster than anticipated. Who Are Key Players In The Loss Of RMS TITANIC? The captain of the ship Edward J. Smith ignored warnings about ice received from other ships through wireless operators. His crew was not in a position to change the course of the ship when they spotted a massive iceberg 500 yards ahead due to the size of the ship and its speed which was almost at full steam (Gannon, 1995). Second officer David Blair left the ship when Charles Lightoller was made second officer. He stored five pairs of lookout binoculars in his cabi n and did not inform Lightoller of its where about. Blair’s actions caused enormous repercussions. Lack of the binoculars resulted in watering of their eyes within every few seconds due to low temperatures. However, it is Captain Smith who initiated these series of activities when he requested that Henry Wilde be made chief officer of MRS Titanic. This resulted in William Murdoch being demoted to first officer and Charles Lightoller to second officer both of who where officers in Titanic. Blair left the ship and resigned without formally handing over (Rogers et al, 1998). According to Titanic Disaster Historical Documents Archive (1998), during the time of the disaster, British Board of Trade had regulations which were outdated requiring ships with over ten thousand tons to carry sixteen lifeboats only. Although, British Board of Trade regulations required 16 lifeboats for Titanic, White Star Line provided 20 lifeboats which were more than the number required by four lifeboat s. Bruce Ismax manager of White Star Line objected to the number of life boats recommended by Alexander Carlisle after his calculations. Bruce considered the British Board of Trade regulation which required it to have sixteen life boats which were sufficient for about 960 people while the vessel had a capacity of more than 2000 passengers. Lord Pirrie, Alexander Carlisle, Thomas Andrews and other engineers designed and constructed titanic using assumptions based on their experience. The metals used where tempered with temperatures not suitable use in low temperature situations (Hill, 1996).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Loss of RMS Titanic (1912): Significant Events of the 20th Century specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The engineers and designers left the topsides of the compartments open and the sides made watertight but walls made up to only a small distance above the highest level of water. The design team w as compromised by the White Star Management hence reducing the number of life boats from the initial 64 to 20. What are The Effects and Repercussions of the Loss of RMS Titanic? Immediate Repercussions of Loss of RMS Titanic Massive loss of life occurred due to the sinking of the Titanic. A total of 1178 people lost their lives. Thousands grieved their loved ones while a number of people loosing their entire families. The company which owned titanic, White Star Line, modified its existing ships to avoid any subsequent loss caused by design problems which contributed to the Titanic disaster. Together with Harland and Wolff Shipyard the company that constructed Titanic and other shipbuilding companies, White Star Line started to follow all the regulations which had been put in place by United Kingdom and United States governments before the Titanic disaster occurred. Other safety regulations for the ships at sea were discussed and put in place which included ship design, and regulatio ns for passenger and cargo ships. The number of lifeboats was also increased to fit the number of passengers in each ship. Current Repercussions of the Loss of MRS Titanic Safety of Life at Sea convention was organized in 1948 to discuss and come up with regulations which would ensure no such disaster occur in future. The convention was used to establish specifications to be used in designing of ships and their watertight compartments. The design was to be based on size of ships and the compartments were to limit flooding in ships and ensure that they must stay afloat with two water tight compartments flooded (Basset, 1998). Safety regulations including mandatory increased lifeboat capacity were established and are in use to date. Use of wireless communication and ice patrols regulations were also established to avoid repeat of the Titanic disaster.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Basset, Vicky. â€Å"Causes and Effects of the Rapid Sinking of the Titanic†. Undergraduate Engineering Review, 1998. Web. Broad, William J. â€Å"Why did it really sink?† The New York Times, 15Apr. 2008 . Web. Gannon, Robert. â€Å"What Really Sank the Titanic?† Popular Science 246.2 (1995): 49-55. Web. Hill, Steve. â€Å"The Mystery of the Titanic: A Case of Brittle Fracture?† Materials World 4.6 (1996): 334-335. Web. Rogers, Patrick, Anne-Marie O’Neill, and Sophfronia Gregory, S. â€Å"Sunken Dreams,† People 49.10 (1998): 44-51. Web. The Library of Virginia. â€Å"The Virginia Newspaper Project examines the news covering the sinking of R.M.S. Titanic†. R.M.S. Titanic: Ninety nine Years Later. 2009. Web. â€Å"Titanic Disaster Historical Documents Archiveâ€Å". Paperlessarchives.  1998. Web. This essay on Loss of RMS Titanic (1912): Significant Events of the 20th Century was written and submitted by user Avalanche to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Roswell Essays

Roswell Essays Roswell Essay Roswell Essay State your hypothesis (prediction) about the incident: Research (use the table below to record your research): Note: You must include the information below for AT LEAST THREE sources to receive full credit for this assignment. Site title http://w. NM. Resolutenesss. Com/ URL or book publisher Resolutenesss. Com/Roswell. HTML Who created the site FOMCL NM Inc Brief description In 1869 Van Smith purchased some land with a few bulldogs and named it Roswell after his dad. Four years later Smith established a post office. In 1877 Smiths began developing the community. Later down the road during World War II, the Roswell Army Alarm Held was established south of Roswell to train bomber crews. SIX years later Roswell Army Alarm Field got Involved In a unidentified flying object northwest of Roswell. Science or pseudoscience pseudoscience Support or refute your hypothesis? I believe it was not aliens because it was a unidentified flying object north west of Roswell. They couldnt tell weather it was a alien spaceship or Just a weather balloon. So there for there is no real proof that is was a spaceship. Http://YMMV. Violence. Org/ I could not find who made site Dan Willow and his wife were sitting on their front porch when they saw a bright saucer shaped object with glowing lights moving across they sky at 400-500 miles per hour. Willow estimated that the flying object was about 20-25 feet across. The object was coming from the Southeast and disappeared to the Northwest.. Science or pseudoscience I believe that if willow saw something in the sky and was going 400-500 MPH it loud be hard to tell how big it really was. I also believe that if you could see lights glowing that it had to be getting dark or dark already so that leads me to believe that it was Just a plane even if it was Just a small one. Http://www. History. Com/topics/Roswell History. Com A Television Networks A sheep farmer was out checking on his sheep and came across some debris. Officials from the local Air Force base asserted that it was a crashed weather balloon, many people believed it was the remains of an flying saucer. 50 years after the U. S. Literary issued a report linking the incident to a top-secret atomic espionage project called Project Mogul. Science or pseudoscience pseudoscience I believe that it was really Just a weather balloon because threes no real proof that is was a spaceship. Science or pseudoscience Does your research support or refute your hypothesis? Please explain below: I believe that my research supports my hypothesis because there is no pictures or real proof besides people saying they saw a spaceshi p. I dont think that people can be used to support it because that could have lied.

Application of the Principles of Interpersonal Communication to a Essay

Application of the Principles of Interpersonal Communication to a Communication Scenario - Essay Example In this way of communication people depend on each other for the purpose of constructing and negotiating a clear picture of social reality (Wood, 2009, p. 9). This paper is aimed at making a clear picture of an application of the principles of interpersonal communication to a communication scenario in my life. 1. The change: The most important change that I would like to make in myself or in my behavior or characteristics is that I would like to be more familiar with people while having a conversation with them or interacting with them. In fact I would like to put more effort in building more concentration while talking to people, whether they are my family members or friends or my professional contacts. At present I do have a good interpersonal communication skill, but I would like to improve my skill even further as I have seen many flaws in myself when I communicate with people and I have also seen negative reactions from very few people regard to the fact that I have failed to un derstand the proper expression or feelings of what they were trying to express while talking to me (Hargie, 2011, p. 13). 2. Reason for the change: The reason that I need this kind of change in myself is that I believe that this change will give me enough opportunity to know other people while talking to them, to better understand what they think about myself (hence, if they feel bad about me, so that I can make necessary changes in my behaviors or characters for which they were actually feeling bad about me). This change will also help me to better represent myself in front of others and hence to express my true feelings, emotions through proper and truthful conversations. This change will also give me the kind of opportunity which people generally gather from successful conversations. The most important opportunities are good relations, such as friends and families, and knowledge regarding every aspect of society, economy, politics, sports and many more. This change will also give me enough opportunity to listen carefully to what people are saying at the time of talking to them and hence to understand a better approach of feelings, emotions and expressions of them (Hargie, 2011, p. 14). 3. Models and what others do: I have so many people around me whom I think as my models regarding the change that I would like to make in my conversation skill. First of all I would like to mention my father who listens to people very carefully while talking to them and express positive feedbacks to them. My best friend Peter also possesses effective skills of interpersonal communication. He is not only a good listener but also a very good communicator and always tries to engage in debates and arguments while talking to people. This quality makes others feel that he is properly reacting to what they are saying. My senior colleague in office, Mr. Beck, is also my model. He listens very carefully what others are saying and replies only after others finish expressing their entir e feelings. This makes the conversation more effective through revelation of complete feelings and emotions (Hargie, 2011, p. 21). 4. Required context or setting: In respect to the change that I am expecting to bring in my behavior while talking to people requires few settings and contextual facts. As I have already mentioned that in the context of the change my foremost inspiration is my father, therefore I would like to talk to

Nursing Informatics Topic Meaningful Use for Nurses Implications and Coursework

Nursing Informatics Topic Meaningful Use for Nurses Implications and Recommendation Guidelines - Coursework Example The program was based on the principle that all patients have the right to the best available care at the lowest possible cost. As such, various care providers are encouraged to take part in the program by complying with the provisions that guide the use of certified Electronics Health Records. Practitioners and care providers are required to meaningfully use the available EHR to be able to meet various objectives and goals that will have a positive impact on patient care. Through it, health care facilities have been able to embrace health care IT while also impacting positively on the wellbeing of the patient. According to the HITECH Act, health care providers and professionals who do not exhibit meaningful use of the certified Electronic Health Records may receive less than one hundred percent of the medical fees for the professional services that they offer (Health IT. Gov, 2015). This is revenue penalty that is strategically put in place to help promote the program and inspire use of IT in health records. The available incentives and penalties have encouraged care providers to come up with the best EHR solutions and approaches that will ensure that the workflow needs are met as per the requirements of the HITECH Act. There are several objectives and benefits that are achieved when the Meaningful Use is implemented in a given health care setting. Cusack (2010) notes that Meaningful Use and EHR enhance quality, safety and efficiency of patient care while also minimizing health inequalities. Moreover, it enhances patient and family coordination during the care provision process thus improving the overall process. Meaningful care also facilitates the maintenance of privacy and the security of the patients’ health information. According to Tamara, McDonell, Helfrich, Jesse, Fihn & Rumsfeld (2010), privacy and security of the

Persuasive Research Paper on ( Gun Control) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Persuasive on ( Gun Control) - Research Paper Example There were 280 million firearms in private hands in America in 2005 and there were only 300,000 gun crimes (Kessler 46). For Kessler, this means that at least 279,700,000 guns did nothing wrong (46). Further, Kessler added that in 89% of the crimes, the person who used the gun was not the one who bought the gun (46). Kessler interpreted the data to mean that the root of America’s crime problem is not the number of guns in the hands of American (46). Kessler’s key argument is that American should not restrict gun rights but should â€Å"deepen† instead the sense of gun ownership (47). In a way, Jim Kessler hit the nail on the head. Indeed, deepening the sense of gun ownership will probably decrease the crime rate. However, this sense of ownership can be deepened not through liberal gun laws but by regulating people’s access to guns. This should not be interpreted as curtailment of rights. In the same way that the right to free speech is moderated by libel laws, the rights to gun ownership will have to be moderated by society’s consideration for the general good. This is because not all persons are ready enough to own guns. Not all individuals are responsible enough to have unhampered access to guns. Responsible gun ownership is promoted best not through liberal gun laws but through gun control. In 1993, Professor Martin Killias of University of Lausanne, Switzerland, examined the correlations between household gun ownership and rates of homicides and suicides using a gun in eleven European countries, Australia, Canada and the United States (Killias 1721). Killias found that there is a positive correlation between gun ownership and the rates of homicides and suicides using a gun in the fourteen countries (1721). In citing examples, Killias pointed out that the United States homicide was 3.7 times higher than Britain and the US suicide with a handgun was 175 to 1 compared with the US (1722). He

Do News Channels Inspire Or Stimulate Terrorism Media Essay

Do News Channels Inspire Or Stimulate Terrorism Media Essay News media and the News channels are a very important part of society. Their role is to inform the mass about what is happening around the world. But the scenario has changed drastically in last few years. Sensationalism of news elements has become more important than reporting within the ethical boundary specially while in case of crisis for example terrorist activity. What is terrorism?  [1]  Terrorism is a repulsive act of human killing and destructions, and it is often being prioritized by the news channels. Thus news channels are accused with the charge of being terrorists best friend  [2]  (Almagor, 2005:385). They need publicity and the news channels to provide it to them. News channels are responsible behind the success of terrorism (Almagor, 2005). Nowadays the news channel owners are much concerned about their profit, so terrorism has become a good business policy for these channels, for example when 9/11 happened for almost a week all the news channels around the w orld were busy covering the event to get more TRP  [3]  . On the other hand news channels glamorize terrorists, thus media often called as the provider of oxygen of terrorism (Carruthers, 2000). This article illustrates about the news channel coverage of terrorist activity and how media helps terrorists by providing huge publicity concerning about the nightmare for the people of Mumbai, those three days when every Indian cried with the black tear, those three days when the citizens of Mumbai were terrified with the sound of the blast and the firing of the guns, those three days when many people lost their loved ones and finally when the media proved them the worst, the 26/11 Mumbai siege in 2008, in which media proved to be the best friend of terrorist by helping them, though it was unintentional, but just to be exclusive and gain more viewership they put lot of people in danger.  [4]  In this article I would also describe the question raised in my mind, Is this ethical journalism? Theoretical Review A news media has extreme responsibility on them, they are powerful; they are the people who focus the reality of the world in the common peoples eye. But in recent years news channel broadcasting has dramatically changed, in Philip Taylors word the news media which was previously known as the informer, educator and entertainers has changed in the last ten years, their environment has now changed, it is full of competition, with the use of modern technologies, plus they are in the global market  [5]  . Nowadays they are facing competition from internet, and also with the help of portable camcorders the rise of citizen journalists is also very important (2003). As the ownership has also changed, the reporters are now always with the pressure of accuracy, thus the news value may sometimes become less important. Day by day the news channels are becoming overaggressive in terms of presenting breaking news just to keep the Television Rating Point (TRP) high, in order to gain more money , especially while reporting terrorist activity. Picard, in his essay described four types of tradition used in news while reporting terrorism, information tradition, sensationalism, feature story tradition and didactic tradition (1991). The author implied that within all four traditions sensationalistic tradition creates anger, fear, emotions and increase in the viewership of television (Picard,1991). Sensationalism is mostly used while reporting the terrorist activities. Terrorism is dangerous but the media makes the picture more terrified, the terrorist events could be understood by watching the news frame and the priority has given to that news, and the structure of the narrative or story telling method of the event (Norris et al, 2003). Terroristic news stories comes under different packaging styles, for example in the style of bulletins or as breaking news or sometimes with the graphical presentations or talk shows, and sometime comes with the follow-up stories (Picard, 1991). Walter Laqueur pointed out in his essay, There is a tendency to magnify the importance of terrorism in modern society : society is vulnerable to attack, but it is also astonishingly resilient. Terrorism makes a great noise (1986).the media is often working as the medium of the terrorist. Terrorists exists due to the media, as the media sensationalize  [6]  the news stories with the horrible representation of violent terrorists and portrays the victims as actors, creates enormous tensions and anguish, they often become a part of this terrified drama which they represents to report the repulsion of terrorism. There is a subtle bond could be seen within media and terrorist (Almagor, 2005). Media is helping the terrorists by providing huge publicity, for example after 9/11 Osama Bin Laden becomes more famous than any Hollywood star. Terrorists seek publicity to create horror in peoples mind and media helps them to do it. Without the media coverage terrorism would have wiped out, bec ause if they dont get the publicity people would not get horrified about them, wide spread attention alone gives purpose and meaning to terrorist acts (Carruthers, 2000). The media basically glamorizes terrorists, bringing them in the limelight. They provide them such publicity that often it becomes difficult to differentiate between a terrorist and a freedom fighter. Simon Jenkins pointed out that Terrorism is 10 per cent bang and 90 per cent an echo effect composed of media hysteria, political overkill and knee-jerk executive action, usually retribution against some wider group treated as collectively responsible. This response has become 24-hour, seven-day-a-week amplification by the new politico-media complex, especially shrill where the dead are white people (cited in Moorcraft et al, 2007:48-49). Media Ethics What is ethics?  [7]  Ethics in not a set of rules or codes of conduct which should followed, ethics is a bunch of principles regarding the right and wrongs of human behaviour, that have some reasoned theoretical basis which has objective and impartial applications (Belsey and Chadwick, 1992).journalism is tied with a bunch of ethics and all the journalists have to follow the ethics. Specifically a news organization has to follow some ethical news values they have certain ethical codes firstly accuracy, it means a reporter or a journalist should always use the appropriate fact with right words and using it at right place. A journalist should be independent while framing the news stories but at same time they should be careful about the gender, the social class plus they cannot be biased while reporting and the news organisation should trust the journalist neither they will also become a part of the news packaging. Secondly confirmation before reporting news a journalist should re search about it. Thirdly tenacity is the personal and institutional importance of a news story, it also has institutional applications which helps one who malfunctions in the environment of huge resources. Fourthly, dignity it deals with the self-respect to the subject of a story because it increases the news value of a specific story or sometime values individuals. Dignity gives the sense to an individual journalist to help understand the structure of news gathering which is a corporation and everyone plays a role together with the editors, videographers, designers and advertising sales staff. Next is sufficiency which finds out the suitable resources for the important issues. It means thoroughness such as scrutinising the facts before reporting in other words, finding out the suitable resources at the time of news gathering. Later comes equity. It means a journalist should always judge the resources equally in case of controversial stories. Equity develops the journalistic norms f rom telling the both side of story to telling all side of story (Patterson and Wilkins, 2008:36) according to equity a journalist should consider all points of view equally but do not need to frame all of them equally. After that is community, that is, to give value to the social unity, the sense of community in the organisation demands the news organisation owner first to be a citizen than a profit maker. For an individual journalist it means to evaluate the news with the common eye for the social welfare. The next point is diversity. A journalist should cover all the important segments impartially and sufficiently, and a journalist should know how to think with diversity, without any influence of their personal culture or traditions. Finally, reciprocity treats others as the journalist is wishing that person to treat him/herself. Reciprocity defines journalism as benevolent paternalism (Patterson and Wilkins, 2008). These is the primary ethics for the news organisation, violation of these rules could penalise the news organisations. There are some more ethics which is applicable on journalists, first of all a journalist should be honest while news gathering and reporting. Privacy, a journalist should have respect for the right to privacy (Belsey and Chadwick, 1992). A journalist should respect peoples privacy and also protect the privacy of confidential news elements in the time of reporting. Finally a journalist should maintain certain qualities such as fairness, truthfulness, trustworthiness and non-malevolence. Journalists are bound to follow these ethics and for violation of the code of conduct their licence could be cancelled (Belsey and Chadwick, 1992). Though lots of struggling has been done to draw the line of conduct, but it totally depends upon a journalist who actually faces numerous situations where it is not possible to maintain the codes of conduct exactly, then they have to decide depending upon the moral choice. No codes can anticipate every situation (Belsey and Chadwick, 1992). Case study On a very fine evening of 26th November 2008  [8]  , Mumbai the gateway of India suddenly shaded with the reign of fire. More than 10 places were attacked with powerful bombs and many people were killed while the shooting was going on with the heavy machine guns and AK47s by a group of terrorists. The luxurious hotels like Oberoi Trident, Taj Hotel and Nariman House were attacked as they targeted the foreigners to exploit the Indian tourism. Not only that, the Cama hospital was also captured by the terrorists. Firing ensued in Leopold, a renowned cafà © in Mumbai mostly crowded with foreigners, and also at Mumbai V.T station and in Metro cinema were due firing and several people died. According to the report of Times of India 6 foreigners died in this incident. Not only foreigners, they killed 101 innocent people and many people were injured. Many people were killed in the firing at Chatrapati Shibaji Terminus, 5 Police officers were killed  [9]  , 18 commandos died. For 60 hours Mumbai was under the dark shadow of terror. This incident started on 26th and finished on 28th of November after destroying the heritage of the city hotel Taj  [10]  (Times of India,2008).on 28th of November this war came to an end, all the terrorist were neutralized by the NSG commandos. This is the biggest terror attack ever happened (IBN, 2008). During such an incident, Indian news channels did not miss any chance to compete within each other. For every reporter it was a crucial time, which channel would give exclusive news, which cloud engaged more viewers to gain more TRP. But the Indian media has been mostly criticized due to two reasons, first of all while reporting the updated condition of Taj hotel the news channels were providing sensitive information, and they were also fabricating the news elements. Secondly, they were giving more importance to Taj hotel and Oberoi hotel rather than covering other affected area of the city (Mishra, 2008). In such a critical moment when Indian defences were fighting with their life on that moment Indian news channels were too keen to provide the military positions, it could easily help the terrorist operators who were in Pakistan and the terrorists were also carrying mobile phone, so it was quite easy for them to know all the information which the Indian media were publicly disclosing, when the army were trying to enter at the Taj hotel a very renowned news channel NDTV, reported cops trying to enter the Taj hotel (Hit2020, 2008). As every news channel tried to be exclusive they were presenting the incident with different drama. For example India TV famous Indian 24 hour news reported live the telephone conversations between the news channel correspondent and the terrorist group, according to them; they were the only news channel whom the terrorist had chosen for the conversation. On the other hand Ajtak  [11]  another news channel of India presented such a horrible situation very dramatically with the use of computer graphics, they claimed that 9 terrorist were arrested and 2 died, but in reality at the end of 28th November only one terrorist named Ajmal Kasab  [12]  was arrested alive. Headlines today reported the incident as Indias 9/11.They mentioned that the media were attacked by the terrorists at front of the Taj hotel, which were not shown in any other news channels. In such situation the reporters held their mike in front of the hostages who had just been rescued by the Army or by the fire brigade, who were traumatized, shocked or some of them were in grief for the loss of their close ones, for instance Times Now reported live the interview of a hostage who was trapped in Taj hotels old wing by the terrorist and he was rescued later by the securities. He was distressed but the reporters interrogated him again and again to get the exclusive news feed, which could produce more breaking news. Padma Shri, Award receiver journalist Barkha Dutt(Televis ion point,2008) interviewed two women whose husbands were inside during the situation to ask how they were feeling on that moment, what could the mental state of their husband, to ask such silly questions(eyeopner, 2008). While the NSG commandos were running operations in Nariman house  [13]  , they were secretly coming on the roof of the Nariman house from the helicopter with the rope the media covered from every single angle and presented live and exclusive on the television. Every news channel provided different statistics of dead and injured people. While all these dramas appeared in Indian television, Pakistani news channels showed some different dramas. As right after the first attack the NSG and Indian intelligence pointed their finger towards Pakistan after getting an email by a terrorist gang accepting all the charges, which has been sent from Pakistan, which was later proved correct also, but the Pakistani media did not agreed that. During such circumstances some Pakistani channels arranged talk shows rather informing about the condition. A news channel named News 1 invited Zaid Hamid a security consultant of Pakistan for a talk show and in that talk show he was found to accuse India and called the incident a stage groomed play or drama. He claimed that Indian politicians were trying to create another 9/11, and they are fooling around the world with the news. They kept denying about the fact that Pakistan is involved into this. In another talk show where the guests were Dr. Fareed Paracha, Deputy Secretary General, Jamaat e Islami, who were caught while abusing India and their religion, they believe by doing this India is getting sympathy and making the master plan against Pakistan. On 28th of November news 1 again organized a talk called Siyasat aur Pakistan show with Mr Zaid Hamid, on that show they blamed Indian opponent party BJP. They indicated it as an election drama. From their point of view the drama was planned to gain votes for the recent election. They not only blamed Indian media for taking part in the so called drama but also to western media (American media). According to them this event was scripted from very before and they were thinking how to get prepare for the next war. A news channel named Aaj TV hosted by Talat Hussein was caught reporting offensive comments against Indian media on a show called live with Talat  [14]  , and Indian intelligence rejecting the evidences found against pakistan.(AAJ TV,2008). 24 hour News channels due to Globalisation and its effects on the News Channels business This is a media saturated world, with the ever changing sounds, images and words and with the 24/7  [15]  news. The news channel turned 24 hour to give some competition to the entertainment channels. Television should be live and news is the only live show on television, it has the ability to transform the stories in a very less time to the global audience. This is utilized by the broadcasting ecology and the privatized satellites (Thussu, Freedman, 2003). In the year 1980, CNN turned into 24 hour news channel (Moorcraft. Taylor, 2007).It was the first 24 hour news channel. After that many news channels followed CNN. Especially BBC, whose BBC world is a 24 hour news channel, it is called CNNisation  [16]  of television networks (Thussu, Freedman,2003).Today all the news channels are of 24hours and 7days. To run 24 hour news channels needs a bunch of breaking news  [17]  , thus terrorist attacks are so important to them.it often needs Sensationalization and trivialisation which often gives priority to entertainment rather than news value. The audience is also interested in conflicts, because every conflict turned into news. The terrorist stories showed using three dimensional video games; it can give the proper description of the attack without showing blood on screen (Thussu, Freedman, 2003). The contemporary mass is deeply connected with the news stories, people subscribe news channels. Each time the news is faster, slicker an d well defined with information it gains more popularity than the normal ones. However the live news has its own news value, we always give live news a special preference, because we can see whatever is happening in front of our eyes (Thussu, Freedman, 2003). Thus, news coverage of the Mumbai terror attack of 26/11 has become so popular because we were watching the situation live. For this reason 24 hour news channels are becoming so popular. Due to globalisation  [18]  all the news channels are facing more challenges. The audience has become globalised. Many channels have turned global, some of their target audience is diasporic and others are doing international coverage (Thussu, Freedman, 2003). That is why the international news value has increased rather than the local news; the news channels are more interested about the ecstatic news rather than emergency or adventure news. So news channels looks for some big event through which they can create distant suffering  [19]  , for this reason terrorism activities are so necessary or important for the news channels. Globalisation in other words is westernisation of these news channels because still there is a western domination in global information and entertainment industry. Westernisation of those channels fortifies the western hold, specifically United Kingdom and USA companies. In reality television news culture which has globalised in US style has affected t he commercial news culture in other parts of the world. This is why after globalisation the main resource of news footages are Reuters and Associated Press Television News (Thussu, Freedman, 2003). Hence the news value has more influenced with the outcome that means which can make the news channel widespread. Firstly news is a commodity which can be bought and sold and at the same time it is related with profit, it is basically elusive (White, undated) news formulate the bunch of information in the form of a commodity due to three reason, political communication, business and pleasure and directed with the high technologies. There are diverse and competing interests at work, and that what may appear at one level to be globalisation in the sense of homogenisation, may appear at another level as fragmentation and competition (Barrett et.al, 1998, 2). As regarded, there is a huge possibility that the morality of objective journalism such as fairness and impartiality is being compromise d with the ever increasing market shares.as a result of globalisation a relationship has been found between journalistic practice and compassion fatigue  [20]  . Susan D. Moeller argued in his book about the compassion fatigue(cited in Tester,2001), that it is nothing but the short time attention and bore dome produced in media audience in case of news stories. Moeller claimed that compassion fatigue underpins prescribed coverage. . Moeller anticipated on journalist who have a tendency to reject those event which is less melodramatic or the event is being modified by the journalists by choosing sensitive images and languages making it more deadly than the reality. At the same time compassion fatigue allures the journalist to search for more sensationalistic stories to keep in mind of their target audience and also inspires the media to leave the story and set off for the new ones when the coverage possibility is over (cited in Tester, 2001). Television news is now called infotainment  [21]  (Thussu, Freedman, 2003:122). Reporting style has totally changed, especially in the time of crisis the news transformed into melodrama with use of music, special effects, computer graphics, re-enactments etc. is presented by the glitzy anchor, and now the news channels started a new policy for income that is online voting. In the time of a very critical situation or at the moment of reporting catastrophe at the bottom of the screen a column appears where either you are asked to write your opinion about the current incident or you have to answer a question that has been asked and you need to text by using your mobile phone credit, from where they will get their benefits (Garakarajula, 2009).not only that, news channels profit a lot from the advertising revenue, thus they make the news stories colorful, effective that advertisers find profit in that channel and the channel gets the advertisements. Not only that, television earns mo ney by selling news online  [22]  , specifically in the time of crisis people tend to watch the same news again and again or people who live far away from the country watch the program online. Discussion After the 26/11 Mumbai attack the Indian media and the Pakistani media were tremendously criticized by the people of India, Mumbai as well as the people who watched the incident on television. Though the Indian media have done an excellent job, still the media crossed the ethical boundary and all morality levels. First of all they disclosed the Indian security movements at Hotel Taj that was quite dangerous because the terrorist controller was in Pakistan and they were having conversations while the operation was going on, secondly the drama was showed on television that made lot of people angry on some news channels, nowadays there is a trend to sensationalise news stories, to make people feel about the agony, the anger against the terrorists and curiosity about the incident in effect to make more money. Thirdly, they gave all the importance on the two hotels Taj and Oberoi Trident. there were many places in Mumbai where lot of people died and injured due to the same terrorist attac k. chatrapati shivaji terminal  [23]  , where people died in the blast and also many of them were assassinated by the terrorist group, but they were not the perfect news stories for the news channels, instead of that they were focusing on the foreign people to gain international publicity (Mishra,2008). One of the very renowned news channel India TV reported live conversation between their news correspondent and the terrorist group but later they could not show any proof of it (hit2020, 2008). When some of the hostages were freed by the NSG commandos the reporters held the mike before them, who might have just lost someone or shocked. All the news channels sensationalized the situation, and turned it into a news drama. People were glued to their television set, the police and security commandos were trying their best to fight against the terrorist and also they had to manage the news reporters with their flash lights and cameras which was bothering the security. A very important part of the coverage which hugely flashed criticism about media was the live video which showed the military operation of Nariman house, when the NSG commandoes were running their operation they got down on the roof of the Nariman house from the helicopter by using rope, which was a secret mission and it was being aired live on the national television. It made the people angry(Los Angeles Times,2009).In such time of crisis Indian media and Pakistans media were having a cold war between them, both the news channel were cursing even abusing on television. This raised a question in my mind that was that the best time to had such conversation? Do media ethics does not exist in the following list of the news channels? After watching such dreadful dramas people busted in anger. Mutiny, an Indian citizen commented on a blogosphere after watching the news coverage of Indian news channels, Their coverage of the attacks has been completely self-defeating and highly immoral, if nothing else. They are causing as much damage to us right now, just not in terms of lives. Shameful irreverence from such tardy media persons is shocking in such times. They definitely have an agenda of their own, and I can bet my entire fortune on it that the unity of the people or strict action on terrorism is not part of it. They are too happy in their petty world of pointless debates, disuniting and cynical rhetoric and brainless remarks on sensitive issues (Mishra,2008). Chetan Kunte another citizen of India asked question to barkha dutt, an Indian journalist after watching the her coverage on NDTV  [24]  , You do not need to be a journalist to understand the basic premise of ethics, which starts with protecting victims first; and that is done by avoiding key information from being aired publicly (Mishra,2008).an online petition was published asking the Indian media to be mature and commented We dont want your news updates or breaking news. We dont need to see everything live. We dont want sensationalism, we want real journalism. it asked the news media to at least consider rationally about the society and the mass before the transmission. Not only that, Tahmineh Khajotia a Mumbai resident who lives very near to Taj Hotel, has commented on her blog about the publicity freak news channel who before every report said that their channel is the first one to show the images, or they said this exclusive image which was only available on their channel(Khajotia,2008). A website called Faking News anticipated that while the media reported the sensitive issues about the security positions inside Taj hotel the Home Ministry contacted the news channel and told them to stop the transmission of the security move ments because it could be unsafe but the channel owners thought if they stop the transmission that could affect their profits and TRP. Though the people watched the live coverage but the media got the negative publicity (Mishra,2008). On the other hand Pakistani news channels  [25]  were so irresponsible that in spite of covering the incident live they arranged talk shows where they had invited wise renowned guests to just abuse Indian Government as well as NSG. As they were found guilty for the incident, they kept denying on their show and at the same time they termed it a drama scripted by the Indian opponent party Bharatiya Janata Party known as BJP. They dont really bother about those people who are trapped inside. They were too busy to discuss about the religious differences on the same Hindu Muslim issue, the rivalry between two countries. The journalist always has a tendency to take side of their countries; especially in time of crisis (Moorcraft, Taylor,2007). Nonetheless is this ethical? Journalists ethical report demonstrates that the journalist should always maintain equity (Patterson, Wilkins, 2008), as I have mentioned before in this article (see page 6). They should not violate the ethical code o f conduct neither they could be penalised (Belsey and Chadwick, 1992). But do the journalists or the news channel owners really aware of their ethical limitation? And if the answer is yes then do they bother to follow it? Reliability The media has lost their trustworthiness as an instance of quality and for a demonstration of moral character (Tester,2001).the media is a very important part of society and news channels are the core element of the media sector. Media is very powerful, but the power has changed towards dominance as this includes the privileged use of communal capitals and the legalisation of this kind of dissimilarity. As the news media has turned the field of theatre were for 24 hours and 7 days the drama goes on, with the nice labelling of breaking news. Manipulation has become the best tool for the drama; Teun A. van Dijk commented that the media is abusing the power which is given to it by the people in the name of law. Author pointed out that manipulation as a form of media power enactment is usually evaluated in negative terms,

Knowledge M Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s economy, corporations are constantly seeking was to achieve faster decision making, higher levels of product, better service, and process innovation to gain competitive advantage over other corporations. Various information technologies have been adapted in to corporation’s business plans in order to optimize competitive advantage. However, with the increase in competition, information technology’s applications in business no longer serve as a great advantage. The need for new business strategies arises along with the emergence of the knowledge society (Styhre, 2003) having information is no longer a source of competitive advantage. In today’s business environment, organizational knowledge is recognized as a significant source of competitive advantage, how quickly organizations determines knowledge and creates value out of it determines its competitiveness. (Shukla) In an economy where the only certainty is uncertainty, the one sure source of competitive advantage is knowledge. When markets shift, technologies proliferate, competitors multiply, and products become obsolete almost overnight, successful companies are those that consistently create new knowledge, disseminate it widely throughout the organization, and quickly embody it in new technologies and products. -Harvard Business Review (1998) Knowledge management is a business strategy that identifies, organizes and shares information essential to the company so it can be applied to optimize business performance. The content of this paper provides the fundamental concepts to the practice of Knowledge Management and how it should be applied. Explanation of the technology, its application in business, benefits, and the essentials of designing a knowledge management program are introduced and explained in further details. Knowledge Management: Technology and Trends   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The practice of knowledge management is often confused with information management. So what is knowledge management? And exactly how should it work? B. Begeron (2003) defines knowledge management as â€Å"the ability to selectively capture, archive, and access the best practices of work-related knowledge and decision making from employees and managers for both individual and group behaviors.† Knowledge management is still a relatively new practice in business organi... ...pplications. (Santosus, 2002) Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knowledge management, being a relevantly new practice in business organizations, requires a great deal of planning and setting systematic knowledge management program according to the organization’s business goals. Several factors must be applied to building a successful knowledge management program: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership is essential. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Training and reeducating of knowledge workers is the key to increasing the organization’s assets 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business goal must be set and expectations must be managed. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knowledge management depends on information technology. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knowledge management is a constantly evolving process. If a knowledge management program is designed and applied accordingly, beneficial results would occur. We can conclude that knowledge management, instead of being applied as a technology based concept, it should be applied as a daily business practice of sharing information among employees and departments in order to properly import knowledge in to use when it is needed

Risk in Banking Sector

Paper presentation On Risk in banking sector. Abstract: The structure of the paper is three-fold, where we begin by what is risk in banking scenario and its effects on internal operations of a bank, followed by the various types of risk in Indian banks and what can be done or the measurements taken and finally the future look. Introduction: The Indian Financial System is tasting success of a decade of financial sector reforms. The economy is surging and has gathered the critical mass to convert it into a force to reckon with.The regulatory framework in India has sparked growth and key structural reforms have improved the asset quality and profitability of banks. Growing integration of economies and the markets around the world is making global banking a reality. The RBI requires all banks to comply with the standardized approach of the BASEL II accord by 31st March, 2007. This paper attempts to project the implications of this transition and its effects on the internal operations of a bank followed by its effects on the banking industry and the economy.What is Risk? For the purpose of these guidelines financial risk in a banking organization is possibility that the outcome of an action or event could bring up adverse impacts. Such outcomes could either result in a direct loss of earnings / capital or may result in imposition of constraints on bank’s ability to meet its business objectives Regardless of the sophistication of the measures, banks often distinguish between expected and unexpected losses.Expected losses are those that the bank knows with reasonable certainty will occur (e. g. , the expected default rate of corporate loan portfolio or credit card portfolio) and are typically reserved for in some manner. Unexpected losses are those associated with unforeseen events (e. g. Losses due to a sudden down turn in economy or falling interest rates). Types of risk in banks: In the course of their operations, banks are invariably faced with different ty pes of risks that may have a potentially negative effect on their business.The risks to which a bank is particularly exposed in its operations are: liquidity risk, credit risk, market risks (interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk and risk from change in market price of securities, financial derivatives and commodities), exposure risks, investment risks, risks relating to the country of origin of the entity to which a bank is exposed, operational risk, legal risk, reputational risk and strategic risk. Liquidity risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by the bank’s inability to meet all its due obligations.Credit risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by borrower’s default on its obligations to the bank. Market risk:  includes interest rate and foreign exchange risk. Interest rate: risk  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capita l of the bank caused by changes in interest rates. Foreign exchange: risk  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by changes in exchange rates.A special type of market risk is the  risk of change in the market price  of securities, financial derivatives or commodities traded or tradable in the market. Exposure risks:  include risks of bank’s exposure to a single entity or a group of related entities, and risks of banks’ exposure to a single entity related with the bank. Investment risks:  include risks of bank’s investments in entities that are not entities in the financial sector and in fixed assets.Operational risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by omissions in the work of employees, inadequate internal procedures and processes, inadequate management of information and other systems, and unforeseeable external events. Legal risk:  is the risk of loss caused by penalties or sanctions originating from court disputes due to breach of contractual and legal obligations, and penalties and sanctions pronounced by a regulatory body.Reputational risk:  is the risk of loss caused by a negative impact on the market positioning of the bank. Strategic risk:  is the risk of loss caused by a lack of a long-term development component in the bank’s managing team. Risk management: Risk Management is a discipline at the core of every financial institution and encompasses all the activities that affect its risk profile. In every financial institution, risk management activities broadly take place simultaneously at following different hierarchy levels. a) Strategic level: It encompasses risk management functions performed by senior management and BOD. For instance definition of risks, formulating strategy and policies for managing risk etc; b) Macro Level: It encompasses risk management within a business area or across business l ines. Generally the risk management activities performed by middle management. c) Micro Level: It involves ‘On-the-line’ risk management where risks are actually created.This is the risk management activities performed by individuals who take risk on organization’s behalf such as front office and loan origination functions. Risk management in bank operations includes risk identification, measurement and assessment, and its objective is to minimize negative effects risks can have on the financial result and capital of a bank. Banks are therefore required to form a special organizational unit in charge of risk management. Also, they are required to prescribe procedures for risk identification, easurement and assessment, as well as procedures for risk management. The future: Risk management activities will be more pronounced in future banking because of liberalization, deregulation and global integration of financial markets. This would be adding depth and dimension to the banking risks. As the risks are correlated, exposure to one risk may lead to another risk, therefore management of risks in a proactive, efficient & integrated manner will be the strength of the successful banks Conclusion:By taking measures the smaller banks would not have sufficient resources to withstand the intense competition of the sector. Banks would evolve to be a complete and pure financial services provider, catering to all the financial needs of the economy. Flow of capital will increase and setting up of bases in foreign countries will become commonplace. Finally, the economy will stand to benefit as the banking sector develops. Savings will be mobilized in the right direction and the required funds needed for the country's development will be made available.

Risk in Banking Sector

Paper presentation On Risk in banking sector. Abstract: The structure of the paper is three-fold, where we begin by what is risk in banking scenario and its effects on internal operations of a bank, followed by the various types of risk in Indian banks and what can be done or the measurements taken and finally the future look. Introduction: The Indian Financial System is tasting success of a decade of financial sector reforms. The economy is surging and has gathered the critical mass to convert it into a force to reckon with.The regulatory framework in India has sparked growth and key structural reforms have improved the asset quality and profitability of banks. Growing integration of economies and the markets around the world is making global banking a reality. The RBI requires all banks to comply with the standardized approach of the BASEL II accord by 31st March, 2007. This paper attempts to project the implications of this transition and its effects on the internal operations of a bank followed by its effects on the banking industry and the economy.What is Risk? For the purpose of these guidelines financial risk in a banking organization is possibility that the outcome of an action or event could bring up adverse impacts. Such outcomes could either result in a direct loss of earnings / capital or may result in imposition of constraints on bank’s ability to meet its business objectives Regardless of the sophistication of the measures, banks often distinguish between expected and unexpected losses.Expected losses are those that the bank knows with reasonable certainty will occur (e. g. , the expected default rate of corporate loan portfolio or credit card portfolio) and are typically reserved for in some manner. Unexpected losses are those associated with unforeseen events (e. g. Losses due to a sudden down turn in economy or falling interest rates). Types of risk in banks: In the course of their operations, banks are invariably faced with different ty pes of risks that may have a potentially negative effect on their business.The risks to which a bank is particularly exposed in its operations are: liquidity risk, credit risk, market risks (interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk and risk from change in market price of securities, financial derivatives and commodities), exposure risks, investment risks, risks relating to the country of origin of the entity to which a bank is exposed, operational risk, legal risk, reputational risk and strategic risk. Liquidity risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by the bank’s inability to meet all its due obligations.Credit risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by borrower’s default on its obligations to the bank. Market risk:  includes interest rate and foreign exchange risk. Interest rate: risk  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capita l of the bank caused by changes in interest rates. Foreign exchange: risk  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by changes in exchange rates.A special type of market risk is the  risk of change in the market price  of securities, financial derivatives or commodities traded or tradable in the market. Exposure risks:  include risks of bank’s exposure to a single entity or a group of related entities, and risks of banks’ exposure to a single entity related with the bank. Investment risks:  include risks of bank’s investments in entities that are not entities in the financial sector and in fixed assets.Operational risk:  is the risk of negative effects on the financial result and capital of the bank caused by omissions in the work of employees, inadequate internal procedures and processes, inadequate management of information and other systems, and unforeseeable external events. Legal risk:  is the risk of loss caused by penalties or sanctions originating from court disputes due to breach of contractual and legal obligations, and penalties and sanctions pronounced by a regulatory body.Reputational risk:  is the risk of loss caused by a negative impact on the market positioning of the bank. Strategic risk:  is the risk of loss caused by a lack of a long-term development component in the bank’s managing team. Risk management: Risk Management is a discipline at the core of every financial institution and encompasses all the activities that affect its risk profile. In every financial institution, risk management activities broadly take place simultaneously at following different hierarchy levels. a) Strategic level: It encompasses risk management functions performed by senior management and BOD. For instance definition of risks, formulating strategy and policies for managing risk etc; b) Macro Level: It encompasses risk management within a business area or across business l ines. Generally the risk management activities performed by middle management. c) Micro Level: It involves ‘On-the-line’ risk management where risks are actually created.This is the risk management activities performed by individuals who take risk on organization’s behalf such as front office and loan origination functions. Risk management in bank operations includes risk identification, measurement and assessment, and its objective is to minimize negative effects risks can have on the financial result and capital of a bank. Banks are therefore required to form a special organizational unit in charge of risk management. Also, they are required to prescribe procedures for risk identification, easurement and assessment, as well as procedures for risk management. The future: Risk management activities will be more pronounced in future banking because of liberalization, deregulation and global integration of financial markets. This would be adding depth and dimension to the banking risks. As the risks are correlated, exposure to one risk may lead to another risk, therefore management of risks in a proactive, efficient & integrated manner will be the strength of the successful banks Conclusion:By taking measures the smaller banks would not have sufficient resources to withstand the intense competition of the sector. Banks would evolve to be a complete and pure financial services provider, catering to all the financial needs of the economy. Flow of capital will increase and setting up of bases in foreign countries will become commonplace. Finally, the economy will stand to benefit as the banking sector develops. Savings will be mobilized in the right direction and the required funds needed for the country's development will be made available.

Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Example

Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Example Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior? Name: School: Course/Number: October 31, 2011 Instructor’s Name: Table of Contents Introduction: Statement of the Problem †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.2 Purpose of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Research Hypothesis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Justification of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Limitations of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Assumptions of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 Terminology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 Literature Review †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 Methodology: Participants †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.17 Informed Consent †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18 Data Collection †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦19 The Questionnaire †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior? Introduction: Statement of the Problem Solitary confinement has been a controversial form of punishment in prison, where prisoners are confined in solitary cells. Such prisoners spend more than 23 hours of their day in solitary confinement where they do not get to talk to any body except the prison wardens on rare occasions when they are served food and when in outdoors for a few minutes. In many occasions, the prisoners are put into solitary cells not because of crimes they are in for, but for committing other crimes in the prison that are considered dangerous to other prisoners especially violence related crimes (Lovell, Cloyes, Allen, Rhodes, 2000). Most of the solitary confined prisoners are released from prison directly to the gates or their freedom without undergoing any counseling to help them live or adapt back to free life where they are free to do anything. This has raised some concern in me whether such prisoners who serve their sentence in solitary cell are able to reform considering they do not talk to anybo dy in prison, which is important for changing behavior. Considering prison is supposed to be a form of rehabilitation, solitary confinement does not help in changing criminal behavior since people cannot change their behavior without the help of others. Majority of the prisoners put in this confinement are criminals who engage in violent behavior, which can only be changed through learning to live with other people and controlling their anger around others (Yost, Knobil, Coyote, Auster Dubrino, 2010). Behavior is influenced largely by the environment, personal factors as well as attributes of the behavior. When put in solitary confinement the prisoners have nothing to influence their behavior, and use their personal thought as days pass by inside the cell. Thoughts of such a person cannot be expected to be good when they are alone, and this might even give them more reasons to encourage criminal thoughts. Hence, there is nothing to influence them to change either for the better or for worse. In behavior model theories, social support and ecological support suggest that a person needs physical activities to enhance changing of behavior and positive motivation. A prison may not have such environments, but allowing all prisoners to take part in physical activities is better than locking them for 23 hours in a solitary cell without anybody to talk to. From several researches, it has been found that solitary confinement has had mental effects on the prisoners, and others having psychological disorders. According to Grassian (n.d.), solitary confinement where prisoners have minimal social contact can adversely have psychiatric effects on the prisoner. He further cites that too much restriction from social and environmental stimulation can have a deleterious result on the functioning of the brain. Solitary confinement is said to ruin a man in very few weeks. People who suffer such effects may recover after sometime from imprisonment, but some could end up having little tolerance for interaction with other people. Such people may have difficulties for the rest of their life in adapting back to social life after solitary confinement for a long period. Purpose of the Study Many researchers have conducted studies on the effects of solitary confinement, but few have looked at its effectiveness in changing criminal behavior. Many would argue that solitary confinement suits such violent criminals who pose a threat to others and do not seek to know why they engage in such acts of violence. Many researchers and psychologists have sought to know causes of criminal behavior, where many have proven that nature vs. nurture issue has an answer to this question. Many researchers conclude that criminal behavior is influenced by genetic make up and environmental factors. Many have cited that a person with criminal genes does not end up a criminal, but with a pre-disposition to a criminal environment, their chances of becoming criminals are high. Hence, despite genetic make up playing a role in criminal behavior, the environment plays the role of enhancing the behavior or bringing it out of the person. Without the environment to enhance criminal behavior, people wit h criminal genes on a higher probability may never end up engaging in crimes. Therefore, rehabilitating or changing criminal behavior requires an environment that can help the criminals overcome their genetic influence on such behaviors. In this study, I seek to find out whether solitary confinement is an effective means of changing criminal behavior, where such people are isolated from the rest, with minimal interaction with the environment. I also intend to seek whether solitary confinement where there is no environment, either criminal or not helps in shaping the behavior of a criminal. In addition, criminals who do not end up fully rehabilitated from their criminal behavior may have a chance of engaging in criminal behavior again. In this study, I seek to find out the rate of adoption or relapsing to previous criminal behaviors for solitary confined inmates. More still, from this study, I intend to find out what happens to solitary confined inmates after they are released, whether they are able to adapt back to the society, or are there long-term psychological effects of their solitary confinement that may play a role in adapting back to social life. More so, this study will be comparing recidivism among those co nfined in solitary cells and those in general population, to give an insight of what means is more effective (Lovell Johnson, n.d.). Research Hypothesis H1: Solitary confinement is not effective in changing criminal behavior H0: Solitary confinement is effective in changing criminal behavior. H1: Solitary confinement has many adverse long-term psychological effects on the inmates H0: Solitary confinement does not have adverse long-term psychological effect on inmates. H1: The rate of recidivism of solitary confinement is higher compared to other inmates H0: The rate of recidivism of solitary confinement is lower compared to other inmates Justification of the Study Considering the rate of crime is going higher everyday and more people continue to flock the prisons, there is need for finding out what means of changing criminal behavior is more effective, in an effort to reduce the rate of crime as well as recidivism to crime. Conducting a study on whether solitary confinement acts as an effective means of changing behavior will play an important role in the fight against crime. Moreover, considering that many of those who engage in criminal behavior have a violent and neglected childhood, putting them in solitary confinement may act counteractively in changing their criminal behavior since being neglected at a tender age contributed to their criminal behavior, which is the same with solitary confinement where prisoners are isolated (fortunecity.com, n.d.). From the many researches carried out, there has been a strong indication of the fact that solitary confinement does have adverse long-term effects on the inmates, and may not act to change th eir behavior; hence, seeking to prove this statement may be of great importance in reforming criminals from their behaviors. This study will provide information whether adding more to their punishment is the best way to change their behavior, or could giving them social support to change their behavior probably be better? The result of this study will play a crucial role in illustrating whether solitary confinement should be used as a means of changing criminal behavior in the future. In addition, considering the study will also seek to find out the recidivism rate of this type of confinement, it will provide crucial information concerning how effective it has been. More so, in seeking the recidivism rate and long-term effects of solitary confinement in adjusting back to the society, the study will provide results concerning the life of those who served solitary confinement and how their life has been since their release. Have they managed to stay away from crime because they do not want to be back in solitary confinement, or is it because the effects of the confinement have made them incapable of crime? In addition, the results will provide an insight concerning whether the psychiatric effects of solitary confinement guarantee that an inmate will not want to be in the same situation again; hence, the results will tell whether the severe punishment motivates the criminals never to relapse to their criminal activities ever again, considering this is the worst form of punishment. The court does not sentence people to serve their sentences in solitary confinement except for the terrorists who pose a threat to the nation. Solitary confinement for others is declared by the prison authorities depending on the behavior of the prisoner inside prison. It is important to note that majority of the prisoners are criminals, and could all contribute to violence in prisons. However, not all may be confined in isolation. Hence, solitary confinement is meant to correct violent behavior in prisons, but is it efficient when the prisoners are released upon serving their sentences. Results of this question will provide information on whether confining them will help them change their behavior once released. The whole results of the study will provide the criminology department with enough information about solitary confinement ability to change or not to change criminal behavior. Limitations of the Study There are several limitations to this study considering the nature of the subjects involved. Many of the inmates who have served and are serving in this form of confinement find it quite hard to talk about the subject due to fear of victimization, and in addition, the effect of the solitary confinement makes it difficult to communicate effectively while expressing their feelings. In proving whether the inmates are able to change due to solitary confinement, not many of the ex-convicts in solitary confinement may prove this if they have psychiatric effects. The other limitation is having access to files of the inmates who are confined in solitary cells considering they fear victimization from their records. From several researches, this has been a problem where permission has to be sought before such information is given, including why they are in solitary cells. Considering prisoners put in solitary cells are confined until they finish their sentence, there may be no prove whether they manage to change violent behaviors in side prison. Thus, there can be no record of their behavior after solitary confinement in the prisons; hence, the study has to make its own observations that will require time to notice the behavior. The other limitation comes from finding people who are already released from prison to give an account of their experiences and how their lives have turned out to be since their release and how coping with a world that had been denied to them for years has been. Finding such people is hard considering that some might be intolerant to social interaction, and end up showing their whereabouts to very few people. Hence, proving whether some of them have refrained from criminal behavior because of fear of going back to prison again or because they underwent mental difficulties that have had long-term effects, leaving them incapable of crime will not be easy since not many may answer this correctly. More so, if such people are involved in crime again yet to be caught, they are not likely to provide such information that could send them to jail, proving the recidivism rate may not be easy if a person has not been caught by the law yet. For better result, there will be a need to observe and interview those who have just been released from prisons after serving their solitary confinement and those who were released more than a year from the time of the study to access the rate of adapting back to normal life. In addition, it will be hard to find out what their previous life before conviction was when they were arrested and their current behavior to illustrate the changes that have occurred since the release. Assumptions of the Study To complete this study, several assumptions have to be made without necessarily affecting the results significantly. The selected participants in the study are from Texas, and it is assumed that they represent all of the prisoners who have been released from solitary confinement in the state. The other participants have been selected from several prisons to make the study more comprehensive and it is assumed they may not be released from solitary confinement until their sentence is over since we have not come across any of the prisoners in the prisons who has been to the solitary and is out. It is also assumed that the subjects or the inmates were the most dangerous and violent inside prison since the prison authorities make us believe it is so. It is also assumed that the prisoners interviewed had no psychiatric conditions before they were put in solitary cell considering mentally ill people are discouraged from being put under such confinement. Terminology Recidivism rate: The rate at which the released prisoners are likely to relapse back to criminal activities or behavior Solitary confinement: This is the act of holding prisoners their own cells, which are just big enough to accommodate their basic amenities such as toilet and sink. The prisoners spend around 23 hours of their day inside these cells away from social interaction. It is also called Intensive Management Units (IMUs). Control units and Supermax: Have been used interchangeably with solitary confinement, segregation and isolation. Criminal behavior: The behavior of wanting to get into crime most of the time Past felony: Previously committed crimes Subjects: These are the prisoners and ex-prisoners that the study is centered upon Participant: They are all the people involved in the study, ranging from prisoners, prison authorities and wardens together with family members of the subjects. Mental disturbances and psychiatric disorders: These terms have been used interchangeably to explain the abnormal brain conditions of those confined in solitary cells. Rehabilitation: The act of helping a person to live independently from a previous behavior, which in this topic means reducing the recidivism rate Literature Review When a person is sentenced to prison, many people know that it will be a better way of rehabilitating them by taking away their freedom and time, which everybody wishes to have. However, some prisoners face even worse than that through solitary confinement. The court does not sentence people to serve in solitary confinement, but it is usually because of criminal activities in prison that cause them to go to solitary cells. What makes it the worst form of punishment is the fact that a prisoner does not get any right to leave the concrete wall, for a whole day except a few minutes everyday (Siegel, 2009). This makes it quite inhumane for the prisoners who do not even have a chance to talk to another human being. This has been known to have many effects on the person and has raised the question whether solitary confinement is a way of rehabilitating people or just a form of punishment. Considering that changing of behavior requires the influence of other people, solitary confinement do es not provide all the necessary needs for change since there is no contact with other people; thus, solitary confinement does not rehabilitate criminal behavior. It has been cited by many researchers that putting a person in isolation is a sure way of making them go insane (Rodriguez, 2011). Solitary confinement puts prisoners in isolation from other people and physical activities for around 23 hours a day, leaving only one hour for the prisoners to be outside, alone without any human contact. The only people they are able to talk to are the prison guards on rare occasions during the day. A research conducted on solitary confined people showed that solitary confined persons had a higher probability of developing pathologies at a rate of 28% vs. 15% of the general population (Rodriguez, 2011). Furthermore, it has been cited that solitary confined prisoners are likely to engage in self-mutilation at higher rates than other general population inmates are. It is evident that solitary confinement has quite a negative effect on the psychology of the person and their mental health (Haney, 2003). According to Grassian (n.d.), after solitary confinement was introduced in America, many thought it was a good idea of criminal rehabilitation. However, he further cites that the results were catastrophic since so many of the prisoners developed severe psychiatric effects, making the solitary confinement face more disfavors from people. The mental disturbances and their severity were so high among the prisoners put under this confinement. â€Å"The paradigmatic psychiatric disturbance was an agitated confusional state which, in more severe cases, had the characteristics of a florid delirium, characterized by severe confusional, paranoid, and hallucinatory features †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ( Grassian, n.d. p.328). He further cites that even among people who had no prior disturbances, such behaviors were observed after they were confined, including self-violence. It also contributed to exacerbation of previously observed mental conditions to a severe level. These conditions make it difficult for such individuals to adapt back even to the other prison environment after they are released from isolation (Mears, 2008). When such people are released back into the community, they are expected to live a normal life and become productive members of the community, without going back to criminal behaviors, which is the aim of sentencing a person to jail. However, the truth is on to the contrary, with many of them having the worst difficulties of adapting back to social life that is crucial if a person is to become productive again (Sharon, 2010). In most cases, such effects leave the individual with an impairment or ability of reforming back to their sufficient normal brain activity to engage in productive work in the community. Grassian (n.d.), further cites that even with a few days in solitary confinement, a person will soon start developing incapability of adequate maintenance of alertness to the environment with his or her attention going down, shifting the electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern to an abnormal one with characteristics of trance and confusion as well as hallucinations (Grassian n.d.). According to the above literature, what solitary confinement does is impair people from responding to the environment and other usual stimuli, which they find too much to bear after solitary confinement and react by avoiding it as much as possible. In my opinion, this is not a way of rehabilitating; rather, it is a form of incapacitating a prisoner. Putting a person in solitary confinement ceases to be rehabilitation and turns into a mental torture where the individual is put under circumstances that impair the brain from functioning, as it should. Rehabilitation has been defined generally as a means of helping a person become independent physically, mentally emotionally and socially. Drawing from the meaning, criminal behavior rehabilitation means helping a person become independent and free from crime through giving social, emotional mental and physical help. It is meant to reduce recidivism of going back to crime after prison. Solitary confinement does not offer any of this. Rathe r, it takes away everything in the meaning and hence, solitary confinement should not be considered a means of rehabilitation, but a means of incapacitating a person from acting as themselves considering all the impairment effects it leaves in a person (Lenzner, 2006). In terms of reducing crime relapsing for violent people, solitary confinement does help since it incapacitates them from engaging in violent behavior again after a long period of solitary confinement. People who go through solitary confinement find it hard to adapt back to their usual life since they are impaired in responding to the environment and other stimulus around them. Such people only want to hold back and withdraw from all forms of interaction with other people or the environment. Such an individual may not be in a position to engage back to criminal activities, and neither can they engage in social productive activities (Kurki Morris, 2001). This raises the concern of whether prison should be a place of incapacitating criminals mentally or whether it should act to help them change their behavior since incapacitating a person does not change behavior. In addition, when such people are released to the public again, they do not have a means of earning a decent livelihood and adapting to a free life might even be harder. This may increase their chances of engaging in crime again. Considering that rehabilitation of criminal behavior is supposed to be a means of ensuring criminals do not relapse for criminal activities again, the best way of helping them should not be confining them in solitary cells. There are several studies carried out on the best means of rehabilitating criminal behavior. According to Wright (2011), education is one way of rehabilitating offenders to prevent them from going back to criminal behavior upon release. He cited that many of the offenders end up in jail again after release due to lack of decent means of living and social circumstances force them into crime again. Majority of criminals end up in crime out of circumstances such as lack of a stable economic activity to support them. Hence, providing education to inmates increases their chances of making a better living since they can secure better jobs to sustain them upon release. Much research has indicated that most of the inmates are lowly educated, and increasing their knowledge will give them a better chance of securing jobs. More so, some inmates may have served in the prison for a long time and their knowledge may not be relevant to the current time; hence, giving them a chance to upgrade their knowledge will be better than confining them in solitary cells. To reduce violence in prison, education and counseling is a better way of inspiring the inmates to change, since keeping them busy reduces their chances of engaging in criminal activities inside prison. In addition to education and counseling, physical activities such as games and exercise facilities within prison facility can pre-occupy them and reduce violence. According to Godoy (2006), California has over the last 20 years been isolating inmates more and more in a bid to reduce violence in prison and gangs in the community. However, both of what they have been aiming to do has increased tremendously, suggesting their efforts are not rewarded. There are worries that solitary confinement could be making it worse than it was. She further says that majority of the solitary confined inmates are due to be released sometime back into the public, and the only help they get to adapt back to normal life is a few weeks in a local prison, which she says does little or nothing to help them. One has to ask whether the solitary confinement has shaped them or are they still the same people without any change or mentally disturbed. In the Pelican Bay isolation, the only way to get out is through proving to prison wardens and authority that one has not been involved in any gang for a period of not less than six years, or tell everything about your gang, wh ich might take two years. One of the isolated members in the prison says that the place is not designed to rehabilitate but to break down. He says that it made him different, and spiteful (Godoy, 2011). On the other hand, one of the wardens says that it may make prisoners a little mad for sometime, but it has much benefit such as taking people who might be a threat to the public from the streets as well as keeping the other inmates safe. On to the contrary, another of the prison officials who has served for a long time says that solitary confinement, which he referred to as Supermax facility, says that after they put prisoners in the solitary facilities, some behaved even worse. Some of the inmates would spit on them as they passed by, pour urine on them and some would even smear urine and feces on themselves, out of frustration and some out of spitefulness. He clearly says that it made their behavior worse then they were, leaving him to wonder about the effectiveness of the Supermax facility (Luce, 2010). Godoy (2011) cites that currently, solitary confinement has changed in some ways with some regulation about who goes to solitary and for how long. However, she cites that changing the system does not mean changing the inmate, which is supposed to be the aim of the solitary cell. It has now been made clear that putting inmates in isolation is not going to work. However, putting the dangerous ones in the general population in prisons is not going to work for them either. Therefore, a balanced approach for such people needs to be used for maximum results. One prison warden says that prisoners he had good terms with while at general population turned out to be the opposite when put in solitary confinement (Burkhead, 2007). He talks of how he was on good terms with some of them until they were taken to the solitary cells where they never talked to him even for a moment, and some become hostile. Once they are in the solitary cell, an attitude of the inmates vs. the prison officers builds u p, where the prisoners feel they are there because of them. The warden further cites that putting the inmates in isolation does not do them any good, and considering that one day they will be neighbors, it does not do the society any good either. Hence, solitary confinement should be rethought (Godoy 2011). It has been proven that inmates who spend much of their time in solitary confinement in prison have a high recidivism rate than those who spend their sentences in general prison population. Many of them are likely to go back for violent crimes again since they suffer lack of tolerance to social interactions, which might trigger abnormal reactions to such interaction (Beck, 1997). Many of the solitary confined inmates are not able to adapt to the social life, and many may end up becoming worse considering the effects they have gone through. More so, many are not able to engage in meaningful work for self-upkeep since they do not like crowded places anymore. The situation is worse for those who may not have families to go to and some may not even be accepted back and end up in crime again. It is not a wish they make, but circumstances force them to look for all ways of surviving. This was found in two studies on prisoners who were freed from solitary confinement in Washington and Texas, where the results showed that they had a higher recidivism rate, and they were most likely to engage in violent crimes (Godoy, 2011). Considering that the need for prison is to rehabilitate such behaviors and ensure the least recidivism rate, solitary confinement seems to be doing hardly anything if not the opposite of its purpose. In reality, solitary confinement largely protects other inmates and guards, and at least, the community until they are released again into the public where they might commit more crime. In a research that interviewed an ex-convict who served 18 years of his 25 years sentence in solitary confinement, it states that the he does not socialize with people since he lost his social skills. He lives with the mother who provides for him and is now taking a welding class, which has not been easy for him since he does not like talking to anybody. More so, he does not talk to anybody, does not go to social places, and has no friends. He says that he is his best companion, and does not need anybody’s company and spends time sitting in the front yard just to look at motorists passing by. His greatest struggle in life is adapting back to the society and the mother says he is not the same person she knew. Godoy (2011) cites that the increase of solitary confinement illustrates a failure of policies used in prison to rehabilitate the inmates. She says that due to the increase of prison population, segregating some has become so widespread, and budgets for prisons are going up everyday making it impossible to provide rehabilitation facilities such as counseling and education. People in solitary confinement require more help than others do considering they are more violent. Instead, solitary confinement does the opposite by putting them in such isolation where no help is accorded, which my make them even worse especially mentally. It is known that prisoners who are offered education and counseling therapy are more likely to refrain from crime ever again since they can make a decent livelihood. However, considering that some might be quite dangerous in prisons, isolation could be helpful to protect the general population, but should not be in an inhumane manner that denies them any intera ction needed for their rehabilitation such as contact with people (Roth, 2006). This way, the prison will not rehabilitate them if there is no provision of such interaction in the solitary cell that allows them to exercise their mind and body. Solitary confinement for such long hours a day for several years makes them insane, which is not part of rehabilitation (O’Keefe Colorado, 2010). When people in segregation cannot bear the harsh conditions and mental disturbances start occurring, self-harm starts to linger in their mind, and some even result to suicide. According to Rodriguez (2011), the rate of suicide in prison is going up, with 70% of those who committed suicide in 2005 being in solitary confinement. More so, he cites that it has been a trend, giving a statistics of 1986 on a study of 401 jails nationally where 2 out of 3 for the prisoners who committed suicide were confined under control units or solitary confinement. In 2007, a study showed that solitary confinement contributed largely to suicidal thoughts of prisoners, where some commit suicide out of the mental condition they are. Some said they heard voices, and lost control of their thought, and this is where suicidal thought comes in. Rodriguez (2011) further affirms that a research carried out in 2006 has indicated that solitary confinement is counter productive and often leads to violence in prison s, and a higher recidivism rate especially for inmates who are released directly from the solitary confinement. The rate was 64% for those who were released directly from solitary confinement to 41%, for those who were taken back to the general population before release. He cites that segregation does not make better people but worse than they were, with mental conditions. Hence, segregation only serves to punish (Roesch Gagnon, 2007). Methodology: Participants To complete this study, a selection of the right participants will have to be made who can provide credible information for best results. The best participants will be the subjects, who in this case are inmates who have had an experience with solitary confinement and those who are released from jail, as well as those who never served in solitary confinement for comparison to how their life inside prison and outside prison differs or correlate. For the subjects, they will be put under observation for a period. Their behaviors will be observed and put down. To assert that solitary confinement has contributed to the condition or behaviors they are in, another group of participants will be taken. This group could be anybody who wishes to volunteer for the purpose of the study. Before they are accepted, their current and past mental health will be taken. After volunteering, they will be put under solitary confinement; the same kind that the inmates go through, for a period of not less th an a few weeks. They will be observed and their behavior as well as mental health will be examined after the confinement for comparison. Other participants will be wardens in the prison who have interacted with the subjects during their solitary confinement in prisons. Their information will give reasons why prisoners are sent to jail and highlight on the behavior of the inmates before entering the solitary confinement and when they leave solitary cells, on whether they behave the same, or what changes are observed? Other participants will be close relatives of the released inmates to give an account of what behaviors the solitary confined take up after they are released from prison. Informed Consent All participants especially volunteers will be informed of all the procedures they will undergo considering they will be put under solitary confinement for some weeks and they may not be released despite their pleas for the sake of the study. The duration will be determined before they are confined. Their mental health before and after the confinement will be kept confidential and under no circumstance unless they so wish, shall their names be mentioned. Hence, their names will only remain with the researchers for their signature of acceptance to confinement. They will be informed of the dangers of such confinement before they are required to sign. There will be informed consent for all the inmates and ex-convicts that their names shall not be used without their consent, and their records will not be used against them, but only for research purposes. Those who wish for their names to appear in the research will have to sign that they agree to such terms. For those who do not wish their names to appear, they will not be required to sign to such terms. However, to prove that such a study took place, their signatures will be required just for that purpose, and their roles will not be mentioned in the research itself. The signatures are to remain with the study group for filing purposes only. The prison wardens will be treated the same way, and their names will not be mentioned in the research unless they want. Names mentioned by prison officials will not be included either in the research unless the particular person agrees. Close relative will also be told of their roles in the research, and any information they may not want appe aring in the research will be reserved Data Collection Data collection will come from the participants. Information about the inmates may be provided by the Planning and Research office, and the Department of Corrections, which can provide the following data: 1) Infractions File: this data file will provide the types of infractions, their dates, and sanctions, as will as offenders. 2) Principle offender file: this provides several details of an offender such as age, ethnicity, sex, current offence, their date of confinement and release, mental conditions, and identity. This is for every incarceration served by the offender, and those who go back to prison have more than one. 3) Movement file: this provides information about offenders location of custody, where they are moved, the movement codes as well as location codes and reasons of movement. More information will come from the prison wardens and officials concerning the records of the inmates. All other information will come from interviews and observations of the confined group. The data from the movement file will be used to identify those who served in Supermax or IMU facilities during their terms, and those still serving their sentence. From this file, the participants to be used will be identified, especially those who are already released. In addition, we can be able to know the amount of time served in solitary confinement as well as release. From the other two files, we are able to know the type of offences the offenders served and past felonies if any. The Questionnaire The study will use open-ended questionnaire as well as closed questions for better results. For the inmates inside solitary cells, the questions will mostly be open to observe their response and relevance to questions in order to observe any signs of unusual mental conditions. Questions could include: Why they are in isolation What is their routine Who they talk to Do they wish to be back to general population What are they finding hard For those who are already released, questions could include: What is the most difficult thing in their life now? Have they been able to make friends? Do they have a stable job? Do they enjoy their freedom and are they happy to interact with people? Why? Have they been accepted? What was their hardest thing in solitary confinement or what could they not stand after solitary confinement? Other participants will only find observations of the inmates who were isolated from others and tell of the changes they observed in them. For the volunteers, the questions will resemble the one above and observation from the researcher. Their behavior will be compared with their previous behavior. References Beck, A. (1997). Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1983. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Burkhead, M. D. (2007). The treatment of criminal offenders: A history. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. fortunecity.com. (n.d.). Criminal Behavior – Contributing Factors throughout Life. Retrieved from http://members.fortunecity.com/smashx14/criminal.html Godoy, M. (2006). Solitary Confinement the Law. Retrieved from NPR.org. Grassian, S. (n.d.). Psychiatric Effects of Solitary Confinement. Journal of Law Policy, 22, 325-347. Haney, C. (2003). Mental health issues in long-term solitary and â€Å"Supermax† Confinement. Crime and Delinquency, 49 (1), 124-156. Kurki, L. Morris, N. (2001). The purposes, practices, and problems of supermax prisons. Crime and Justice, 28, 385-424. Lenzner, E. (2006). Solitary Confinement: How Effective Is It? Retrieved from npr.org/about/press/060725.solitary.html Lovell, D., Cloyes, K., Allen, D. Rhodes, R. (2000). Who lives in super-maximum custody? A Washington State study. Federal Probation, 64 (2), 33-38. Lovell, D., Johnson, C. (n.d.). Felony and Violent Recidivism among Supermax Prison Inmates in Washington State: A Pilot Study. University of Washington: Department of Psychosocial Community Health. Luce, P. (2010). Effectiveness of solitary confinement discussed at hearing. Retrieved from delcotimes.com/articles/2010/08/03/news/doc4c57850907033292831638.txt?viewmode=fullstory Mears, D. (2008). An Assessment of Supermax Prisons Using an Evaluation Research Framework. The Prison Journal, 88 (1), 43-68. O’Keefe, M. L., Colorado. (2010). One year longitudinal study of the psychological effects of administrative segregation. Colorado Springs, Colo: Colorado Department of Corrections, Office of Planning and Analysis. Rodriguez, S. (2011). Fact Sheet: Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement. Retrieved from solitarywatch.com Roesch, R., Gagnon, N. (2007). Psychology and law: Criminal and civil perspectives. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Roth, M.P. (2006). Prisons and prison systems: a global encyclopedia. London: Greenwood Publishing Group Sharon, S. (2010). Former Prisoners Describe Psychiatric Toll of Solitary Confinement. Retrieved from mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/11095/Default.aspx Siegel, L.J. (2009). Introduction to Criminal Justice. New York, NY: Criminal Justice Department of New York. Wright, M. (2011). Criminal Rehabilitation – Working Towards a Better Life for Inmates and Their Families. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Criminal-Rehabilitation- Working-Towards-A-Better-Life-For-Inmates-And-Their-Familiesid=455250 Yost, P., Knobil, M., Coyote, P., Auster, A., Dubrino, J. (2010). Solitary confinement. Washington, DC: National Geographic Channel