From Persecution to Prison - Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

imprisoned in their country of origin, 59% reported that a family memberor friend had been murdered, and 26% reported having been sexuallyassaulted.The median length of detention at the time of interview was 5 months(range 1 month to 4 1 / 2 years). As of April 2003, 40 individuals (57%) havebeen granted asylum in the United States. Four other individuals weregiven relief (i.e., granted protection under the UN Convention AgainstTorture or allowed to travel to another country where they were grantedasylum). Final asylum decisions are still pending for 12 individuals, andfourteen individuals’ cases (20%) have been denied, including appeals.Among the 40 individuals granted asylum in the US, the median length ofdetention was 7 months (mean: 10 months; range: 2 months to 3 1 / 2 years).Summary of Findings1. Poor and Worsening Mental HealthThe findings of this study indicate that the psychological health ofdetained asylum seekers is extremely poor and worsens the longer asylumseekers remain in detention. Detention appears to be a substantial contributingfactor to this psychological distress. Rates of anxiety, depressionand PTSD symptoms were extremely high among detained asylum seekers.Clinically significant symptoms of depression were present in 86% ofdetainees, anxiety was present in 77%, and PTSD in 50%. Further, studydoctors documented that these levels of psychological distress worsened asthe length of detention increased. While more than half (58%) of the asylumseekers interviewed reported having poor psychological health at thetime that they fled their country, 70% stated that overall their mentalhealth had worsened substantially while in detention.The testimonies of the detained asylum seekers in this study powerfullyarticulate how detention harmed their mental health and highlight severaldimensions of this harm. Confinement and the loss of liberty profoundlydisturbed asylum seekers and triggered feelings of isolation, powerlessnessand disturbing memories of persecution that asylum seekers suffered intheir countries of origin. Asylum seekers were treated as criminals, ademeaning status, even though they were not convicted of any crime. Thelength of time in jail and uncertainty of its duration contributed to thedeterioration of mental health. Even when conditions were relativelygood, the experience haunted them. Approximately one quarter of thestudy participants reported suicidal thoughts while in detention. Two individualsreported having attempted suicide. Even those who won releasewere burdened with continued symptoms from their INS imprisonment.Asylum seekers poignantly described symptoms of depression, anxietyand PTSD that they were experiencing while in detention. Many recalledthe onset of mental health conditions in their homeland after torture orEXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5
persecution, yet most emphasized how detention had aggravated thesesymptoms. A 27-year-old man who was arrested and beaten in his countryof origin because of his political associations, and witnessed his father’smurder, reported the following:This place makes me think a lot about what happened to me in mycountry. I am not free and this reminds me of when I was in prison inmy country... I think too much about whether I am going to be sentback to my country and there I face death… I try not to think a lotabout what happened, but I can’t control it. When I think about whathappened, I feel weak and hopeless… I’m depressed in here and I feeleverything is getting worse.One detainee was a young woman from West Africa whose husbandwas tortured in prison as a result of his political beliefs. After he fled to theUS, she was raped on three occasions by soldiers who were searching forher husband. When she came to the US to join him, she was placed indetention.Since being in detention, I think more and more about the rape. Ithink about being with my husband and having freedom. Here I amlocked up, and every day is the same. And I’m thinking about what happenedto me…I keep seeing those people and what happened to me.She was held in detention for 9 months, before being released andallowed to apply to share her husband’s asylee status.Detained asylum seekers found their prison environment and beingtreated as a criminal extremely stressful. Many detainees attributed theirpoor mental health to this criminalization. For example, one detained asylumseeker said:It was a big surprise to come here and be put in jail even though Inever killed anyone or did anything bad…. I had high hopes when Icame here but my first experience at the airport was to be handcuffed,made to wear a prisoner’s uniform and I became shocked… since thattime, my health has worsened.This detainee lamented his complete disconnection from the outsideworld.Since I am in detention – till now I never see the sky – only when Ihad to go out one time to see a dentist. Not outside- Everything isinside- no windows. Since coming here, I never see the moon, I never seethe sun. I never saw outside. Even outdoor recreation is inside. It makesyou crazy and gives you too much trouble.Another asylum seeker was a young woman who was persecuted in hercountry of origin because of her religion. Forced to flee her village, shewitnessed the murders of family members, and experienced beatings and6 FROM PERSECUTION TO PRISON
Page 2 and 3: From Persecution to Prison:The Heal
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTSAcknowledgements . . . . .
Page 6: The Bellevue/NYU Program for Surviv
Page 9 and 10: don, Miranda Ip, and Meriam Alrashi
Page 11 and 12: Significant symptoms of depression
Page 13: Detained asylum seekers participati
Page 17 and 18: In many facilities, the response to
Page 19 and 20: years in detention, she finally got
Page 21 and 22: abuse For example, while being take
Page 23 and 24: They didn’t let me use the phone
Page 25 and 26: intensely personal events they had
Page 27 and 28: Limitations of this study include t
Page 29 and 30: Non-governmental organizations serv
Page 31 and 32: 22 FROM PERSECUTION TO PRISON
Page 33 and 34: the late 1990s ranging from 10 to 7
Page 35 and 36: Historical BackgroundFor most of th
Page 37 and 38: international standards with the 19
Page 39 and 40: apply for asylum make up the majori
Page 41 and 42: tion judge. 57 Yet in many parts of
Page 43 and 44: York and Newark, New Jersey has had
Page 45 and 46: trict began denying parole to them
Page 47 and 48: Correctional Facility in 2000. “[
Page 49 and 50: men of which 750 were detained on i
Page 51 and 52: from that same country from seeking
Page 53 and 54: Detention Facilities in this StudyF
Page 55 and 56: high reliability in numerous langua
Page 57 and 58: 48 FROM PERSECUTION TO PRISON
Page 59 and 60: York County Prison in York Pennsylv
Page 61 and 62: TABLE 2:Demographic Characteristics
Page 63 and 64: TABLE 4:Prevalence of Pre-Migration
Page 65 and 66:
on a part time basis, researchers w
Page 67 and 68:
Case #1(DK): “Loneliness and Fear
Page 69 and 70:
TABLE 6:Hopkins Symptom Checklist-2
Page 71 and 72:
TABLE 8:Harvard Trauma Questionnair
Page 73 and 74:
think such services were available.
Page 75 and 76:
When I am talking to you now it is
Page 77 and 78:
After being granted asylum and rele
Page 79 and 80:
“Being here is like going through
Page 81 and 82:
In my country even though I became
Page 83 and 84:
how long they were there - six mont
Page 85 and 86:
Thoughts of SuicideSeveral asylum s
Page 87 and 88:
here?’ I told the doctor, they br
Page 89 and 90:
Another subject reported a positive
Page 91 and 92:
substantial distance from their att
Page 93 and 94:
eported that her experience in dete
Page 95 and 96:
86 FROM PERSECUTION TO PRISON
Page 97 and 98:
e somatic manifestations of the psy
Page 99 and 100:
Case #2 (JG): “Health Care in Cha
Page 101 and 102:
TABLE 11:Detainee Perceptions of He
Page 103 and 104:
TABLE 13:Availability and Quality o
Page 105 and 106:
detainees, or because they did not
Page 107 and 108:
Difficulty Obtaining Specialized Ca
Page 109 and 110:
Another detained asylum seeker repo
Page 111 and 112:
One detainee who speaks French and
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Detention Facilities in this StudyS
Page 117 and 118:
even though many reported having ex
Page 119 and 120:
CASE #3 (HN): “SOLITARY CONFINEME
Page 121 and 122:
Here, I’m scared. In [the detenti
Page 123 and 124:
emote control and watch what he wan
Page 125 and 126:
Whenever someone misbehaves, they t
Page 127 and 128:
This subject was himself threatened
Page 129 and 130:
One detainee reported several incid
Page 131 and 132:
Some Process Exists to Respond to R
Page 133 and 134:
There were no witnesses other than
Page 135 and 136:
tion. An INS officer said they put
Page 137 and 138:
There is an Anglican minister who c
Page 139 and 140:
The dentists didn’t explain anyth
Page 141 and 142:
tion between dental age and chronol
Page 143 and 144:
Case #4 (LK): “Fifteen-Year-Old G
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
TABLE 16:Treatment/Abuses Reported
Page 149 and 150:
“There is no political asylum her
Page 151 and 152:
I was crying. I was so afraid with
Page 153 and 154:
save her life, but was not able to
Page 155 and 156:
Case #5 (CR): “Begging for Mercy
Page 157 and 158:
ehind and told me to sign. He physi
Page 159 and 160:
days and it is now 2 years and four
Page 161 and 162:
viewers asked for additional inform
Page 163 and 164:
y study participants. In evaluating
Page 165 and 166:
trast, under US law, detention of s
Page 167 and 168:
nation for an asylum determination
Page 169 and 170:
very negative effects of detention
Page 171 and 172:
authority to grant asylum and with
Page 173 and 174:
absconding.” 250 Since the passag
Page 175 and 176:
said “[F]reedom from imprisonment
Page 177 and 178:
Standards relevant to this study ar
Page 179 and 180:
“detained person” generally as
Page 181 and 182:
which they are charged and a fair h
Page 183 and 184:
esponse to substantial public press
Page 185 and 186:
specified procedures, provided they
Page 187 and 188:
PunishmentThe Detention Standard on
Page 189 and 190:
any time the detainee complains.”
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
while in detention, thus adding to
Page 195 and 196:
Establish a Uniform National Parole
Page 197 and 198:
that effect. These officers should
Page 199 and 200:
Besides their inaccuracy, these exa
Page 201 and 202:
friends so asylum seekers can maint
Page 203 and 204:
appropriate staffing of such groups
Page 205 and 206:
efugees and asylum seekers who win
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
of thorough documentation. However,
Page 211 and 212:
Human development is complex and di
Page 213 and 214:
18. Country from which fleeing pers
Page 215 and 216:
9. Being close to death.10. Forced
Page 217 and 218:
Complete for each health problem:5.
Page 219 and 220:
Explain:(Interviewer: Write brief n
Page 221 and 222:
2. Depression SymptomsA How much we
Page 223 and 224:
B. You said that you have experienc
Page 225 and 226:
Explain:13. How was your physical h
Page 227 and 228:
Yes ...........1No............22. W
Page 229 and 230:
Explain:20. At the time of your arr
show all

From Persecution to Prison - Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?