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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

TABLE 10:Mental Health Services While in INS Detention (N=70)Item Yes NoNumber (%) Number (%)Wanted counseling for feelings of sadness, 48 (69) 22(31)nervousness or difficulty sleeping while in detentionOf those who wanted counseling (n=48), received 6 (13) 39 (87)counseling from mental health professional providedby the detention facility (n=45 respondents)Of those who wanted counseling (n=48), 12 (29) 31 (72)requested counseling (n=43 respondents)Reasons cited for not requesting counseling(n=27 respondents)Did not think counseling was available 22(81)Lacked confidence in services provided at facility 2(7)Did not feel comfortable talking with detention 3(11)facility staffOf those who requested counseling (n=12) received 6(50) 6(50)counseling provided by the facilityWanted medication for feelings of sadness, 33(49) 34(51)(n=67 respondents)Of those who wanted medication (n=33), 19(58) 14(42)received medicationOf those who wanted medication (n=33), 20(61) 13(39)requested medicationOf those who requested medication, (n=20) 16(80) 4(20)received medicationAnother detainee reported that since being in INS detention, his traumasymptoms have “become much worse.” He feels that being in detention iscontributing significantly to his anxiety.I have difficulty falling asleep. I lie on my bed with my eyes open, thinkingabout my life, my future. Finally, I fall asleep at about 2:00 a.m., andoften I have bad dreams. I dream I’m being arrested, beaten, tortured. Iget up from my bed sweating. I have nightmares almost every night.Another asylum seeker vividly described his depression and anxietysymptoms:MENTAL HEALTH OF DETAINED ASYLUM SEEKERS 65
When I am talking to you now it is as if you are shaking, (he said whilewaving his hand back and forth to express the motion he sees). WhenI’m nervous, I shiver from the inside and sweat… When I’m doingsomething and then it comes to my mind that I’m in prison and I don’tknow what will happen to me, I feel as if my heart… it starts pumpingvery fast. I feel like someone who just received a message that his relativedied…When I think of all these things I’m going through, I feel sorestless I don’t want anyone to come near me.Extreme agitation was a common symptom, echoed by an asylumseeker, who believed her psychological health had “become much worse”during her time in detention:Too much anger, I talk a lot now, [I am] agitated, nightmares are worse.I can’t remember things anymore; it’s becoming a blur. [I am] alwaysfrightened.A victim of torture described how the feeling of being trapped left himwith trouble sleeping, headaches, restlessness and recurrent nightmares.He now trembles frequently. “I never had this problem before,” he said.Many candidly described the onset of symptoms in their homelandafter torture or persecution. Yet most emphasized how detention hadaggravated the symptoms. For example, one detainee was a young womanfrom West Africa whose husband was tortured in prison as a result of hispolitical beliefs. After he fled to the US, she was raped on three occasionsby soldiers who were searching for her husband. When she came to the USto join him, she was placed in detention.Since being in detention, I think more and more about the rape. I thinkabout being with my husband and having freedom. Here I am lockedup, and every day is the same. And I’m thinking about what happenedto me…I keep seeing those people and what happened to me.After 9 months in detention she was released and allowed to apply toshare her husband’s asylee status.One subject came to the US after having been brutally raped in amakeshift cell, where he was being held by politically motivated kidnappers.After 3 months of detention, he said,I feel a relief that it’s well-lit and safe here, compared to my country. Butthis is a jail, nevertheless… [I am] worried about the term of my detention…You’ve replaced one disease with another one.Three months later, this detainee reported his mental state had significantlyworsened.It is terrible. I can’t explain why I’m detained. You are a victim [in this situation]...when I first came here I thought it’s where they protect people,66 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 and 14:
Detained asylum seekers participati
Page 15 and 16:
persecution, yet most emphasized ho
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 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: think such services were available.
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 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 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:
136 FROM PERSECUTION TO PRISON
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 ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?