Greece :: essays research papers

Greece has an area of 50,949 square miles and is located at the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The area of Greece is approximately the same as that of England or the U.S. state of Alabama. Greece is located in Southern Europe between Albania and Turkey. The country is bordered to the west by the Ionian Sea, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the east by the Aegean Sea; only to the north and northeast does it have land borders. The basically Mediterranean climate of Greece is subject to a number of regional and local variations occasioned by the country’s physical diversity. The people of Greece usually experience mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. In all seasons, especially in summer, the quality of light is one of Greece’s most appealing attractions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Greek landscape is conspicuous not only for its beauty but also for its complexity and variety. Greece is dominated by three elements: the sea, mountains, and the lowland. Arms and inlets of the sea penetrate deeply so that only a small, wedge-shaped portion of the interior mainland is more than fifty miles from the coast. Islands make up roughly eighteen percent of the territory of modern Greece. Approximately eighty percent of Greece is mountain terrain, much of it deeply dissected. A series of mountain chains on the Greek mainland enclose narrow parallel valleys and numerous small basins that once held lakes. The last dominant feature of the Greek landscape is the lowland. The lowland makes up about twenty percent of the land area and it has played an important role in the life of the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Approximately eleven million people live in Greece today. All but a very small part of the population belong to the Church of Greece (Greek Orthodox Church). The Muslim minority, which constitutes most of the non-Orthodox group, is mainly Turkish. Roman and Greek Catholics account for the rest, except for a few thousand adherents of Protestant churches and of Judaism. In terms of ethnic composition, Greeks make up all but a small part of the total, the remainder being composed of Macedonians, Turks, Albanians, Bulgarians, Armenians, and Gypsies. Despite a rapid rate of growth in the post-World War II period, Greece’s economy is one of the least developed in the European Union (EU). Rates of productivity remain low in both the agricultural and industrial sectors, and the development of the country’s economy has lagged behind that of its EU partners. Greece :: essays research papers Greece has an area of 50,949 square miles and is located at the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The area of Greece is approximately the same as that of England or the U.S. state of Alabama. Greece is located in Southern Europe between Albania and Turkey. The country is bordered to the west by the Ionian Sea, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the east by the Aegean Sea; only to the north and northeast does it have land borders. The basically Mediterranean climate of Greece is subject to a number of regional and local variations occasioned by the country’s physical diversity. The people of Greece usually experience mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. In all seasons, especially in summer, the quality of light is one of Greece’s most appealing attractions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Greek landscape is conspicuous not only for its beauty but also for its complexity and variety. Greece is dominated by three elements: the sea, mountains, and the lowland. Arms and inlets of the sea penetrate deeply so that only a small, wedge-shaped portion of the interior mainland is more than fifty miles from the coast. Islands make up roughly eighteen percent of the territory of modern Greece. Approximately eighty percent of Greece is mountain terrain, much of it deeply dissected. A series of mountain chains on the Greek mainland enclose narrow parallel valleys and numerous small basins that once held lakes. The last dominant feature of the Greek landscape is the lowland. The lowland makes up about twenty percent of the land area and it has played an important role in the life of the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Approximately eleven million people live in Greece today. All but a very small part of the population belong to the Church of Greece (Greek Orthodox Church). The Muslim minority, which constitutes most of the non-Orthodox group, is mainly Turkish. Roman and Greek Catholics account for the rest, except for a few thousand adherents of Protestant churches and of Judaism. In terms of ethnic composition, Greeks make up all but a small part of the total, the remainder being composed of Macedonians, Turks, Albanians, Bulgarians, Armenians, and Gypsies. Despite a rapid rate of growth in the post-World War II period, Greece’s economy is one of the least developed in the European Union (EU). Rates of productivity remain low in both the agricultural and industrial sectors, and the development of the country’s economy has lagged behind that of its EU partners.

Medicine Sketch Essay

‘That service is the noblest which is rendered for its own sake’. — Mahatma Gandhi. Human’s existence on the earth is always full of great pleasures and sorrows, strengths and weaknesses and health and illnesses, like the day and the night these happenings are inherent in everyone’s life cycle. It is silver lining that there are noble people who work all their lives to mitigate the sufferings of the others. Among them, the profession of medicine is perhaps most respected for their service to society. My desire to become a doctor dates back to when I was in Preparatory School. Although as a young child, I did not quite understand what doctors essentially do. My desire heightened by the numerous amounts of sick people I came across. As I grew up, I steadily understood what it entailed being a doctor and that strengthened my desire even more. When I was nine years old, my grandfather suffered from Lung cancer. This resulted in my mother making endless t rips to the hospital to visit him. Occasionally, she would take me along, and the condition my grandfather was in, mortified me. He always seemed to be in too much pain and as I was young and eager to learn more, I asked a lot of questions as to uncover why my grandfather was undergoing so much pain. My mother always tried to encourage me, by telling me that the doctors will make sure that my grandfather pulls through his sickness. This gave me some sense of hope and made me believe that doctors always saved life. That is when my dream of becoming a doctor started as I was pestering my mother with many questions concerning being a doctor. I want to become a doctor to be able to help people who are less fortunate in society. This reason is inspired by the plight of people who live in Jamaica and are not able to afford the funds to seek quality medical care. In addition, Jamaica is usually susceptible to diseases. Those affected most are small children, and my love and compassion for them makes me want to become a doctor so that I might be able to help them. Many children in Jamaica need to undergo surgery but because their parents lack funds to support them, they spend the rest of their life suffering in pain. I believe in being courteous to fellow human beings, and since God wants us to love and care for one another, I want to become a doctor so that I can make people with such illness smile their brightest and warmest smile again. Upon completing 60hrs of community service at the Black River Hospital and 118.5 hrs at Thames Medical Center, the sight of the patients suffering has strengthened my hearts yearning to do my part in society to help individuals in great anguish. I would like to dedicate my life to the service of helping the sick and suffering, by becoming a doctor I would fulfill this unfathomable desire. I would like to help relieve the sufferings and pain of mankind not only as a healer, but also as a friend, supporting them in their toughest moments, and as a mentor, guiding them to live healthy lifestyles. Becoming a doctor would help me to strive to make the life of others better and healthier. Doctors are meant to be selfless, in a position to serve people without being greedy for money as it is a form of giving back to society.

Father Quigley(TM)s sermon and the presentation of religion

Look again at chapter 4 in: The lonely passion of Judith Hearne and concentrate on Father Quigley's sermon and the presentation of religion. Analysing Moore's narrative methods and themes, consider in what ways this extract reveals Moore's negative attitude to organised religion. Relate your findings to the rest of the novel. Brian Moore a successful Irish novelist who was born into a privileged middle class Roman Catholic family in Belfast, on the 25th August1921. Moore is one of nine children who had a strict Roman Catholic upbringing; his two brothers are doctors and his father a successful surgeon and head of Catholic hospital. Moore remembers his father as a man who would not â€Å"tolerate failure†1. Moore went to school at Saint Malachy's College; he once described his school as a â€Å"priest factory†2 showing his displeasure for regimented organised religion. Moore confessed to becoming within a â€Å"hairs breath of being a failure,†3 as he could not pass his maths exam to follow in his father and brothers footsteps. He was a university drop-out and realised early in life that he was an atheist4. He portrayed failure and his displeasure for religion and Belfast, through the characters and descriptive language used in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, written in (1955). He depicts Belfast as drab and shows us his hatred for Belfast bigotry for example, † drab facades of the buildings proclaiming the virtues of trade, hard dealing and Presbyterian righteousness,†5 he also describes Belfast as, â€Å"the protestant dearth of gaiety, the protestant surfeit of order, the dour Ulster burghers walking proudly among monuments to their mediocrity. 6 However it is Moore's negative evaluation of the Catholic Church, as personified by the interpretation of Father Quigley, which truly displays his repugnance for religion and the society that shapes it. In this novel set in the 1950s Belfast, Brian Moore closely relates to the recurrent theme of religion, he shows his distaste through the despa ir and escalating loss of faith suffered by the lonely spinster Judith Hearne, (who secretly turns to alcohol to appease her). Judith's cherished possessions and religious influences are the picture of her Aunt Darcy and the painting of The Sacred Heart. They are watchfully set out wherever she lives and instil authority, security and judge her life. Moore very skilfully uses omniscient narration and also invades Judith's stream of consciousness to give us insight to her inner thoughts and to the other characters of this novel. He reveals through the dual voice of the characters his sympathies for Judith; also Father Quigley's stern approaches and his hatred for a religious society that he left behind. However this is particularly more evident in the role that the Catholic Church played, in forming his negative attitude towards organised religion. Moore continuously reveals religion of all descriptions very negatively, for example according to Donoghue he hates Belfast â€Å"such is his bitterness that the bitterness applies to all aspects of religion; the personal and institutional†7 and also quoted by Sullivan, â€Å"my bitterness against the Catholic Church, my bitterness against the bigotry in Northern Ireland, my feelings about the narrowness of life there. â€Å"8 this reveals that Moore is not eager to live in Belfast culture again and hates everything its represents. The themes of loneliness and despair have been introduced by the beginning of chapter four, Belfast, its society and surroundings have been revealed in belittling terms. Religion is a constant theme within the novel and Moore sets the scene as Judith gets ready for Sunday Mass, the best part of the week. â€Å"She sets loneliness aside on a Sunday morning,†9 Judith approaches Sunday as a social occasion to see her friends the O'Neil's and also a day out to meet other Catholics who conformed and attended Mass. Judith never really joined any good causes within the church she followed in her Aunt Darcy's footsteps, â€Å"Church affairs tend to put one in contact with all sorts of people whom one would prefer not to know socially. â€Å"10 Moore reveals that religion is a comfort to Judith, a social interaction and a routine. â€Å"Gods ways were not our ways,†11 this reveals to the reader the negative attitude Moore has on the teachings of the Catholic Church. This view is further backed up with Madden and his unrighteous thoughts of lust for Mary the night before. Madden is more concerned with keeping his trousers clean from the dusty boards in church, and receiving absolution for his sins, than he is with worshipping god. Moore presents Catholicism in a very negative light; he depicts Maddens character to show us that many Roman Catholics see religion as insurance and a way to get forgiveness to enter heaven. Moore uses the regimented way in which father Quigley criticises his congregation to reveal, according to Donoghue â€Å"the whole catholic system whose failings one man is made to embody. 12 Moore describes Father Quigley as â€Å"shuffling†13 and â€Å"peering†14 as he makes a hasty entrance to the altar. The haste of his arrival is portrayed by the altar boys who â€Å"scuttled†15 to keep up with his swift entrance. He is further described as a tall and terribly stern man with accusing â€Å"long spatulate fingers. â€Å"16 Moore uses repetitiveness and the priests patronising narrative tone to demonstrate his misgivings of the Catholic Church. The sermon itself emphasised regimented routine, not the worship of god, as father Quigley rushed through and â€Å"mumbled the opening prayers,†17 showing no respect. The parishioners also had the same sense of haste and lack of respect, â€Å"latecomers jostled, whispered and shuffled†18 revealing the diverse absence of secularism amidst the â€Å"noise and confusion. â€Å"19 It would appear that Moore's use of pathetic fallacy heightens the mood, as the weather darkens the room â€Å"the priest's white and gold vestments shone brightly out of the murk above his congregation. â€Å"20 Moore felt this is â€Å"Like many attitudes of Irish priests, he takes the best seat in the room and considers everything to be in his due†. 21. Stood like a â€Å"watchdog†22 and â€Å"his nostrils flare like a horse. â€Å"23 To the reader this reveals he is like an owl seeking his prey, in for the kill, as he hurled abuse at his parishioners, shouting repetitively. â€Å"I mean you people up there.. , I mean coming in late.. , I mean young boys and girls dirtying up the seats.. , I mean the shocking attitude of the parishioners.. ,†24 it sounds like he is threatening the parishioners with eternal damnation â€Å"if you don't have time for god he will have no time for you. â€Å"25Mass is supposed to be a celebration to God. Moore reveals the paradox of Father Quigley's angry outburst as a contradiction, â€Å"if not a caricature, and a combination of all the worst defects observed imaginable in a Roman Catholic Priest. â€Å"26 Moore further subjects the reader to the belief that the Roman Catholic religion is controlling; he once again uses Father Quigley's embittered tone, as he tells the congregation they have â€Å"plenty of money! Plenty of time! Plenty of time. â€Å"27 He roars out â€Å"drinking the pubs dry.. Football matches.. Naked.. and foreign dances.. instead of ceildhes. 28 Moore reveals the priest is more interested in telling the congregation off for doing worldly activities, instead of putting their money in the collection plate. This seems to show preaching the word of God is secondary, the relief he offers from these immoral sins are an empty church and â€Å"sodality meeting for men and Children of Mary devotions for women†29. Moore may also be trying to emphasis the social control of the church on the faithful. Father Quigley tries to threaten his parishioners with â€Å"everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. â€Å"30 He further accuses his parishioners of leaving the â€Å"House of God empty. 31 According to Roman Catholic faith god is supposed to live in the gate behind the â€Å"tabernacle door. â€Å"32 In the final chapters of the novel we recall Judith's crisis almost like a nervous breakdown, when she tells the reader â€Å"what good of anything unless it's more than bread. â€Å"33 Moore presents us with Judith's loss of faith as she attacks the tabernacle; this may indeed support his own atheist approach to â€Å"the world is indeed secular and empty that the world can hold its void. â€Å"34 Moore uses Judith actions to reveal his lack of belief, also Father Quigley's inability to help Judith in her time of crisis. The only thing the priest can say is â€Å"you should be on your bended knee, praying for forgiveness. A terrible terrible thing! â€Å"35 and even Father Quigley rejects her cry for help. â€Å"He heaps on penitence and guilt where forgiveness and grace are needed. â€Å"36 Moore reveals he was helpless â€Å"Shepherd, he looked at his sheep. What ails here? Priest, he could not communicate with his parishioner. No Father Quigley said, â€Å"I don't know what you are talking about,†37 revealing that he could not grasp the situation. He can not understand her loss of faith and he can not deal with it, even as another sympathetic human being. He was more worried about the protestant taxi driver seeing Judith out of control and in a state of drunkenness. Moore's attitude to religion throughout The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne relentlessly reveals to the reader that he is not a religious person. He denounces all forms of Belfast bigotry its society and religion, almost like he is biased against Catholicism, to be critical of this it is only his side of the story. His bitterness and religious themes also applies to other novels he has written, such as Black Robe38 and Cold Heaven. 9 Moore reveals his negative feelings for organised religion both Roman Catholic and Protestant, suggesting 1950s religion was a frightening experience. Part of the reasons for these hatreds may have evolved from, As Patricia Craig tartly observes, â€Å"the fact that the family happened to live bang opposite the local Orange Order headquarters, topped by a statue of King Billy brandishing his sword,† ‘probably helped to keep their sectarian instincts up to the mark. † It may also have been the strict catholic upbringing in which Brian had to endure and also simply the troubles and life at that time.

Different Treatment Organizations in Prisons

There are various treatment programs in prisons that I have discovered by contacting several organizations. I will described a wide range of programs offered to inmates that help target special needs such as education, behavioral change, spiritual awareness, vocational training, parenting classes, HIV prevention, and drug education. I will describe each treatment programs that I have found and discuss the purposes of each program. A program called the Volunteer Prison Education Program was launched in July 1997 at the Rikers Island Prison. I called and spoke with Joan Bloomgarden, who described this program as a quality educational experience to inmates who would otherwise not have access to learning. This unique program involves volunteer educators to motivate inmates to help themselves, their families and one another to create a learning community within the prison system. The purpose of this program is to promote positive behavioral change, assist in prevention of crime, work cooperatively with prosecutors, and to actively involve the families of inmates in crime prevention. Courses offered are Child Development, Understanding Your Anger, Art Education in Prison: Toward Enhancing Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution: Practical Exploration, Basic Understanding of Money Management, and Basic Eye Care. I contacted The Prison SMART Foundation Incorporated and spoke with Thomas Duffy, who was able to provide me information regarding their unique stress management and rehabilitative training program delivered to hardened criminals in U. S prisons. The purpose of this program is to teach the proper breathing techniques to help inmates reduce and manage their stress levels in order to help them think more clearly and to help them think about their actions. Taught by Prison SMART Foundation volunteers, this 6 to 10 day program utilizes advanced yoga breathing exercises and is based on the dynamic cleansing effects of the breath on the body and mind. As a result, they enjoy increased self-esteem and self-empowerment. Thousands who have completed the Prison SMART Foundation's stress management programs are living proof. Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated in this program are easier to handle and exhibit less acting out in confrontational situations. I contacted the Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries based in Kirkland, WA, and spoke with Greg Von Tobel, to learn more information about programs offered to inmates. Prisoners For Christ services include: Church Services and Bible Studies, Two Year Bible Study Correspondence Course, One to One Visitation Outreach, Pen Pal Outreach, Special Projects Outreach, Literature, Heart to Heart Christmas Giving Program, Wives Outreach, Parent Outreach, Van Transportation Outreach, and Northwest Transitional Housing. The purposes of these services are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the jails, prisons, and juvenile centers of the Northwest. In addition, Prisoners For Christ work with the men, women, and children who are incarcerated to become fully functioning, tax paying citizens and to assist their families. Statistics shows that last year alone, 16,326 inmates (men, women, and youth) attended these programs in 19 different institutions. About 6% of inmates made their first time commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to learn about several other types of treatment programs offered in prisons, so I contacted the California Department of Corrections. They have implemented several programs designed to benefit both the inmates and the public. I will briefly describe each of these programs and the purpose each one offers. The Joint Venture Program, opened its doors in 1991, where private employers can contract with the California Department of Corrections to set up their businesses on prison grounds and hire inmate workers at competitive wages. This gives inmates the ability to provide economical benefits such as providing restitution to victims, becoming taxpayers, paying support to families, compensate costs for their incarceration, and mandatory savings to provide funds after release from prison. The social benefits are the ability to develop good work habits, gain job experience, decrease inmate idleness, and to return to society motivated and skilled adults. The Mother Infant Program is designed to help mothers reestablish bonds with their children, teach them valuable skills, and prepare them to return to society as working adults. Parenting classes, pre-employment training, and drug education classes are offered to help build better parenting relationships and brighter futures for inmates while they serve their time. In parenting classes, they learn how to talk and relate to their children and how to discipline effectively. Both mothers and children may also receive counseling. In pre-employment training, they gain practical information about applying, landing and keeping a job. Since the majority of the mothers have had some sort of chemical dependency in the past, they also attend drug education classes. The classes are geared to keep them from returning to their old habits, make them aware of the dangers of drug addiction, and show them how drugs not only impair their lives, but especially their children†s. The California Conservation Camp Program intents to train and use inmates for conservation and development of natural resources. These conservation camps are located in some of the state's most secluded wilderness areas. They provide a large force of trained crews for fire fighting, resource conservation, and emergency assignments as necessary. In addition to fire fighting, other tasks assigned to inmates are graffiti removal, reforestation, levee repair and flood control, pine bark beetle eradication and preservation, illegal dump site cleanup, wildlife habitat rehabilitation, and park and cemetery maintenance. During non-work hours inmates are involved in special projects such as repairing toys for disadvantaged children or on projects with the elderly or disabled. In some camps vocational training programs are available. In others, inmates work on a variety of special projects such as road construction and prison building, which allow them to still learn and strengthen skills. As they repay their debt to society, camp inmates provide a real economic benefit to local communities. In a typical year, they will work 2 million hours on fire fighting and fire prevention. They also will spend almost 6 million hours on conservation projects and community service activities. Those who successfully complete training at prison conservation centers in Northern and Southern California learn how their effectiveness and their lives depend upon discipline and teamwork. When the time comes for parole, inmates have been exposed to good work habits and teamwork in the camp setting. This exposure provides them with a purpose, goals, and a sense of accomplishment in doing a job well done. Computer refurbishing program, launched in 1994, was developed to refurbish used computers for California's K-12 public schools. The California Department of Corrections trains inmates to refurbish donated computers then turns them over to the schools. Currently, the California Department of Corrections is responsible for 60 percent of all refurbished computers placed in California public schools. The donated computer equipment comes in various states of disrepair. Some computers are obsolete for business purposes, others need minor repair and still others can only be used for parts. In the first year, nearly 2,000 refurbished computers made their way to California classrooms. By the end of 1997, 13 prisons had refurbished more than 35,000 computers for California schools, saving them close to $33 million. Through this program, the inmates learn and practice skills that will help prepare them for a future outside prison. I contacted San Quentin State Prison, and spoke to Barry Zack, to find out about any treatment programs offered. One particular program called HIV Prevention Education is required for all men entering the prison. This program offered since 1986, is to help inmates see the personal side to HIV, increase perception of risk, increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and reduce the risk of HIV, STDs, hepatitis and tuberculosis in prison and after release. Since 1991, inmates have received comprehensive peer education training to work as peer educators. The training covers several topics such as public speaking techniques, awareness of alcohol and drugs and their impact on high-risk behaviors, HIV-related multi-cultural awareness, and HIV/AIDS in our society and in the world. About 40 peer educators are trained each year. After training, the peer educators conducts various services such as teaching an HIV prevention orientation class, providing individual counseling, and providing prevention case management. Two different programs are offered to inmates prior to their release from prison. One program is specifically for HIV + inmates and is offered as a two-week, 8 session intervention that includes such topics as self-esteem, health maintenance, community resources, stress management, substance use, legal issues, and barriers to care after release. The other program, conducted two weeks prior to an inmate†s release, offers individual sessions to discuss preventing, acquiring, or transmitting HIV after release from prison. Topics covered include using condoms, avoiding drug and alcohol use, and avoiding needle sharing. I contacted The Federal Bureau of Prisons where they currently operate 42 residential treatment programs with an annual capacity of over 6,000 participants. For the 30 percent of Federal inmates who have a history of moderate to severe substance abuse this program is able to provide drug treatment to all inmates who need it and are willing to accept it. This program offers inmates up to 500 hours of treatment, which focuses on individual responsibility and to deter future criminal behavior. The goal of this program is to help identify, confront, and alter their attitudes, values, and thinking patterns that led them to their criminal behavior and drug or alcohol use. This program includes sessions on Screening and Assessment, Treatment Orientation, Criminal Lifestyle Confrontation, Cognitive Skill Building, Relapse Prevention, Interpersonal Skill Building, and Wellness. I have found these treatment programs to be suitable and adequate. Each organization, I spoke with has concluded that these programs not only offers benefits to the individual but also to society as a whole. There are economic and social benefits that can be gained from these programs that I have just described. I have listed a wide range of programs that help target special needs for inmates that may help deter future criminal behavior. We need these programs to help rehabilitate these inmates while they are serving their time in jail. It has been stressed that jail alone cannot deter a criminal from reoffending. By providing these various programs to inmates, we can help them become drug-free, educated, hard-working individuals prior to being released from prison. Hopefully, whatever program an inmate has participated in can help change their behavioral patterns, which may help reduce the rate of recidivism. Different Treatment Organizations in Prisons There are various treatment programs in prisons that I have discovered by contacting several organizations. I will described a wide range of programs offered to inmates that help target special needs such as education, behavioral change, spiritual awareness, vocational training, parenting classes, HIV prevention, and drug education. I will describe each treatment programs that I have found and discuss the purposes of each program. A program called the Volunteer Prison Education Program was launched in July 1997 at the Rikers Island Prison. I called and spoke with Joan Bloomgarden, who described this program as a quality educational experience to inmates who would otherwise not have access to learning. This unique program involves volunteer educators to motivate inmates to help themselves, their families and one another to create a learning community within the prison system. The purpose of this program is to promote positive behavioral change, assist in prevention of crime, work cooperatively with prosecutors, and to actively involve the families of inmates in crime prevention. Courses offered are Child Development, Understanding Your Anger, Art Education in Prison: Toward Enhancing Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution: Practical Exploration, Basic Understanding of Money Management, and Basic Eye Care. I contacted The Prison SMART Foundation Incorporated and spoke with Thomas Duffy, who was able to provide me information regarding their unique stress management and rehabilitative training program delivered to hardened criminals in U. S prisons. The purpose of this program is to teach the proper breathing techniques to help inmates reduce and manage their stress levels in order to help them think more clearly and to help them think about their actions. Taught by Prison SMART Foundation volunteers, this 6 to 10 day program utilizes advanced yoga breathing exercises and is based on the dynamic cleansing effects of the breath on the body and mind. As a result, they enjoy increased self-esteem and self-empowerment. Thousands who have completed the Prison SMART Foundation's stress management programs are living proof. Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated in this program are easier to handle and exhibit less acting out in confrontational situations. I contacted the Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries based in Kirkland, WA, and spoke with Greg Von Tobel, to learn more information about programs offered to inmates. Prisoners For Christ services include: Church Services and Bible Studies, Two Year Bible Study Correspondence Course, One to One Visitation Outreach, Pen Pal Outreach, Special Projects Outreach, Literature, Heart to Heart Christmas Giving Program, Wives Outreach, Parent Outreach, Van Transportation Outreach, and Northwest Transitional Housing. The purposes of these services are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the jails, prisons, and juvenile centers of the Northwest. In addition, Prisoners For Christ work with the men, women, and children who are incarcerated to become fully functioning, tax paying citizens and to assist their families. Statistics shows that last year alone, 16,326 inmates (men, women, and youth) attended these programs in 19 different institutions. About 6% of inmates made their first time commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to learn about several other types of treatment programs offered in prisons, so I contacted the California Department of Corrections. They have implemented several programs designed to benefit both the inmates and the public. I will briefly describe each of these programs and the purpose each one offers. The Joint Venture Program, opened its doors in 1991, where private employers can contract with the California Department of Corrections to set up their businesses on prison grounds and hire inmate workers at competitive wages. This gives inmates the ability to provide economical benefits such as providing restitution to victims, becoming taxpayers, paying support to families, compensate costs for their incarceration, and mandatory savings to provide funds after release from prison. The social benefits are the ability to develop good work habits, gain job experience, decrease inmate idleness, and to return to society motivated and skilled adults. The Mother Infant Program is designed to help mothers reestablish bonds with their children, teach them valuable skills, and prepare them to return to society as working adults. Parenting classes, pre-employment training, and drug education classes are offered to help build better parenting relationships and brighter futures for inmates while they serve their time. In parenting classes, they learn how to talk and relate to their children and how to discipline effectively. Both mothers and children may also receive counseling. In pre-employment training, they gain practical information about applying, landing and keeping a job. Since the majority of the mothers have had some sort of chemical dependency in the past, they also attend drug education classes. The classes are geared to keep them from returning to their old habits, make them aware of the dangers of drug addiction, and show them how drugs not only impair their lives, but especially their children†s. The California Conservation Camp Program intents to train and use inmates for conservation and development of natural resources. These conservation camps are located in some of the state's most secluded wilderness areas. They provide a large force of trained crews for fire fighting, resource conservation, and emergency assignments as necessary. In addition to fire fighting, other tasks assigned to inmates are graffiti removal, reforestation, levee repair and flood control, pine bark beetle eradication and preservation, illegal dump site cleanup, wildlife habitat rehabilitation, and park and cemetery maintenance. During non-work hours inmates are involved in special projects such as repairing toys for disadvantaged children or on projects with the elderly or disabled. In some camps vocational training programs are available. In others, inmates work on a variety of special projects such as road construction and prison building, which allow them to still learn and strengthen skills. As they repay their debt to society, camp inmates provide a real economic benefit to local communities. In a typical year, they will work 2 million hours on fire fighting and fire prevention. They also will spend almost 6 million hours on conservation projects and community service activities. Those who successfully complete training at prison conservation centers in Northern and Southern California learn how their effectiveness and their lives depend upon discipline and teamwork. When the time comes for parole, inmates have been exposed to good work habits and teamwork in the camp setting. This exposure provides them with a purpose, goals, and a sense of accomplishment in doing a job well done. Computer refurbishing program, launched in 1994, was developed to refurbish used computers for California's K-12 public schools. The California Department of Corrections trains inmates to refurbish donated computers then turns them over to the schools. Currently, the California Department of Corrections is responsible for 60 percent of all refurbished computers placed in California public schools. The donated computer equipment comes in various states of disrepair. Some computers are obsolete for business purposes, others need minor repair and still others can only be used for parts. In the first year, nearly 2,000 refurbished computers made their way to California classrooms. By the end of 1997, 13 prisons had refurbished more than 35,000 computers for California schools, saving them close to $33 million. Through this program, the inmates learn and practice skills that will help prepare them for a future outside prison. I contacted San Quentin State Prison, and spoke to Barry Zack, to find out about any treatment programs offered. One particular program called HIV Prevention Education is required for all men entering the prison. This program offered since 1986, is to help inmates see the personal side to HIV, increase perception of risk, increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and reduce the risk of HIV, STDs, hepatitis and tuberculosis in prison and after release. Since 1991, inmates have received comprehensive peer education training to work as peer educators. The training covers several topics such as public speaking techniques, awareness of alcohol and drugs and their impact on high-risk behaviors, HIV-related multi-cultural awareness, and HIV/AIDS in our society and in the world. About 40 peer educators are trained each year. After training, the peer educators conducts various services such as teaching an HIV prevention orientation class, providing individual counseling, and providing prevention case management. Two different programs are offered to inmates prior to their release from prison. One program is specifically for HIV + inmates and is offered as a two-week, 8 session intervention that includes such topics as self-esteem, health maintenance, community resources, stress management, substance use, legal issues, and barriers to care after release. The other program, conducted two weeks prior to an inmate†s release, offers individual sessions to discuss preventing, acquiring, or transmitting HIV after release from prison. Topics covered include using condoms, avoiding drug and alcohol use, and avoiding needle sharing. I contacted The Federal Bureau of Prisons where they currently operate 42 residential treatment programs with an annual capacity of over 6,000 participants. For the 30 percent of Federal inmates who have a history of moderate to severe substance abuse this program is able to provide drug treatment to all inmates who need it and are willing to accept it. This program offers inmates up to 500 hours of treatment, which focuses on individual responsibility and to deter future criminal behavior. The goal of this program is to help identify, confront, and alter their attitudes, values, and thinking patterns that led them to their criminal behavior and drug or alcohol use. This program includes sessions on Screening and Assessment, Treatment Orientation, Criminal Lifestyle Confrontation, Cognitive Skill Building, Relapse Prevention, Interpersonal Skill Building, and Wellness. I have found these treatment programs to be suitable and adequate. Each organization, I spoke with has concluded that these programs not only offers benefits to the individual but also to society as a whole. There are economic and social benefits that can be gained from these programs that I have just described. I have listed a wide range of programs that help target special needs for inmates that may help deter future criminal behavior. We need these programs to help rehabilitate these inmates while they are serving their time in jail. It has been stressed that jail alone cannot deter a criminal from reoffending. By providing these various programs to inmates, we can help them become drug-free, educated, hard-working individuals prior to being released from prison. Hopefully, whatever program an inmate has participated in can help change their behavioral patterns, which may help reduce the rate of recidivism.

Completing a Synopsis Appraisal of a Qualitative Research Study Article

Completing a Synopsis Appraisal of a Qualitative Research Study - Article Example In this case, they wanted to produce a description of combined experiences and social processes that health care providers within a region in New Zealand have to face while testing the clinical guidelines framework, and at the same time providing their feedback and comments in their use. This is to assess the applicability of the PARIHS framework in nearly all medical situations, which in this particular research is the applicability of the framework in rural health settings. Data was collected through focus group interviews of all 32 participants, which consisted of three focus groups for primary healthcare nurses, one focus group for general practitioners, one for primary healthcare managers, and one focus group for planners or funders (McKillop, et al., 2012). The main findings generated by the research were able to explain the barriers as well as the enabling situations in the implementation of the PARIHS framework based on context of usage, current work culture experienced by the participants, leadership within the work place, and of evaluating the performance of the PARIHS framework in work settings. It was found out that while having a culture of practicing the guidelines as applicable was a strong enabler in the usage of the framework among participants, the lack of a formal or a proper integration plan of said guidelines into actual clinical practice was a major barrier in its adoption in medical settings, suggesting the need of modifying the framework to adjust for the needs of the medical practitioners. Despite this setback the researchers were able to conclude that the PARIHS framework is still an invaluable tool in guiding practitioners on promoting better patient health. Since the research aims to find out information based on working experiences of healthcare providers, in order to control biases and preconceptions about the effectiveness of the

Jetblue airways corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jetblue airways corporation - Research Paper Example The company core values are commitment to safety of its customers and the crewmembers, ensures respect between the passengers and crew members, achieving passion this is by striving to meet the needs of passengers and the crew members and integrity this is by honesty demonstration mutual trust and commitment to JetBlue improvement. The company is ranked tenth in the United States airline by traffic. The company top management is made up of CEO ( David Bager), Rusell Chew and President &COO, Chief Financial Officer, Executive VP and CAO( Edward Barnes), head of legal department and Ex. VP of corporate affairs( James Hnat), Sr VP of customer services(Rob Maruster). Problems/ strategic issues Labor unions contract has been the major complication that the airlines are facing. The labor unions objective is maximizing the welfare of the members thus they end up taking a long period of time negotiating for better remuneration of the members. If the results of the negotiation are below the e xpectation of the labor unions the labor union officials may result in requesting their members to participation in industrial action The cost of fuel and consumption has been rising annually this has been due to increased number of flights and increased oil prices. The level of obesity as also contributed to the high cost of fuel and consumption. ... A chart showing increase in price per gallon A table illustrating increase consumption of fuel as at 31st December 2008 2007 2006 Number of gallons consumed 453000000 444000000 377000000 Total cost of gasoline $1352000000 $929000000 $752000000 Terrorism has been a concern in air security in the United States the congress has taken charge for airlines security.in November 2002 the transportation security administration (TSA) took charge of all the airports. The (TSA) installed detectors of explosives in the airports. Almost all airlines worldwide experience delays in their flights, for one reason or the other. Some of reasons attributed to the delay include, airport congestion, flight maintenance, bad weather conditions, unsafe environment and emergencies on the tarmac. Financial analysis of the company Analysis of the company financial statement is essential in order to ascertain the financial soundness of the company. Under this section we will carry out a ratio analysis in order to analysis the financial health of JetBlue Airways Corporation. Profitability analysis Profitability analysis assist in determining whether the firm has the ability of generating profits on the funds invested. The gross profit margin for the company in April 2009 was 26.18%. This is an indication of the firm returns on costs, as compared to the industry it shows that the firm sales have the highest capability in the industry of generating sales, since the industry gross margin is 22%. Liquidity analysis The company has quick ratio of 0.82 while the recommend ratio is 1:1, therefore, this figure is shows that the company can be able to meet its current obligations as the fall due. This led the

Target Corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Target Corporation - Research Paper Example Upon this foundation, Target is expanding its business operations internationally. It hopes to start retail chains in Canada by 2013. By moving across borders, Target will follow and provide competition for Wal-Mart. Consequently, it will continue to grow and fund additional projects such as expansion through acquisitions. The success of Target is largely attributable to the culture of the organization, which stresses honesty and community (Rowley 145). In this examination of Target Corporation, we hope to accomplish a comprehensive look at the company’s history, financials, capital, reputation, marketing, and future. This all-inclusive view of the company can thus be evaluated in terms of how Target would like to perceive and how the public actually sees Target Corporation as an asset (or a liability) in their communities. Human Capital Target Corporation employs roughly 355,000 employees throughout the United States, who take part in a variety of operational functions such as managing stores, marketing, and customer service (SEC). Employees at Target are generally happy; however, there is some criticism of compensation and benefit packages offered by the company. For instance, it is alleged by labor groups and current employees that Target, based out of Minneapolis, pays less in some cases than their competitor Wal-Mart. does According to a recent survey by UFCW, Target pays entry-level positions a salary of about $6.25 per hour to $8 per hour, depending on qualifications (Serres). This is below- or at-the-market in terms of large retail chains. Therefore, even though Wal-Mart is often the subject of criticisms and community rejection, it seems that Target has a similar pay scheme for low-level employees to their competitor. In terms of benefits, union groups see Target as less equitable than its competitors do. In the early 2000s, Target dropped all health care insurance coverage for part-time workers, while Wal-Mart has maintained its medical plan available to all workers (Serres). However, many employees still agree that it is a better place to work than some other large retail chains, despite the weaknesses in the health care insurance pr ogram. Target’s benefits packages rate high in terms of flexibility for higher-level employees. The 401(k) plans offered by Target considered some of the best in the industry insofar as it matches dollar for dollar up to five percent of contributions made by employees. In addition, Target offers many other programs including the â€Å"Take Charge of Education† program that allows Target credit-card holders to donate 1 percent a year of their purchases to a school of their choice. This is in line with Target’s explicit commitment to the value of family (Rowley 146). Union Involvement Target Corporation is like Wal-Mart in the fact that they are not unionized. In fact, Target sees unionization as a potential threat to their corporate success (Rowley 141). For that reason, the company has published anti-video literature and videos in order to warn their employees about the dangers of a union. Deborah Weinswig, an analyst with Salomon Smith Barney, said that,  "Target is not a union, so it can charge lower prices than other food retailers. In the Northeast, SuperTargets have done extremely well† (Rowley 174). This lends credence to the view that Target would be negatively affected by a unionization of its employees. These efforts were increased in 2009 in response to