No abstract

Cushing's syndrome due to the abuse of Betamethasone nasal drops has not been described before. This report presents such a case and emphasises the care which oe must take in prescribing topical sterioids.

It was hypothesised that prison inmates assimilate into a normative prison culture comprised of violence producing admissions of future crime. Thus, 462 inmates in three dqferent custody level prisons and a control group of 126 university students were surveyed. Results show that non‐violent offenders in high custody facilities admit that they might commit violent crime, once released. However, violent offenders in a work release centre claim that violent crime is not an option for them. A conclusion arising from these findings is that organisational membership impacts attitudes; also high custody prisons are sources of violence leading to higher violent crime rates. Further research needs to be done on the relationship between custodial regime and future inmate crime.

A hot controversy exists about the reliability of forensic science as reported by prime-time drama television series in bringing violent criminals to justice. This exploratory research will show that neither forensics or its fictionalised (CSI Effect) accounts, nor substantial evidence secured by police investigators, shape prosecutor decisions to charge a suspect with a crime, which can often result in freeing guilty suspects and convicting innocent individuals. In the summer of 2006, 444 American prosecutors responded to a survey. The findings reveal that judges, juries, and defence lawyers are influenced more by prime-time American drama forensic accounts than by the substantial documented evidence of a case. It was also discovered that regardless of the dangerous apprehension of violent criminals by the police, some suspects are never charged because of faulty prosecutor behaviour. One implication of these findings is that police officer alienation from the legal system is at an all-time high, and that prosecutors lack professional supervision and personal motivation to represent the 'people', giving rise to vast human and legal rights violations of suspects and defendants.

Public opinion surveys show that the American public favors capital punishment. This article examines the attitudes of 307 inmates about capital punishment. The respondents, especially the most violent offenders, favored capital punishment for some crimes when applied to others, but not to their own criminal activity. Moreover, they did not see capital punishment as a deterrent and implied that it reinforces their violent perspectives. Incarcerated offenders apparently feel as strongly as other citizens about capital punishment, but perhaps for different reasons. The findings suggest that additional studies be conducted with violent offenders to determine if any punishment can deter violent crime.