Mandatory Individual Session Summary

Ms. Smith is a 30 year old single, Caucasian female referred for a psychosocial assessment by DOC Parole Officer Ward. She reports she was released from prison 2 months ago after a 3 year sentence for attempted escape due to not notifying her probation officer of her address change. Ms. Smith states due to her past substance use history and trauma experience her referral sources ordered counseling to address complex issues related to her emotional and physical well-being.

For over centuries, the only form of punishment and discouragement for humans is through the prison system. Because of this, these humans or inmates, are sentenced to spend a significant part of their life in a confined, small room. With that being said, the prison life can leave a remarkable toll on the inmates life in many different categories. The first and arguably most important comes in the form of mental health. Living in prison with have a great impact on the psychological part of your life. For example, The prison life is a very much different way of life than what us “normal” humans are accustomed to living in our society. Once that inmate takes their first step inside their new society, their whole mindset on how to live and communicate changes. The inmate’s psychological beliefs about what is right and wrong are in questioned as well as everything else they learned in the outside world. In a way, prison is a never ending mind game you are playing against yourself with no chance of wining. Other than the mental aspect of prison, family plays a very important role in an inmate’s sentence. Family can be the “make it or break it” deal for a lot of inmates. It is often said that “when a person gets sentenced to prison, the whole family serves the sentence.” Well, for many inmates that is the exact case. While that prisoner serves their time behind bars, their family is on the outside waiting in anticipation for their loved ones to be released. In a way, the families

A: Client showed progress in treatment and appears to be in the action stage of change at this time.

I talked to the man, who asked to go by “Richard”, after the meeting concluded. We sat outside the conference room and drank coffee while he told me about his lifelong battle with alcohol and drugs. I think what struck out the most to me was just how sad and regretful his tone of voice was as he told his story to me. He recalled how he first shot up with heroin at the age of fourteen, and how his life was a vicious cycle of drugs and depression afterwards. “Richard” told me that he was in and out of juvenile halls throughout his teenage years and how, when he was supposed to be in school, would skip classes to drink on the curb or inject himself with heroin in some dirty gas station bathroom. “I was in and out of prisons too, once I got old enough.” I remember him telling me. After two three year stints in prison on drug and alcohol related charges, the correctional

During the team meeting at DFS with CT’s foster mother, DFS worker Amber Kibler and CI, it was discussed CT potential adoptive family does not want to adoptive CT or his brother due to their treatment history. But Mrs. Kibler is still searching for another family. CT’s foster mother stated CT is becoming angry at home but it is majority towards his brother as he want to be alone and his brother wants to be social. She also states that his medication is working to calm down some behaviors, but would like to give him another month of being on Risperdone before talking to Dr. Hummel about increasing the dosage. DFS Amber Kibler stated she needs to inform of any medication changes as it has to be approved by the state. DFS also stated she is concern

Pt. has been in the program for over 3 years and she is currently in Phase 0. Pt. has participated in the AMS of De methadone clinic, she has been able to achieve abstinence from illicit drugs but she is failing to comply with the mandatory counseling sessions. Pt. is now eligible to receive phase 1 take home privileges if she maintains satisfactory attendance and scheduled appointments. Pt. identified her children as a motivational factor to change and to reinforce the importance of remaining in recovery. Pt. was advised to obtain a sponsor and attend 12 Step meetings. Pt. has done in achieving her goal of maintaining financial compliance despite the holiday financial stress. Pt. seemed to accumulate a back balance, but normally pays for late account balance in full upon notice of an administrative taper.

has become more financially stable during the last quarter. Pt. reported some financial struggles but he recently found a new full-time job. Pt. has done well in achieving his goal of maintaining financial compliance with all treatment fees over the last quarter. Pt. always maintains a positive balance in his AMS account. Pt. reported that he needs to pay several traffic tickets to obtain his driver license. Counselor will encourage Pt. to report any negative financial changes to his AMS Primary Counselor and/or AMS Director as soon as

Ms. Crowley states while in prison she liked the fact that the therapy helped her clarify her feelings. Learned various techniques to “staying clean.” She also reports that her residential treatment was helpful due to “it keeping her off the streets.” Although she did not seem to find it helpful on the issue of her sexual abuse by her maternal uncle at the age of nine. Jillian said that the way she coped with the assault was to “forget about it’ and “put it away.” She appears to be highly motivated to change her on setting behavior.

PO is to continue his current level of care. Case will be discussed for treatment completion

D.D. is a 50-year-old, African American male presenting with a number of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The client reports that he came to counseling for “extra support and someone to talk to.” D.D. has been struggling with mental health issues since he was young. Since the age of 15 he has been hospitalized on and off for “hearing voices.” In the early 1980’s he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and prescribed Risperdal to treat the symptoms. Since then, D.D. has been in a variety of mental health settings, including hospitals, day programs, and outpatient treatment. The client has an extensive alcohol and drug use history that he believes impacted his Schizophrenia. In the early 1980’s the client would use alcohol every day “to avoid the voices,” drinking “anything he could get his hands on.” He was also heavily involved with drugs at that time and regularly used marijuana, PCP, cocaine, and heroine. In 2000, the client was sentenced to eight years in jail for four bank robberies. While in jail, D.D. received mental health treatment and alcohol and drug treatment, which was greatly beneficial. When the client was released from jail in 2008, he was drug and alcohol free and was taken off of Risperdal.

Objectives/Progress: As the Pt. has progress in tx, he reported increased financial stability during groups and brief IC sessions. He is currently able to sustain his OTS and personal needs with his full-time job as a real estate appraiser. Also, Pt. has become more financially secure and demonstrate responsible behavior as evidenced by saying no to one's impulses.

Some prisoners are plagued with Post Incarceration Syndrome, a combination of psychological problems. These problems are institutionalized and antisocial personality traits, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,

James is a twenty-year-old male who was referred to me after an emergency room visit. James had experienced shaking, sweating, chest pain, and inability to breathe; he went to the emergency room because he was afraid he was having a heart attack (The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, 2002). After exchanging pleasantries, I began an intake interview with James. I found that he was forthcoming with his life history. He was raised in a lower middle class family and was the youngest of two children (The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, 2002). His most vivid childhood memories included violent domestic conflicts between his mother and father, which caused disruption in his daily living. James also admitted his father was a substance user and often came home intoxicated. Subsequently, his father abandoned his family and went to prison for assault and drug charges and James has no contact with him in

Mr. T is stable at baseline and has not relapsed in many years, which is a significant strength. He is also compliant with his medication, which contributes to the stability of his condition. Additionally, he is highly functional. He has a routine, goes to work every day and is able to live independently.

When an individual is introduced to the prison life, after violating rules and laws, he or she must come to terms about the journey he or she are about to take behind bars in prison. No one can save them, or do their time for them, and a majority of their freedom has been stripped from them either temporarily or permanently. Prison life deals with all walks of life and is not discriminative toward any race. In this paper I will discuss my perspective on prison life, policies I would enforce an inmate’s need for respect, changes on correctional policy, and why people commit crimes.