Post Incarceration Syndrome Analysis

Felson, R. B., Silver, E., & Remster, B. (2012). Mental disorder and offending in prison. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39(2), 125-143.

According to the American Psychological Association, a 2014 article states, “Mental illness among today's inmates is also pervasive, with 64 percent of jail inmates, 54 percent of state prisoners and 45 percent of federal prisoners reporting mental health concerns” (Incarnation Nation). This statistic is appalling and should not be considered an acceptable number. More than half of jailers and prisoners report mental health concerns; this is static that should not be taken lightly and needs to be addressed. Mentally incarnated people and prison cells do not go well together; it creates a recipe for disaster for the individual suffering behind bars. The purpose of prison is to “retribution, incapacitation, deterrence and rehabilitation”

A common misconception that many people have about the United States prison system is that it acts as a sanctuary for rehabilitation, and it is this misconception that allows people to believe that mentally ill prisoners who are sent to prison will receive the treatment that they need. Not only does life in prison provide added stress and anxiety to the already burdensome life of living with a mental illness, but with so many inmates in such close quarters, said mentally ill patients often get harassed and are unlikely to get the amount of attention from doctors and specialists that they truly need. With such stated lack of necessary attention and treatment, mentally ill prisoners often develop more severe symptoms than those that they entered with. Therefore, the time, energy, and resources that funnel into caring for the 1.3 million inmates with mental illness who are currently in the United States prison system should be shifted to focus on medication and or rehabilitation in an appropriate

In addition to the previously noted negative psychological effects of prisonization, it is common for individuals who were wrongly imprisoned to be angry and bitter about the injustice they suffered (Cook et al., 2014). The fact of their innocence heightens the psychological toll, which exacerbates the overall effects of imprisonment (Campbell & Denov, 2004). In a seminal study on the psychological consequences of wrongful conviction, Grounds (2004) completed systematic psychiatric assessments of 18 exonerated men who had no psychiatric histories prior to their wrongful arrests. His findings were telling: 14 met the criteria for “enduring personality change after catastrophic experience” (p. 168), 12 met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, 10 were diagnosed with depressive disorder, 5 exhibited panic disorder features, 4 exhibited paranoid symptoms, and three were alcohol or drug dependent. As case managers, social workers should be aware of likely psychological effects common among exonerees and should have a pool of therapeutic resources to draw from as referrals for them. As mental health care providers working with exonerees, social workers should learn as much as possible about problems common among this population, and recognize that they have unique needs beyond the needs shared by all former

For a start, as my semester topic, I subjectively selected to focus on individuals diagnosed with a mental health illness and how they are overrepresented within the criminal justice systems/continuum, specifically, the prison/penal system. In this paper, I will first introduce/describe what mental health looks like within the penal system and why it has become problematic, not only for forensic social workers, but for all criminal justice professions; such as; the court systems, law enforcement departments, parole and probation, prisons, and reentry to name a few. Overcriminalization, as discussed in lecture has become exacerbated by many motives, one of them being individuals with a mental health illness targeted and warehoused throughout

Mental illness is an issue that impacts all prison systems throughout the United States. The wellbeing of inmates is a long debated issue. There is much improvement that can be done in the prison systems to help rehabilitate and treat inmates while they are incarcerated to better prepare them for a successful reintegration into society. An examination of the current rehabilitation and treatment programs for inmates diagnosed with psychological illness will assist in identifying failures in within the program. Proper implementation of these services can improve an inmate’s chance of successfully reintegrating into society after incarceration and ultimately lower the cost of running a government funded prison. This essay will cover the prominence of mental illness in prison, drug treatment programs that are used to address mental illness in the prison system, continue assistance or continuation of programs for released inmates, the opportunities that exist for rehabilitation, and a proposal for a rehabilitation program. The purpose of the research is aimed at improving the circumstances of the inmates to receive assistance while incarcerated that they may not receive while free.

Does stressful and/or traumatic life events aid in individual incarceration? The focus of the investigation was to assess the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and the amount of lifetime exposure to stressful and/or traumatic life events in male inmates with an acute psychiatric illness who were hospitalized during their incarceration (Gosein et al., 2015). It was hypothesized that mentally ill male inmates will have higher rates of traumatic exposure and PTSD compared to expected rates for this group. Inmates were assessed via the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC), and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV TR axis Disorders (SCID-I) to determine if exposures to stressful and/or traumatic life events contributed to incarceration. A total of 65 males consented to participate in the study; however, only 48 continued with the study because 17 did not have the capacity to sign the informed consent form. The results of this study supported the hypothesis that exposures to stressful and/or traumatic life events

Nearly, 5% of the world 's population is represented by the United who possesses 25% of the world 's prisoners (Liptak, 2008). Approximately 2.2 million prisoners are awaiting pre-trial and 1.6 million post-trial inmates are incarcerated in city, state, and federal prisons throughout the United States, equating to 756 per 100,000 people incarcerated (Carson & Golinelli, 2013; Exworthy et. al., 2012). Nearly 700,000 men and women are discharged from prison yearly (Mallik-Kane & Visher, 2008). Recidivism places a strain on the prison by means of over crowdedness and lack of funds. Recidivism is defined as repeated arrest or incarceration. A report, by the Bureau of Justice states that over 2/3 ex-felons were re-incarcerated within three years of previous conviction; eight out of ten suffers from chronic health conditions (James & Glaze, 2006). Mental illness in the United States criminal justice system is significantly prevalent. The Bureau of Justice and Statics report that approximately 73% of females and 55% of males are in state prisons, while 75% of females and 63% of males are in local jails (James & Glaze, 2006). Within this population, female inmates represent a large portion of those incarcerated in federal prisons diagnosed with mental

The population of offenders in correctional institutions in the United States is at an alarming amount, and it doesn’t have to be. Each year 7 million offenders are absorbed and expelled from correctional institutions and jails, placing a heavy burden on the criminal justice system (Morgan, 2011). Many of these offenders will recidivate, and with rates that are estimated at 70%, means 4.9 million will eventually return to the criminal justice system, creating a vicious cycle of arrest, re-arrest, and imprisonment (Morgan, 2011). Among this population are offenders with mental illnesses that need to be addressed, or specialized care that needs to be administered. Without the support of mental health programs such as mental health court,

The issue chosen by the researchers, is a relevant issue facing the criminal justice system. The predominance of mental health problems among incarcerated persons in both prisons and jails present major problems for each component of the criminal justice system; law enforcement, courts, and corrections. The entire criminal justice system is negatively impacted and overburdened by untreated mental illness. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than half of all prison and jail inmates have a mental health problem (James & Glaze, 2006).

Overall, Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) is just one of the many mental health problems that comes as a result of traumatic experiences that have or will happen while incarcerated. Gorski (n.d.) also indicated that PICS is a contributing factor to the high rate of recidivism. This is why it is believed more should be done to prevent current and future offenders from suffering. Liem and Kunst (2013) believe that “recognizing the post-incarceration syndrome in the DSM-V as a subtype of PTSD may allow for more adequate recognition of the effects of incarceration” (p.337). In the next topic discussed we will be taking a look at the causes and effects that incarceration has on individuals’ mental health.

Confinement has been the weapon of mass destruction in fighting crime in America. Since the early 1970s, prisons have paved the way to incarceration. The nation’s prison population increased by 705 percent, between 1973 and 2009, resulting in more than one in every 100 adults behind bars. This rapid growth came at a healthy cost that stripped the annual state and federal budget on corrections by 305 percent during the past two decades, to $52 billion. In the same period, corrections spending doubled as a share of state funding. In the United States, one in every fifty-two adults is on probation or parole. According to the National Bureau of Justice Statics, in the United States between the year of 2013 and 2014, an estimated 4.7 million adults were under

The psychological effects of imprisonment vary from individuals to individual and very few people who are incarcerated are able to conform back to society. Prison is painful, and incarcerated people often suffer long-term consequences from having being treated to pain, deprivation and extremely abnormal patters and norms of living and interactions with others (Haney, 2001). In the course of becoming institutionalized, a transformation begin. The inmate becomes accustomed to the restrictions that the prison imposes on them. The various psychological adaptions must be employed to adjust.

This topic was debated among U.S. courts on the problems it creates for individuals incarcerated and individuals inching closer to release. In a discussion of a case study, it tackles the mental health issues surrounding solitary. It discusses the risk it poses to the mental health of these inmates (Haney, 2003). Some of these individuals will eventually be placed back into the jail population, or even released into the outside world suffering from these mental illnesses and mental traumas that solitary confinement can create. During a study conducted by Stuart Grassian, it is proven that one-third of the prison population, including solitary inmates, suffer from suicidal thoughts and eventually turn crazy (Breslow, 2014). This form of isolation can lead to a psychological impact on cognitive

While dedicated research on the subject of psychological damage as a result of imprisonment is surprisingly sparse there are a few articles that touch on the subject. Prison is a ripe case study for many Psychology scholars due to its inherently insular nature and varied subcultures. Researchers have noticed frightening trends among inmates such as increased aggression, impairment of executive functions, and increased development of psychosomatic disorders.