Preview

Essay On Incarceration

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
982 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay On Incarceration
Jordan Sowell
Literature Review Rough Draft

Abstract-
This paper examines the unique psychological effects and changes prisoners undergo in order to survive the incarceration experience. It challenges that several trends in the American Prison System have harmful and even life lasting affects on an individual; mentally and physically. Research has shown that prisons are inhumane and cause negative psychological effects on inmates while serving their time as well as following them upon the prisoner’s release. Studies also show that anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are very common in those who have lived in prison for a prolonged period of time or anyone that has become accustomed to the prison lifestyle. In recent years, psychologist
…show more content…
The prison system has been a natural form of punishment for deviance and criminal acts for centuries. By the end of 2010, more than seven million adults in the united states were apart of the incarceration system. () This represents about one in every thirty-three adults in the United State’s population. In todays current world statistics, the United States incarcerates more people per capita than any other country. () The weight of psychological research on imprisonment concurs that the adaptation experience to the nature of institutionalism, the effects of solitary confinement, the challenges inmates face in order to survive prison, and, eventually reintegrate themselves into the free world has prolonged mental affects from the process of …show more content…
In one interview, an inmate describes the challenges that they must endure under the social rules that are enforced in prison. He uses the example of watching another inmate being killed. Inmates are torn between what to do as a moral human being versus what to do as someone following the “prison culture” (Munn 2011). Other research has concluded that the adjustment to prison culture promotes almost a sense of helplessness and may impair ones judgement or decision making. The psychological suffering is mainly centralized by the new cultural norms of violence, from either the experience of witnessing it or the new found fear embedded in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The United States prison system is notorious for the way it treats its inmates. There are so many theories, and facts to back up the claim that the prison system is not working the way it was intended to be, and it continues to be a growing issue that the government is not addressing. Further, within the already complicated prison system, there is another issue. Solitary confinement, which was originally supposed to be used as a short term punishment within prisons, or jails, has now become an integrated part of prison life (Edge, 2014). Solitary Nation, is 2014 documentary highlights the damages that solitary confinement is doing to people (Edge, 2014). Individuals whom have not shown any signs of degrading mental health come out of segregation, or as the inmates call it, “seg,” disturbed (Edge, 2014).…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the prison documentary Predators at Prey, we learn about the daily challenges correctional officers face every day. The Lebanon Correctional Institution, located in Ohio, is a rehabilitation based prison that focuses on inmate reentry by offering various services. Just like most other prisons, correctional officers at this institution have to deal with individuals who have committed murder, sex crimes, and drug related crimes. As a result, stress is seen to manifest in different forms in an environment such as this one. Sanford Whitlow, a correctional officer of twelve years, made an interesting observation of correctional officers being unsung heroes who never receive credit for dealing with the worst people in society. Hence, the…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The most eye-opening picture shows a group therapy session at a prison in which each of the individuals is imprisoned in a small cage, in a liner position. Kuper provides verbal descriptions of how prisoners are exposed to maltreatment of all human necessities, especially medical and psychiatric needs. The book present situations in which prisoners are ignored by staff for urgent medical and psychiatric needs to “cell extractions” where officers in riot gear spray a prisoner with immobilizing gas to subdue him. Through these prose and first-hand narratives, Kupers explains how solitary confinement is used disproportionally against vulnerable populations and youth. Within these narratives, Kupers explores the “post-release syndrome” that people undergo after long-term solitary confinement. The book concludes with an alternative strategy for corrections that is centered on quality mental health treatment and a rehabilitative attitude to replace the culture of punishment for the purpose of causing…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Haney, C. (2001, Dec.). The psychological impact of incarceration: implications for post-prison adjustment. From prison to home: the effect of incarceration and reentry on children, families, and communities. University of CA, Santa Cruz. Retrieved from…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The reader will hear from current and former prisoners’ that explain their experiences. They discuss behavior, trouble they encountered, and their state of mind when they were free in society before heading down the wrong path. Their testimony is to educate readers on how…

    • 188 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In this presentation I aim to convince my audience that the penal system has adopted an outdated version of mental programming that causes more harm than good when confining inmates to solitary cells and depriving them of human contact that is necessary for normal human function.…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In, “Beyond the Prison Bubble,” published in the Wilson Quarterly in the winter 2011, Joan Petersilia shows different choices about the imprisonment systems. The United States has the highest incarceration rate of any free nation (para.1). The crime rate over a thirty year span had grown by five times since 1960 to 1990. There are more people of color or Hispanics in federal and state institutions then there are of any other nationality. The prison system is growing more than ever; the growth in twenty years has been about 21 new prisons. Mass imprisonment has reduced crime but, has not helped the inmate to gradually return back to society with skills or education. But the offenders leaving prison now are more likely to have fairly long criminal records, lengthy histories of alcohol and drug abuse, significant periods of unemployment and homelessness, and physical or mental disability (par.12).…

    • 259 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The purpose of this paper is to seek incarceration in society by addressing who what how when and where, on the subject of matter. My argument of the United States population being sheltering in warehouse of society known as the penitentiary system is wrong. United States’ prison population are the worst despite economy and structure systems. I will research supporting arguments from articles I found from scholarly sources and popular sources from the internet for you to challenge my argument and hopefully agree with me and if not then go on to more discussion on other topics to argue against…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Life In Prison Essay

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Does a man who killed a family, kids and all, deserve to rot and die in prison? Is it fair to a homeless man to live more meagerly than a convict? In a place like the United States where people have the freedom to speak their minds any topic is fair ground for debate. While the controversial issues like this one raise very diverse and sensitive perspectives from different groups of people. The amount of people that the United States puts into prison has always had a very strong group of opposition but a much less common discussion is the quality of those prisons.Criminal rights are is a very serious topic that is rarely brushed upon.The treatment of the inmates is also a factor towards the opposition of the current criminal justice system.…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Does America have a crime problem, or a mental health problem? Or, do we have a mental health problem that is contributing to our growing crime problem and incarceration rates? Numbers indicate that America's growing crime and incarceration rates are greatly contributed to by untreated mental health issues. While having a mental illness does not automatically negate ones responsibility for having committed a crime, it is something that needs addressed during and after incarceration. Anyone who has dealt with a friend or family member who has a mental illness knows the general public is not well equipped to deal with these issues. So it is easy to understand how staff at the nations various correctional facilities would not be much better at…

    • 1583 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Solitary Definition

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages

    He asserts that solitary confinement is in no way used for reformation, but rather for management and bringing to subjugation a few prisoners. Using a long string of statistics based off extensive research, he shows that not only is solitary confinement detrimental to the mental health of the prisoner, but is directly correlated to the chances of committing additional crimes once released to the public.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prisons are slowly but surely becoming America’s new Asylums. An estimated 450 million people nationwide suffer from mental or behavioral disorders. These disorders are pretty common within prison populations. This extremely high rate of mental disorders in prison is closely related to several factors: the misconception that all people with mental disorders are a danger to the public, the failure to promote treatment, care, and rehabilitation, and the lack of access to mental health services. Many of these disorders are present before prison however, mental health disorders can also be developed during imprisonment due to human rights violations.…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    America land of the free and home of the great, But in all reality is America as great is…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Recently America has undergone a massive rise in its prison population. From growing populations, the higher crime rates that follow, and high numbers of recidivism America’s imprisonment rate has increased five-fold in the last four decades. Today’s current incarceration rate is over 700 per 100,000 of population, making it the highest in the nation’s history and in the world (Steiker, 2014). With the numbers still growing, it is time to re-examine the model of incapacitation that is in current affect throughout America’s criminal justice system.…

    • 221 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    With recidivism rates soaring, the establishment of prison GED programs should be a standard way to rehabilitate prisoners who’d otherwise have no future outside of bars. An example of a character from the book who would benefit from the GED program would be Crazy Eyes, a hard timer from the FCI, who’d graduated up the hill. Outside of Danbury, Crazy Eyes was a high profile drug dealer and a career criminal experienced with the nuances of prison. If she had the access and willingness to complete the GED program, Crazy Eyes could use the qualification as a step toward reintegrating properly with the outside world. Therefore, by offering GED programs in prison, inmates like Crazy Eyes can be slowly rehabilitated toward permanent freedom while…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays