Dealing with offendjng behaviour (psychology effects of custodial sentencing) Flashcards
What are the psychological effects of custodial sentencing?
MH problems
Institutionalisation
What is the explanation of mental health problems?
– According to a Ministry of Justice survey, many prisoners have
pre-existing mental health problems (16% male prisoners, 26% of female) and many more develop them in prisons. eg…
-Estimates show that nearly half (48%) of female prisoners) and
almost a quarter (23%) of male prisoners suffer from anxiety and depression, possibly because of the stress caused by overcrowding and the loss of freedom.
where does suicide in prison stand?
-at a higher rate than suicide rates out in the community. It is believed that the first 30 days of an offender’s arrival in prison is the high-risk period where prisoners are most likely to attempt to take their own life.
-There are also increasingly high levels of self-harm among offenders.
What is institutionalisation?
the process by which offenders are shaped and transformed by the prison environment in which they live.
What do some prisoners do?
become dependent on the institution for their routine- In prison you are told when to wake, sleep and eat with very little choice involved.
-Prisoners become used to this and find it difficult to take control of their own lives once released. They become dependent on the prison
system.
What can imprisonment do?
prejudice the offender’s future prospects for any improvement in economic and social status (due to being labelled as an ‘ex-prisoner’).
What can all the factors of institutionalisation do?
-can affect recidivism rates, e.g. making it more likely that they will reoffend.
-although prison can potentially provide a short-term solution, the loss of autonomy leaves
offenders less capable of taking on responsibilities for their lives upon release.
