Psychological effects of imprisonment- FORENSICS

Question 1

How does institutionalisation when in prison have a psychological effect?

Answer 1

• individual becomes enveloped in the roles associated with their environment and they lose the confidence to act
• prisoners become institutionalised due to their background and living conditions, if they’re homeless and have poor living standards they may re-offend. to get back in prison
• shows how the psychological effects can sometimes be positive
• prison isn’t a punishment, but acts as a positive reinforcement for offending behaviour

Question 2

What are the negative psychological effects of imprisonment?

Answer 2

• they’re more prevalent
• seen in Zimbardo’s prison study, where one ‘prisoner’ had to leave the study because he was psychologically disturbed
• increased rates of suicide and self-harm in prisons, as well as issues such as overcrowding, lack of access to medical services and low staff:offender ratio

Question 3

Research into the psychological effects of imprisonment.

what did:
Toch find?
Bukshel and kelman find?

Answer 3

1= common initial reaction to imprisonment is depression

2= symptoms like sleeplessness, restlessness and anxiety tend to occur at the begginign of the sentence, when the original adjustment is being made. also occurs towards the end of the sentence as offenders become concerned with life outside of the institution.

Question 4

Research into the psychological effects of imprisonment,

what did:

Heather find?
Kruppa find?

Answer 4

1= 1/5 of prisoners sentenced to life reported psychotic symptoms, difficult to know if thus is related to the crime committed or to imprisonment

2= suggests that offenders of serious crimes may experience PTSD with symptoms of flashbacks and sever depression

Question 5

Research into the psychological effects of prison,

what did:
- Crighton find?
- Newton find?

Answer 5

1= found that there are higher suicide rates in prison than in the community, and these rates have increased lately.
- risk for suicide is highest in the first 30 days as the adjustment is too much for some people.
- self harm becoming an increasing problem

2= 86% female delinquents cut themselves to belong to the inmate culture
- other research suggests the increase is due to the frustration of being in prison or as a way to regain control

WEALTH OF RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS THE SERIOUS NEGATIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT.

Question 6

AO3- psychological effects of imprisonment

Answer 6

• difficult to generalise the findings about the effects that prison has on psychological functioning as:
  individual differences in the way that people adjust, few controlled longitudinal studies, different lengths and reasons for imprisonment has effects on individual prisoners.
• difficult to know whether the mental health issues within the prison are due to context or whether they were already part of the individual. Could be that the offender committed a crime due to their mental health, therefore would be an error to state that it’s an effect of the prison.
• could be argued that a decline in mental health is necessary for the individual to be truly punished within the prison, a necessary consequence of the situation , if prison didn’t have a negative effect then it wouldn’t be effective