Psychological Issues During and After Long-Term Incarceration

¶ … psychological effects of incarceration on inmates are very profound. The effects can be grouped into two main categories. The first category relates to the effects that the inmates experience while they are still in prison. The second categories of effects are the ones that are post-incarceration related. The psychological effect of incarceration is a problem that should be addressed with utmost urgency and due care since the inmates are also part of our society and they deserve normal health care and treatment as all the other persons in the society. The process of inmate reintegration is therefore jeopardized by the unstable mental condition of the inmates after they leave prison. It is therefore important to formulate the best framework to address the state of inmate mental health both pre-incarceration and post-incarceration.

It is important that the process of inmate reintegration is not jeopardized by poor mental state resulting from both pre-incarceration and post-incarceration injustices.

Causes of psychological trauma to inmates while being incarcerated

Inmates are usually subjected to some of the most traumatizing moments. There are myriads of causes of psychological trauma to inmates. The causes vary since they have different causes.

The first major cause of psychological trauma to inmates is the violence that they are exposed to while in confinement. The violence is usually between the inmates themselves. The major causes of violence is gang wars. Due to the highly polarized nature of the inmate community in terms of their races, financial might, political connection and many other reasons, cases of gang wars are rampant. The violence associated with these wars usually result in a lot of psychological stress since some of the inmates are either the victims or are witnesses in such cases of brutality. The other major cause of violence is the administration to inmate injustices. There have been cases of harassment and beatings by the prison administration against certain inmates due to victimization as regards their social status and even their races. Sexual violence is another major cause of inmate psychological; trauma. Cases of homosexual rapes and even STI infection are rampant in the various state and federal correctional facilities. These result to a lot of psychological stress which at times end up in cases of suicides.

The other cause of trauma is deprevation.The inmates are usually deprived of their rights. Some of their rights of which they are deprived include the following: Sexual right, Religious right, the right of association and even the right of movement. These forms of deprivation results in the inmates getting deeply traumatized. Such kind of trauma results in some worst cases of rebellion and violence. Cases of rape have been reported as a result of sexual deprivation for example.

The other cause of mental trauma to inmates is the lack of ties or rather communication with their families and cultural values. This cases stress since some of the inmates are parents and therefore get deeply worried as to the condition of their children who might be under the care of the state of just struggling on their own. Young inmates also are affected since they usually miss their siblings and their parents.

Causes of psychological trauma to inmates after being incarcerated

Former convicts who get released suffer from post-incarceration syndrome due to the conditions that they were subjected to while they served their term of imprisonment. However it is important to note that they are also exposed to cases of discrimination by their families and society in general. They find it hard to get employment and even trusted by their family members and friend.

Recommendations

The very essence of incarceration or correction is to ensure that the convicts become better persons once they are reintegrated into the general society.The following are the recommendations that should be adopted in order to ensure a healthy mental state of the inmates once they leave the walls of confinement.

The state and federal government should formulate proper mechanism to address the case of deprivation, violence and isolation that the inmates are subjected to while in prison. All the inmates should be given proper psychological help by qualified psychologists. There should be improved counseling service aimed at victims of sexual abuse and family related violence.