Psychology of Criminals and Mental Illness in Correctional Facilities
This paper examines the psychology of criminal behavior with a focus on mental illness in correctional facilities. It assesses the mental status of offenders before and after incarceration, explores connections between personal background factors — such as age, finances, and family — and rates of psychological impairment, and reviews statistical evidence linking mental illness to the criminal justice system. Drawing on scholarship by Pustilnik, Bowers, Gutterman, and Lawrence, the paper evaluates the psychological effects of confinement, the social and familial roots of mental illness among the incarcerated, and the role of therapeutic intervention in rehabilitation. It also compares outcomes for those on parole versus probation and considers policy frameworks such as Kendra's Law.
- Introduction: Research scope, objectives, and methodology outlined
- Analysis of Mental Illness and Incarceration: Mental illness rates, causes, and incarceration effects
- Social and Environmental Roots of Mental Illness: Social nature of mental illness among the incarcerated
- Rules, Regulations, and Policy Responses: Laws governing mental illness treatment post-release
- Conclusion: Reform potential through therapeutic correctional care
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper maintains a clear, focused research question throughout — examining whether incarceration causes or worsens mental illness and what policy responses are effective.
- It draws on multiple peer-reviewed sources to build a layered argument, using one primary source (Pustilnik, 2005) as an anchor while incorporating supporting voices from Bowers, Gutterman, and Lawrence.
- The inclusion of a concrete legislative example (Kendra's Law) grounds abstract psychological claims in real-world policy, demonstrating applied critical thinking.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of source synthesis. Rather than simply summarizing one author at a time, the writer weaves together findings from multiple scholars to build a cumulative argument — for example, connecting Pustilnik's structural analysis of the prison system as a "default asylum" to Bowers's social model of mental illness and Gutterman's discussion of involuntary commitment laws. This technique shows graduate-level engagement with the literature.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a clearly scoped introduction that outlines research objectives and methodology. The Analysis section forms the body of the argument, moving from definitions and statistical evidence to causal factors and therapeutic outcomes. A focused Rules and Regulations section addresses legal policy. The paper closes with a brief but substantive conclusion calling for systemic reform in correctional mental health care.
Introduction
This paper analyzes the psychology of criminal behavior, with a specific focus on the mental status of criminals in correctional facilities — both before entering and upon release. The research attempts to define whether any connections exist between an offender's personal background, such as age, sex, finances, or family circumstances, and rates of psychological impairment or mental illness resulting from incarceration.
The paper also provides statistical facts and figures linking mental and psychological illness with correctional facilities, in an effort to define the types of and causes for psychological and mental illness in criminals upon release. Further, it assesses the psyche of offenders who commit crimes after release, including an overview of the psychology of those who would prefer to return to jail compared with those who seek redemption or rehabilitation. To address these questions, the paper compares and contrasts outcomes for a person granted parole versus one placed on probation. The results of the analysis explore whether probation is always the best outcome for someone whose mental illness has been exacerbated by incarceration.
References
Bowers, L. (2000). The social nature of mental illness. New York: Routledge.
Gutterman, J. (2000). Waging a war on drugs: Administering a lethal dose to Kendra's Law. Fordham Literary Review, 68(1), 2401–2402.
Lawrence, T. W. (1987). Decision making in the capital penalty trial: An analysis of crime and defense strategies. Law and Human Behavior, 11(1), 133–125.
Pustilnik, A. C. (2005). Prisons of the mind: Social value and economic inefficiency in the criminal justice response to mental illness. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 96(1), 217.
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