Prison Environment, Essay Example

Over the last years the number of personal challenges and psychological harms inflicted in the term of sentence over prisoners has grown significantly. This refers to both individual’s “prisonization” and his/her adaptation after serving the incarceration.

Stressful environment and harsh policies of imprisonment influence criminal’s attitude and mentality. Some groups of imprisoned people are more vulnerable to the incarceration, which has a strong impetus on their further lives outside of jail. Psychological pains of serving the term hinder post-prison adjustment.

Among factors that influence the prisoner is first of all the prison itself and the feeling individual has about it, its limitations and routine. Adaptation is a very complex process. Lack of privacy and liberty is stressful and difficult to prisoners. It is painful for them to give up their freedom and autonomy to make their own decisions.  In the course of serving the term some prisoners suffer strong interpersonal distract and suspicion as they have to stay constantly alarmed in this specific environment and protect themselves.  They strive to control their own emotions which at times results in breakdowns.

Social withdrawal and isolation are strong factors that also cause stress to the prisoners. “Incarceration has significant impact on society” (Large, 2008) Criminals around the world have a distinctive set of contingencies and hardships that they face and must respond and get used to in order to survive their tem in prison. They are also influenced by the norms of prison life and culture and over time suffer from decrease of self-worth and personal value as individuals.  This often results into the post-traumatic stress when being freed or paroled.

With the increase of the number of incarcerated and a dramatic growth of crimes, it is important to constantly adapt and improve internal conditions of prisons and its policies. And it is essential to carefully plan and prepare programs and procedures that ease prisoner’s return to “real life” outside of jail. Their return to community must be controlled since post-release success usually depends on nature of services and support they get.

References

Large, Jerry. (4 August, 2008). “Prison’s influence widespread”. The Seattle Times. Retrieved 7 March, 2009 from <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrylarge/2008090072_jdl04.html>.