The Lasting Consequences of Time Behind Bars
Prisons have lasting effects that continue to affect individuals even after they are released.
Prisons are important governmental institutions that work towards defending our society from crime and criminals, punishing offenders and turning them into law-abiding individuals. A 2019 estimate by the United Nations suggests that around 12 million people worldwide are imprisoned, with the numbers said to have increased since then.
Until recently, there have been few discussions about the power these institutions have on impacting the lives of those imprisoned for better or for worse. With this article, I would like to contribute to the growing conversation around the impact of prisons, specifically focusing on three of its outcomes: the brain, mental health, and life outside the prison walls.
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Imprisonment’s Effect on the Brain
Incarceration may adversely impact an inmate’s cognitive abilities, especially their executive functions such as attention, memory, problem-solving, and inhibition. These processes assist us in various processes such as planning, overlooking, and accomplishing our goals. Studies on prisoners revealed that they have lower mental flexibility and poor working memory. While others indicate poorer self-regulation or the inability to work towards a goal by controlling their impulses.
Both executive functioning and self-regulation which are regulated by the prefrontal cortex are sensitive to one's environment. Therefore poor prison conditions contribute to a reduction in these abilities and its effect can be observed within the first three months of incarceration. Moreover, the decline in cognitive abilities progresses over time, resulting in risk-taking behaviours in the short term, which contributes to reoffending or, in the long run, leads to more permanent damage such as dementia.
While the studies mentioned above do help us grasp the effects of imprisonment on the brain, they yet not may be able to capture the full impact of incarceration. For this, we would have to take a look at solitary confinement. As the name suggests this involves keeping a prisoner alone in a cell void of any human contact for over 22 hours a day. While it is often dubbed as a security or disciplinary measure it is believed by many to be an inhumane practice.
But what was to happen to the prisoner if they are in solitary confinement for a prolonged period? The story of Robert King is the perfect example of that.
King was a former inmate in the Lousiana State Penitentiary and spent almost 29 years of his life being held up in a dimly lit 9ft x 6ft cell. Except for brief encounters with guards and infrequent yet forbidden interactions with other inmates, he had little contact with humans during his time. Furthermore, he was only permitted to exercise for one hour three times per week.
This undoubtedly had lasting changes in his cognitive abilities. While upon his release, he reported difficulty recognising people's faces; he no longer has that issue. However, he continued to have a poor memory and had difficulty in navigating ( a poor sense of direction), indicating that his hippocampus (associated with memory, regulating emotions and understanding space and surrounding environment) had been damaged. But this is not limited to King alone, studies have documented that long periods of isolation inhibit the development of the hippocampus.
These studies help to demonstrate that prison conditions are an important factor that contributes to the decline of one's cognitive abilities. Given the importance of these functions in assisting an individual's reintegration into society following their release, more attention must be paid to them.
Prison’s Influence on an Inmate's Mental Health
In addition to affecting your cognitive functions, imprisonment can also significantly impact one’s mental health with studies identifying a high prevalence of substance abuse, depression, anxiety and psychotic disorders among those incarcerated. According to the World Health Organisation, one in every three prisoners in Europe and the United States suffers from a mental illness in prison. These figures are estimated to be higher than the general population's prevalence of mental illness.
But what contributes to these staggering figures in the first place? Let’s take a look.
Factors such as solitary confinement, violence and assault can aggravate mental health symptoms among prisoners. For instance, prolonged periods of isolation in solitary confinement are detrimental to an inmate's mental health resulting in symptoms of depression, panic attacks and paranoia.
When it comes to witnessing violence, however, many inmates suggest that it is unavoidable. They report that there are very few areas within the prison complex that are safe, to the point where they also viewed their cells to be unsafe at times. Encountering this on a daily basis resulted in inmates reporting depression, anxiety, flashbacks and hypervigilance.
In addition to this, the prison environment, particularly the dark corridors lacking any form of natural light, combined with a lack of mental stimulation or activity, exacerbates inmates' poor mental health and increased substance use. Overcrowded prisons are yet another factor that jeopardises the psychological well-being of prisoners.
When the aforementioned conditions are combined with insufficient funds directed towards prison maintenance, as well as a lack of trained mental health personnel, they result in inmates receiving little to no help for their well-being.
Life After Prison and Chance of Reoffense
We started this article with the idea of prisons functioning as institutions that rehabilitate convicts, which is also supported by prominent experts. However, this belief may not be entirely correct, as evidenced by research indicating that released prisoners are at a higher risk of recidivism (repeat offences). Data from the United States Department of Justice suggests that 68% of released inmates are arrested within three years while 83% are arrested within nine years!
But why do so many of them re-offend? To understand this we have to go back to right when the inmate is released from prison.
Upon release, former prisoners work towards re-integrate with their community and to do so they have to undergo programmes that are facilitated by the institution they have been in. However, for many individuals, these resources are not available, which acts as a barrier in the re-entry process.
In fact, their criminal record can limit them from finding homes or seeking jobs making the re-entry process challenging. Many former inmates tend to cohabit with their partners, families or siblings who act as a support, aiding them in re-integrating into society and protecting them from future criminal behaviour. However, studies show that this support depletes over time, thereby resulting in housing instability.
The lack of stable housing has been a common pattern among former inmates with many experiencing homelessness after their release. Without a home or an address, they find themselves in a difficult situation unable to access mental health facilities, treatment for substance addiction and even employment. Furthermore, they are more likely to have frequent encounters with law enforcement for trespassing and misconduct associated with homelessness, consequently increasing their chances of reoffending.
Former inmates might also experience difficulty in finding jobs. While studies suggest that stable employment following incarceration provides ex-inmates with a social status along with an income thereby reducing recidivism, it is quite different from reality. Due to social stigma, employers are hesitant to consider applicants with a criminal record, leaving many of them unemployed.
The select few who manage to secure jobs are recruited into low-level and low-pay jobs, the ones that will not tarnish the image of the company. The social stigma towards them at every stage acts as a barrier for them to successfully integrate back into society and increases their risk for recidivism.
A possible solution to reducing the rates of recidivism is by providing inmates with education, vocational training and job skills training before their release which can help prepare them for life outside prison. Furthermore, for those with mental illnesses, the provision of treatment that examines the depth of their behavioural issues and addiction treatment can help them tackle the challenges they encounter upon re-entering communities, which lowers recidivism.
Conversations surrounding prison psychology and prison reform are extremely complex and layered. I know I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to talking about the impact of prison on inmates and former convicts but this article was meant to introduce you to the topic. After having looked through multiple pieces of research for this article, all I can say is maybe it's time for us to rethink what a prison should be. Rather than just punishing individuals, prisons should help prepare them for successful lives outside of confinement.
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