The psychological effects of incarceration

The fact of being imprisoned and deprived of liberty it brings with it important psychological consequences. These can develop a chain of affective, cognitive, emotional and perceptual reactions and distortions, all caused by emotional tension within the prison environment. It also requires a capacity for adaptation and resilience to bear the dispossession of familiar and own external symbols.

In this article we will see what are the psychological effects of incarceration, and the way in which this situation affects the minds of prisoners.

• Related article: "The 13 types of prisons (and their psychic effects)"

Prisonalization

There is a variable called prisionalization who intervenes in the conduct of inmates. It is the process by which a person unconsciously assumes the code of conduct and values ​​of the prison subculture as a result of being in direct contact with it.

A differentiation can be made between a superficial imprisonment, which is the minimum necessary to that a person can adapt to the prison environment, and a profound one, which would already be a institutionalization. This occurs when the behaviors and ideas acquired exceed the individuality of the inmate.

On the other hand, there are factors that determine the degree of imprisonment in individuals:

• Personality: speaking of maturity, emotional intelligence, intellectual capacity, stability, etc.
• Set of external circumstances around the person: frequency of re-entry, length of stay, type of crimes and family and personal expectations.
• Age and cultural level: understood as personal experiences and knowledge and skills, respectively. The more experiences, knowledge and skills you have, the easier it is to adapt.

The types of criminals

Another classification about the degree to which imprisonment affects has to do with the type of offender to which it belongs:

1. Primary offender

It's your first time in prison, maintains prosocial behaviors for which he refuses to adhere to the prison code. Incarceration is a huge shock.

2. Occasional offender

Is an individual who has no problem living by the norms of society, but the moment the opportunity is given, he commits some crime. He usually tries to minimize the act and justify it.

3. Habitual offender

Crime is like your lifestyle; consider that illegal activities give them greater satisfaction than legal ones. They are completely familiar with the rules of the jail by now.

It could be said that the longer they stay in prison, the greater the degree of imprisonment. While this may be true, the fact that the inmate knows that he will soon be released from jail and will return to society also plays a role. So he can begin to recover forgotten or not applied values ​​and attitudes within the prison, to prepare for reintegration and get your life back.

The psychological effects of prison time

Now, moving on to the psychological effects of the inmates, these are the following:

1. Anxiety

The level at which it appears depends on the circumstances in which the incarceration occurs and on the personality of the subject itself. They face the unknown.

2. Depersonalization

Loss of your individuality. The fact that when entering prison, he is assigned a number, that is what his person is reduced to. It also becomes part of a group rejected by society.

• Related article: "Depersonalization and derealization: when everything seems like a dream"

3. Loss of privacy

It arises from forced coexistence with other inmates. They have little or no time to focus on themselves. This is worse when the environment is violent and your safety is at stake.

4. Low self-esteem

It occurs for not meeting one's expectations or defrauding one's image of oneself, and for being incarcerated. However, there are many others whose self-esteem is not adversely affected, since they feel satisfied leading a criminal life.

• You may be interested: "10 keys to increase your self-esteem in 30 days"

5. Lack of control over your own life

It occurs because of a certain inability to make personal, family or social decisions; Yes, there may be a margin of decision, but the range of options is not great. What is most limited is the internal control over the evolution of external events. This situation causes frustration.

6. Lack of expectations

There are few expectations in the life of the inmate beyond his desire for freedom. People are conditioned by a recurring idea: all the time that was lost and the fastest way to get it back.

7. Changes in sexuality

There may be frustrations from not having the usual sexual routines, may appear dysfunctions and the normal development of good practice can be blocked.

The need to understand the prisoner

An analysis of personal history and vital circumstances that have led the person to commit a crime in order to provide you with an optimal therapeutic approach that takes into account all aspects of your personality. Thus the objective of the prison can be directly fulfilled: a reeducation of deficiencies or lost values and a subsequent positive reintegration into society.

It is essential that there be quality intervention by professionals, specifically psychologists, to promote their social reintegration. The prison environment can affect inmates in a great way and it is important that, before they be liberated, recover their positive essence, rebuild values ​​and reconnect with them themselves.

It is not enough that general proposals are made to address the issue, you have to have an individualized plan with each one as they have different personalities and needs. Although they are criminals, they are still human beings.