Inside of a prison: How a culture of punishment prevents rehabilitation.

Abstract

The United States spends over $80 billion to hold 2.3 million individuals in prison. Despite these expenditures, 68% of released prisoners are arrested within 3 years of reentry, 79% within 6 years, and 83% within 9 years. Incarcerated citizens leave prison more alienated, more traumatized, and less capable of prosocial skills than when they entered prison. The reasons for prison rehabilitation failure are clear. The prevailing philosophy in prisons is based on punishment, which psychology has demonstrated in countless studies, exacerbates fear, anger, aggression, deception, and often proclivities for depression and suicide. Furthermore, the majority of prisoners have experienced abuse and trauma prior to incarceration. The punishment-based prison culture functions as retraumatization by maintaining a sense of fear and insecurity and promulgating a distrust of authority, all of which lead to hostility and violence which then, exports to the community outside upon release. Observations from over 8 years of working with prisoners deemed to be "violent" in a high security state prison are provided along with supporting research that offers more effective alternative approaches. We provide specific recommendations regarding the implementation of trauma-informed processes to resolve these challenges which will significantly improve public safety. Public Significance StatementDrawing from observations from inside a men's maximum security prison, we document and discuss how current U.S. prison staff culture, based on punishment and prisoner objectification, exacerbates violence and undermines rehabilitation success. Most prisoners have experienced trauma, the majority of whom have sustained a series of severe traumas including early relational trauma, all of which is highly causal to violent behavior. Commensurate with established psychological theory and data, we assert that any possibility for successful rehabilitation, as well as within prison wellness, requires building a prison staff culture shaped by trauma-informed approaches, which focus on models of accompaniment, the cultivation of positive and supportive relationships with prisoners. Such transformational change leads to prison and community violence reductions.

A Restorative Justice Intervention in United States Prisons: Implications of Intervention Timing, Age, and Gender on Recidivism

“…Examining the interaction between RJI delivery and these additional institutional barriers in future research may help offer insight into whether the RJI timing plays a significant role. From a broader implication standpoint, the field is aware of institutional barriers while incarcerated (Blankenship et al, 2018; Bloom & Bradshaw, 2021; Yang et al, 2009), and the current results offer additional insight into the importance of finding ways to change the institutional culture of incarceration to help those who are trying to change their lives for the better (Bloom & Bradshaw, 2021).…”

“…Increasing the time to recidivism for those who recidivate may offer a window to incorporate other interventions or supports for individuals to ensure greater success in communities (Bazemore & Maruna, 2009;Fox, 2012). The impacts of class timing among those who recidivated did not vary as a function of age at release or gender, which suggests other factors may be more important for those who go on to recidivate, such as institutional barriers and/or community re-entry obstacles (Bazemore & Maruna, 2009;Blankenship et al, 2018;Bloom & Bradshaw, 2021;Fox, 2012;Yang et al, 2009). On the other hand, females recidivated less than males and those who were older at release also recidivated less compared to younger individuals when examining whether someone recidivated.…”

“…Individuals who chose to engage in the RJI earlier in their sentence also, arguably, exhibited a desire to make changes and understand the impact of their crimes. However, given the longer time between RJI completion and their release, they likely faced various institutional barriers and incarceration pressures reducing their ability to maintain their motivation for change (Blankenship et al, 2018; Bloom & Bradshaw, 2021; Yang et al, 2009). These barriers and pressures could then lead to earlier recidivism rates, which may have nothing to do with the delivery of the RJI.…”

Psychotherapy with clients who are incarcerated: Therapists’ multicultural orientation, alliance, and outcomes.

“…This perception could have been more pronounced given the short-term nature of treatments (i.e., eight-sessions). While the therapeutic dyad, ideally, does not resemble that of the supervisor–employee, or leader–subordinate dyad, it would be beneficial to consider how vulnerable clients, such as people experiencing incarceration, may not feel comfortable to experience and express humility, due to the demands of the jail environment to be perceived as confident and assertive (see Bloom & Bradshaw, 2022; Dervan, 2011; Jordan, 2011; Theerathitiwong, 2017).…”

Introduction to special section on human-animal studies: Humanistic psychology contributions of Team Woof.

“…This qualitative case study describes how an accidental discovery by Bloom (i.e., resulting from placing photographs of dogs on her bland, putty-colored, cement block office walls in a high security prison) opened prisoners’ minds and hearts so that they could begin to recover from their traumatic histories. This also shows how the deleterious culture of prison punishment (Bloom & Bradshaw, 2021) can be replaced with more humane approaches through drawing from human-animal studies.…”