Psychiatry in the federal correctional system in Canada

Cameron, Colin; Khalifa, Najat; Bickle, Andrew; Safdar, Hira; Hassan, Tariq

doi:10.1192/bji.2020.56

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Studies have found that prisonization can contribute to an increase in feelings of stress, anxiety, hypervigilance, distrust, emotional restraint, emotional withdrawal, diminished self-worth, and an overall decline in perceived mental health status ( 46 , 48 ). There is a considerable representation of mental health concerns within the prison environment with some members of this population requiring forensic psychiatric support ( 51 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unleashing compassionate care: canine-assisted intervention as a promising harm reduction approach to prisonization in Canada and its relevance to forensic psychiatry

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, there has been a global advancement in the offering of canine-assisted interventions (CAI) in prisons. However, these programs have focused primarily on the benefits to the dogs involved and not on the impact on the participants. The authors of this perspective study have been running a CAI program with therapy dogs, called PAWSitive Support, in a Canadian federal prison since 2016. Thoughts from the program facilitators and interviews with prison staff indicate that the program, and specifically the therapy dogs, provides a unique and integrated source of comfort, support, and love for participants. These benefits are consistent with those seen in CAI programs outside of prisons. Unique to the prison setting appears to be an improvement in participant–staff relations. The therapy dogs have helped participants to experience comfort and consequently express their emotions. This seems to contribute to their recognition of support within the prison system and specifically developing trust with staff. Additionally, the dogs have helped to create an experience of the feeling of love within the prison, interpreted as the feeling of being cared for, which is rare for this population. The authors suggest that the integration of a therapy dog intervention in prison could be a novel harm reduction strategy to address issues related to prisonization and associated mental health concerns, including substance use. This consideration can offer unique insight into the field of forensic psychiatry about providing compassionate care to patients.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unleashing compassionate care: canine-assisted intervention as a promising harm reduction approach to prisonization in Canada and its relevance to forensic psychiatry

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Incarcerated older persons’ motivation to engage in criminal court-mandated treatment: Findings from a qualitative study

Seaward

Wangmo

Egli-Alge³

et al. 2021

Forensic Science International: Mind and Law

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The State of Mental Health Services for Incarcerated Adults in Ontario: A Scoping Review

Mohamed

2024

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Individuals with mental illness are significantly overrepresented in the Canadian justice system. Given the high rate of mental illness among individuals who are incarcerated, correctional facilities must implement accessible and effective mental health resources. This not only improves their health and well-being but also contributes to their rehabilitation efforts. However, evidence suggests that the care provided in prisons is inadequate. This scoping review asks, “What is known about the access and quality of mental health care services for adults who are incarcerated in Ontario?” Mental health care services included non-acute interventions and care that is provided in the institution. This scoping review followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews methodology. Databases searched include MedLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and the grey literature. The search yielded 354 titles and abstracts of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. Conducted from 2010-2022, the 16 studies included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Common themes that were identified related to segregation, mental health assessments, medication prescribing and access, opioid agonist therapy, psychiatric service access, systemic and institutional barriers, mental health perception, and the need for collaboration. Despite the significant demand for mental health care in Ontario correctional facilities, limitations to quality care are evident. Such limitations intersect and are then exacerbated, resulting in poor mental health care provision among the incarcerated population. More research is warranted regarding the access, quality, and efficiency of mental health care in Ontario prisons, and how factors including ethnicity, gender, and prison classification (provincial vs. federal) may influence mental health care and its outcomes.

show abstract

Psychiatry in the federal correctional system in Canada

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Unleashing compassionate care: canine-assisted intervention as a promising harm reduction approach to prisonization in Canada and its relevance to forensic psychiatry

Unleashing compassionate care: canine-assisted intervention as a promising harm reduction approach to prisonization in Canada and its relevance to forensic psychiatry

Incarcerated older persons’ motivation to engage in criminal court-mandated treatment: Findings from a qualitative study

The State of Mental Health Services for Incarcerated Adults in Ontario: A Scoping Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About