Use of Trauma‐Informed Care With Incarcerated Offenders

Abstract

Regardless of preexisting trauma history, offenders regularly experience traumatic events while incarcerated. Current therapeutic approaches focus on coping skills and behavioral responses. The authors recommend integrating the use of trauma‐informed care to address the deeper emotional responses tied to trauma.

Incorporating Quaternary Prevention: Understanding the Full Scope of Public Health Practices in Sexual Abuse Prevention

“…In recent years there has been a growing recognition that sexual offending, like all forms of crime, is a community, developmental, and life course issue (Brown, 2017;Kemshall, 2017a;McCartan et al, 2015;McCartan, Uzieblo et al, 2021 behavior is viewed as a product of someone's experiences, mental health, wellbeing, individual differences, and personality (Farrington, 2019;McCartan, 2020). The EpiCrim approach also reinforces current practice developments such as the bio-psycho-social model of rehabilitation, desistance supportive interventions, and trauma informed practice (see: Bradley, 2017;Pringer & Wagner, 2020), and aligns to current research into crime causation and desistance (Farrington, 2019;McCartan, 2020;McCartan & Kemshall, 2020). This is also evidenced by an increased focus on developmental factors and their relationship to crime at both policy and practice levels, for example, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, resilience, and well-being and their relationship to later offending behavior (see: McCartan, 2020;Public Health Wales, 2015;Scottish Government, 2018).…”

Treating women incarcerated in or at-risk of restrictive placements: A statement of the problem and considerations for practice.

“…In the interim, trauma conversations could focus on recognizing and coping prosocially with more immediate triggers rather than processing traumatic events in significant detail. Treatment may also involve helping women identify that they are, in fact, impacted by trauma and that additional trauma therapy should be a goal for their return to the general population (e.g., see Pringer & Wagner, 2020 for a trauma-informed model). With its focus on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and learning more effective methods of self-expression (Chapman, 2006), integrating dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills may be beneficial.…”

Bringing the “Invisible Population” to Light: Justice for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women

“…The threat of violence is a concern among women who are imprisoned (Caravaca Sánchez & Wolff, 2016). The threat of violence combined with the stress of prison (e.g., the lack of privacy, crowds, fights, new rules to abide by, restrictions, harsh physical handling/movement) make it difficult to respond appropriately to the environment of a correctional facility (Pringer & Wagner, 2020), as prisons are structured to maintain order through stringent control of incarcerated people and the environment. The stress of prison is particularly troubling for individuals who have suffered physical and emotional abuse prior to their imprisonment (Martin et al, 2015).…”

“…The stress of prison is particularly troubling for individuals who have suffered physical and emotional abuse prior to their imprisonment (Martin et al, 2015). As a result of previous abuse and trauma, incarcerated women are more likely to undergo additional triggers while having less privacy to handle their reactions (Pringer & Wagner, 2020). Ironically, the policies and procedures that are intended to maintain security and safety within correctional institutions often retraumatize imprisoned women given that they are constrained in the ability to eliminate or prevent triggers.…”