Psychological Effects of Imprisonment in Adult Correctional Facilities Term Paper

The social distancing and alienation is a defense mechanism against exploitation. The lack of social control in the immediate jail atmosphere makes psychological investments in connections unforeseen and risky.

In addition, because many adult correctional facilities are clearly risky locations without escape or exit, inmates become hyper-vigilant and always alert for signs of personal risk or threat. From the high-level presence of individuals in their immediate atmosphere positioned to maximize on the weak point or exploit inattention or carelessness, suspicion and interpersonal distrust often arises. Some inmates learn to project a challenging convict veneer, which threatens others. Indeed, many inmates "believe that unless offenders can project a picture that provides the possibility of a crime, they might be taken over and exploited throughout the length of their sentence." The development and occurrence of psychological sickness in correctional facilities also arise from the atmosphere generated in the facilities, which creates an unhealthy atmosphere. Evidently, at least a third of adult correctional facilities are congested, breeding an atmosphere of violence and chaos for juveniles.Far from getting effective treatment, juveniles with behavioral health issues experience worsening and intense deterioration when held in adult correctional facilities. This negates the reason for the confinement.

Some inmates find protection in social invisibility by hiding and becoming detached from others. This self-imposed isolation and withdrawal may imply that they retreat greatly into themselves, loses trust in others, and adjust to stress in correctional facilities by adopting isolated lifestyles of desperation. In the most extreme instances, especially when mixed, with the loss of the potential, to initiate own behavior, the design carefully appears like that of depressive disorders. Long-term inmates are especially susceptible to such psychological adaptation. It is clear that confinement in correctional facilities results in serious psychological challenges that may worsen the behavior when it is expected to reshape it for societal acceptance......