Prison System

Introduction 

The legal system is changing throughout the nation with financial cuts, allowances, visitation, communication, and diverse factors that the society may not realize.  With these changes occurring, in many prison systems, there is availability for technological communication.  Many times, there are prisoners that are suffering through loss of loved ones and are unable to attend the funeral services.  This creates anguish and factors into other issues for the staff, as well as other prisoners, and has creates violence within prison property.   

With the American prison system being at diverse levels of security, methods that can be built into the system for prisoners that are suffering through loss are bedside live funeral services that are available on several different media platforms.  This will entail two prison guards, a counselor for the prisoner, and media devices that are available for the funeral times such as a computer, cell phone, and, or tablet that has access to only that ceremony.  This can prevent violence, suicide, and breakdowns within the system.  Not all prisoners are allowed to attend funerals.  

The researcher has reviewed a multitude of available research pertaining to prisoners needs, attitudes, repercussions, and depression with death of loved ones.  In addition, workplace e safety, security, and technology are built into the research.  The preliminary review has reviewed the possible strategies that are new to the prison system with building more technology into the prison system to make viewing wakes and funeral services available at bedside for all prisoners that were not able to attend.  Reducing depression, violence, and other circumstances in the prisons is the ultimate goal and creating this type of method will prove beneficial.  Mental illness is fluent within the prison population and this is a large part of the reason why this is imperative.  

Purpose of the Study 

The purpose of the study is to create closure for prisoners, while reducing emotional stress and danger for all that are in the internal system.  The main management concern is the lack of relevance to this the issue.  With funding being limited, and the issues of understaffing, this creates an expense that may not be considered necessary.  Another issue is the prison population being so large that there may be more than one funeral per day, and this creates a need for more security personnel and technology to be available in these sections of the prison.  

There are dangers with this as well.  Prisoners may be violent, feel isolated because there will be handcuffs on them and prison guards surrounding them and the computer available.  There is also the factor of cell mates being moved or included in this process and this creates addition expenses as well as potential violence.  

The concepts that are being built that builds self-confidence and esteem within the prison system.  Including the prisoners with funerals assist with emotional closure and should be available for each prisoner.  This matter is relatively new and is being proposed, therefor, the research that is achieved will be established to build this concept.   

Significance of the Study

Organization Overview

More than 10 million people are imprisoned worldwide, and the prevalence of all investigated mental disorders is higher in prisoners than in the general population. Although the extent to which prison increases the incidence of mental disorders is uncertain, considerable evidence suggests low rates of identification and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Prisoners are also at increased risk of all-cause mortality, suicide, self-harm, violence, and victimization, and research has outlined some modifiable risk factors. Few high-quality treatment trials have been done on psychiatric disorders in prisoners. Despite this lack of evidence, trial data have shown that opiate substitution treatments reduce substance misuse relapse and possibly reoffending. The mental health needs of women and older adults in prison are distinct, and national policies should be developed to meet these. In this Review, we present clinical, research, and policy recommendations to improve mental health care in prisons. National attempts to meet these recommendations should be annually surveyed.

Older prisoners are the fastest growing group of prisoners in most countries. They have high rates of physical and psychiatric co-morbidity, compared to community dwelling older persons and compared with other prisoner groups. Very high rates of mental illness have been found in remand (pre-trial) prisoners when compared with other prisoner groups; however, to date there have been no studies examining older male and female remand prisoners.

Prison suicide rates are high, and suicide-related behaviors (SRBs) higher, but effects of contact with such behaviors in prison have not previously been examined. Aims: To compare the mental state of young men witnessing a peer’s suicide-related behavior in prison with that of men without such experience, and to test for factors associated with morbidity. Method: Forty-six male prisoners (age 16–21 years) reporting contact with another’s suicide-related behavior in prison were interviewed 6 months after the incident, with validated questionnaires, as were 44 without such contact at least 6 months into their imprisonment. Results: Significantly higher levels of psychiatric morbidity and own suicide-related behaviors were found in the witness group, even after controlling for their higher levels of family mental illness and pre-exposure experience of in-prison bullying. Some personal factors were associated with higher morbidity; incident and institutional factors were not. 

Research shows, the main management concern is the lack of relevance to this the issue.  With funding being limited, and the issues of understaffing, this creates an expense that may not be considered necessary.  Another issue is the prison population being so large that there may be more than one funeral per day, and this creates a need for more security personnel and technology to be available in these sections of the prison.  

There are dangers with this as well.  Prisoners may be violent, feel isolated because there will be handcuffs on them and prison guards surrounding them and the computer available.  There is also the factor of cell mates being moved or included in this process and this creates addition expenses as well as potential violence.  

The author’s main factors focus upon the safety for all involved.  Looking upon the feelings of the prisoner, as well as the effects that this can have in the prison community, as well as other stakeholders is pertinent to developing a safe, effective and efficient policy.  

“The process of mourning involves accepting loss, experiencing feelings related 

to it and letting go of them and reinvesting in new relationships. Successful mourning requires developing coping skills, a degree of emotional maturity, and a supportive environment” (Schetky, p. 1).

Identification and Discussion of Issues

Technology, though expensive in the short term, will be efficient in the long term because of the safety and security, along with support from counselors that will be included.   This has been criticized because of the cost and no guarantee of positive results.  Closure is needed however, and this creates the need for support and participation which is not always possible (Schetky, 1998).  With the newer concepts of bedside participation, this will create betterment for the prisoner and potentially all that are concerned.     

What is good for on e prisoner may not suit others.  While providing this type of care and visibility to certain groups may be advantageous, it may be dangerous for others.  With mental dysfunctions being a large concern in the prison system overall, the discretion of viewing the wake, and, or funeral services for the prisoners must hold merit to the situations.  This may create need for psychiatric evaluations individually upon loss or illness of family members, and facilities may not have the needed staff to do so.  

Budget cuts are making these advancements, as well as many others difficult for the prison systems.  This creates a need for participation from the board, as well as donations that may not occur for any of the prisons.  Time and proposals are a large issue, and often will be put on the bottom of the list of concerns.  

Eighty-four per cent of the female prisoners interviewed met the criteria for a mental disorder (including substance harmful use/dependence) in the year prior to interview. This rate was reduced to 66% when drug-related disorders were excluded. Forty-three per cent of subjects were identified as cases on a personality disorder screener. For all disorders, (except obsessive-compulsive disorder and alcohol harmful use) women in prison had a significantly greater likelihood of having met the 12-month diagnostic criteria when compared to women in the community. The most prevalent disorders among the female prisoners were: drug use disorder (57%), major depression (44%), Posttraumatic stress disorder (36%), and personality disorders. Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents were identified as a ‘case’ on the psychosis screen.

Conclude this section with a description of the methodology – the method(s) used to gather and analyze the information.  Describe the research steps taken to obtain the facts used to address the case questions.  

Recommendations 

The preliminary review has reviewed the possible strategies that are new to the prison system with building more into the prison system to make viewing wakes and funeral services available at bedside for all prisoners that were not able to attend.  Reducing depression, violence, and other circumstances in the prisons is the ultimate goal and creating this type of method will prove beneficial.  Mental illness is fluent within the prison population and this is a large part of the reason why this is imperative.  

References

Davoren, M., Fitzpatrick, M., Caddow, F., Caddow, M., O’Neill, C., O’Neill, H., & Kennedy, H. G. (2015). Older men and older women remand prisoners: mental illness, physical illness, offending patterns and needs. International psychogeriatrics, 27(5), 747-755.

Hales, H., Edmondson, A., Davison, S., Maughan, B., & Taylor, P. J. (2015). The impact of contact with suicide-related behavior in prison on young offenders. Crisis.

Fazel, S., Hayes, A. J., Bartellas, K., Clerici, M., & Trestman, R. (2016). Mental health of prisoners: prevalence, adverse outcomes, and interventions. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(9), 871-881.

Law Lets Inmates Go to Loved One’s Funeral or Death Bed https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/south-carolina/articles/2017-05-26/law-lets-inmates-visit-loved-ones-funeral-or-death-bed

US Marshal Service.  https://www.usmarshals.gov/district/ri/prisoners/funeral.htm

New law allows prison inmates to attend funerals, visit dying loved ones.

http://www.goupstate.com/news/20170524/new-law-allows-prison-inmates-to-attend-funerals-visit-dying-loved-onesSchetky, D. H. (1998). Mourning in prison: mission impossible? Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, 26(3), 383-391.