NCJ Number
75542
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Dated: (January/February 1981) Pages: 8-10,12,14,18
Date Published
1981
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The results are reported of an investigation of the current status of correctional mental health programs, the roles of prison psychologists, and the provision of mental health services in Canadian and U.S. prisons.
Abstract
A questionnaire focusing on correctional system characteristics, the structure of prison mental health services, and the work priorities of mental health staff was sent to all State correctional system central offices, Armed Forces correctional systems, the Federal prison system, Canadian regional and Federal systems, and United States territories. A 72 percent response rate was achieved from these systems which reported the following totals of full-time and part-time mental health providers: 120 psychiatrists; 201 psychiatric nurses; 787 nurses; 811 social workers; 352 masters-level and 265 doctor-level psychologists, of whom 322 were clinicians and 113 were nonclinicians. A total of 48 percent of the institutions reported having methods for managing severely emotionally disturbed patients; 37 percent sent their disturbed inmates to hospitals or State mental institutions. Psychologist respondents indicated a desire for less administrative duty and greater involvement with intern supervision, professional development, and provision of group psychotherapeutic services. An overwhelming 92 percent indicated need for more psychological services than are currently being offered, especially in the form of comprehensive biomedical-psychological-social assessment, staff training, and programs for special offenders. Psychotherapy, written evaluations, testing, and crisis intervention was the priority order of services as ranked by respondents. Clinical services were confirmed to be the predominant activity of correctional psychologists. In most systems, psychologists remain removed from the management authority and many complain about insufficient advancement opportunities. Most of the respondents in this study were psychology services administrators; additional study is needed of the perceptions of psychologists responsible for service delivery.