NCJ Number
158120
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 22 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1995) Pages: 21-28
Date Published
1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article offers some personal reflections of a corrections researcher on mental health work in prisons.
Abstract
The article discusses two types of mental health-related thinking prevalent in prisons: administrative clinical, and clinical. Prison mental health professionals who adhere to the first approach tend to classify inmates according to rigid guidelines, while those who follow the second approach try to reflect the complexity of the human condition. Correctional guards who take the time to be concerned about inmate behavior and who would like to intervene in a constructive manner can help clinicians deal with inmate mental health issues. Enhancing the professional status of the forensic mental health worker will help clinicians overcome their reluctance to deal with offender clients as well as their fear of working in a prison setting.