Incarceration Effects

INTRODUCTION

Imprisonment is characterized by a severe limitation on the rights of the prisoner, quite apart from the deprivation of liberty. Incarceration can have a damaging effect on the mental health and social functioning of prisoners. It can impair their ability to function in the outside world, thereby contributing to their return to offending following release. Imprisonment also carries with it substantial negative effect on the offender’s family and on their community. Frequently, the results of even a brief period of incarceration are enduring for both the prisoner and those close to him. Losing contact with family, employment, social services, or community networks, even for a short period, can have a persistent impact (Irish Penal

At some point, nearly all prisoners will be re-integrated into communities prison (Irish Penal Reform Trust 2010). Compared with the average citizen, ex-offenders are less educated, less likely have gainful employment, and more likely to have a history of mental health issues or substance abuse—all of which have been shown to be risk factors for recidivism. (James 2015, UN Office on Drugs and Crime 2012; Griffiths et al 2007). Despite the increasing evidence that providing support for prisoners on release is essential to the reintegration process, there continues to be substantial gaps in these types of supports in Ireland. Many prisoners return to their previously unsupportive environment and state services have, in the past, been subpar in the delivery of the necessary assistance (POBAL/NEVA 2007) Bureaucracy and inadequacies in accessing social services is still seen as a barrier to reintegration. McVerry (in POBAL/NEVA 2007, p. 10) suggests that coordination between government and community organisations/agencies and the provision of a ‘one-stop-shop’ for prisoners in accessing welfare, medical, and housing services is seen as the most workable

These factors can be either static risks (age, past criminal offenses, etc.) or dynamic criminogenic needs. Andrews & Bonta (2006) and Andrews et al. (2006) identify eight central need/risk factors that are major predictors of criminal behaviour: employment, education, substance abuse, mental health, pro-criminal attitudes, family relationships, prosocial recreational activities, and antisocial personality pattern. Ensuring that the returning inmate has engaged and will continue to engage with services that address criminogenic needs is critical for managing and reducing any potential risks they may pose to the community (Washington State Department of Corrections n.d.; Wormith et al. 2007; Taxman et al. 2007; Wayne 2008; Griffiths et al. 2007; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2012; Harper & Chitty