These feelings of anxiety and depression can be amplified by the unpredictable nature of the prison environment. As the above-mentioned Behavioral Sciences & the Law article explains, there are numerous rules in jails and jails that do not exist in the free world, many of which are ambiguous and applied only infrequently.
The authors note that “institutional rules are selectively applied depending on factors such as inmate-staff relationships, the mental state of the staff member, the severity of the rule violation, and the desirability of enforcing the rule”. This lack of clarity and predictability can contribute to uncertainty and stress.
Even a relatively “humane” prison or prison can contribute to negative mental health effects for the reasons outlined above. But the reality is that poor prison and prison conditions cause significant additional suffering and trauma.
As the World Health Organization explains: “In many prisons there are factors that negatively impact mental health, including: overcrowding, various forms of violence, forced or reverse solitude, lack of privacy, lack of meaningful activity, isolation from social networks, Uncertainty about future prospects (career, relationships, etc.) and inadequate health services, especially mental health services.” This list of mentally harmful conditions accurately describes most of the US prisons and prisons
Help them build a new future
When someone is imprisoned, their main focus is on getting out. While this goal is important, achieving it can be confusing. Suddenly, your loved one has no destination to look forward to. Setting achievable goals and developing new habits will help, but it’s also important to help them make this new future a reality.
Include your loved ones in your future plans and goals. This type of action will evoke positive feelings like hope and keep them out of trouble.
Prison changes people.
If you have time, you can get in your car and drive whenever you want. And you enjoy that. A prisoner can’t do that, and maybe they’ve gotten used to it. Someone who was once energetic can be released from prison without the drive to live a full and happy life.
Another scenario would be that they have seen and experienced so much in prison that they become cynical. Or the opposite could happen: you could have experienced true enlightenment and emerged from prison with the power to change the world.
There is no doubt that prison changes people. Both the inmate and their family and friends must adjust to the new persona when positive changes occur, or work to recapture the old persona when they don’t.