Corrections and
Forensics
Historical Background
1790: One of the first holding facilities
in the United States was established: the Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia
Prior to 1900: Little or no recreation in prisons.
Even though some prisons had libraries, inmates were not permitted to use them.
1950’s: Recommendations were made at a
“Recreation in Correctional Institutions” conference stating that recreation
must be a distinct part of the correctional process.
1966: The importance of recreation in
preparing an inmate for the outside world was recognized at the American
Correctional Association congress
1971: Prison riots at Attica.
1980s: Recreation much improved, but most
activities were highly organized team sports
Today: Recreation in correctional facilities
ranges from rope courses to sports to music therapy
Definitions
to Know
Forensics: the study, assessment,
rehabilitation, and management of mental disorders in relation to violent or
aggressive behavior.
Corrections: the treatment of convicted offenders
through a system of incarceration, rehabilitation, probation, and parole.
Correctional
Recreation:
Personality disorders: psychological disorders characterized
by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning.
Antisocial personality
disorder: a
personality disorder in which the person exhibits a lack of conscience for
wrongdoing, even towards friends and family members. May be aggressive and
ruthless or a clever con artist. Psychopaths and sociopaths fit under this
disorder.
Psychopathic personality:
Someone with a
psychopathic personality has an emotional and behavioral dysfunction. The
instant gratification of his or her desires is their only guide. Experiences no
guilt because the need justifies the actions.
Sociopathic personality: A person with a sociopathic
personality often displays asocial or antisocial behaviors. Often reacts out of
unabashed desires and is also often reclusive.
Self-concept: Domain-specific evaluations of the
self. Those who are socially deviant generally have poor self-concepts.
Persecution complex: Complex in which a person feels that
everyone is out to get them.
Nonviolent crime: Crime that is perpetrated against
property. Does not have a victim.
Violent crime: A crime that has a specific victim or
potential victim.
Felony: Serious crime that is punishable in a
state facility for 1 year or more.
Misdemeanor: a less serious crime that is punishable in a
country or local facility for one year or less.
Probation: a pre-incarceration experience. After the offender has
served a substantial portion of the sentence imposed by the court, he or she is
released back to the community on a trial basis.
Incarceration: the act of placing someone in confinement or
prison.
Institutionalization: a person becomes so dependent on the
institution to satisfy his needs that he cannot survive psychologically,
physically or emotionally without the institutional setting.
Peaking: the moment that a person realizes that it is he
that must change, not society or those around him now he or she can change
their vital behaviors.
Threshold: a point, above or below, at which a person
exceeds the norm of acceptable behavior.
Open population: refers to the individual detention or
confinement of an inmate because he seriously violates the rules of the
institution or he asked for protection from other inmates.
Administrative
confinement: refers
to the individual detention or confinement of an inmate because he seriously
violated the rules of the institution or he or she asked for protection from
other inmates.
Death row: the individual detention person awaiting
execution these inmates are housed in a separate area of the institution.
Recidivism: relapse into criminal behavior
Definitions from Miriam Webster
Dictionary, Therapeutic Recreation: An Introduction, and https://sites.google.com/site/megshandydandynotebook/my-page/corrections-and-forensics
Public Description of Forensic Psychology from the
American Psychological Association
Forensic psychology is the
professional practice by psychologists within the areas of clinical psychology,
counseling psychology, school psychology or another specialty recognized by the
American Psychological Association, when they are engaged as experts and
represent themselves as such, in an activity primarily intended to provide
professional psychological expertise to the judicial system.
Advanced
Scientific and Theoretical Knowledge Germane to the Specialty
Specialized knowledge for the
practice of forensic psychology is required in three areas. These are:
- Clinical (e.g., diagnosis, treatment, psychological
testing, prediction and intervention measurement, epidemiology of mental
disorders, ethics)
- Forensic (e.g., response style, forensic ethics, tools
and techniques for assessing symptoms and capacities relevant to legal
questions)
- Legal (e.g., knowledge of law and the legal system,
knowledge of where and how to obtain relevant legal information).
Problems
Forensic psychologists address
psychological problems and questions that arise in the course of legal
proceedings. Such problems and questions are typically part of larger legal
questions to be decided by the courts or other administrative bodies. The legal
issues can be divided into two main categories:
- Civil — those involved in civil litigation (e.g.,
personal injury suits, workers compensation, civil commitment, child
custody determination)
- Criminal — those involved in criminal and
delinquency proceedings (e.g., sanity at the time of the offense,
competency to stand trial, waiver of juveniles to adult courts).
Populations
Forensic psychology provides
professional services to clinical/forensic and legal populations. The clinical
forensic population is composed broadly of individuals who may present with
mental or emotional disorders, or may have other characteristics, that are
relevant to a legal decision. The synthesis of clinical and legal issues
into psycholegal issues distinguishes forensic populations from clinical populations.
Forensic psychological services are also provided, in the form of
consultations, to legal and administrative populations, including courts,
attorneys and other administrative bodies.
Procedures
The procedures and techniques of
forensic psychology focus on the evaluation and treatment of clinical disorders
and other relevant characteristics in a legal context, and on providing
reports, expert testimony and consultations on relevant findings
Populations
Antisocial Personaility Disorder:
Antisocial
personaility disorder: Is a chronic
mental condition that thinking patterns are distorted, behavior is aggressive,
and has very little or no social cognition,.
Characteristics: Charming, Manipulation, Angry, Violent, No
guilt or Remorse, Substance Abuse.
Symptoms: Don’t
know right from wrong, Law Breaker, Risk Taking, Abusive,
These are some
of the symptoms, usually begins in childhood with destructive behavior, and
more diagnosed in 20-30’s.
Causes:
Genetics and Environment
Tests:
Psychological Evaulation , Physical Tests, Lab Tests,
Meet the Requirements of the DSM
- Be
at least 18
- Problems
before 15 and diagnosed conduct disorder
- Continually breaking the law
- Aggressive,
no remorse
Treatment:
- Persons
doesn’t think they need treatment
- Psychotherapy
- No
FDA approved medicine, but can be on antidepressants, and mood stablizers for
other symptoms.
Help: Set
Boundaries, Get a counselor,
Depression
Depression: Is
a feeling of sadness that can have physical and emotional symptoms and can
effects everyday living.
Cause:
Biological difference, Hormones, Life events, Early Childhood trauma, Genetic,
Environmental, psychological.
Symptoms:
Sadness, Fatigue, helplessness, Insomnia or oversleeping, overeating, no
eating, Irritable
Tests:
Psychological Evaluation, Lab tests, Physical exam, and must have a consistent
symptoms for more than two weeks according the guidelines of the DSM
Treatment:
Medications, psychotherapy, Electroconvulsive therapy.
Medication:
Antidepressants, Mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety meds,
Help: Talk to
the person, listen, offer support and love, Recreation
Web URL
Resources:
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia: Is a brain disorder that causes a spilt
of thinking and emotion in the brain that has an effect of everyday living,
such as hearing voices, and paranoia.
Causes: Genetics and Environment, and brain chemicals
Symptoms: Positive, Negative, Cognitive
- Positive: Delusions, Hallucinations, Thought disorder,
disorganized behavior.
- Negative: Loss of everday activities, social
withdrawl, lack of emotion.
- Cognitive: Though process, understanding, memory,
paying attention.
Tests: Lab tests, and Psychological evaluation.
Treatment: Psychiatric team works together to find a
solution that will work best for the patient, medication. Psychological
therapy, individual therapy, Social skills training.
Medication: Antipsychotic, Atypical antipsychotic,
,
Help: Recreation activities, support groups
A Population of Concern: Youth Corrections
Overview
“Once processed in the juvenile
court system there are many different pathways for juveniles. Whereas some
juveniles are released directly back into the community to undergo
community-based rehabilitative programs, some juveniles may pose a greater
threat to society and to themselves and therefore are in need of a stay in a
supervised juvenile detention center.[3] If a juvenile is sent by the courts to a juvenile
detention center there are two types of facilities: secure detention and secure
confinement.[3]“Juvenile detention is not intended to be punitive. Rather, juveniles held in secure custody usually receive care consistent with the doctrine of parens patriae, i.e., the state as parent. The state or local jurisdiction is usually responsible for providing education, recreation, health, assessment, counseling and other intervention services with the intent of maintaining a youth's well-being during his or her stay in custody.[4]
“The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention found the five types of residential programs for juveniles to be a broad range, which included detention, corrections, camp, community based, and residential treatment.[6] “
Services
provided to youth[edit]
Mental Health[edit]
“There is a long-standing
connection found in research between youth who commit crimes and mental health concerns.[8] There has been found to be a surprisingly high
population of juveniles who present serious mental health illness within
juvenile facilities.[9] Being that juvenile detention facilities operate
on the foundation of rehabilitating the youth, different mental health programs
are provided by facilities to help the youth rehabilitate. It is the
expectation that juvenile detention centers and juvenile institutions provide
mental health services to their residents.[10] The incarcerated youth population requires
careful and structured intervention, which must be provided by the facilities.”[10]
Education[edit]
“Education is seen by many as the
cornerstone of youth rehabilitation.”
Special education[edit]
“There is a large percentage of
incarcerated juveniles who are diagnosed as students with special needs.”[15]“All youth who have a disability, regardless of incarceration status, are authorized and eligible for their special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).[16] There has been a history of juveniles with disabilities not receiving their mandated accommodations and modifications.[17] With the passing of IDEA in addition to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, juvenile correctional facilities have become seen as federally funded institutions and thus there prevails the mandated right to serve all students with disabilities as such institutions regardless if it is a short term or long term stay.[13]
“The disabilities most prevalent in incarcerated juveniles include, mental retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional disturbances.[17] Surveys and studies have found that a high number of incarcerated youth suffer from emotional disturbance disabilities as opposed to youth in general public schools.”[18]
Concerns
and Criticism[edit]
“In addition to overcrowding,
juvenile secure facilities are questioned for their overall effectiveness in
the bigger picture life of the youth.[21] What causes many critics to question the overall
effectiveness of secure detention centers and confinement facilities is the
high juvenile recidivism rate.[21]“If juvenile centers are to provide the basic needs of the youth it serves, another large criticism by many is that the centers fail to meet the basic educational, mental health, and necessary rehabilitative needs of the youth. Part of the reason why overall effectiveness is a concern for juvenile secure settings is also due to the belief that all special education services may not be upheld to all youth in need while staying in the facility.[17] Additionally, many juvenile centers have been found to lack basic educational programs for the youth”.[22]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_detention_center
Resources
Common Service Settings
· Juvenile detention centers:
o
City or county operated: Designed to hold youth who are either
awaiting trial or serving very short sentences following trial. Recreation here
is seldom therapeutic. (Therapeutic Recreation: An Introduction)
o
State operated: Designed for long-term. TR programs
provided to assist juveniles with their re-entry into society. (Therapeutic
Recreation: An Introduction)
· Jail: Holding
facility for adult offenders awaiting court dates or trials. Limited recreation
therapy because stay is short. (Therapeutic Recreation: An Introduction)
· Prison:
Maximum custody facility only. Recreation programs are usually very
conservative because of the need for security and maintenance. (Therapeutic
Recreation: An Introduction)
· Correctional institutions: Long-term holding facilities with the number one priority of
different programs to help the individual. (Therapeutic Recreation: An
Introduction)
· Treatment centers: Designed to deal with the treatment of serious behavior problems.
Programs such as recreation therapy are second in priority, next to treatment
of the problem. (Therapeutic Recreation: An Introduction)
· Community release centers: Allows the inmate to slowly re-enter normal society.
Recreation therapy, especially leisure education, is second in priority to job
and life skills. (Therapeutic Recreation: An Introduction)
· Mental Health Hospitals: Those that are in need of longer hospital stays are usually
cared for at state-operated psychiatric hospitals. Services in this location
include acute stabilization, 24-hour supervision, and intensive rehabilitation.
http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/pdfs/jail_diversion/MassaroII.pdf
Funding for mental health services
·
Federal Mental
Health Care Block: A small portion of the budget for mental health
services is covered by this. Supplemented through state general revenues.
·
Medicaid and
Medicare: Joint federal and state funding program. The majority of mental health
services are paid for by this.
· It is important to note that time spent in prison can affect the amount of assistance a person in need of mental health services can receive, as many get out of prison without any services. http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/pdfs/jail_diversion/MassaroII.pdf
Implications
Encyclopedia of Prisons and Correctional Facilities
“Recreational programming is meant to provide inmates with
physical, mental, and emotional outlets to enhance their well-being.
“Prison recreation programs offer numerous benefits to
inmates and correctional staff alike. Many people believe that they reduce the
likelihood of riots and rule infractions. They also occupy inmates, giving them
much needed mental, physical, and emotional release and reducing the boredom of
daily life in prison. Sport can reduce tension and stress while promoting good
health and well-being. It is thought to prevent major diseases like cancer,
cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. Finally, recreational activities like
masonry, carpentry, shop, and other technical skills may help inmates find
employment once they return to the community. Some prisons provide inmates with
a certificate of completion that can be used on the outside for proof of
experience in that area.
“HISTORY Early penitentiaries did not offer leisure
activities, since it was believed that prisoners could only be reformed through
constant labor and religious reflection. By the mid-19th century, however,
inmates in many institutions were allowed to assemble after chapel service or
to be released into the yard for free time for about one hour of fresh-air
exercise. In 1876, Elmira Reformatory in New York became the first institution
to offer a variety of recreational and leisure programs, including organized
sports, social clubs, drama and arts, and many others. While most inmates
elsewhere were limited to using the yard, library, and auditorium, Elmira
provided a blueprint for what could be possible.
“It was not until the 1960s that leisure activities became
part of mainstream prison life. Even then, the American Correctional
Association took an additional decade to revise its standards to include
recreation programs as part of the therapeutic and rehabilitative ideal. These
days, most recreational activity is offered through the prison's education
department.
“BENEFITS For their supporters, prison recreation programs provide
constructive ways for inmates to use their spare time while also endowing them
with skills that may help prevent them from reoffending. When inmates are
completely idle, like anyone else, they will become bored. They may also feel
frustrated or aggressive, and become violent toward themselves or others. A
number of activities like football, softball, and basketball are specifically
designed to help reduce the stresses of incarceration by providing physical
stimulation. Other, courses, like art, writing, and music, provide more
creative outlets.
“Recreation promotes mental and emotional stimulation as
well as teaching skills through the prison's law library, painting, arts and
crafts, music, or technical activities like masonry, carpentry, horticulture
and barbering, creative writing, and educational classes. Some prisons have
music bands that perform for the prisoners or provide opportunities for
incarcerated artists to sell their artwork. They also offer “hobby clubs,”
which can consist of activities such as yoga, aerobics, cycling, or swimming,
or games like checkers and chess to encourage both physical and mental
stimulation. Recreation increases discipline and creativity, increases
self-esteem, and improves positive socialization skills, which all help reduce
reoffending.
“CONTROVERSY Some critics argue that prisoners should not be
allowed to have access to recreational activities because they are in prison to
be punished. In response to a perception that recreation is “soft” on
offenders, the federal system and some states have either banned weightlifting
in prisons or will no longer replace equipment once it falls apart.
“GENDER Women's correctional facilities usually offer a
slightly different range of recreational programs than men's prisons. While
women's programs and recreation stress cognitive skills, men's programs tend to
be more therapeutic in nature.
“Sport and Leisure Programs Whether initiated by the
department of corrections as a formal program, or by concerned and dedicated
prisoners who volunteer their time to develop informal activities, sport and
leisure programs serve as a release for prison tensions as well as an incentive
for better behavior. Programs allow prisoners to exert pent-up emotions and
energy in nonviolent and productive social interaction, work as a team, or
develop and improve themselves and strive for excellence (what John Irwin has
called “gleaning,” or making the most of “doing time”). This is conducive to
maintaining rules and regulations, and reduces behaviors that might make
prisoners dangerous to themselves and others.
“Sport and leisure programs sometimes create incentives for
participation as well as developing skills. Prisoners develop pride in winning
in sporting events, or in improving themselves in writing, acting, public
speaking, or even winning a game of Bingo. Programs also awaken skills or
encourage prisoners to renew their interest in developing previous skills. This
allows for a smoother transition back into society.
“Although most correctional systems, such as Illinois,
recognize the importance of sport and leisure programs, they are nonetheless
continuously cutting them back because of budget crunches. This robs the
prisoners of incentive programs that aid them through their incarceration as well
as ease their transition back to society.”
From: Research on Recreation in Correctional Facilities
Five implications of studies regarding practice by
correctional recreation professionals are the need to: (a) expand the variety
of recreation offerings; (b) increase recreational/ educational opportunities
for females and older inmates; (c) shift the role of recreation as diversionary
activity to educational and rehabilitative roles; (d) include recreation as
part of comprehensive programs of intervention in collaboration with other
services, and (e) consider the continued inclusion of adventure-based
activities for youth and possibly initiate new adventure-based opportunities
for adults.
For youth offenders, active leisure opportunities which
relate to building new social peer groups, along with cooperation from family,
are important. These opportunities frequently have been found in
adventure-based projects which also were more cost effective than other
treatment programs. The success of adventure-based programs for youth might
also have potential for adult populations and could provide a new area of
program development for the future. Currently boot camps (shock incarceration)
are being widely instituted despite evidence that they are not successful
interventions (Katel, Liu, and Cohn, 1994). It would be interesting to
determine if challenge experiences intended to enhance self-esteem and use
cooperation, such as adventure-based programs, would provide a desirable
alternative to shock incarceration programs for both youth and adult offenders.
Slater, Groves, and Lengfelder (1992) examined recreation
and its impact on self-esteem based on type of offense (felony) and age for
male inmates in a state correctional institution. Reading and library use were
positively correlated with self-esteem for three of the four felony groups.
Explanations for this were that these activities involved escape through
fantasy and that they were solitary activities which precluded inmates taking
negative views of themselves. Religious activities and competitive
weightlifting also were positively correlated for two of the felony groups.
Radio and music listening, however, were inversely related to self-esteem
measures in three of the four felony groups. The researchers speculated that
these differences may be attributed to rebelling against the system by becoming
uninvolved or that those participating in these activities did not engage in
other activities which enhance self-esteem. Implications of the findings
suggest that recreation professionals encourage a diversity of involvement in
recreation activities and work with participants to help them feel good about
their recreation experience.
Aguilar and Asmussen (1989) noted that the five major roles
of recreation in adult correctional settings are as an institutional adjustment
tool, institutional privilege, diversionary service, educational service, and
rehabilitative service. Diversionary
service is the primary use of recreation in most adult correctional situations.
Many of the studies concerning recreation and juvenile
offenders have involved adventure-based or wilderness camp programs. Clagett
(1989) reported that 85% of ex-campers who participated in a therapeutic wilderness
camp program for rehabilitating emotionally-disturbed youngsters, problem
teenagers, and delinquents did not recidivate during the initial six months
following release.
Article: Little, S. L. (1995): Research on recreation in
correctional settings. Parks and
Recreation 30(2).
From: Changing the Rules of Recidivism through Recreation
“Correctional
recreation ensures that inmates learn ways to fill their time constructively.
Activities such as arts and crafts and intramural sports teach inmates much
more than the rules of the game; they provide them with psychological
benefits…Good recreation helps inmates to establish personal relationships and
learn to respect others while encouraging them to set personal goals and
challenge themselves.”
“If we can
make a difference with inmates, even one or two, we can save taxpayers
thousands of dollars. The fact of the matter is that most incarcerated
offenders will get out one day. The question is: Do we want to release them
without having offered them constructive ways to spend their leisure time? The
public may think that inmates are getting recreation for free, but how much
does it cost to rebuild a prison after inmates riot because they don’t have
constructive ways to spend their time?”
Article:
Dallao, M. (1996): Changing the rules of recidivism through recreation. Corrections Today 58(1).
Correctional
Recreation: An Overview
This page provides a
very basic overview of the field of correctional recreation / prison recreation
for those wishing to learn more about it. For more in depth information, please
see our Correctional Recreation Page.
When most people think
about prison recreation, they think of sports. Actually it is much more. First,
those in the profession call it Correctional Recreation. Second, it can involve
many activities ranging from passive activities (TV watching and movies) to low
energy activities (board games, card games, billiards and bingo) to hobbies
(ceramics, photography, art, music, leather craft), to sports (basketball,
softball, volleyball, weight lifting), to special activities like gardening,
pet therapy, calligraphy and many others. Similar to college recreation
directors and college intramural directors, recreation supervisors develop and
operating recreational activities for those in prisons. They try to increase
involvement and participation by more inmates. Some prisons provide a wide
range of activities and facilities, while very limited programs are operated at
other facilities.
The goals and objectives
of correctional recreation are broad. Here are a few borrowed from a 1999 York
Correctional Institution Manual:
- Provide structured positive alternatives which can be
used to fill leisure time
- Provide opportunities for inmates to channel and vent
negative feelings of tension and anxiety into positive productive
attitudes
- Relief institutional stress (staff and inmates)
- Improve individual self esteem
- Improve health and fitness levels
- Improve individual creativity (mental and physical)
- Improve positive socialization skills
- Keep inmates occupied and reduce idleness
- Improve athletic and artistic skill levels
- Educate inmates of various game and sport rules and
strategies
Most
crimes are committed during leisure time. One of the underlying goals of correctional recreation, is that
inmates will acquire new leisure skills to successfully re-enter society.
Recreation activities include a rehabilitative effect for some inmates and
recent research has shown they may also increase the effectiveness of other
treatments (substance abuse counseling) when teamed with those therapies.
Correctional Recreation
Specialists work with special populations. Since their clients are inmates,
they have to understand security and personal safety issues. Many work with the
elderly, youth, mentally disabled, and handicapped. They generally only work
with inmates of a single sex (men or women) and some inmates have challenging
personalities.
A correctional
recreation staff can range from one person performing a few of recreation
duties while primarily responsible for another position, to one part time
recreation person, to a full staff including a supervisor, several assistants
and some inmate workers depending on the size of the facility, budget
constraints and the level of emphasis placed on recreation. Equipment (weight
piles, cameras, board games, basketballs, softballs, bats, etc) and facilities
(jogging track, 0outdoor rec yards, softball fields, ceramic kilns, photography
darkrooms, music rooms, hobby rooms, indoor and outdoor basketball courts,
theaters, etc) similarly vary by institution with federal facilities tending to
support a wider range of activities.
Correctional recreators
work in challenging conditions. They endure bureaucracy and budget problems
while rarely being recognized by the outside world Pay is not high, but many
find the job rewarding. We salute them.
Additional Information
State of Utah Requirements for Forensic Mental Health
Facilities.
(1) Pursuant to the requirements of
Section 62A-15-902(2)(c), the forensic mental health facility allocates beds to
serve the following categories:
(a) prison inmates displaying mental
illness, as defined in Section 62A-15-602, necessitating treatment in a secure
mental health facility;
(b) criminally adjudicated persons
found guilty and mentally ill or undergoing evaluation for mental illness under
Title 77, Chapter 16a;
(c) criminally adjudicated persons
found guilty and mentally ill or undergoing evaluation for mental illness under
Title 77, Chapter 16a, who are also mentally retarded;
(d) persons found by a court to be
incompetent to proceed in accordance with Title 77, Chapter 15, or not guilty
by reason of insanity under Title 77, Chapter 14; and
(e) persons who are civilly
committed to the custody of a local mental health authority in accordance with
Title 62A, Chapter 15, Part 6, and who may not be properly supervised by the
Utah State Hospital because of a lack of necessary security, as determined by
the superintendent or his designee.
(2) Additionally, the beds serve the
following categories:
(a) persons undergoing an evaluation
to determine competency to proceed under Title 77, Chapter 15; and
(b) persons committed to the state
hospital as a condition of probation under Subsection 77-18- 1(13).
These are a set of guidelines by the State of Utah in which
someone suffering from a Mental Disorder who has broken the law and now are in
the system. They will be able to get the treatment they need in a mental
healthcare facility, and prison.
Web URL
Resource:
Utah State Prison
Administering Mental Health
“Our mission is to
provide comprehensive and cost-effective mental health treatment to those
offenders who suffer from serious mental illnesses. Mental health is a complex
field, and illnesses can run the gamut from mild depression or anxiety to
severe psychosis and schizophrenia. Professionals use the DSM-IV axes and aim
to treat the most severe issues (axes 1 & 2) in a special area of the
prison calledOlympus, where mental health professionals' offices are located
and offenders are kept separate from the rest of population. Olympus is
designed as a stand-alone housing unit for offenders with the most severe
mental illnesses, where they can participate in a therapeutic environment that
promotes appropriate stabilization and behavioral change.
Additionally, a
comprehensive outpatient system is in place, where treatment services are
provided to those offenders whose behavior and medications can be managed in
general population. The Clinical Services Bureau also assists with therapy and
medication management in some of the department's community correctional
facilities, overseen by AP&P.
Corrections can also access two beds at the Utah State Hospital. Because safety is of
paramount concern to Corrections, offenders with mental illnesses must rarely
be housed in a high-security setting. This is true only for those offenders who
have proven to be a danger either to themselves, or to inmates, staff,
volunteers, visitors, or other people inside the institution. This is used as a
last resort, and processes are in place for offenders to earn their way out of
this environment. Mental health personnel continue to be available to offenders
housed in this setting.
The prison is asked by society to perform a difficult
task, and it always seeks to do so in a way that both maintains security, while
also showing appropriate compassion and care for individuals in its custody.”
In the Utah State Prison they have their
own mental healthcare system, they treat inmates with mental illness, they have
a unit where less severe cases are treated that live among other inmates. They
have a special unit called “Olympus,”, that is specific for treating severe
cases of mental illness. It is a separate unit from the rest of the prison so
they get the help they need.
Utah State Hospital
“Forensic
Services is comprised of 4 maximum security inpatient psychiatric treatment
units and serves 100 male and female patients. The patients are ordered to the
Hospital by the District Court under the Utah State Criminal Code. The majority
of the patients served in Forensic Services have been found Not Competent to
Proceed and have been sent to the Hospital to have their competency restored.
When competent the patient returns to court to stand trial. A smaller number of
patients have been adjudicated by the courts and have been sent to the Hospital
for treatment of their mental illness.
Treatment
includes a combination of medication; individual, group, and family therapy;
work opportunities; physical therapy; and occupational therapy.
Patient
government is an important part of the treatment on the Forensic Unit. It
encourages patients to become involved with those around them and provides them
a real opportunity to positively influence others.
Patient
input is encouraged at all levels of treatment which teaches individual
responsibility and accountability. It is the goal of the Forensic Unit to help
prepare each patient to reenter society as a productive, contributing member.”
Web
URL source:
The Utah State Hospital is a place to
specifically treat patients with mental illnesses. They have a court order to
come here and receive the correct treatment they to help develop or redevelop
skills they need to make it in society.
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