Psychological Treatment in Correctional Settings

This week's reading assignments include chapters relating to the provision of psychological treatments in correctional settings.

Chapter 12 discusses the findings of Boothby & Clements (2000) survey of psychologists working in state and federal correctional facilities across the U.S. Increasingly, the prison populations reflect a high number of inmates suffering from identified mental illnesses.

This presents issues for corrections personnel who are responsible for the safety of prisoners as well as the safety of staff.

The goals of the correctional psychological service providers may not be consistent with the overall goals of the institution. The mental health status of offenders impacts staffing considerations, both in number and in skills, of incarceration facilities.

Large populations of inmates with mental health issues can impact the stress levels of staff, which can influence their job performance as well as their interpersonal relationships.

Address the following points in your paper

Discuss the impacts of the psychological make-up of offenders has on the functional responsibilities of incarceration facilities.

Discuss how the biases and assumptions of correctional service providers influence their assessment of and interaction with these offenders.

Explain your findings within the continuing context of the endogenous and exogenous theories of criminal behavior and the analysis of how our biases and assumptions influence our assessments of individuals.

Correlate your findings to the cultural-based behavior patterns specific to segments of the population with an evaluation of the potential impact and intervention strategies utilized to reduce the impact of stress on law enforcement personnel.