The Impact of a Residential Treatment Unit on the Prison Adjustment of Mentally Disordered Inmates

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-1152(05)12008-0
• Pages: 163-178
• Published date: 08 August 2005
• Date: 08 August 2005
• Author: Christine Gagliardi

THE IMPACT OF A RESIDENTIAL

TREATMENT UNIT ON THE PRISON

ADJUSTMENT OF MENTALLY

DISORDERED INMATES

Christine Gagliardi

ABSTRACT

Medical and legal records of 64 inmates receiving mental health services

at a maximum-security prison located in the Northeast United States

were examined to look at whether prison adjustment is impacted by

housing in a mental health residential treatment unit. Inmates in the res-

idential treatment unit, the ‘‘treatment group’’ had a significant decrease

in hospitalizations and disciplinary reports while housed in the residential

treatment unit. Inmates with a mental health history housed in the general

population, the ‘‘control group,’’ did not show a decrease in these be-

haviors during a similar time period. Results find that inmates referred to

the residential treatment unit seem to have high numbers of hospitaliza-

tions and segregations while housed in the general population, which level

off and become similar to the control group upon entry to the residential

treatment unit. Implications for future research evaluating the impact of

the residential treatment unit on the behavior of the inmate after he has

left the unit are discussed.

The Organizational Response to Persons with Mental Illness Involved with the Criminal Justice

System

Research in Social Problems and Public Policy, Volume 12, 163–178

Copyright r2005 by Elsevier Ltd.

All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

ISSN: 0196-1152/doi:10.1016/S0196-1152(05)12008-0

163

INTRODUCTION

It is estimated that mentally disordered individuals make up 16% of the

male and 24% of the female prison inmate population (Ditton, 1999). These

inmates differ from other criminal offenders (Lamb & Weinberger, 1998).

They are more likely to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the

offense, serve longer sentences and are more likely to have been unemployed

and homeless prior to incarceration (Ditton, 1999). Mentally disordered

offenders may also have difficulty adjusting to the environment of the cor-

rectional facility. This can lead to a number of behaviors that disrupt the

required order of the institution. Correctional mental health services can

assist in improving prison adjustment and reducing problems. This chapter

evaluates one type of service that can work in alleviating disruptive be-

haviors among mentally disordered inmates: a residential mental health re-

habilitation unit.

SIGNIFICANCE TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL,

INSTITUTIONAL AND POLICY RESPONSE TO

OFFENDERS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

Correctional institutions benefit from the services provided by mental health

treatment in that these services can help inmates adjust to the prison en-

vironment, and therefore, reduce problematic behaviors. In the late 1950s,

Clemmer defined the concept of prisonization to refer to an inmate’s trans-

formation during incarceration (Clemmer, 1958). Clemmer argued that in-

mates assimilate into the prison culture by learning and adapting to the

norms and values of the total institution. All individuals entering into a

correctional institution must learn the behavioral expectations in order to

fully adjust to the social environment. Due to psychiatric symptoms and the

stigma of mental illness within the prison walls, this process of socialization

and adjustment may be more difficult for inmates with a mental disorder.

Adjustment problems can lead to behaviors detrimental to the required

social order in prisons.

A number of research studies have found mentally disordered inmates to

have higher rates of disciplinary problems than other inmates. A study of

released prison inmates found that those with a mental disorder (as defined

by prior hospitalization) had higher rates of infractions, even when

controlling for prior criminal history, age and institutional security level

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