Female prisoners experience exposure to mental illness than their male counterparts. These reports come in the wake of time when different researchers assert that the number of female individuals is increasing in prisons dramatically (Duwe & Clark, 2015). In the United States, for instance, Female prisoners make only 7% of the total prisoners. However, 66% of the female prisoners, according to this report, have experienced some mental illness within the prison. Froma survey conducted from the year 2011 to 2012 that involved about 100,000 men and women in U.S prison about their mental status, more women reported having psychological issues on many occasion than men. In a survey that posed questions about inmates’ mood and emotions in the previous 30 days, Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed said they were diagnosed with a mental health condition. The survey reveals that most women were leading on both serious distresses in the past 30 days at 32.3% with men at 25.5%. Women were also ahead concerning the history of mental illness with 67% and men at 40%. The statistic indicates that there is a need to understand the reason why women prisoners get exposed to mental illness than men.
Different factors expose women or make them vulnerable to mental illness in prison. Research by Davoren et al. (2015) reveals that most women who are in prison have had a history of victimization, such as rape cases and racial discrimination. In this sense, they tend to extend such distress to imprisonment, which makes them vulnerable to mental illness than men. Other than that, other researchers such as Fazel et al. (2016) also claim that though the courses may be complex, women are vulnerable to abuse and discrimination within the prison environment. In research conducted by the same authors, they reveal that nearly 67% of women who are in prison have faced cases of either racial discrimination or sexual abuse. In this sense, they tend to be more exposed to mental challenges than men within the jails. Another study by Duwe& Clark (2015), also postulates that in many cases, women feel embarrassed because of the sexual intimidation that they sometimes experience within the prison institution. As a result, they shy away from sharing these concerns to the administration in fear of being humiliated or the fear of unknown. The pressure builds up in such cases and translates to mental illness such as depression.
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Mental illness is a severe condition for both genders. Most of the time, the inmates do not get the chance for proper mental health treatment. The condition leads to some of them getting even more affected as a result of their condition. It is thus critical to have a proper plan to help mostly the female inmates who are unfortunate to suffer from mental illness. In this case, a good plan for them should include both pharmaceutical and psychological intervention. The program proposed in this case should be carried out within the prison institutions as this the setting where most female prisoners will be spending most time of their lives. A combination of Pharmaceutical drugs and different therapies will be necessary for these individuals.
Narrative therapy is one-on-one therapy where the therapists and the victims interact to find a solution to a client's problem. The process involves the client telling one of the most painful events in his or her life that were caused by mental illnesses. The therapist then will try and re-write the painful story in the right way to isolate the victim from the problem. Other than that, there is cognitive behaviour therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy deals with the problem in the minds. It had different techniques which aim to treat the mind and induce positive thinking in the patient's brain. Dialectical therapy and exposure therapy are also other types of therapies that people will use in the program (Duwe & Clark 2015). The type of therapy, in this case, depends on the person’s nature and the best one that can achieve the best result for the client. These are programs that have proved effective in many cases where mental illnesses are involved. As a result, they are likely to help female prisoners cope with their mental pressures and diseases in prison.
As a psychologist, the best way to ensure that the female prisoners sometimes get with their children and also the mother-child bond is close is to encourage them to enroll on filial play therapy (Yee, 2016). The mother-child bond is critical for child development and proper maturity. In many cases, children tend to suffer emotional deterioration upon understanding the meaning of prison and the reason why their parents are behind bars. While in prison, mothers do not get enough chance to interact with their children, and this places the children at risk of exposure to aggressive behavior that may reshape their lives. Filial therapy ensures that the bond is restored by giving enough time for the parent-child interaction to reduce stress and behavior deteriorations among children.
In conclusion, female offenders face many challenges after leaving prison. The best way is to increase awareness of the adverse effects of victimization among the offenders' family and encourage them to give the offenders an excellent environment to restore their lives. Also, providing women with financial backup and activity after they have after leaving prison can help them to stabilize and start a new life. Lastly, there is a need for comprehensive wraparound services as these have been proved to be effective to help women reinvent their lives after prison.
References
Davoren, M., Fitzpatrick, M., Caddow, F., Caddow, M., O’Neill, C., O’Neill, H., & Kennedy, H. G. (2015). Older men and older women remand prisoners: mental illness, physical illness, offending patterns, and needs. International Psychogeriatrics , 27 (5), 747-755.
Duwe, G., & Clark, V. (2015). Importance of program integrity: Outcome evaluation of a gender ‐ responsive, cognitive ‐ behavioral program for female offenders. Criminology & Public Policy , 14 (2), 301-328.
Fazel, S., Hayes, A. J., Bartellas, K., Clerici, M., & Trestman, R. (2016). The mental health of prisoners: prevalence, adverse outcomes, and interventions. The Lancet Psychiatry , 3 (9), 871-881.
Yee, T. (2016). Filial therapy: Cultural considerations for Chinese parents. International Journal of Play Therapy , 25 (3), 123.
