The psychological effects of custodial sentencing

• Identify and outline the 4 psychological effects of custodial sentencing.

  Institutionalisation:

  Having adapted to the norms and routines of prison life, inmates may become so accustomed to these that they are no longer able to function on the outside.

  This can result in feelings of distress and anxiety upon their release and, in order to reduce this, they reoffend to be sent back to prison.
• Identify and outline the 4 psychological effects of custodial sentencing.


  Brutalisation:

  Prison may act as school for crime, reinforcing a criminal lifestyle and criminal norms.

  This is because the community of offenders are likely to share pro-crime attitudes and techniques on how to commit crime.
• Identify and outline the 4 psychological effects of custodial sentencing.


  Poor mental health:

  There is a high prevalence of psychological problems in prison populations including depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide. For example, suicide rates are considerably higher in prison than in the general population.

  This could be due to overcrowding, low staff- to-offender ratios, lack of access to medical service and physical exercise, and an increased risk of physical assault.
• Identify and outline the 4 psychological effects of custodial sentencing.


  Labelling:

  Custodial sentencing can result in reduced employability due to the label of those released from prison as being ex-prisoners.

  This can result in feelings of hopelessness and, in turn, they revert back to criminal behaviour.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Institutionalisation: supporting evidence. 


  Research has found that when prisoners are asked what would help prevent them from reoffending when released, they often report a need for support in living back within society. This is a strength as it supports the proposal that they struggle to function on the outside due to being so used to the norms and routines of prison life.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Institutionalisation: issues with the supporting evidence. 


  Involved offenders completing self-reports where they may blame their reoffending on the system rather than taking responsibility for their crime. Research examining reoffending rates and locus of control have found that reoffenders were more likely to have an external locus of control. This is a limitation because it suggests that institutionalisation may not be a real psychological effect of prisons. Instead, it may just be used as an excuse for re-offending.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Brutalisation: supporting evidence. 


  The majority of young offenders are found to re-offend within 2 years of being released. This is a strength because it supports the idea that offenders can have their pro-criminal attitudes reinforced in prison and can learn techniques in prison that they may be eager to put into practice upon their release, hence the high recidivism rates.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Brutalisation: supporting evidence. 


  Research has found that placing low-risk offenders (in terms of recidivism) with high risk offenders makes it more likely that the low- risk offenders will reoffend. This is a strength because it further suggests that a custodial sentence with other offenders can reinforce pro-crime attitudes and behaviours.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Poor mental health: difficult to establish cause and effect. 


  This is because offenders may have been experiencing mental health problems before they were imprisoned. This is a limitation because it means it is difficult to show that the custodial sentence is the cause of their psychological problems.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Poor mental health: supporting evidence that is able to establish cause and effect.

  Zimbardo’s prison simulation study found that some of the prisoners became depressed and anxious despite all being identified as psychologically healthy before they entered the mock prison. This is a strength as it supports the proposal that supports prison environments can cause poor mental health.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Labelling: supporting evidence. 


  Statistics suggest that ex-prisoners have a more difficult time gaining employment. This is a strength because it suggests that ex-prisoners have been labelled in society as criminal and so are considered not appropriate for peoples’ places of work.
• Evaluate each psychological effect of custodial sentencing - Labelling: practical applications. 


  Community service or restorative justice programmes are sometimes used as an alternative to custodial sentencing for minor crimes to avoid the criminal being labelled as a prisoner and then experiencing difficulties within society such as gaining employment. This is a strength because research has found that offenders sentenced to community service/restorative justice were less likely to be labelled in society and, in turn, re-offend.