Evaluation

• Psychological effects


  • Negative psychological effects on prisoners
  • Bartol - imprisonment 'brutal, demeaning and generally devastating'
  • Ministry of Justice - 119 suicides in prison in 2016 - an increase of 32% from the previous year
  • Prison Reform Trust - 25% of women and 15% of men reported symptoms of psychosis
  • Therefore, prison regimes may be detrimental to psychological health
• Counterpoint to psychological effects


  • The figures in the Prison Reform Trust study do not include the number of inmates who were experiencing psychotic symptoms before entering prison
  • Importation model - prisoners import some of their psychological issues into prison with them
  • Therefore, there may be confounding variables that influence the link between prison and its psychological effects
• Training and treatment


  • Custodial sentencing provides opportunity for training and treatment
  • Rehabilitation - improved character, employment outside of prison
  • Shirley - Vera Institute of Justice - prisoners who take part in college programmes are 43% less likely to reoffend
  • Therefore, prisons may be a worthwhile experience if prisoners can access these programmes
• School for crime


  • Offenders may learn to become better offenders
  • Incarceration with long-term offenders may give younger inmates the opportunity to learn tricks from experienced offenders
  • Offenders may also gain criminal contacts that they can follow up on when released
  • Therefore, this form of education may undermine legitimate rehabilitation attempts and increase recidivism rates