AO3

• It is difficult to say the person has caused the negative psychological effects - mental health issues within prison may be due to other factors about the individual + offender could have committed a crime because of their mental health and so the full effects of the prison are hard to establish
• Not every offender will experience the negative psychological effects - different prisons have different regimes so offenders experience prisons differently + length of sentence, reason for imprisonment and previous experience of prison may influence psychological effects - difficult to make conclusions or generalise the negative psychological effects of prisons
• the role of a prison to rehabilitate has been questioned - rehabilitation can be undermined by other prisoners as offenders may acquire skills and learn skills from more experienced offenders - increases recidivism
• Aim of a prison to rehabilitate can have practical application for methods applied within the prison to encourage rehabilitation (anger management and social skills training) - could lead to improved character and leading a crime-free life when back in society with greater access to employment - prison may therefore be a worthwhile experience - this is dependant upon funding and resources
• 4 aims of prisons have been questioned - Davies and Raymond (2000) - concluded that gov ministers often exaggerate benefits of prison to appear tough on crime - in reality, suggested prisons do little to defer others or to rehabilitate offenders - alternatives like community service have been proposed - we can question the motives and credibility of the aims of prisons
• Research evidence supports the negative psychological effects that prisons can have - Barton (1995) suggests prisons can be ‘brutal, demeaning and generally devastating‘ - The Prison Reform Trust (2014) found 25% of women and 15% of men in prison reported symptoms indicative of psychosis - the regime vulnerable - Zimbardo’s research also illustrates the effects of a prison regime - one pp had to withdraw due to effects on mental health - Snow(2006) found offenders who self-harm displayed higher levels of anger and stress and those who committed suicide showed signs of depression