While attending graduate school at NYU , I became involved with an organization that worked with incarcerated juveniles at Riker ’ s Island Jail in a once-a-week debate group . This was a truly profound and eye-opening experience for me . Not only did I see firsthand the suffocating and emotionally stifling nature of a jail setting , but I observed how these mostly young boys of color were able to demonstrate an ability to engage in meaningful and thoughtful debate around some of society ’ s most pertinent topics .
Around the same time , I signed up for a letter-writing service dedicated to matching volunteers with incarcerated individuals , and that is how I met Michael . After being pen pals for a decade , I can say without hesitation that Michael is one of my closest friends . We have written countless letters and emails , and I have visited him twice in prison . In nearly every letter , Michael expresses to me the high amount of stress and distress he experiences daily , and his desire for help from a mental health professional . While numerous requests have been submitted , Michael reports that he has never received help for his mental health struggles .
Although both experiences — being at Riker ’ s Island and getting to know Michael — had an unparalleled impact on me and opened my eyes to the vast injustices experienced by those incarcerated in this country , it was only when I began counseling children with incarcerated parents that my desire emerged to return to graduate school to study potential solutions for this population . I am now entering into my fourth year as a doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati , and the vast majority of my research has centered around incarceration and its impact on the mental health of prisoners and families . Unfortunately , incarcerating large numbers of adults , and its negative effects , do not exist in a vacuum — the trickle-down effect is significant on communities , families , and children .
Images and concepts of prison and prisoners have become commonplace in American society and culture , partly because of the media ’ s sensationalized attention to this subject , but also because of the exceedingly high rates of incarceration in the United States . For many politicians , judges , police officers , and the general public , high incarceration rates indicate judicial success and public safety ; the idea that justice has prevailed . The majority of the American public isn ’ t conflicted about incarceration rates and the treatment of prisoners , believing that criminals should expect and accept the sentence and treatment they receive .
Member Reflections
Helping Those Incarcerated , and Working to Heal a Broken System
Sara Pickett , LPCC , NCC , has worked as a mental health counselor for seven years in Cincinnati and Louisville . Her specialties include PTSD , child and adult trauma , depression , anxiety , and suicidality . She has worked with a diverse population of clients in numerous settings . A fourth-year doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati and an adjunct instructor at Cincinnati State , she sees clients for individual and couples counseling through Compass Point Counseling Services . Her hobbies include bike-riding , being a self-proclaimed professional UNO player , and listening to throwback hits .
While penal rehabilitation is frequently touted as a goal , however , the reality is typically punishment , deprivation , and an overall lack of care and humane treatment toward those who are incarcerated .
Thankfully , understanding the complexity of criminology , crime , and offenders is changing , among researchers and journalists as well as among a portion of the American public . People are beginning to see how ecological contexts create the scenario of “ the criminal ” and ultimately the creation of mass incarceration in the United States .
Mental Health Treatment Can Improve the Lives of
Those Incarcerated and Their Families
A deeper and more nuanced understanding of this issue has resulted in louder cries for social justice reform and improved treatment for all prisoners . This call to reevaluate the treatment of prisoners is partially focused on enhancing physical , emotional , and mental well-being , which in turn creates better results for prisoners — while incarcerated and after their release . A number of studies have shown that incarceration negatively affects the mental and physical health of the prisoner , and subsequently , that improving prisoners ’ mental and physical health results in lower recidivism and an increase in overall quality of life .
Although one single group cannot solve this issue alone , mental health counselors can make a lasting impact . They can begin , and in some instances have already begun , addressing the negative effects and impact of incarceration through both direct treatment and research . Various mental health interventions have been implemented within prisons throughout the country , and studies have demonstrated their varying levels of efficacy on improving mental health outcomes for prisoners . One such mental health category is mindfulness . Though this alternative approach to mental health treatment might initially seem out of place in prison , research has shown mindfulness practice to have surprisingly positive results with both male and female prisoners .
Ultimately , in my work and research on incarceration and mental health , I ’ ve seen slow but steady progress . Although more awareness and increased availability of mental health services for those incarcerated and their families is still needed , I am encouraged that existing work is creating necessary cracks in a very broken system .
2 The Advocate Magazine Spring 2021 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA )
www . amhca . org