How inmates cope with negative factors of prison life Research Paper

How inmates cope with negative factors of prison life - Research Paper Example Here, the convict is kept in isolation from all sources of the external world and all aspects that might have motivated his/here to commit the crime. Going by the unpleasantness seen in the prison life along with its negative social stigma that is associated with incarceration, prison life should serve in the form of a deterrent for any criminal behavior. Prison inmates can face both financial and social problems (Nilsson, 2003, p.59). Psychological symptoms can include prolonged psychosis, severe depression, endless anxiety, and a complete form of social withdrawal. One particular feature associated with prison life is recidivism (Nilsson, 2003, p.60). It has been stated that the group who re-offended faced marginalization ‘marginalization’, i.e., a continued form of social as well as financial exclusion, while the individual who did not re-offend experienced inclusion or ‘normalization’, that provided an improved living conditions and removal from being â €Å"the margins of society† (Nilsson, 2003, p.60). Thus, the thesis statement can be constructed as: Prison inmates develop different form of survival strategies to cope with the harsh conditions of incarceration. Negative impacts in the convicts due to prison life As mentioned earlier there are many psychological, physical and social effects that a life in prison can make on the prisoner. One such feature is the punishment of solitary confinement. The effects of solitary confinement can be understood by the words of Johnny Tremont who was an inmate at New York prison. According to him â€Å"there’s more of a difference between being in solitary confinement and being in general population than there is between being in prison and being in the free world.† In general population, he says, â€Å"you do your programming, go to meals, talk to people, and you can still manage to feel like a human being.† In the Box, â€Å"you’re like an animal in a cage .† (Casella and Ridgeway, 2012, p.20). Further it was stated by Bonnie Kerness, who was the head of the American Friends Service Committee’s Prison Watch Project, â€Å"We call it ‘no-touch torture,’†. â€Å"No one who has ever experienced more than the briefest time in solitary would call it anything else, because it was designed to destroy the mind and break the spirit.† (Casella and Ridgeway, 2012, p.20). This aspect of negative impacts becomes particularly harmful for the aged convicts and the female prisoners. The older inmates usually are found in worse health than the female counterparts who are not convicted as these convicted female individuals are seen to develop health related issues pretty much earlier of their previous lifestyle, the socioeconomic factors and the harshness of the prison environment (Deaton & Aday, 2009, p.53). Co-morbidity is a form of physical condition common among these aging prisoners who develop on an average three types of chronic diseases which can be asthma, emphysema or arthritis (Deaton & Aday, 2009, p.53). Older female inmates require medical attention more than the other inmate groups (Deaton & Aday, 2009, p .53). The older female inmates face difficulty in coping with the harsh prison environment as they have a fragile mental and physical condition (Deaton & Aday, 2009, p.61). Other women are found to be often sad, depressed or respond with crying unconditionally (Deaton & Aday, 2009, p.61).There was many negative sentiments in the female prison