Psychological Illness In Female Offenders Essay Example

offenders in their childhood was based on test of female offenders who were on drug abuse, found out that being exposure to these childhood events which were too adverse were related to the problems in behavior in the adulthood and adolescence, as well as the physical and mental wellbeing problems (Messina, &Grella, 2006). Even if these problems are therapeutically linked to the use of drugs, mental health problems and post-traumatic stress they are treated separately. The most vital development in the mental healthiness care is the identification of that a considerable percentage of females who are offenders have experienced a trauma at some point in their life’s and this plays an important role when it comes to the development of a woman’s mental health and bodily problems ( Bloom, Owen, & Covington, 2003).

There is too much difference in the mental health of incarcerated women when compared to the other women in common. For instance, only 12 percent of women in the universal population who can be said to have any mental health problems as compared to 73 percent of women offenders in the state prison. Also when comparing the general women and the incarcerated women in terms of ethnicity and age it is found that the locked up women have higher cases of mental health mess. Mainly most of the women offenders are characteristically mothers of young, poor and unemployed. They are also affected by substance use as well as physical issues which lead to mental health problems.

Most of the women offenders have been providing a rare opportunity through incarceration of assessing mental health services, which are not available to any other offenders who are

within the society. Despite having an increased prison population and the prevalence of problems which are associated with mental health, only little have been done to meet the increasing number of inmates who needs to meet the mental health treatment. In order to provide treatment for the incarcerated women, there are specific elements which are required so that there are gender responsive programs which re-created for women in the prisons. For any women offender, recovery is a procedure which entails a transformational modification.

This transformation is not that simple or linear and do not require isolation. For the women offenders for them to heal they really need a deep connection between others and themselves. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics as a matter of policy all state prisons, federal prisons, and jail jurisdiction are supposed to provide mental health services to the inmates. This includes also screening of offenders at intake for the mental health problem thus been able to provide a therapy or counseling to the affected women offenders.

The counseling is mainly done by trained a professional who only deals with a mental health issue as well as psychotropic medication. Psychologist and other mental professional can only foster a positive child-mother relationship when the mother is incarcerated by ensuring that the child is able to visit their mothers at least twice a week. Through this, the children’s shall be able to create a strong bond with their mothers. Also, on the other hand, those children whose parents are incarcerated are at higher risk of been influenced negatively socially and also their academic outcomes are neither appealing because they are at risk of substance use,

school failures and externalized and internalized behavior problems. A Childs attachment relationship to incarcerated mothers and having contact are mainly considered as been a part and parcel of the Childs Microsystems.

The earlier the attachment with the parents, the better because it affects the Childs future emotional and social functioning. A child who has a contact with her mother is most likely to have comfort with the attachment figure in the case in the future he or she has a threatening or distressing issue, which may affect the child emotionally. The appropriate methods or approaches which are best for integrating female offenders so that they may be reintegrated into work life and their families are such as the therapeutic approach. In conclusion addressing of mental health problems for women offenders mainly has to involve a gender responsive approach that mainly has included comprehensive services which mainly takes into account the context and content of the woman’s life. Also, programs need to put into consideration the fact that a woman shall never be treated successfully if she is isolated from her social support network. A system which is coordinating the link between a wide range of services it is most likely to promote a continued care that shall integrate trauma, substance abuse, and mental health.

References

1. Bloom, B., Owen, B., & Covington, S. (2003). Gender-responsive strategies: Research, practice, and guiding principles for women offenders. Washington, DC: National Institute of Corrections.
2. Covington, S. (2007). The relational theory of women’s psychological development: Implications for the criminal justice system. In R. Zaplin (Ed.),
3. Female Offenders: Critical Perspectives and Effective Interventions (2nded.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
4. Messina, N., &Grella, C.
   

(2006). Childhood trauma and women’s health outcomes: A California prison population. The American Journal of Public Health, 96(10), 1842-1848.