Substance Abuse Within Correctional Setting

The criminal psychologist occupies an important role in the current justice system not only in Australian society, but in contemporary society on a global scale. To understand what a criminal psychologist is, the principles of criminological psychology must be divided into individual definitions in order to frame the conventional interpretation of 'criminal psychology'. Criminals are often identified as senseless archetypes that commit crime usually through a disorderly offence. A criminal psychologist will usually look at the 'why' to determine the reason they are senseless. Although, most of the time it is due to the psychological aspects of a particular individual. This can vary from their upbringing to the use of harmful substances that affect their

The term ‘personality’ is generally used to refer to relatively stable characteristics of a person that make their behaviour consistent across situations (but many other definitions are possible, depending on the approach being taken). Hans Eysenck (1964) put forward a theory of criminal behaviour based on a very influential theory of personality he had earlier devised. Although this theory is usually referred to as a personality theory of offending, it is important to appreciate that Eysenck’s theory conceives of criminal behaviour as the outcome of interactions between processes occurring at several different levels of explanation.

Perhaps it can be argued that all of these traits are implicit in what the Doctors said about the composition of the criminal personality. We wouldn’t entirely disagree. However, we would submit that, with the exception of the thinking errors which they identified, the Doctors did not think about these traits in the sense we do. As an example, the Doctors repeatedly state that theirs is not a program for building the criminal’s self-esteem, as the criminal already thinks quite highly of himself. We would argue that one cannot possess healthy self-esteem and be vulnerable to the sorts of extreme fluctuations in self-appraisal the Doctors

It is no secret that forensic psychology is an example of an area where psychologists apply their knowledge of psychological approaches, methods and treatments to a specific problem. However, before assessing the implications, it is crucial to establish the research methods used in criminal

inmates and the use of drugs, such as how is it easier for an inmate whom is

Research has identified that prison based substance abuse treatment for offenders differs greatly for males and females. Female offenders tend to have numerous triggers for their substance abuse with the research showing female offenders being significantly disadvantaged compared with male offenders when entering treatment programs (Messina, Grella, Cartier, & Torres, 2010). The following essay will summarise research conducted on the topic of substance abuse treatments for incarcerated females, looking at the research conducted by Messina et al. (2010), and how this research fits in with the available literature, and the contribution it has made to the field of research on the topic.

I believe the percentages of Hispanic and African Americans incarcerated contributes to non-violent offenders placed in the American prison system. As of December 24th, 2016, 82.415 persons detained were locked up for drug offenses. Drug offenses made up 46.4% of all the listed offenses for imprisonment (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). Of those in prison, 110,871 were white, 71,647 were black, and 63,198 were Hispanic (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). It is my opinion that decriminalization and drug reform would improve drug infested communities, get non-violent drug offenders out of our prison system and assist communities to resolve the violence that follows substance abuse.

Research shows that as many as three-fourths of all Georgia inmates have drug or alcohol addiction. Should we continue to incarcerate these non-violent offenders or divert them away from the prison system and into special courts. I believe the drug courts will be a good addition to our sentencing system because it will free up law enforcement resources to fight violent crime. Georgia has been treating the symptoms of addicted and mentally ill prisoners, criminal behavior, rather than treating the root cause of those symptoms. As a result, spending on corrections has skyrocketed, with corrections becoming the biggest driver in state budgets.

The process of inferring the personality characteristics of individuals responsible for committing criminal acts has commonly been referred to as criminal profiling. (Turvey) Criminal profiling can also be referred to as, behavioral profiling because when a profiler creates a profile they refer to the behavior of the offender. The general term criminal profiling can also be referred to as crime scene profiling, criminal personality profiling, offender profiling, psychological profiling and criminal investigative analysis. All the terms listed above are used inconsistently and interchangeably. Modern criminal profiling is owing to a diverse history grounded in the study of criminal behavior (criminology), the study of mental illness

Future behavior is a question that is often asked of a forensic mental health professional. There are many reasons to include assessing potential future dangerousness or recidivism. This area of our work has great impact on the defendant’s life. The conclusions or opinion of the forensic mental health professional can sway the judge, jury, defendant, families, victim/s and society as a whole. This makes risk assessment both difficult and controversial, according to Hanson (2009) Risk assessments for crime and violence are different from other forms of psychological assessment because the presenting problem is not directly observed.

consumption of alcohol or drugs could have negative impacts and organizations and at some point, it could be a life-threatening situation depending on the field you work in.

Addiction usually affects the spouse, parents, siblings, friends, even co-workers of the person abusing this drug. Substance abuse or addiction causes a dysfunctional environment for everyone involved. Children who see their parents or other family members constantly use drugs are more likely to experiment with drugs at an early age. I know with as much as I’ve seen it would’ve been easy for me to take some of her pills and blame her, but what would that solve. Families that deal with addiction normally don’t acknowledge that a problem even exist. I know after personally dealing with my grandmother that it’s just easier to go into denial, ignore the situation, and avoid all the difficult emotions that I feel. It’s just easier for all of

I agree with you that personality tests, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) tests and its revised edition (MMPI-2), are essential in the field of forensic psychology, even though they are not permitted to be used in mental competency evaluations, evaluations of insanity, or predicting an individual’s risk of dangerousness (Graham, 2012). Regardless, these assessments can help to determine, severity of impairment, their outlook on life, approaches they take to solve problems, their typical mood states, possible diagnosis, and outpatient evaluations (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2017). Additionally, in the field of forensic psychology the MMPI is often used as an instrument by expert witnesses, as a

Individuals who suffer from substance abuse, known as addiction, continuously plagues the United States court system year after year. For instance, individuals who have been accused drug and alcohol-related crimes have been suspected of committing violent crimes, such as domestic violence, child abuse, and abandonment. Therefore, the drug court scheme has afforded offenders arrested for addiction-related crimes the opportunity to receive community-based treatment with judicial oversight to avoid potential confinement; reducing the overcrowding of local and state prisons.

Substance abuse can be a big problem in our criminal justice system when dealing with the number of inmates who go back to their illegal activity after being released from custody. In specific, inmates who are drug users/ abusers are to be expected to go back to drugs once they get out. Without treatment they do not have the tools, knowledge, or resources to stay clean on the outside when released. The biggest hazard for an ex-inmate in the community is getting back to their old life, old friends, old contacts, and old drugs. To understand why these substance abusers are the way they are, there must be a clear emphasis on how these substances first evolved and where they originally came from. Focusing on substance abuse among inmates at the federal and state prison can be extremely different when in custody and the programs and treatment that is provided in these prisons can really have a great effect on these offenders when being released back into the community.