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“It’s not going to break me.”. Mental health and women’s experiences in the prison system. Jane Hegerty and Melanie Mitchell. General Intro/ Painting the environment. Our Role Work Environment 3 Prisons. Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre. Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre.
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“It’s not going to break me.” Mental health and women’s experiences in the prison system. Jane Hegerty and Melanie Mitchell
General Intro/ Painting the environment • Our Role • Work Environment • 3 Prisons
General Intro/ Painting the environment • Our Role • Work Environment • 3 Prisons • Counselling environment and Restrictions • Physical context and prison procedures
Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions • Physical Environment • Access to Support • Medication • Experience of those without mental health concerns • Changes in Mental Health
Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions • Physical Environment • Crisis Support Unit • Observation Cells
Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions • Access to support • Limited, time delays • Type of support available • Medication • Women’s choice/control
Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions • Experience of those without mental health concerns • Other women in prison • Prison staff • Changes in Mental Health • Lose contact with support on the outside • Skills/resources deteriorate • Worse position upon release
Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing • Prison Context • Physical environment of prison • Prison culture • Maintaining a sense of self • Connection to outside/isolation • Expressing Emotion • Control • Going Home • Reintegration Leave • Home to Stay
Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing • Physical environment • Limited space to self • Hard to make a space feel like your own • Prison Culture • Practices & Expectations • Officers/Corrective Services • ‘Management’ of women • Other Women
Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing • Maintaining a Sense of Self • Holding onto values and beliefs • Isolation • Family & Friends • Expressing Emotion • Limits and consequences
Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing • Control • Internal and external • Going Home • Reintegration Leave • Home to stay
Supporting Women who have been through the prison system. • Women Direct Counselling & Support • Create a Safe Space • Respect • Difficulty of Day-to-day tasks • Awareness of control over decisions • Exploration and redefinition of roles and identity • Wariness of systems • Reluctance to trust • Isolation