Mind Your Business: Understanding the Prison Mindset In Ex-Offenders

1. Mind Your Business: Understanding the Prison Mindset In Ex-Offenders Jonathan M. Hartiens, Ph.D. Michael D. McCarty, Ph.D. Center for Addiction Treatment VAMC Martinsburg WV

2. How We Got Here • Center For Addiction Treatment (CAT-5) is a VA residential chemical addiction treatment program; has been working with formerly incarcerated veterans (IV) for 8 years. • Noticed clinical difference between regular substance abuse patients and veterans who had been incarcerated. • Began prison group six years ago to learn what these differences were related to; patients taught us how they looked at the world. • Applied for and received a three year grant (2005) to study and develop programming to help formerly incarcerated veterans transition into the community. • Identified clinical tools and methods that are replicable and useable in other settings

3. Objectives • Understand the prevalence of the incarcerated population returning to the workforce community and how addiction is a common roadblock to successful re-entry. • Discuss elements of the “Prison Mindset” and show how it is linked to addictive behaviors during community re-entry. • Describe how the Prison Mindset, once activated, tends to be expressed in three areas of daily living – work, money, and relationships as a way to avoid relapse. • Examine several behaviors that ex-offenders typically exhibit during re-entry process, which can be misinterpreted as healthy behaviors but actually sets them up for failure.

4. Prevalence of the Incarcerated1 • As of June 30, 2007, there were 2,299,116 people in federal and state prisons, and local jails or around 10% of the US population. • Racial differences: • 4.6% of all black US males are in prison • 1.7% of hispanic US males are in prison • .7% of white US males are in prison • 600,000 released from state/fed prison each year into the community. • 60+% will return to prison in less than three years!

5. Prevalence of Substance Abuse Among The Incarcerated • Substance Abuse is the most common occurring psychiatric disorder among the incarcerated population. It occurs at a much higher rate than the general population2. • 75% of inmates reported substance abuse problems on self report measures3. • When given a structured diagnostic interview, 95% of inmates met criteria for a Substance Use Disorder4.

6. Prevalence of Substance Abuse (Cont’d) • Of those incarcerated, 64%4 to 70%5 were acutely intoxicated with one or more substances or withdrawing from them at time of arrest. • Of first time offenders, 41% had a history of regular drug use. This percentage increased to 81% for those with 5 or more convictions6.

7. What Do These Statistics Mean? • Substance Abuse is a significant problem among the incarcerated and is often minimized. • In a majority of cases, substance abuse precedes or accompanies criminal behavior. • The more often a person is incarcerated, the more likely substance abuse is part of his/her lifestyle. • The more often a person is incarcerated, the more likely it will be for parole violations related to substance abuse rather than committing a crime. • Recidivism and substance abuse are closely interconnected; their bond is impacted and further strengthened by length of incarceration. These factors foster in ex-offenders a worldview that is highly resistant to change called “The Prison Mindset.”

8. Prison Mindset: Defining Features Living in prison conditions a mindset in which: • Routines are structured by someone else. • Choices are made by others. Offenders lose the ability to make decisions. • Basic needs are met without any effort. • One has to constantly prove and protect oneself. • Respect and safety is generated by inflicting fear in others. • Any appearance of weakness or fear invites aggression from others. • The goal is simple – SURVIVAL!

9. How the Prison Mindset Impacts the Re-Entry Process • Person needs structure, cannot provide it for oneself • Making choices are terrifying and often overwhelming • Cannot ask for help, to do so is a sign of weakness • Does not know how to meet one’s own basic needs • Compulsion to prove oneself, obsesses over how one is perceived • Uses fear and intimidation to solve problems

10. “Mind Your Business”What your client is thinking but won’t tell you. • Work – • work habits reflect drug of choice • often lacks emotional resilience and social skills to deal with co-worker and supervisor issues on the job. • Works to make up for lost time with little awareness of big picture. • Money – • has financial debts; is ashamed and lacks know-how • gives money away to family members; cannot say no • lowest cost is better; inability to determine relativevalue • Relationships- • Seeks support and structure from someone who has already established it. • Compelled to reconcile or re-establish with little thought for results.

11. Thoughts Cocaine addict: I just want to hurry. Got to make up for lost time (impatient) Alcoholic: I just want to relax (coasting). Cocaine: I need to prove myself; I only have value if I’m working hard; got to make sure they notice me on this job; make sure they keep me around (fear). Alcoholic: Keep a low profile and just pace yourself (fear) Behaviors Approaches job search or work in a way that mimic their drug of choice. Does other people’s work; works too fast; doesn’t ask for help; has trouble following simple directions; wants to improve how job is done Little limlight, low profile behaviors. Minimal efforts. How Prison Mindset Affects Work

12. Thoughts “I can’t let them disrespect me.” (fear) Hears boss’s comments as criticism. (fear). Behaviors Responds with intimidation or violence or walks off job (takes all or nothing approach) Walks off the job or works much harder/longer. How Prison Mindset Affects Work

13. Thoughts: The more money I make, the better person I am (less than, inadequate) I can’t have money or it might trigger me to use (fear/anxiety). I need money for my kids and my partner (guilt and shame) Behaviors: Turns down jobs that are “beneath” them; is picky about jobs; wants to be self-employed; avoids supervision. Binge spending on irrelevant items, gambling - finding ways to get rid of money Gives away rent or grocery money, even savings to children or spouse. How the Prison Mindset Affects Managing Money

14. Thoughts “The shoe is going to drop.” “I need to save as much as possible.” Behaviors Saves excessively high amount or gives it to someone to hold. Won’t spend on self. Makes decisions based upon lowest cost, not best value. How the Prison Mindset Affects Managing Money

15. Thoughts: I can’t make it on my own. I need someone to take care of me. I need to be needed. “I got the cheese.” Behaviors: Moves in with a partner who already has a house and structured lifestyle. Selects a needy caretaking partner who enables addictive behavior. Uses his assets to get place to live How the Prison Mindset Affects Relationships

16. Thoughts: “Things are supposed to be the same as when I left “ “I’ve already missed enough time with them; this is my last chance, I have to get it right” “I’ve got to make it up to the family” Behavior: Has expectations about family involvement when returning home; loses perspective that time has moved on Insists on having parent role; often interferes with what children are doing Takes on a load that’s more than they can handle; causes mental setbacks; becomes afraid they won’t make it; can’t say no How the Prison Mindset Affects Family Relationships

17. Thoughts: I’ve got to show my kids I’ve changed; I need to have their approval (guilt and shame) I wasn’t there for them in prison, so I have to be there for them now Behavior: Tries to get acceptance from family; makes emotional demands for recognition; upset when not forthcoming Tends to overextend self; will not allow for personal limitations (time, money, shared living area, belongings) How the Prison Mindset Affects Family Relationships

18. How the Prison Mindset Leads to Relapse and the Return to Prison • Ex-offenders rely on their prison mindset to solve routine problems with work, money, and relationships. • Unfortunately, these solutions either create or reinforce negative emotional states, primarily fear! • Based upon their experience, Drugs and Alcohol provide the most immediate and effective means of altering their negative emotional states. • Drug/alcohol use results in either new criminal behavior or parole violations.

19. Tips to Improve Your Client’s Chances • Know if your client has a drug/alcohol problem. Don’t take his/her word for it. Know in particular your client’s drug of choice. • Recognize that the Prison Mindset doesn’t leave when the offender leaves prison - it just changes locations. • Recidivism is better understood as a process, not an event. Each ex-offender has a specific and unique pattern that follows a predictable course of events prior to re-arrest. Know your client’s pattern in the areas of work, money, and relationships. • Be aware of red flags that reflect evidence of the prison mindset surfacing during re-entry. Educate the client to the mindset’s patterns. Often awareness is sufficient to change behavior.

20. References 1 Bureau of Justice Statistics: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/prison.htm. 2 Timmerman, I.G. & Emmelkamp, P.M. (2001). The prevalence and comorbidity of axis I and II pathology in a group of forensic patients. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 45 (2), 198-213. 3 Ibid 4 Kouri, E.M., Pope Jr., G.H., Powell, K.F., Oliva, P.S., & Campbell, C. (1997). Drug use and history of criminal behavior among 133 incarcerated men. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 23 (3), 413-419 5 Ibid 6 National Institute of Justice. (1989). NJR Reports, 215, Washington DC. 7 National Institute on Addiction and Substance Abuse, (1998). Behind Bars: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population. New York: Columbia.