The history and future of prison psychology.

Abstract

Prisons are the quintessential government institution, with almost complete control over the lives of the people compelled to spend time in them. Depending on how they are run and what services they provide, they have the potential to change people's paths in life for the better or the worse, or indeed to leave people untouched. Furthermore, an enormous number of people spend time in prisons, particularly in the United States, so that the impact of imprisonment has serious consequences for society. In this article, we reflect on some of the major influences that psychology has had on prisons and imprisonment. We consider the importance of the scientist-practitioner model and the extent to which psychological evidence has permeated prison policy. We illustrate with four examples of how psychologists have contributed to understanding and influencing prisons: the Stanford Prison Experiment, the scientist-practitioner work of Hans Toch, the concepts of legitimacy and procedural justice, and the risk, needs, and responsivity principles of correctional rehabilitation. Looking to the future, we imagine how psychologically informed data science could expand its reach, and discuss ways in which prison psychologists could up our game in effectively communicating and embedding the findings of psychological science.

Rural residents' emotions, beliefs, and sources that influenced those beliefs regarding sex offender policies, practice, and the efficacy of treatment

“…If researchers limit their energy, resources, time, and interactions to be reserved for individuals supportive of rehabilitative practices or policymakers, other individuals with more punitive views will be left to be influenced by their own lived experiences and/or other sources they perceive as trustworthy, respectful, and intelligent. “Absent effective communication of scientific knowledge, and its relevance, [the public's] decisions are likely to be made based on intuition [and other sources and experiences] instead” (Bierie & Mann, 2017, p. 483).…”

The Contradictions of Prisoner Life and Rehabilitation: An Auto-ethnographic Life Sentence Experience

“…Given the injuring size, breadth, and signifi cance of the prison institution in the western world, advocates and actors within prison rehabilitative and psychological roles face a huge challenge and carry a signifi cant responsibility. The prison is nothing if not far reaching, made clear by Bierie and Mann's (2017) citation of the world prison population fi gures that in 2015 the U.K. saw 86,000 people incarcerated. Bierie and Mann (2017) go on to present an encouraging account of the benefi cial contributions from psychology two improvements around prison function and outcomes, stating "it would be hard to fi nd a prison in the western world without at least one psychologist dedicated to applying their training to the operation of the prison" (ibid, p. 480).…”

“…The prison is nothing if not far reaching, made clear by Bierie and Mann's (2017) citation of the world prison population fi gures that in 2015 the U.K. saw 86,000 people incarcerated. Bierie and Mann (2017) go on to present an encouraging account of the benefi cial contributions from psychology two improvements around prison function and outcomes, stating "it would be hard to fi nd a prison in the western world without at least one psychologist dedicated to applying their training to the operation of the prison" (ibid, p. 480). This account explores ethical prison practice, treatment over warehousing prisoners, and understanding relationship dynamics within the prison.…”

“The highest values are individual”: The life and times of Eleanor Harris Rowland Wembridge.

“…Although other prominent psychologists of her time had indirect experience advocating for correctional reforms as an aspect of their work as psychologists (Bierie & Mann, 2017), it was not until 1910 when Eleanor broke the barrier to direct service to and interaction with offenders, thus capturing what would become a key theme in the evolution of correctional psychology (Bartol & Bartol, 2008; Magaletta et al, 2016). Eleanor’s 1913 published study on the women offenders in the Bedford Reformatory was the first psychometric classification study on adult offenders, thereby blazing the trail for future psychometric classification studies, such as those conducted by Edgar Arnold Doll and Henry Herbert Goddard.…”