Helpinginmates copewith prisonlife

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Helping inmates copewithprison life

This psychologist's passion is ensuring that incarcerated men get mental health hetp. By NICOLECRAWFORD Monitor Staff July 2003,Vol 34, No. 7 Print version:pag 62

P|entyofresearchhasexaminedpreParationofinmatestor|ifeoUtsidePrison, PhD. That's why Morgan has dvotedhis career to providing and doing researchon basic mental hslth services,which help inmates adjust to prison life. Itallbeganwitha1992summerinternshipatKansas'sfederalpenitentiaryinLsavenworth,whichhetooktomakehimselfa"moreworldly''thgrapist Therehediscoveredhis motivationtohe|pa|arge|yoVer|ookedgroup..Thsre'sagreatneedforthes9fo|kstoreceivepsycho|ogi|servi@S,andmostpeop|edon,twantlowowith adding thal only 6 psrcenl of psychologists work ,n prisons. lo be confusedwith serices atmingto re onos and friends or acceplingthat the prison is going to be their home for a periodof trm-r forevor.Others need to be taughl how to live and suriv in the prison environment.For xample. Morgan worked with a 17-yearld inmate who began recsivingsexualpressureearly in his incarceration. 'When w leminated our work, hs had succssfullyadiusted to th environmenland was no longerexperiencingsexual pressure." A tte n d i n g to i n ma te s,baSicmenta|ha|thneedsa|sohelpswithpr i s maXimumscurityforthreateningotherinmatesorguardS'|fhebegins give him "crisis support and the inmates'confinementlo a small space. So Morgan and @lleaguesat one Prisondevelopeda "reseational behavioralcontingencyprogram"that allowed inmates to receive puzle books for good behavior."This helped mentally ill inmateshave somethinglo tocus on and placated inmateswith behavioralproblems,"Morgan says. Du ri n g h i ste n u re i n th eKansascor r sctionssystem ,her 9a|izedthatgr o on othsrs, and on others'lrealment of them. Seekingtoinvestigatetheeffec|ivenessofhisandotherpsy psychology the U al counsehngpsychologydivisional Texa Retardation C6nter.

|aS|yearinGroupDynami6:Theor,Research,andPractice||pubs|jouma|5/gdrvindex'aspx)(Vo|.6'No3)withpsyolo9is with inmales improvestheir psychological functioningand prison adjustment,as comparedwith controlgroups. Suchana|ysesareon|ythbeginnio9,Morgansays''.Thedear|ho,r6se exp|ains'cer|ain|yMorganhasheardtheca|l.He'sdeve|oPin EnhanemenlFundtostudy,nmates.percePtion5ofmenta|healthservices,He,sa|sodeve|opingresearch-basedth of mentalhealthproviders. Once he's dvlopeda few such programs,he plans to take them for a lest run in a prisoft-with a few doctoral students in tow "tt'll give me a chance to expose them to the opportunitiesand needs of offenders."he says, and perhaps to launch a tew reeG.

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