Psychologists in Prisons: Inside San Quentin

If you have ever thought about whether it is even possible to help violent inmates with mental health issues from inside a prison, think no more. This interview with a psychologist from San Quentin reveals the reality of this very challenging and rewarding work.

Thousands of psychologists are employed in federal and state correctional institutions. According to the American Psychological Association (1), they oversee individual and group therapy, drug treatment services, client assessments, and crisis intervention, and help inmates face a complex web of mental health issues including suicidal ideations and prison politics among the inmate population.

San Quentin, in Marin County, is the oldest prison in California. It was established in 1852 and housed male and female inmates until 1933, when the women were moved to a new prison at Tehachapi, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It is also the only California state prison that houses a death row and a gas chamber. However, condemned inmates are no longer condemned: In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order instituting a moratorium on the death penalty in California, repealing the lethal injection protocol and closing the execution chamber at San Quentin. The executive order is still in effect.

Inside San Quentin With Rebecca Santos

Rebecca Santos was a clinical psychologist at San Quentin State Prison for a number of years before the pandemic caused a shutdown of the rehabilitation program there. When asked about working with the incarcerated, she said: "My philosophy and approach when working with those incarcerated is to remember that I am working with another human being who has made a mistake or a decision they regret. We all have regrets and have made mistakes in life; some mistakes are bigger than others, and some mistakes result in jail or prison time. Even though this person may have made a mistake or a decision that has resulted in their incarceration, oftentimes, the individual did not have the tools, resources, education, or support to make a better decision in that circumstance. My approach is to listen, understand, and help provide the tools, support, education, and resources needed to become a healthy and contributing member of our society."

Challenges for Prison Psychologists

LK: What has been your greatest challenge?

RS: My greatest challenge would have to be the stigma and bureaucracy surrounding rehabilitation and rehabilitation programs. So often, people do not understand the benefit and need behind rehabilitation programs. Due to this lack of understanding, funding and resources are oftentimes scarce and very hard to acquire.

LK: What has been your greatest success?

RS: Truly, I feel so blessed because I feel that each gentleman I have helped grow and leave prison has been my greatest success; every single one of them. These gentlemen have not only learned and grown so much during our time together, they are now looking for ways to pay it forward and help provide the next generation the tools and knowledge to make better decisions in their lives. Being able to help these men become positive role models, political activists, and leaders within their communities has hands-down been my greatest success and the gift that keeps on giving.

Inmate

Source: Claudio_Scott/Pixabay

Conclusion

According to the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Department of Justice, 37% of people in prison have a history of mental health problems, including 24% with depression, 17% with bipolar disorder, 13% with personality disorders, and 12% with PTSD. The numbers are even higher in jails. One program in Texas helps inmates change their anti-social thought patterns and perceptions so an accidental bump isn't perceived as a threatening assertion of dominance (2).

Working with mental health issues in prisons is a unique challenge and the modalities used by psychologists in the correctional system are continuously evolving. It requires awareness of an inmate's past, present, and future, including knowledge of the causation of criminal behavior in the past, the current circumstances in prison influencing the inmate, and a view toward shaping a new mindset for the future. Psychologists like Santos are an asset to prison psychology because of the respect and dignity of her approach to inmates.