🔵 By Richard Smith. Photo by lauragrafie.
Developing a prison mentality is a devolution of one’s conscious and character. At the time of this article, I have been incarcerated for over 14 years. I have felt the effects and pull of a prison mentality. I have witnessed how people slip into a prison mentality. It is an easy thing to slip into; like a child imitating the adults around them. Catching it early and dealing with with it at the beginning, will be a step towards success upon release. Signs of a prison mentality:
– Any variation from the scheduled routine ruins your day.
– Can’t function outside the schedule.
– Feelings of fear and/or anxiety in any variation of the schedule.
– Taking a ownership mentality over cell.
– Taking a ownership mentality of federal or state property within facility.
– Quick to join a mob’s chant, actions, and perceptions.
– Adopting philosophies and behaviors that are not acceptable in society.
These learned perceptions and behaviors are extremely detrimental to reintegration back into society. Manifestations and effects of a prison mentality vary from person to person. One man’s story, is that when he had went home, he nearly had a panic attack at a restaurant. The reason was there were no guards rushing him, people were getting up and moving about freely, no one controlling the noise level, and the freedom to choose what he wanted to eat.
I have spoken to others who developed negative habits while incarcerated, that led them to be incarcerated again. Negative habits such as: quick to attack someone over any insult – real or imagined, drug addiction, compulsive lying, compulsive thievery, instability, and narcissism. To prevent such a mentality from consuming a person, one must be steadfast in their resolution to grow and mature. Without constant personal growth and maturing, one will slip into a prison mentality.
The following is a list of things a person can do to prevent a prison mentality from consuming them:
– Get counseling and do what the counselor suggests. Just talking about your problems does not fix them. No one cal fully self-evaluate and self-correct perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors that brought them to prison.
– Except the items one purchased in the canteen, know that you own nothing.
– Know that all your privileges can be taken away for any reason, even if you are not at fault.
– Know your daily routine can be altered at any time, for any reason. Remind yourself that it is the same way in the world.
– Pursue knowledge. Try to get what you can on paper for future employers, courts, and parole boards to see.
– Stay out of trouble.
– Know what is acceptable in society as far as behaviors, philosophies, and perceptions. Don’t adopt that which is societal unacceptable.
– Don’t join the mob.
– Stay away from people who have no desire for positive change in their life. They are people who have no future, no hope, and are completely miserable. These people tend to delight in the misery of others. There are also people who love being a criminal.
– Maintain a job.
– Being incarcerated creates a war in your mind that is easily lost. You alone will make the choice on who you will become while incarcerated.
One must be on constant guard against that which would damage your future. The past can’t be changed, but gaining and maintaining control of yourself now, will make your present better, and give yourself a shot at a beautiful future.