The role of social energy in prison.

Group/Peer Support

May 2021

Full Citation

Carmi, A. (1983). The role of social energy in prison. Dynamische Psychiatrie, 16(5-6), 383–406.

Abstract

States that the present penal system is both inhumane and ineffective in its goal of rehabilitating inmates. Violence in prison reflects excessive environmental stress, individual emotional disturbances, and the coercive nature of prison management. Prisoners are afflicted by loneliness, loss of constructive emotional relationships and personal identity, and lack of security and autonomy. Group therapy may enable the prisoner to cope with these situations by providing a means of socialization, an opportunity for communication, emotional support, and improvement in reality perception. The function of group counseling in prison settings is considered in relation to the role of the group leader, the selection of members, group size and structure, and the need to obtain the voluntary cooperation of the prisoner. The treatment process itself is considered in relation to the characteristics of group members and stages in group development. Abridged versions of this article are presented in German, Italian, and Russian. (80 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)