Should inpatients replace prisons? I hope so.
Is there such thing as a "bad" person? Or do damaged people do bad things? This section will discuss rehabilitation vs. punishment in our correctional facilities and mental health system.
Hurt people hurt people: A perpetuating cycle
People can be harmful and unfair to those they hurt, and law can be unfair to criminal offenders as well. The length of a sentence differs from person-to-person depending on the nature of the crime, as well as the attorneys and court officials involved with the case. In jails and prisons, conditions typically are not great, with quarantine, abuse, power struggles, drug smuggling, injustice, and punishment being the norm.
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Punishment (reality) vs rehabilitation (ideology).
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The Perpetuating Cycle: Paying for prisoners to reoffend rather than return and contribute to society.
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Trauma and all of its origins and interactions among different individuals.
Why do people do bad things?
From a scientific standpoint, data suggests that people behave destructively often do so as a result of negative personal experiences, trauma, and even mental illness and damage to the brain.
I truly believe that one day, detention centers will be based in evidenced-based medicine, focusing on rehabilitating the mind of the person, no matter what the crime is and whether or not they are serving life inside the institution.
I truly believe that one day, detention centers will be based in evidenced-based medicine, focusing on rehabilitating the mind of the person, no matter what the crime is and whether or not they are serving life inside the institution.
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Active scan of an inmate who experienced trauma: state of decreased cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex, which affects a person's personality, cognition, and rationality.
Brain imaging suggests that abnormalities in the brain can underlie acts of violence
I remember reading, in a book a by psychiatrist and SPECT scientist Dr. Daniel Amen, that one client was violent and aggressive before having his brain scan, and the SPECT imaging revealed a tumor the size of a golf ball across his prefrontal cortex: The region that makes us human.
When the tumor was removed, the client experienced both shock and remorse for his actions, which supported Dr. Amen's argument for applying the use of brain scans in assessing offenders' mental states before sentencing them for their crimes. I agree that this would be extremely informative in understanding why someone committed a crime in the first place and determining their consequences appropriately.
When the tumor was removed, the client experienced both shock and remorse for his actions, which supported Dr. Amen's argument for applying the use of brain scans in assessing offenders' mental states before sentencing them for their crimes. I agree that this would be extremely informative in understanding why someone committed a crime in the first place and determining their consequences appropriately.
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Healthy SPECT image of the brain: Smooth surfaces with soft indentation that indicates separate regions of the brain.
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An example of an inmate's SPECT Scan: Shriveled appearance and bumps that signal an unhealthy brain, leading to an unhealthy state of mind.
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Another inmate's SPECT scan: Trauma to the frontal and temporal lobes (impairing executive function, memory, and emotional regulation).
The power of compassion: A sign of courage and inner strength
From a compassion standpoint, it is important to remember the humanity in all of us while also holding people accountable for their actions. Some offenders may never be released, but it doesn't mean that they deserve to be live the rest of their days in fear and agony.
I imagine a world where the criminal justice system hires licensed clinical psychologists to work with those who have committed atrocious acts, and by learning to face, understand, and live with their past, these people will be punished within themselves. It is important to promote forgiveness that is necessary for the victims to heal and for the perpetrators to experience remorse and forgiveness within themselves.
I imagine a world where the criminal justice system hires licensed clinical psychologists to work with those who have committed atrocious acts, and by learning to face, understand, and live with their past, these people will be punished within themselves. It is important to promote forgiveness that is necessary for the victims to heal and for the perpetrators to experience remorse and forgiveness within themselves.
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It is not easy to learn compassion and forgiveness for people who cause great harm, but it makes you stronger and whole in the end.
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Self-compassion is a daily practice that is difficult even when we do good things. Those who harm others must learn it in order to grow and to spread more positive energy behind locked doors.