NCJ Number
57353
Date Published
1978
Length
318 pages
Annotation
IN EXAMINING THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PRISON PSYCHIATRY AS PRACTICED IN BRITAIN, THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON THE TREATMENT METHODS USED IN THE GRENDON PSYCHIATRIC PRISON AND THEIR RESULTS AS COMPARED WITH THOSE USED AT WORMWOOD SCRUBS.
Abstract
THE STUDY BEGINS WITH A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF BRITISH PRISON PSYCHIATRY AND MEDICINE, HIGHLIGHTING SUCH SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AS THE GLADSTONE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT PRISONERS BE GIVEN TREATMENT, THE REMOVAL OF MENTAL DEFECTIVES FROM THE PRISON SYSTEM IN THE EARLY 1900'S, THE BEGINNINGS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND POST SECOND WORLD WAR DEVELOPMENTS. IN THE 1930'S, DR. W.H. DE HUBERT CARRIED ON A 4-YEAR INVESTIGATION INTO PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT OF PRISONERS AND ISSUED THE EAST-HUBERT REPORT WITH FULL CASE HISTORIES OF PATIENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC PRISONS. THE GRENDON PSYCHIATRIC PRISON AT GRENDON UNDERWOOD, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, WAS BUILT IN 1962 IN RESPONSE TO THIS REPORT. ITS PURPOSE WAS TO INVESTIGATE AND TREAT MENTAL DISORDERS RESPONSIVE TO TREATMENT, INVESTIGATE OFFENDERS WHOSE OFFENSES SUGGESTED MENTAL MORBIDITY, AND EXPLORE THE PROBLEM OF DEALING WITH PSYCHOPATHS. THE TYPICAL POPULATION AND REGIME AT GRENDON IS DESCRIBED; GROUP THERAPY IS THE BASIS OF TREATMENT AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STAFF AND PRISONERS ARE RELAXED. THE GRENDON MODE OF TREATMENT APPEARS TO BE SUCCESSFUL; LARGE POSITIVE CHANGES WERE RECORDED IN 48 PRISONERS' PSYCHIATRIC STATE, PERSONALITY AND ATTITUDES, AND SYMPTOMATOLOGY AFTER 2 YEARS (AS INDICATED BY A VARIETY OF PSYCHIATRIC TESTS, INTERVIEWS AND A SURVEY). IN CONTRAST, 44 PATIENTS AT WORMWOOD SCRUBS WHO WERE EXPOSED TO A MORE TRADITIONAL MODE OF INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT WITHIN A NORMAL PRISON ENVIRONMENT SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN PSYCHIATRIC STATE AND SYMPTOMATOLOGY, BUT LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN ATTITUDE. A FOLLOWUP ANALYSIS DISCUSSES THE RELEVANCE OF RECONVICTION RATES TO BOTH THE GRENDON AND WORMWOOD SCRUBS METHODS OF TREATMENT. THE BOOK ENDS WITH A SURVEY OF THE NUMBER OF PSYCHIATRIC CASES TO BE FOUND IN THE PRISON POPULATIONS IN BRITAIN, AND AN EXPLANATION OF PSYCHIATRIC DATA FROM THE SURVEY. A BIBLIOGRAPHY, INFORMATION ON RESEARCH METHODS, FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND STUDY INSTRUMENTS AND DATA ARE PROVIDED.