A Look Back

Many of my friends, old and new, have asked me to get back to my roots in this blog. I'm going to grant those requests tonight. I sincerely apologize for posting so late, but I'm a very busy man.

I will share an essay I wrote while in Red Onion State Prison. I'm sharing it because its important that I explain the plight of prisoners who want psychological help, but can't get it.

Its amazing that no one has bothered to investigate why criminals return to crime. Now, I'm going to explain it. You may need dictionaries because in order to explain psychology I have to use a little psychobabble.

Another Prison Fraud
by:
Tion Terrell

Its disappointing that inmate effort to communicate mental health problems to R.O.S.P Mental Health Dept. is in vain. Its apparent that we're expected to correct our behaviors on our own while in segregated housing units. Yet, it is well known such an environment is conducive to psychological deterioration in even persons with normal personalities.

Dr. David Burns, a pioneer of Cognitive Therapy, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine writes: " If a person were condemned to spend months in isolation, cut off from all normal activities and interpersonal relationships, a substantial depression would result. Even young monkeys slip into a retarded, withdrawn state if they are separated from their peers and confined to a small cage." Feeling Good: The New mood Therapy, p.76, Signet Books

How then can a person with a personality disorder be expected to treat/cure themselves under conditions so close to the above?

I've experienced and witnessed Mental Health and Treatment staff asserting, during many discussions, that only inmates can solve their behavioral problems and they can be offered no cure. Meanwhile, it is known that we suffer disorders like narcissistic and antisocial personalities, etc.

I refute these assertions by quoting Richard D. Chessick M.D., Ph.D: " All authors agree that narcissists[people who manifest a sense of self-importance with exhibitionistic need attention and admiration, feelings of entitlement, lack of empathy for others, and interpersonal exploitativeness and for whom disappointments often lead to uncontrollable rage and sexual acting out] cannot experience a therapist as an independent person or relate to the therapist realistically, although therapist disagree as to the reason for this. They also agree that the treatment of these individuals is a long one, and stressfull or the therapist." Psychology of the Self and the Treatment of Narcissism, p.8, Aronson(1985)

. . .

I demonstrated long ago in my post "Theory of Institutionalization" prisoners need treatment. I'm in the middle of explaining battles that get fought by people who want treatment and don't receive it. I'm stopping here because it necessary to let some readers take their time to fully appreciate the information given here.

Bottom line: prisoners get no help. They are made worse then sent back out into society.

This essay will be concluded tomorrow.

Always real;

Supaman Tion Terrell