The Disciplinary Experiences of Mentally Disordered Inmates

Abstract

Inmates who can be characterized as disturbed-disruptive present difficult problems for both custodial and mental health staff. This study compares the disciplinary experiences of inmates referred to mental health units at two prisons to those of nonreferred inmates. It is found that referred inmates have higher infraction rates and that they are more likely to engage in rule violations that reflect symptomatic behavior. It is also observed that disciplinary dispositions for referred inmates occasionally invoke the assistance of mental health staff, and that these actions are often combined with the imposition of punishment. In addition, the data suggest that under some conditions punitive responses to infractions by emotionally disturbed inmates may lead to an escalation of disruptive behavior. These findings indicate that within prison settings pathology and disruptiveness are interrelated. They also suggest that disciplinary committees operate primarily under a legalistic model, which incorporates some elements of a flexible rules approach.