Gartree Therapeutic Community - Essay Example

? Case Study Analysis Introduction Gartree Therapeutic Community was opened in 1965 as a category C training prison, but latter changed its role to acategory B prison in 1992. This prison has seen the rise in population of life sentenced prisoners. Therefore, in 1997 this prison became the main life center according to population management unit. Being a male prison, Gartree has six main wings together with s small therapeutic community, which is dedicated to prisoners with personality disorders. This indicates that this prison is a holistic center that accommodates prisoners of different abilities (Shuker and Sullivan 2010). I decided to visit Gartree Therapeutic Community to learn on how offenders can interact well among themselves as well as the staff. I had a vision of learning about different therapeutic interventions. Prison Objectives This organization is guided by aims that enable it rehabilitate offenders of different kinds. First objective is to instill hope in the convict. In many cases when one is sent to prison, he or she feels shut and forgotten forever. People believe that there is no life behind bars. However, this organization restores the lost hope in the offender. This helps to boost his morale and self esteem. It also prepares him or her to face the new challenges that he will face in prison life. In addition, it is said that when hope is lost all is lost. Therefore, the prison has well laid objectives that enable the offender accept his new status in society. This enables prisoners to move on with their lives. When an individual learns to accept his environment, cope with the changes and appreciate the people around him, such an individual grows. This shows that this objective of instilling hope to offenders is a positive attitude. Offenders feel that the world has condemned them, and there is nothing good left for them. They are considered as chiefs of sinners. The society tends to avoid such people. They are separated from their friends and loved ones. They learn to accept that they will be in prison forever. Such scenarios suck hope, leaving us in a world of deep thought. It was a positive idea for the prison authority to come up with this objective of instilling hope in offenders. Moreover, it is my desire that the staff is also part of the program. Today people are going through different challenges in their lives such as loss of jobs, rejection, marriage break ups; lose of loved ones among many. They need to be encouraged and supported morally. Lees, Manning, and Rawlings (2004) suggest that through personal interactions among the prison community, people can encourage each other. Life issues are always present. They come to us when we like it or not. It is vital that we equip ourselves with life skills that can assist us overcome. Another objective in this organization is assisting offenders to have an insight on how their problems came about. A prison is a rehabilitation agency out to correct individuals. This indicates that one should turn away from his past and be able to focus on the future. However, one can not achieve this without realizing where things went wrong. It is the duty of the prison to help the offender be able to have this insight and make an about turn in this life. This helps a person to stop blaming himself or the people who were around him. This insight helps the offender to realize that the things he does affects other directly or indirectly. This fosters to bring change from the inside of a person. It also helps one to avoid doing things that may affect other negatively. This enables him to be cautious with his words and actins. More so, it helps to create a significant interaction among offenders and the staff. Particular Site The GTC was established in 1993 to give an opportunity to under therapy in a unique living and learning environment. This regime is similar to the rest of the wings. However, in the mornings prisoners enroll in therapy time exercises. They engage in therapy and feed back program for three mornings in small groups. Such small groups assist the instructor to follow up, and make sure that every one is involved. After the 09.00 to 11.ooam program, prisoners are allowed to attend full community meetings. By September 2009, this facility had a capacity of 869 who are accommodated in single cells, which has a twelve bed segregation unit. It also has prisoners who are employed in prison workshops, gardens, and education in offending behavior programs this suggests that inmates are kept busy with varied responsibilities that enable them to conform to the prison lifestyle. A prison is a place where people with mixed professions meet. It has been indicated that prison is a house for all. A place where a government official and pickpocket eat together, walk together and discuss matters on equal terms. This indicates that in prison one can pursue his career like any other person. Those who do not have careers, have a chance to learn to acquire such skills. Therefore, prison is place where individuals are turned into productivity for growth of the nation. Prisons contribute positively, directly and indirectly to national development. Visiting this place enabled me to realize that prison is a place of excellence and has a schedule of busy activities dictating a different world on the move. Initially, before visiting this place, I had a different picture. I expected to meet people with miserable faces. However, the inmates were busy on their day o day activities which they appeared comfortable to perform. While there, I witnessed sporting activities such as badminton, circuit training basketball among many. These facilities are meant to nurture talent among the offenders. It also activates their muscles, and enables them to relieve stress. Physical activities are vital for the body. Most offenders use their bodies to perform their assigned tasks. This shows that their bodies should be kept in a proper heath condition. Well maintained bodies are able to maintain and protect themselves against foreign organisms in the systems. The joy and excitement realized during games enables offenders to forget their past. This makes prison become their home. They are able to interact among themselves. During my visit, I witnessed a basketball match between the staff and the offenders. This was exciting. It was total fun to see the offenders beating up the staff team. The prisoners celebrated joyously creating a source of team work and brotherhood. I encourage that such activities should be initiated and largely funded to create life in prisons When I visited the badminton square, I discovered that offenders and staff had a mixed team. This means that when an offender and staff are teammates, they develop a relationship that enables their mutual stay in prison. Initially, staffs looked down upon the offenders are poor w are not worthy in the society. This created animosity in prisons. However, the rehabilitative structures that have been put in place have transformed prisons to become safe for humanity. I recommend that such com petitions should be enhanced to improve the self esteem of the offenders. A prison is not a place of the condemned, but a place for correction. Lifers often, miss the things they used to do before coming to prison. Nevertheless, when they find these activities in prison, they may feel at home and accept that the destiny of their lives has taken a different course It was clear that offenders are still connected to their families and loved ones. This suggests that extra time should be spared where friends and loved ones can come and visit the prisoners. Such family get-togethers create confidence and self determination to the prisoners. The Governor, who is in charge of the prison, was welcoming and accommodative. He indicated a well laid down code of conduct for the staff. Such policies command the personnel to deliver their services with integrity. Supported with the therapeutic manager, and psychologist, these administrators have a positive relationship with the staff and prisoners. The health and safety facility enables to facilitate first aid and other minor issues on the compound. Injuries and accidents that happen during and after work are attended. The organization has several therapeutic intervention units such as art therapy, problematic and offending behavior programs (Pearce & Autrique 2010). According to Smart (2001) people with personal; disorders are usually neglected in the prisons. However, in this unit, prisoners attended to the therapy in the morning and continue with their communal programs. The society has encountered various challenges that affect the smooth running of its members. When people re not equipped with the rightful skills to handle those challenges they decide to break the law for their survival. The law is a yardstick put in place to measure personal and corporate relationships. It stipulates the penalties lay down regardless of the position one may be holding in the community. This was a reflective lesson that I learnt when I visited because I witnessed free interactions of inmates among themselves. Being a prisoner does not make one dismal. Human rights apply to the prisoners. Their rights should be protected. Violation of prisoners’ rights should be put into account. Those found should be accountable and the law should take full force. Humanity is equal and the majority should not take advantage of their population to harass the minority. The law defends all members in the society against social injustices. The flower gardens looked welt trimmed and maintained. The grass was well watered and cut. Initially, I could not match my expectations with what I was seeing. Al this spectacular observations was the works of prisoners. According to the Governor, all offenders are employed in different departments. Such areas include the garden, catering, health and safety among many. Therefore, the well maintained and weeded flower garden was the work of offenders. This makes them proud. One feels ownership and appreciated. With the vision of instilling hope to the offenders, the organization has achieved in enabling them to deliver their expertise and professionalism to the fullest. One of the concerns that I noticed in my visit involved record keeping. According to the information I collected, the last roll recorded in the organization was in 2009 w3hen the population was 869. Critically saying, something is wrong. This is 2013 and the prison is still relying on the 2009 records. This suggests that at present the prison should be having more inmates than it can handle. The nation has experienced an increase in crime in the recent years. These criminals have been sentenced and sent to prison. When people are congested in an area, their health safety is not guaranteed. Disease outbreaks come as a result which leads t6o loss of lives. Prisoners’ lives should be kept sacred and preserved at all cost. They should live in a first-class hygienic environment. A congested organization limits the available facilities. The prison should update their data records to the present for easy and steady delivery of services. Depending on the records acquired five years back does not reflect professionalism. Conclusion This organization is assisting offenders to have an insight on how their problems came about. A prison is a rehabilitation agency out to correct individuals. This indicates that one should turn away from his past and be able to focus on the future. However, one can not achieve this without realizing where things went wrong. It is the duty of the prison to help the offender be able to have this insight and make an about turn in this life. This helps a person to stop blaming himself or the people who were around him. This insight helps the offender to realize that the things he does affects other directly or indirectly. References Lees, J., Manning, N., & Rawlings, B. (2004). A culture of enquiry: Research evidence and the therapeutic community. Psychiatric Quarterly, 75, 279–294. Pearce, S., & Autrique, M. (2010). On the need for randomize trials of therapeutic community approaches. Therapeutic Communities, 31, 338–355. Shuker, R. and Sullivan, E. (2010) Grendon and the Emergence of Forensic Therapeutic Communities. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons. Smartt, U. (2001) Grendon Tales: Stories from a Therapeutic Community. Winchester: Waterside Press. Steve Pearce and Hanna Pickard. How therapeutic communities work: Specific factors related to positive outcome. 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