Many of our prisons house not only dangerous criminals, but also criminals who suffer from mental illness. Correctional staff are often the ones who maintain the delicate balance of giving the inmate the treatment he needs while keeping the officers around that inmate safe. There are many forms of mental illness found inside our prison walls, along with the symptomatic behavior common to each disease. What is important for us is how to identify an inmate with a mental disease, and ever more important, how to keep ourselves safe from them.
It’s important to note that mental illness can present itself very quietly, and is often missed until the person has a complete breakdown. Many times that breakdown leads to violent outbursts that injure officers.
Think back to the last time you dealt with a mentally ill inmate: What were so me of the cues that lead you to identify him as a “psych issue?” Chances are you picked up on some of the more obvious signs, but could you have missed an early warning?
When talking to an inmate, look for some of these cues:
Darting eyes. The inmate is constantly and deliberately unable to focus on your conversation. The inmate is looking in all directions, constantly scanning for a threat. This movement is jerky, and he will likely not be able to stand still at all.
Irregular hand movement. The inmate is constantly wringing his hands, or is unable to keep them still at all.
Inappropriate stimuli response. The Inmate may start laughing at comments that were not humorous at all. This often can escalate a situation between this inmate and the general population.
Odd speech patterns. The inmate may speak very quietly, and then loudly, without reason. The inmate may use words inappropriately, or add curse words loudly in the middle of a sentence.
Injuries.The inmate may have a lot of scratches on his arms and hands. They won’t necessarily be deep or large; it will look like a cat scratch. Tufts of hair might be missing from the inmate’s head.
Apologetic. The inmate may be overly apologetic for things he either has no control over or that are very minor.
Pride. The inmate may be extremely proud and boast about small tasks such as showering or brushing his teeth.
Self care. The inmate may not be able to take care of himself. One cue I have seen often is the inability to shower properly. The inmate may shower and not use soap, or forget to dry off before he gets dressed.
Communication. The inmate may refuse to speak to anyone at all. This is a dangerous sign of a feeling of seclusion and should not be provoked by trying to make him talk.
Lack of fear. The inmate may be completely fearless. He may walk into a group of rival gang members and begin to incite them.
All of these signs can be interpreted as signs of drug use or suicidal ideations also, so it is imperative that we pick up on them, and refer the inmate to a Psychologist.
If you decide to confront the inmate and speak to him about his behavior, make sure you are prepared to communicate in the best possible environment possible. There are times when we are forced to speak to the inmate, as his behavior is threatening the institution.
Consider this scenario:
Inmate Johnson is new to prison. While in the orientation block he must come out of his cell to eat. Over the last few days, Johnson has missed his meals, choosing to remain in his cell. You go up to speak to the inmate, trying to find out why he is not eating. The inmate apologizes profusely, and begins to walk to the chow line, still apologizing loudly. The inmate is constantly looking back at you. As he walks down the stairs, he becomes visibly upset and begins to yell profanities at several inmate that are already seated for dinner.
Obviously, this is a bad situation. But one I have seen unfold. In this case, we were able to make eye contact with the inmates at the table, motioning for them to stay calm. Those inmates were luckily smart enough to figure out that this inmate was not being challenging on purpose, but was mentally ill. When we approached the Inmate it became clear that he felt threatened by us. This inmate was rather large, and could have given us quite the fight, one we did not want or need. My partner was able to redirect the inmate’s attention to him, and talk him into the office. The inmate was referred to psych services and re-housed in a special unit.
We failed to pick up on some of the early signs, setting us up for a near disaster in this scenario. We later learned the inmate to be extremely delusional, with a tendency for violent outbursts. My partners’ handling of the situation was perfect, and avoided a serious fight.
Years of delaing with mentally ill inmates have taught me a few communication tricks. I’ve learned by watching other officers interact with them, and by watching the inmates’ response to different types of communication.
When talking to a suspected mentally ill inmate:
Body Language
Make sure you protect yourself first. If you are a regular reader of my articles, you are familiar with the stance I recommend when speaking with inmates in general, that is, slightly sideways, keeping your hands free to communicate and protect yourself if necessary.
What changes here is the way you use your hands. Avoid pointing at the inmate when you speak to him, he could interpret this as a threat. Avoid fast movements, keep your body motions fluid. Keep your hands open; avoid tensing up your hands. An open hand is a sign of positive communication, and allows you quick access to your weapons should you need to.
Language
Use small words, and uncomplicated ideas. If you confuse this inmate with big words your message will not be received. Stay away from using profanity; instead use the tone of your voice to communicate what you want the inmate to do. Play with your voice a little to see how the inmate reacts to your speech patterns. Some inmates prefer a softer voice, while some like a stern authoritative voice. Again, whatever voice and language keeps the inmates attention is what you should continue to use.
Avoid open-ended questions
Do not ask the inmate rhetorical or open ended questions. This will aggravate the situation. Ask the inmate simply yes or no questions, and repeat his answer to him, ensuring you understood him properly. For example, “So what you are saying is that you are hearing voices?” This type of communication is positive and re-enforces the statement the inmate made. It makes the inmate believe you are trying to listen to him.
Do no demean the inmate
Obviously making fun of the inmate is not going to be helpful. I think we all know this, but it bears emphasis.
Give clear expectations
Tell the inmate what it is that you expect of him, and be firm in your expectations. Take the time with these inmates to explain the consequences of his failure to comply, as many have not thought this through. Do so in a firm tone, and finish it with a yes or no question. “You don’t really want that to happen do you?” This question will quickly let you know “where the inmate is at” mentally. He may have already committed himself to acting inappropriately. Often though — and surprisingly — the inmate will let you know he has committed himself.
Options
Give the inmate several options for his future acts. We have all heard the “we can do this the easy way or the hard way” speech. Stay away from this. When you are giving options to the inmate, make sure they are always positive; not giving him an option to behave negatively can often help him rearrange his thought process. “You can either go back to your cell by yourself quietly, or I can escort you there” would be an example of this. You have taken away the option of violence.
Keep him talking
If the inmate is obviously distraught, you want to keep communicating. Until you reach the point where he can be either restrained with handcuffs or placed back in his cell, keep him talking. It can be an innocuous conversation about football or a serious talk about his behavior. Let the inmate talk; when he is talking, he is not fighting.
Communicate your role
Ensure the inmate you are not there to hurt him. Assure the inmate that you are here for his protection, and that you will not let anyone else hurt him. Then immediately reinforce that you cannot allow him to hurt others or himself either. Make sure the inmate understands your role in this environment.
Threats
If the inmate is very jumpy, make sure you explain what you are doing before you do it. If the inmate is jumpy already, and you reach for his hands to restrain him, there is a pretty good chance that the fight is on. Explain to the inmate that for his safety, you would like him to turn around so you can handcuff him. Explain to the inmate that this is not optional, and fall back on options. (For example, you can either turn around and put your hands on your head, or keep your hands behind your back and I will cuff them there.) If your partner approaches, make sure he does so in plain view. Sneaking up on this inmate will result in a fight.
Only the inmate knows how he feels
Do not tell the inmate how he feels. I have made this mistake. I once told an inmate, “You don’t want to do this.” As it turned out, he did. Don’t try to tell the inmate what is going on in his head. Unless you are a psychiatrist, you can’t know for sure -- and even then, not 100% of the time.
I also am keenly aware there are inmates out there “faking” mental illness to benefit them in the legal system, or to remove themselves from the general population. Remember that it is not our place to tell an inmate he is full of it. This won’t get you anywhere anyway, and will probably just aggravate the environment.
Most departments have psychiatrists on staff. Make sure you refer anyone you suspect as being mentally ill to them. They will ultimately decide what the best course of action for treatment is for the inmate. You may not always agree with their decision, but you need to do your part. If a truly mentally ill inmate spends time on a mainline, chances are that it will not end well.
I could write another book on other tips for dealing with these inmates, but the point of my articles are to encourage discussion and reiterate the basics. If you have more tips for dealing with mentally ill inmates, leave them in the comments section below, or email them to me. I will include suggestions in future articles. Allow others to benefit from your mistakes.
Remember that your safety is paramount. If it is time to act, then do so. We cannot sacrifice our safety or let down our guard. Not all confrontations will end without violence, and it is imperative that as we speak to the inmate, we keep this in mind. Many of these mentally ill inmates will attack violently, so it behooves you to adjust your tactics as the situation dictates. The tips above are just basic guidelines, and your situation may dictate a different response. Feel free to leave some of these examples below for other to learn from.
Be safe and watch your back.