Grief and Loss in Correctional Facilities

Introduction Prison settings often complicate the ability for an inmate to process grief and loss leading to complicated and unresolved grief (Hendry, 2009; Wilson, 2011). The physical separation of the incarcerated and their loved ones create another complicated factor to grief along with the possibility of not being able to mourn with family and friends at memorial services (Young Junior, 2003; Hendry, 2008; Taylor, 2012). As a social work intern at Monroe County Correctional Facility, this topic becomes of great importance when working with inmates experiencing grief and loss. Providing treatment to these inmates mitigates the difficulties related to reentry, enhances the “ability to cope with prison life” (Hendry, 2009, p. 271), and decreases the likelihood of recidivism (Hendry, 2009).

Prevalence of Grief in Correctional Facilities

The research that is accessible on grief and loss for incarcerated individuals in limited within the United States; however, many studies have been published in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In one study conducted in the United States, Harner, Hentz and Evangelista (2010) discuss the prevalence of grief in women’s correctional facilities. They state, “nearly half of all women in prison experience the death of a loved one during their incarceration” (p. 1). In 2009, it had been determined that no statistics were available regarding incarcerated males and the loss of a loved one (Hendry, 2009). Given the limited amount of statistics for this topic, I will bring in personal experience from working at Monroe Correctional Facility. During the first week of working at the jail, two inmates in program were experiencing the loss of a loved one. The mother of one inmate’s child was shot to death in New Jersey leaving the inmate to grieve her loss and to be concerned about the placement of his child. Another inmate’s grandfather, the positive role model in the family, died of cancer and had been sick for a

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