The experience of the correctional psychologist

Interviews with fourteen doctorate-level psychologists employed by the California State Department of Corrections make up a qualitative study of correctional psychology, a growing subspecialty of forensic psychology. Literature review traces the blending of mental health services with the prison system illustrating the changes in public policy and forcing legal mandates for the hiring of mental health professionals. The review also addresses literature concerning the effect of the prison setting on the well-being of correctional officers and inmates. Grounded theory and Social Identity model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE) (Taijfel and Turner, 1984) explore and describe the experience of the correctional psychologist, with application of principles of Buddhist psychology (Macy, 1991; Sirca, 1999; Warren, 1970). The study builds on the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) (Haney, Zimbardo and Banks, 1973) and discusses the influence working in a prison brings to conducting therapy with male inmates and the conditions under which correctional psychologists exhibit signs of deindividuation. Results suggest that the psychologist's relationship with the correctional officer determines the quality of the correctional psychologist's experience and has inferences for developing therapeutic rapport with inmates. Implications from the study apply to training for correctional psychology as a subspecialty of forensic psychology, professional development as a neophyte correctional psychologist, and measures prisons may use to maximize recruitment and retention efforts.