We’re surrounded by many types of criminals. From the ruthless to the petty, they’re all here for a reason, and most of them are not nice people. But from time to time we run into something different — people commonly known as Emotionally Disturbed (ED) inmates. These individuals with psychiatric problems present a unique set of problems for corrections staff.
The principal challenge with these inmates is simply being able to tell the difference between someone who is truly ED, or just a criminal behaving badly. Although many of us have mental health services available at our prisons, they are often short handed and operating beyond their limits. This makes it critical that when we report a possible ED inmate, we can clearly articulate the problems we see. If we just report that an inmate is constantly assaulting staff, the strained mental health department may skip over this person as a management issue, and the behavior will continue. In these times of deflating budgets, with inmates getting paroled earlier and in greater numbers, we need to identify inmates that could benefit from some mental health treatment. ED inmates who receive treatment may better manage their lives, which may in turn save the life of some innocent civilian down the line.
Most systems will have a screening process in place when inmates are first committed, but these do not always catch ED offenders. Certain psychiatric conditions are easily masked, and ED inmates may insist they are feeling great when in reality they’re in crisis.
This list of verbal and non-verbal cues can help to identify emotionally disturbed inmates. Many of these symptoms are similar to those displayed by stress and anxiety, so use common sense and always take care read the situation as a whole.
1. Change in Voice
ED inmates may change their tone or inflection when in crisis. Their voice may become drastically higher or lower, or their speech may be monotone and inappropriate for the situation. For example, if an inmate refuses to submit to handcuffs, and the Calvary is there to take control, the inmate typically will be excited or irritable. But if he is silent, or simply becomes calmer, this is a great sign of emotional disturbance. The key is to watch for a change that is inappropriate to the situation.
2. Inappropriate Emotions
ED inmates may laugh when they should be angry, cry uncontrollably, or be extremely happy in situations that do not call for those emotions. Again: watch for an emotional response that does not fit the situation at hand.
3. Unnecessary Body Movements
This is a big one. Although we all have “tells,” little things we do when we are stressed, ED inmates will be much more flamboyant. Nervous tics may become exaggerated: Scratching of the arms, head, face and neck are common, as are pacing back and forth without real purpose and random or illogical movement of the head or eyes.
4. Circular Logic
ED inmates may constantly justify their actions by talking in circles. For example, if an inmate refuses to come out of his cell, he may tell you how he can’t leave because it is not safe outside, and if it is not safe outside he must stay in the cell. This type of circular thinking/talking can make it easier for mental health staff to diagnose the condition the inmate is suffering.
5. Silent Treatment
You may notice inmates who withdraw or become silent when stressed, even to the point of ignoring dangerous stimuli around them. Emotional withdrawal is a good sign that an inmate is struggling with emotional disturbance.
It is important to note that many of these behaviors are potential clues to the use of illicit or prescription drugs. If you suspect drugs, a urinalysis (if state law allows) will save some time and money by eliminating narcotics as a cause of erratic behavior. It is also important to realize that not all abnormal behavior can be explained. Over a lifetime, most “normal” people can display some of these symptoms. If the mental health staff at your facility determines that an inmate you’ve reported does not have mental health issues, don’t take it personally.
Although inmates may feign mental health issues for leniency in sentencing, we need to keep an eye out for the real thing. If we can identify the real cases of mental health problems, we may be able to get this person right. We have to do our best to get the ED inmates treatment before we send them out to the community. I don’t think any of us want to pick up the newspaper and read about an emotionally disturbed parolee going on a rampage.
As always, be safe and watch your six.