Day In The Life Of A Prison Therapist

1. 6.00 AM: Wake up

Image source: Reddit

It's 6.00 AM, bright and early and it's time for a prison therapist to wake up, ready for the upcoming day. At this point, it's super important to get prepared and get a good breakfast to fuel them throughout the rigorous day ahead. So for the next half an hour or so, they will dress in their uniform, get showered, and have breakfast before setting off to work to make sure that they arrive in good time. They must not forget their uniform, badges, and security information so that they can get inside the prison on arrival.

2. 7.00 AM: Arrival and security checks

Image source: Reddit

At around 7.00 am a prison therapist will arrive at work. They'll then head into the prison facility and then they will undergo some security checks. Their personal belongings will go through the security check and they will walk through a monitor. The checks at the prison have to be rigorous to ensure the safety of the entire facility, staff, and prisoners. Once they have finished their checks they will collect their documents and files to check the itinerary and timings of their first therapy sessions.

3. 7.15 AM: Head to the staff room and discuss the day ahead

Image source: Reddit

It's now time to walk to the staff room and catch up with fellow colleagues who are also on shift today. This is not just a general catchup, but an important time to check notes and compare days to see whether any of the staff from the night shift or previous days have any information for you about the prisoners you will be dealing with and talking to that day. If they have time, a prison therapist will grab a cup of coffee or a drink in the staff room before starting their day officially and leaving the office.

4. 7.30 AM: Check emails and urgent messages for the day ahead

Image source: Reddit

Now it's time to really start. So at 7.30 a prison therapist will sit down and catch up on emails or any important notices for the day ahead which may have been sent to colleagues or the prison administration. These important notices could be updated on the prisoners the therapist will be attending to. It may be about their welfare, or about any incidents that have happened overnight or in previous days. This is a crucial part of the day as it allows the therapist to get up to date on the need-to-know information to be able to carry out their role.

5. 8.00 AM: Staff meeting with the mental health department supervisor

Image source: Reddit

8.00 AM and it's time to attend a staff meeting which sometimes will be held by the mental health department supervisor. They will brief all prison therapists on the welfare of the prisoners and the role of the therapist. They will discuss security concerns regarding the prisoners and your own safety. And they will also discuss and recent incidents which have happened to prisoners or staff. They'll also brief them on any recent changes to protocol and how they should overcome all of these matters.

6. 8.30-9.00 AM: Review your schedule and sessions

Image source: Reddit

From around 8.30-9 AM this is the point in the day where a prison therapist will review their therapy schedule for the day. They will have to check that all of the sessions are properly allocated and are accounted for. They will open the schedule and oversee all of the appointments, they can confirm the timings of each schedule as well as review appropriate goals for each session. For example, do the therapy sessions reflect the frequent changes to the prisoner's mental health? They will also remind themselves using their planner of the needs and objectives of each individual.

7. 9.00 AM: The first therapy session begins

Image source: Reddit

It is now time to start the first therapy session of the day at 9.00 AM with an individual inmate. First, it is important to conduct a new assessment to be able to understand their mental health history as well as any current concerns and also discuss treatment goals and objectives with the client. They will encourage the inmate to open up about topics that they want to discuss and that they think are important concerns to tackle with the therapist. The therapist will be continually assessing the prisoner to regard their state of mind at this present time and any changes they can see.

8. 10.00 AM - 10.30 AM: Document the findings from the session

Image source: Reddit

During 10.00-11.00 AM the prison therapist will then conduct the very important job of documenting all of the findings in front of the session. This is an equally important part of the session itself, as this information could be used to ensure the safety of the inmate. They will write down key findings and write down anything that may be important. It also allows the prison therapist to use these notes to be able to know where to pick up next time, and what areas need to be discussed further, as well as being able to see if their state of mind has changed.

9. 10.30-11.30 PM: The following sessions and follow-ups

Image source: Reddit

At this stage, the prison therapist will now engage in any additional therapy sessions. This may happen at any point in the day, as the prion therapist will inevitably have more than one session per day and it is difficult to know when these may take place. They also have to take time for any emergency or last-minute session from prisoners needing somebody to talk to. The prisoner could need it for a variety of reasons, for emotional struggle, anger management, or stress management. The sessions vary massively from one individual to the next.

10. Offer different kinds of therapies

Image source: Reddit

There are many different kinds of therapies. In fact, in Indiana, there are now therapy sessions being held with cats, since animals have been scientifically shown to reduce stress and encourage the rise of serotonin levels. There are also methods called cognitive behavioral therapy which have been shown to massively help individuals who have been struggling with emotional distress. Each therapy session will look very different depending on who the individual is as different techniques work for different people.

11. 11.30-12.00- PM Coordinate with correctional officers and prison staff

Image source: Reddit

The prison therapist will now engage in coordinating with different members of staff, for example, correctional officers and prison staff. During this time, the therapist will collaborate with the other officers and the prison staff to discuss any security concerns with inmates or any important findings that have to be raised within the therapy sessions. For example, changes in behavior, concerns about potential risks, or specific needs that have to be addressed. They will also discuss the availability of resources for the upcoming therapy sessions for prisoners.

12. 12.00-12.30 PM: Take internal and external calls

Image source: Reddit

Now this is the time for handling internal and external phone calls. As a part of their role within the mental health department in the prison, lots of phone calls have to be made. Internal calls may include communicating with colleagues and supervisors to provide updates or seek consultation. External calls are also necessary to speak with outside agencies. They may need to make referrals or to establish partnerships that can follow up on the post-release side of inmates' therapy sessions. Calls vary from day to day but there is usually a number to be made.

13. 12.30-1.00 PM Lunchtime

Image source: Reddit

It's finally lunchtime and this isn't a very long time to get lunch, so this half an hour is very important to get food for sustenance and just to take a little break in which a therapist can have a little bit of downtime. With such an intense job, this break is very important to protect their own well-being, as therapy can be consuming. They will go to the canteen or the office where they grab some lunch and a drink. Half an hour is not long for a prison therapist, but it is very important to take this full half an hour.

14. 1.00 PM: Take a small group therapy session

Image source: Reddit

Straight after lunch, it's back to work! So next it may be time to conduct a small group therapy session. This often involves bringing together a small number of inmates who may share similar concerns or have similar treatment goals. This is a space where each inmate can open up. It's confidential and private and the group may discuss a topic or theme in which each inmate can add their thoughts and feelings and share them with the group. It's a chance to openly discuss their own experiences as a small group.

15. 1.30-1.50 PM: Debrief colleagues on what was observed during the session

Image source: Reddit

After the session has come to a close, the prison therapist will then have a debriefing session with their colleagues and the mental health department staff to discuss what was observed during the small group therapy session. The contents of what inmates say is private and confidential (which is essential to creating a safe space) however the prison therapist can share key themes or concerns that may have emerged during the session, or raise ideas about future potential schemes or therapy sessions ideas.

16. 2.00-2.30 PM: Do the paperwork!

Image source: Reddit

Paperwork is essential for a prison therapist. And every little thing has to be documented and detailed to ensure the safety of everyone in the prison. During this time the therapist will conduct some paperwork duties and if there is a crisis intervention at any part of the day they will discuss any relevant details of the crisis, the actions that were taken and how it was resolved, or what the outcome was. They also record the client's emotional state as this is important to make sure that they are kept safe!

17. 2.30-3.00 PM: Sort out post-release follow-up services and meetings

Image source: Reddit

Next, the prison therapist has to focus on arranging post-release services for the inmates who are under their care. Because, once an inmate is released, they may still need help to be able to manage their emotions or to maintain their mental well-being. And so, they can collaborate with parole officers, transition services as well as external agencies and try and put some steps into motion for when the inmate has been released. They may arrange for the inmate to go into the correct treatment scheme or have the correct support depending on their individual needs.

18. 3.00-3.30 PM: Provide more support and counseling to inmates

Image source: Reddit

As a prison therapist, their work is never truly complete. Not only is therapy an ongoing process, but there are also so many prisoners needing help, and fewer staff and resources. And so the day of a prison therapist is super busy and there are multiple sessions at various times of the day. Now it is time to provide further support and counseling for inmates. This may be done in a larger group setting. For example, sometimes it could be done in the form of a class, trying to teach inmates how to manage and cope with their emotions.

19. Coordinate with parole officers

Image source: Reddit

Coordinating with parole officers could happen at any point in the day, and it usually happens at various times throughout the day so it is never a set activity that can be scheduled at the same time each day. But when they do communicate the therapist will make sure that there is a line of communication open to keep up to date with the mental health of the inmates who are getting closer to the ends of their sentences. It is very important for the parole officer to be as informed as possible on how the inmate is doing.

20. 3.30-3.45 PM: Take a break

Image source: Reddit

There haven't been many breaks at all so far and in the life of a prison officer, there is a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. So, taking 15 minutes break now is very important. It is time to collect and gather their thoughts as well as just have a second to breathe and relax. The day is by no means over, so this break will give you a little bit of energy for the rest of the day. And, a prison therapist around this time will usually grab a drink of some kind to rehydrate and take a short walk to help their mind and stretch their legs. After the break, they have a little more energy.

21. 3.45-4.30 PM: Attend a team meeting with psychologists, social workers...

Image source: Reddit

Now it's time for another meeting! This time, the meeting is taking place with psychologists, social workers as well as relevant staff from the prison's mental health department. There may also be colleagues from different disciplines too. This is a time to debrief and has conversations about inmate care and facilities. It gives everybody in the meeting an opportunity to talk about something that they think is relevant or useful information and sharing the knowledge of everyone is important to keeping up to date.

22. 4.30-5.00 PM: Attend training for different techniques

Image source: Reddit

As a prison therapist, it's so important to always keep learning and keep up to date with training so that their techniques can be the best they can offer. Because so much is being learned every day about mental health, new training techniques happen all of the time. And therapies and methods are continually changing. So during this time in the day, the therapist will participate in the training sessions. It could cover cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy and the training session may be helped by experts in the field passing on knowledge!

23. 5.00- 5.30 PM: Attend a supervisor session

Image source: Reddit

Noe the prison therapist will attend a supervisor session. So now this is an opportunity to have professional supervision, more guidance, and support, They can meet their supervisor and discuss their recent work and therapy sessions. They will talk about their caseload, whether it is manageable, and how they are dealing with it. They will get feedback on their work and together they can review any ethical concerns or problems that have emerged with the prison therapist's day-to-day work. It's a great chance to get constructive feedback and help!

24. 5.30- 6.00 PM: Collaborate with external agencies

Image source: Reddit

Now it is that time when the prison therapist will engage with external agencies that provide mental health support and resources, They might communicate with community mental health organizations, or maybe treatment centers or social service agencies. This could be to discuss further opportunities or collaboration with these organizations to be able to extend the kinds of health in prison and the community. It is also important to discuss reintegration into the community. The person's therapist may have conference calls or it could simply be a case of writing emails.

25. 6.00-6.30 PM: Conduct a workshop on mental health

Image source: Reddit

Workshops are a great way for prison therapists to offer their services in a way where they teach the techniques that they use, rather than simply holding a theory session. This way more inmates can learn about maintaining or helping themselves, as well as seeking out counsel if they need it. These workshops help to raise awareness and promote mental wellness as well as provide education on matters surrounding mental health. It may even be how to spot the signs that you need to seek some help, or how to help manage your anger or stress.

26. 6.40 PM: Review documents and notes

Image source: Reddit

Now it is time to go over all of their notes from the day. It was a busy day as usual, so it's very important that they make the last notes, as well as review the notes and assessments that they have taken for the day and make sure there is nothing that has been missed. As a prison therapist organization is super important, and so times like these are very crucial in being able to maintain and succeed in their role. They can get them all for the following day when they will need these notes again to take their next therapy sessions.

27. 6.50 PM: Go over tomorrow's itinerary

Image source: Reddit

The day is drawing to a close in the day of a prison therapist, so one of the important things to do before they head home is to review tomorrow's itinerary. Because t=if they notice a problem with the itinerary or plan of acting for the following day they can flag it up now. The sooner the better when it comes to fixing and adjusting the time schedules of a person's therapist. Also if something has cropped up today, this can then be adjusted into the following day if a meeting needs to be called or if there is a phone call that has to be made.

28. 6.55 PM: Catch up with other staff

Image source: Reddit

It's time to have a super quick, five-minute catch-up with staff. This catch-up isn't just a friendly hello, although this is important too! But it's also a chance to discuss tomorrow's plan and give staff a heads up on what is happening or what needs to be implemented for the following day so that they have a prior warning it is also a chance to speak to officers on the next shift and tell them anything they need to know or inform them of any incidents that have happened with inmates who may need extra security or welfare.

29. 7.00 PM: Leave the prison facility

Image source: Reddit

It's finally time to leave the prison. It's a super long and hard day for a prison therapist. Not only are the hours very long but the kind of work they do is extremely draining and difficult. But, many prison therapists find it to be extremely rewarding work. So, now they go to their car or public transport and head home. Depending on where the prison therapist lives, they will be home soon and that is the work day officially over and done with...of course, until tomorrow when the routine starts again!

30. 7.30 PM: Arrive home and sleep!

Image source: Reddit

Ah, it's finally home time. They have arrived and it will probably be around 7.30 pm. So now it's time to make some dinner and as well as making sure that they eat a good meal, it's also very important to have some time to properly unwind. Prison therapists know how important mental health and self-care are, so they may run a bath, take a walk, do some exercise, or kick their feet up in front of the TV to relax and let go of some of the stress from the previous day. This way, they feel re-energized again for the morning time,