Tierney M. Garrison, author of Death on the Brain: The Psychological Effects of the Death Penalty Based on the Views of Those Condemned To Die found that prisoners who have developed physical and psychological oddities are exposed and ignored; almost all of them choosing new areas of study while on the death row ( learning about religion, health, games, etc). Garrison interviewed a former resident of the federal Bureau of Prisons to discuss what life was like in prison. Michael Santos was convicted for selling cocaine and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Santos claims that during his sentence he submersed himself in studies. Apparently this helped him get through the years in prison. Also, the study of literature and other similar activities was used as a relief, and often an escape from the small, dull, confined cell he had to live in. According to Santos, this was normal- - in fact many other prisoners became more interested in learning, and studying. Already there is a change in personality within the inmates. The inmates are using reading and studying as an act of escape – whereas previously they had turned to drugs and violence. Ironically, the replacement of drugs/alcohol with books is a good change that death row provides. However, death row inmates also undergo negative changes....
These images show the confined spaces inmates have to live in |
Another change in personality occurs within some inmates; they become very dependent on order and schedules. An inmate’s life-span on death row averages approximately 10 years. Because of the uncertainty of their condition, inmates look forward to and follow schedules and recreational time. Inmates tend to become nostalgic and replay moments and memories in their heads leading up to being on death row and participate more in story-telling activities. The story telling and nostalgic memories are indicators of self-pity, contrition and/or remorse. Santos indicates that prisoners become very worrisome, vulnerable and impatient. The dependency on schedules and displaying new characteristics are a clear indicator that there is definitely a personality change. The inmates become more conscientious and neurotic, according to the Big 5 Personality Traits. It is evident that living on death row can impact inmates so significantly that it results in a major personality change.
To conclude, the current implementation of capital punishment in the US has resulted in a “zombie” state for the convicted. Their life or “non-life” spent on death row (an average of 10 to 25 years) results in positive and negative changes on their personality. When examining the impact of the ‘death row syndrome”, one questions if capital punishment is the means to achieving “justice”.
Work Cited:
Garrison, Tierenney M. Death
on the Brain: The Psychological Effects of the Death Penalty Based on the Views
of Those Condemned To Die. Eisenhower
Parkway : ProQuest LLC, 2009. Pg 1-18, 28-29. Print.
Lynch, Mona. "Capital Punishment as moral
imperative", Punishment & Society. California : Sage Publications, 2002.
213-236. Print
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