The U.S. Correctional System

This chapter will examine the history of incarceration in the United States since the country’s inception to the present day. It will survey vested interests in the US modern prison system – socially and economically. This chapter will assess the effectiveness, benefits, and consequences of the modern U.S. prison system, with a specific focus on the concept of rehabilitation as we know it. Further, it will examine alternatives to achieve rehabilitation and the role MFTs could play in these alternatives. Barriers to these alternatives, and their solutions, will be explored. This chapter summarizes the dangerous mental health impacts that solitary confinement and the general prison environment can have on incarcerated individuals. An overview of policy implications and recommendations are provided, which generally support the re-examination of the U.S. incarceration system and more MFT support.