Emotional Intelligence Challenges Faced by Black Community due to Prisons Psychological Impact

Abstract

The Phycological Effects of Prison on the Black Community Contributes to the Lack of Emotional Intelligence Abstract United States has made significant progress in ensuring social justice for all Americans regardless of their race or color of their skin. Efforts to ensure social justice in the country have led to the establishment of measures to protect the minority groups particularly those affected by certain issues. Incarceration is a major problem among the black community in the country despite the decline in incarceration rates over the past two decades. Black people are more likely to be imprisoned and face a range of psychological challenges while in prison. The current study will investigate the results of imprisonment and the psychological factors of prison on the emotional intelligence of the black community. The methodology for the study was case study design and a qualitative analysis of historical, research, and ethnographical data about black communities affected by imprisonment. The findings showed that prison has negative psychological effects on black people in the United States. These psychological challenges led to the emotional intelligence difficulties among the racial black families in the country as well as their communities. Incarceration affects the black people disproportionately in a country where African Americans are more likely to interact with the law enforcement than any other racial group. Alternatives to incarceration such as probation and community service should be considered for non-violent crimes involving black people in the United States. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Chapter One: Introduction 4 Background 4 Research Questions 7 Statement of the Problem 7 Methodology 7 Definition of Terms 8 Delimitations 8 Significance of the Study 9 Organization of Chapters 9 Chapter Two: Literature Review 9 Incarceration of Black People 10 Emotional Intelligence and Incarceration 11 Psychological Effects of Incarceration on Black People 12 Summary of Literature Review 14 Research Gap 15 Chapter Three: Theoretical Background 15 Chapter Four: Research Design and Methodology 16 Research Design 16 Methodology 17 Table 1: Participants 17 Chapter Five: Findings and Data Analysis 18 Chapter Six: Summary of the Findings 20 Chapter Seven: Conclusions and Recommendations 20 Bibliography 21 The Phycological Effects of Prison on the Black Community Contributes to the Lack of Emotional Intelligence Chapter One: Introduction Background The incarceration rate of the blacks in the United States is higher than that of any other racial group in the country. As of 2021, there were 1,492 incarcerated blacks per 100,000 people compared to 725 Hispanic and 264 whites in the same size of the population. Prison has significant psychological effects on the offenders, their family members, and the community in general. Even after serving time in jail, black people face challenges regaining their place in the community outside prison. Incarcerated individuals spending a significant amount of time in prison lose opportunities to access education, employment, or gain wealth in the community. Additionally, it is harder for a person who has served time in prison to gain employment since their records are available to the employers. Having a criminal record is associated with significant challenges affecting the rehabilitation of individuals who have served time in prison. Consequently, the higher rate of incarceration among the blacks in the United States has significant implications on their rehabilitation into the community. The psychological effects of imprisonment affect people while they are in prison and when they complete their time after incarceration. While the incarceration rates in the United States have dropped over the past two decades, over 0.7% of the population in the country is incarcerated. The overrepresentation of black people in incarceration in the United States is a critical issue of concern for the government and the affected groups. The social and economic repercussions of incarceration continue to affect people and their families even after serving their time in correctional facilities. Therefore, the psychological effects of spending time in jail or prison is a key concern for the justice system in the country. The government agencies involved in formulating policies on correctional institutions should consider the effects of imprisonment of the communities. The psychological effects of incarceration in the United States occur in two distinct stages. First, imprisoned individuals experience emotional and psychological challenges while serving time and secondly when they are released after imprisonment. Upon release, prisoners experience reduced social status since they lose employment, attachment to family members and challenges reentering the society. The community and the government fail to provide sufficient support systems for the incarcerated persons reentering the society. For instance, the financial challenges of incarcerated persons multiply since they are unable to access formal employment opportunities. The government brands ex-felons as individuals likely to be involved in criminal behavior and this status denies people from accessing employment opportunities. While some organizations hire ex-felons, the opportunities are often insufficient and do not meet the needs of all individuals. Additionally, the wages of people who have been incarcerated is significantly lower than that of the general population. Between 2006 and 2018, the average income of individuals with a felony conviction was $7,000 lower than that of the general American population. Additionally, those who had served time in prison earned about $10,000 lower annual income compared to other Americans. The lack of opportunities for employment and lower income causes financial challenges for individuals attempting to begin life after imprisonment. Psychological challenges caused by imprisonment affect the families and communities of incarcerated individuals in the United States. The poor black males are the most likely persons to serve time in prison and their separation from families has significant impacts on the black communities. In particular, males who are the providers of their families leave a significant financial challenge for their wives, parents, children, and other family members when they go to prison. The family members depending on the incarcerated persons have to seek alternatives ways to earn income or risk losing their homes and savings. There are no sufficient systems to support black families when the bread winners are arrested and jailed in the United States. Financial distress and instability have a significant impact on the psychological welfare of the African American families and black communities. Moreover, the challenges continue after their loved ones are released from prison since they experience challenges reconnecting to the communities. The challenges faced by ex-felons such as the likelihood of re-offending and re-arrest, loss of sources of income, and emotional distress continue to affect the members of their families. Ex-felons face challenges reconnecting with their family members and causes significant psychological challenges to the communities in general. The high rates of incarceration among the black communities affects the emotional and psychological wellbeing of people in prison, ex-felons, and their family members. Research Questions What are the psychological effects of prison on the black community in the United States? How do psychological factors associated with imprisonment affect black communities in the United States? Statement of the Problem The incarceration rate of the black community is the highest in the United States. Prison has significant psychological effects on the inmates, ex-felons, and family members. The current study will investigate the effects of the psychological effects of prison on the black communities in the United States. Methodology The current study will utilize quantitative and qualitative analysis, and a case study of issues associated with the black community, incarceration rates, psychological effects, and the effects on emotional intelligence on the affected communities. The study will investigate the experiences of the black communities as described in accounts of families and individuals in prison. A case study uses the accounts of a single unit to generalize the findings on the entire population of individuals or communities. The data for the current study will be qualitative and based on previous studies, observation of historical trends, and ethnographic research on black communities in the United States. The study will use accounts of black families affected by incarceration, ex-felons, and communities experiencing psychological challenges as result of imprisonment. The data from previous research and evidence from observations will demonstrate the relationship between variables and factors in the study. Definition of Terms Black persons: A member of the racialized group of individuals characterized by a mid to dark brown skin color and often referred to as African American in the United States. Incarceration: The state of being kept in a prison for being involved or suspected of being involved in a crime in the United States. Psychological effects: Factors associated with the mind or mental wellbeing of an individual, group, or a community of people associated with incarceration. Emotional intelligence: The ability of an individual or members of a group to demonstrate a high level of emotional management and the capacity to identify and influence positively the emotions of other people. Convicted felon: A person who has received a jail or prison term after determination that they are guilty of committing a felony offense in the United States. The implication of a convicted felon is that the individual has served a term in jail or prison that is usually a year or longer. Delimitations The current study will focus on the effects of psychological factors on the incarceration rates of the black communities in the United States. The findings of the study will be limited to the African Americans who are incarceration, have served time in prison, and have family members who are convicted of a crime. The psychological effects of prison affect all people but the study will be limited to the experiences of the black people in the United States. Black people have the highest incarceration rate in the country and the study will demonstrate the implications of prison on their emotional intelligence. Additionally, the study will be limited to the individuals who have been under arrest and been convicted. The experiences of the black people with the criminal justice system vary significantly and the study will focus on the cases that have led to a conviction in court. Significance of the Study The government policies and actions of community members have significant impacts on the experiences of people in prison and their families. The conditions leading to reentry challenges among people who have been in prison are determined by the actions of community and family members of incarcerated persons. The current study will demonstrate the relationship between the experiences resulting from imprisonment and emotional intelligence among the black communities in the country. The study will demonstrate the inadequacy of support systems for the African American communities and the impact on the families affected by incarceration. Policy-makers, the communities, and non-government organizations will use the findings of the current study to improve the reentry of incarcerated persons into the community. Organization of Chapters The current chapter offers the background of the study, research questions, problem statement, delimitations, and the significance of the study. Chapter two will be a review of literature on incarceration, psychological effects, and the impact on emotional intelligence on the black communities. Chapter three will provide the theoretical background of the topic and the study. The research design will be discussed in chapter four while chapter five will provide the presentation of findings and analysis of data. Chapter six and seven will present the summary of the findings and the conclusion respectively. Chapter Two: Literature Review The second chapter of this paper will provide an overview of previous research on the role that prison has on emotional intelligence among the African American community. Black people in incarceration experience a wide range of challenges that may affect their family members and the community in general. As a result of the disproportional effects of incarceration on the racial minorities in the United States, researchers have demonstrated rising interest in the topic with the goal of determining how the communities in general are affected by the effects of imprisonment. The current chapter will provide summary of findings from other studies, the methodologies adopted by researchers, and the limitations of their research. The chapter will conclude by establishing the research gap that the current study intends to fill through the collection of data. Incarceration of Black People The incarceration of black people in the United States has led to debates on the role of racial discrimination in the performance of the criminal justice system. Black people experience challenges with imprisonment right from the young school age to adulthood. Disability is a key issue associated with the school-to-prison pipeline in the United States. The treatment of African American children with disability differs significantly from that or their white counterparts. Children from wealthy white neighborhoods with disability are seen as having a medical condition that warrants treatment. On the other hand, the black children with disabilities in poor neighborhoods are treated as having elements of criminal behavior in school. Consequently, such children are likely to be involved with the juvenile justice system and the prison system in adulthood. From a young age, black people are exposed to higher rates of incarceration that exposes them to the associated mental health issues. Emotional Intelligence and Incarceration Emotional intelligence is a critical factor in the criminal justice system of the United States and globally. Emotions predict the likelihood of people being involved in criminal behavior and their likelihood to offend and serve time in prison. People who have low levels of emotional control and anger management are more likely to be involved in violent crimes than the general population. Mallion et al. compared the emotional intelligence between a group of gang and non-gang affiliated offenders in a UK prison. The findings showed that male offenders involved in gang-related crimes had significantly lower levels of emotional intelligence compared to male offenders with no gang affiliation. The involvement of individuals in violent crimes is associated with their capacity to manage emotions such as anger and aggression against other people or groups. Black people in the United States live through different pathways all of which increase their rates of imprisonment. According to Williams, Wilson, and Bergeson, these exposures to imprisonment are indicators of poor mental health outcomes of black men. Incarceration is associated with a wide range of social and economic factors all which lead to possibilities of poor health outcomes. The emotional and mental health of black men is more affected in the problem of prison and health compared to the general population. Gender and racial indicators of health outcomes in relation to imprisonment were found to be significant in the study by Williams at al. Response to health issues affecting the African Americans should consider the impact that prison has on the members of this community. The effects of incarceration on the African American men affect their family members and lead to emotional intelligence challenges. According to a study published by Morsy and Rothstein, the incarceration of a family member is one of the factors leading to toxic stress among young African Americans. The higher rates of incarceration among African Americans has created concern among the policy-makers in the criminal justice system. Evaluating the causes and effects of incarceration is critical to develop sufficient response measures to meet the children’s needs. However, the effects of incarceration extend beyond the implications they have on the individuals who have specifically served time in prison and affect other members of their families and the community. People who have been in prison are unable to meet the economic and social needs of their family members. It is challenging to find jobs as an ex-felon and provide for the family which makes reentry into the community quite a challenge. Moreover, the absence of caregivers who are serving time in prison denies children physical and social security from their parents. Incarceration of family members has significant negative emotional effects on children and this affects their development. Psychological Effects of Incarceration on Black People Racial inequality exists in different forms in the United States with the justice system gaining the greatest focus in the issue. Racial inequality plays a major role in the access to resources such as healthcare in the country. Determining the factors influencing access to such services would play a major role in ensuring equality among individuals of all ethnicities. Health disparity is a key concern and is influenced by the incarceration of black people and their mere interaction with the justice system. Incarceration causes the greatest disruptions in the lives of African Americans who interact with law enforcement such as losing their jobs and disconnection from the society. However, other forms of interactions between the black people...