Subjective Construction of Imprisonment Consequences: Prisoner’s Viewpoint

Abstract

Research in prisons usually focuses on the presence of psychopathology in prisoners. In our study, we focuse on the identity construction of the prisoner; specifically, we focus on how affects prisoners to stay in prison. To do this, we interviewed five prisoners, to whom we have administered the Repertory Grid Technique (Kelly, 1955/1991). We propose three elements for the Repertory Grid: I-before entering prison, I- being in prison and I when I’ll released from prison; the other elements were elicited by the participants. The personal construct analysis of every prisoner’s Grid, by means of the Record V.4.0. program, offers insight into the impact it has had being imprisoned on the construction of the identity of the prisoner. It also allows us to know how the prisoner anticipates their life in freedom.