Trauma and its sequelae in male prisoners: effects of confinement, overcrowding, and diminished services.

With explosive growth in prison populations, deteriorating conditions "inside," and a large number of mentally disordered felons, correctional mental health programs are inundated with demands for services. Based on the author's first-hand survey of state prisons, inmate responses to the harsh conditions are described and a link is suggested between childhood traumas of inmates and the traumas they experience in prison. Implications for correctional mental health services, as well as correctional policy in general, are offered.