One-third of America’s adult population has passed through the criminal justice system and now has a criminal record. This “carceral state” affects us all, entangled as it is in our racial, social, and political community life.  The Prison Symposium brings a psychoanalytic perspective to bear on the multiple mental health issues that bring people into prison, continue and are complicated by imprisonment and follow them when they leave. It will address the dynamics between guards and prisoners, the social meaning of the prison system, the havoc it wreaks on individual and family life, and the consequences for members of communities affected by mass incarceration. 

Speakers include the two winners of the Institute’s Seidenberg Prize, Stephanie Gangemi LCSW, whose paper focused on guards as main providers of mental health care, and Elizabeth Kita PhD, who discussed antidotes to the systemic dehumanization and its impact on the imprisoned as well as the imprisoners.  Anne Dailey, Professor of Law and author of Law and the Unconscious: A Psychoanalytic Perspective, will discuss the papers.  Joseph Galenek PhD, a medical anthropologist will share his research on violence prevention and effective mental health treatment in prisons.  In addition, a panel of experts who have worked in the prison system will share their perspective on these issues as we consider the way these issues confront us all.

Who should attend:

• Stakeholders in the criminal justice system - formerly incarcerated, attorneys, prison workers and officials, policymakers, and advocates
• Therapists, counselors, and other clinicians with an interest or relevant experience in working with those who are currently or formerly incarcerated