Explain and discuss mature coping. What does Johnson argue? What does he mean when he says that inmates must find a niche?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An alternative means of handling incarceration, or supervision in the case of probationers and parolees, is mature coping. In essence it means dealing with life’s problems like a responsive and responsible human being, one who seeks autonomy without violating the rights of others, security without resorting to deception or violence, and relatedness to others as the finest and fullest expression of human identity. Mature coping is relatively rare among the inmate population for a number of reasons. Inmates are typically immature in their social relations to begin with, which, of course, is one of the reasons they are in prison in the first place. Because of impoverishment, poor or absent or abusive parenting, mental illness, schools that fail them or that they fail, offenders enter the criminal justice system with a number of social, psychological, and economic deficits. They are often not used to voluntarily taking responsibility for their actions as one would expect of “mature” individuals, nor are they typically expected to empathize with and assist others in need, especially in a prison or jail environment. Johnson (2002) argues that for inmates to maturely cope, it is helpful if they are incarcerated in what he terms a decent prison. Such a facility does not necessarily have more programming, staffing, or amenities than the norm, though he thinks it might be helpful if it did; rather, such institutions or programs would be relatively free of violence and would include some opportunities so that inmates might find a niche to be involved in. In order for inmates to find this niche, however, decent prisons need to include some opportunities for inmates to act autonomously.
Being secure from violence, like autonomy, is basic to human development. In fact if the security need is not fulfilled, it will preoccupy offenders and motivate them to engage in behaviors that they normally might avoid if they were not feeling continually threatened. Then, assuming that the offender perceives that he is relatively safe, there need to be prosocial activities, including work, school, athletic, church, treatment, or art programs, that provide some sort of means for positive self-value reinforcement. Such places are termed niches by Johnson, and the opportunities they afford provide redress for the mortification and pains that offenders, particularly those who are incarcerated, experience.