«Du gjorde det du måtte for å overleve der inne» : En kvalitativ studie av tidligere domfeltes fengselserfaringer knyttet til psykiske belastninger

Master's thesis in Psychosocial health (ME504) ; The project`s background In Norway deprivation of liberty by use of imprisonment is the strictest form of punishment. The penalty should be an evil, and at the same time a rehabilitation too. The way the convicted experience their execution of sentence may lead to mental strain. Intention and issue The intention with this study is to hear earlier convicted ́s experiences from their atonement attached to mental strain especially. In this way the study may contribute to raise important experiences to the public. My issue is: Which experiences do earlier convicted have when it comes to mental strain? Method, design, selection and analysis The research method was a qualitative approach with five individual semi-structured interviews. The selected were earlier sentenced (men) who had accomplished their penalty in both high-security prison, low-security prison and halfway house. I used Kirsti Malterud ́s method of analysis. All participants were sent an information letter with a statement of agreement, and the interviews were recorded digitally. The interview material was transcribed and anonymized. Results and conclusion This study shows that several of my informants experienced mental strain during their atonement, especially in high-security jails. My informants had mostly positive experiences in low-security jail and halfway houses, but some also had experiences here that could lead to mental strain. It also turns out that their relationship to the prison employees contributed to these experiences, especially if they had someone to talk to. The negative experiences from high-security prisons could emboss on life after release. Their experiences connected to mental strain, is read in light of Ben Crewe`s metaphores depth, weight, tightness and breadth. Keywords: High-security prison, low-security prison, halfway house, progression, convicted, atonement, mental health