The influence of individually typological characteristics of prisoners on the process of adaptation to conditions of social isolation

Table 3 shows that the majority of prisoners have secondary education and only in a quarter of cases - secondary-specialized. Contradictions between the presence of special education and the presence of profession can be explained by the fact that prisoners got their profession, learning at their work-places and were more engaged in unskilled labor. It is important to note the fact that more than half of them at the time of arrest did not have a permanent job, were listed as unemployed or had occasional migrant work. These data show that lack of education, profession and working place is a risk factor for getting into prisons. We can assume that these factors may complicate adaptation to prisons to some extent because, for example, in order to transfer to do the job of public services or amenities one should have any profession, or at least have some practical skills.

Summarizing the analysis of biographical data, we can say that the age of the prisoners in prison is the most productive for not only building their lives - both personal and professional, but also for social activity. And if you consider that on average they will serve their sentence for a minimum of 3 years (as it is shown in Table 2), all the social danger of the situation becomes clear. And this danger is, on the one hand, that the society and the state are deprived of the opportunity to properly use knowledge, skills, work, creative and intellectual potential of people who are in prison. On the other hand, prisoners being released from prison, often have to start all over «from scratch», lacking not only professional experience, permanent job, poorly orientating in new socio-economic conditions after the release, but sometimes without even a family that, according to data obtained by us, could have broken up by that time. All this shows the complexity of the situation, and proves the need for creation of special services that would deal not only with readaptation of prisoners after release, but also with prevention of recidivism as a consequence.

So, taking in consideration the results, obtained during the analysis of biographical data, it is possible to suggest that there are factors that contribute to adaptation and factors that complicate it. Factors that contribute to adaptation to prisons include the following: having a family, children; convictions, presence of profession. Factors that complicate adaptation to prison respectively include: absence of family, children, convictions, profession.

We understand socio-psychological adaptation to prison as the ability of the prisoners to set interpersonal relations - both formal (business, e.g., with representatives of theadministration) and informal (friendly) to interact effectively with others and adequately express their feelings and needs.

We will discuss the results of the study according to the method of diagnosis of interpersonal interaction by T. Leary.

As we can see on the diagram, the average points of all parameters in both groups do not exceed 8 points, which may indicate that this sample has an adaptive behavior and adequate self-esteem.

Overall, both the prisoners of the cells of general detention and the prisoners convicted for public services or amenities have approximately equal indexes, but at the same time the prisoners of the cells of general detention has higher indexes of all scales except for «Authoritarianism» and «Aggressiveness» (The difference is 0.2 and 0.5 points respectively). In order to better visualize the portraits of the samples, we have built a discogram according to the results of the methodology that has 8 octants corresponding to variants of interpersonal relations.

The diagram and discogram show that prisoners of I and II groups equally assess themselves as confident, persistent and straight. In addition, they equally evaluate themselves as inclined to cooperation with the reference group, friendly.

Despite minor differences in average points according to this method, the prisoners of the cells assess themselves as still more independent and persistent in reaching their aims; their thoughts and actions are more realistic and filled with great skepticism; they are more inclined to mistrust and suspicion in relations with other people. At the same time, they assess themselves as dependent, compelling to a greater extent than the second group of prisoners and they need more support and trust from others. The prisoners of the cells also show willingness to help others, show implicit sense of responsibility.

When prisoners transfer to public services or amenities, range of types of interpersonal interaction expands. In this sample, except for 8 octant, octant 1 - «authoritarian» type and 7 - «friendly» are also expressed. These types of interpersonal interactions are characterized by optimism, hyperactivity, expressed motivation to achievements, social activity as leadership trends. However emotional instability, high level of anxiety, sensitivity, and dependence of selfesteem on the thoughts of more authoritative people are also presented.

Summarizing the comparative and quantitative analysis of data by the method of T. Leary, we can conclude that prisoners who are in the cells feel more dependent, compelling due to objective conditions of their lives. In such way of life communication becomes one of the most important forms of existence that helps them not only to structure their time but also to fulfill themselves, achieve a certain status in the group, make contacts, including those with the administration. Moreover, during collaboration with others such trends as desire to help and sympathize and alertness are combined. However, they have a greater need for help and trust of others that we can consider as request for psychological assistance and support. Prisoners of public services or amenities feel more independent because they have an opportunity to be active, to self-realize, and to actively influence the environment. But they have to pay psychologically by dependence on others, anxiety, emotional liability.

One more component of social and psychological adaptation of prisoners to prisons is the level of aggressiveness. Let us consider what forms of aggressive behavior are there and to what extent they are expressed in the studied of the groups I and II according to the analysis of forms of aggressive behavior (Bass-Darko' method).

According to the test by Bass-Darko indexes in two groups are within an average level of aggressiveness.

The diagram shows that among the common types of aggressive behavior among prisoners (both group I and group II) there are verbal aggression, physical aggression and selfaggression. These types of aggressive behavior as visual and emotional aggression are less expressed. The data make it possible to suggest that prisoners' aggression is aimed primarily at people - oneself or the others - and to a lesser extent - at items. This trend of aggression can display a high level of psychological fatigue from the necessity to be in constant contact with each other and not to have an opportunity to change the communication circle or be alone. The diagram also shows that the level of aggressiveness of prisoners of the first group is much higher on all parameters than the prisoners of the second group.

Now we turn to such parts of socio-psychological adaptation of different groups of prisoners as acceptance of oneself and the others, internality, dominance, emotional comfort and tendency to avoid solving problems. These data have been obtained basing on the analysis by the method of K. Rogers and R.

As it can be seen from the diagram, the prisoners of the second group comparing to the first group are more likely to accept others and themselves, feel more emotionally comfortable, believe in the opportunity to change their lives, are more likely to dominate and less - to digress from solving problems.

Results of the study of socio-psychosocial conditions of adaptation lead to the following conclusions: self-perception; internality; perception of the others; low level of aggressiveness; several types of interpersonal interaction, i.e. a wider range of patterns of social behavior play an essential role for socio-psychological adaptation of prisoners. The prisoners of the second group can be considered to be better adapted to prison in socio-psychological sense.

It may indicate that one should have a certain «concept of life», including a broad view of a human's nature, belief in their own abilities to manage their lives, presence of different models of interaction with other people that exclude or reduce aggressiveness for successful adaptation to prison.

We understand psychological adaptation to prison as an opportunity of a prisoner to apply consciously to their internal resources, personal qualities, presence of some internal support that would help to cope with the crisis (e.g. seeing sense in the happening events, presence of goals and motivation to overcome difficulties).

Let us consider the results of analysis by the method of D. Leontiev «Life Orientations

As it can be seen from the diagram, the prisoners of the second group as a whole assess the degree of awareness of their lives a bit higher than the prisoners of the first group, while indexes at different scales between the groups are very similar. The studied group II comparing to the group I is characterized by a higher goal orientation, existence of a future goal that gives mind and focus to the life. In addition, in both groups points of the scales «Purpose of life» and «Life process» are larger than of the scale «Effectiveness of life.» It may indicate that the prisoners in general are tend to think of the process of their lives as interesting, rich and full of meaning; in addition, future goals also give meanings to their lives. However at the same time the past lifespan is perceived as not productive and informed enough. Satisfaction with their lives in the prison may seem absurd or paradoxical to a casual observer. However, experience of work and communication with prisoners shows that this attitude to one's own life is the basis of survival and adaptation for many of them. Many of the prisoners believe that in order to survive in their prisons, they must refer to their lives as if they refer to it at freedom: external conditions and circumstances do not have to change their internal principles and rules, they can only strengthen them. Many people say that once a prisoner begins to believe that what is happening in his life now is not significant, does not care for it; it does not make sense and values; it can be removed - he immediately loses internal resistance force and the desire to live. In the words of V. Frankl, he internally breaks, physically and spiritually degenerate.

Interest in his real life and focus on future goals are, in our point of view, a powerful agent to adapt to a life in prison and to life after release. V. Frankl wrote:»… predictability of the `end' and aiming at some point in the future form that spiritual support, which prisoners require because such a spiritual support can protect people from the destructive effect of the forces of social environment, which change the character and keeps a person from falling.» [10, 153]

Research of the locus of control of the studied shows that, despite roughly equal points on the scales of the prisoners from different groups, the level of acceptance of personal responsibility of prisoners in the second group is slightly higher. However, both groups have an interesting phenomenon: they believe that people are basically given the power to control their lives, freely make decisions and implement them, but they do not always relate it to themselves. In other words, despite the fact that a prisoner has faith in handling his life; during being in prison, faith in his own strength, the ability to control the events of his life becomes dull. It indicates that prisoners who are in prison, have partially closed access to such internal resources, which support adaptation to environmental conditions that are changing such as life orientations, awareness and understanding of the lived life segment, approval of the responsibility for life.

Thus, the following conclusions about the factors of psychological adaptation can be made: interest and emotional richness of life and the presence of future goals are the factors of adaptation to prison. Personal meanings of the prisoners, especially those from general detention cells, are less conscious.

Thus, summing up the analysis of both samples according to the used methods the following conclusions can be made: firstly, the prisoners who perform public services or amenities and the prisoners from the cells of general detention have both general and specific characteristics of adaptation to prison, i.e. a peculiar concept of life, which includes a broad view on human nature, belief in their own ability to manage their lives, plays an important role. At the same time it is possible to identify the following features of the personality of prisoners: they evaluate themselves as confident, competent and persistent; in critical situations they are prone to physical or verbal aggression, the main value of life is seen in its emotional intensity in the present and in the future goals. We can also assume that presence of a family and children, as well as past convictions makes it easier to adapt to the conditions of imprisonment. Secondly, specific characteristics of adaptation to prison in the studied groups are laid in the fact that the prisoners from the cells are tend to mistrust, dependence, compelling; they need more help and support due to some objective reasons (treatment, welfare, etc.). Their consciousness of their lives is lower than in the studied group II; internal resources of life orientations are less available. Thirdly, among the factors that contribute to adaptation of prisoners to prisons one can distinguish willingness to help and sympathize; spirit of cooperation; conformity, the ability to obey; self-acceptance; internality; approval of others; presence of a family and children, previous convictions, profession.

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