Socio-psychological aspects of prevention of violent penal criminality
The article is devoted to socio-psychological aspects of prevention of violent crimes committed by the convicted persons in prisons. The objective of the work is to reveal the influence of socio-psychological factors on violent penal criminality and elaborate the prevention measures. Socio-psychological factors significantly affect the personality of penal criminal since the lost of social interactions, criminal environment and the very fact of imprisonment provide a fertile ground for violence, and, as a result, violent crimes in prisons. In correctional facilities convicted persons are under strong psychological pressing, they are in the state of increased anxiety, depression and stress which no doubt impacts negatively on the convicts increasing their inclination to conflict behavior. Ultimately, this could cause aggressive breakdown and will lead to violent behavior of prisoners. Moreover, specific character of their micro environment and frustration could cultivate behavioral stereotype of violent behavior in prisons. At the same time officers of correctional facilities are often insufficiently trained in the use of adequate psychological methods that enable to diagnose in time and settle complicated psychological situations that could result in committing of violent attacks in prisons. In this regard, it is necessary to improve work to increase staff’s communicative competence on conflict resolution, to develop their ability for timely detection of conflict situations and localization of conflict factors in order to prevent them from escalating into violent criminal activity.