prisoners with phobias

[nailit]

As an ex prisoner, I am in no way seeking to condem the prison service or to seek compo or even to complain with this question. (I have not been in prison for over ten years and have now got on with my life. It is merely out of curiosity.)
My question is, just how are prisons supposed to deal with cons with phobias? Specifically, agoraphobia and claustrophobia.
I was in prison in the late 90's and at the time of sentence I was sufering from agoraphobia and socialphobia. I never went out into the exercise yard or even went for association nights as crowds made me anxious and I prefered to stay in my cell. Even going down to fetch my meals was a nightmare. I then got transferred to another jail (HMP Liverpool...AKA Walton) Where I was MADE to go out in the exercise yard, even though I was on the hospital wing because of my mental state at the time. By the time I left jail I was a wreck and was under the care of the psychiatric services for some time.
My agoraphobia was obviously ignored in Walton jail, (even though my previous jail recognised my condition). But even though I struggled in prison with my agoraphobia/social phobia what whould happen to someone who was sent to prison who had claustrophobia? You cant exactly ask the screws to leave the door open at night.
Just wondering if there were any government guidelines regarding cons with phobias?
Thanks in advance.

[rowanwitch]

Sedation also being a denial of a persons rights if it removes choices offered to others

[nailit]

Thanks for replies folk. I appreciate the "If you cant do the time dont do the crime" type comments but my question didnt concern the moral aspects of locking people up, it concerned the treatment of phobias whilst in custody.
I was quite willing to loose my freedom and pay my dues to society (and didnt moan about it) but to be forced to go outside when I was agoraphobic was a torture on top of my punishment.
missprim...I wouldnt say that I'm cured entirlely but I manage with medication. Psychiatric care in prison is almost non existant (unless you're in Broadmore i suppose)which is ironic when more than 70% of the prison population has two or more mental health disorders.
Thanks again for replies.
(BTW, Ive never burgled a house or stolen a car...)

[missprim]

Nailit it doesn't matter what your crime was as you were asking about something that has no bearing on the type of crime you committed.
As someone else has pointed out,why should someone be punished twice.
I would have thought that if a person suffers from a serious phobia, they would have seen a doctor about this and so it would be in their medical records.This should then stop any Tom Dick or Harry from saying they have this.
Personally I don'know any criminals but I'm pretty sure that when anyone is commiting a crime they are not thinking of any of the circumstances that could befall them and as I believe that phobias and panic attacks are both a medical condition then I believe a person suffering from these should be treated whether they are in prison or not.

[joko]

they say the only way to conquer a phobia is to tackle it head on...

other than anxiety medication what else can be done?
do you think they should have just let you stay in your room at all times? brought stuff to your room etc because you didnt want to leave your cell? should they hire extra staff to watch you while you stay inside?

in real life you would have had to go outside sometimes - to get food, pay bills, sign on or whatever...why should you not have to do what you need to ...because you think someone will bring all you need to you?
it is not healthy to never go outside so they would have been remiss if they just allowed you to stay inside.

[missprim]

joko you are right when you say the only way to conquer a phobia is to face it head on but that doesn't mean 'just do it'
It's done with medication and help from councillors who understand the problem and it's done gradually over a length of time.
I've heard of people with agrophobia who NEVER go outside but it's one of those things (like all phobias) that I believe if you've never had it then you can't possibly know how it feels.

[Chunkles]

For Funks Sake RowanWitch. It's people like you who have made prison the soft touch it is today. Prison should be a punishment and we should not mollycoddle those foolish enough to be sent there.

[NOX]

Prison is not a ' soft touch' chunkles- do get a grip and stop reading the Daily Mail.

[joko]

missprim...i did not say that they should 'just do it'!
if you care to read other posts you will see i have acknowledged the necessary treatments and procedures... i cannot include that in every post and shouldn't have to.

id be interested to know what crime the op committed if he was too afraid to even be outside...?

i assume lots of people feel anxious, nervous, panicky and frightened in prison... id say thats pretty normal! doesn't actually make it a phobia.
its like saying you have a phobia of sharks or axe killers - no, you are afraid of them... and so you should be...and so is everyone else....they are terrifying so its normal rational reaction...not an irrational phobia

i agree some treatment is needed for genuine phobias, but at the same time there is an element of, if you know you have such a severe phobia you shouldnt do things that get you into those situations....it is supposed to make you never do it again...

[Ankou]

"psychiatric care in prison is almost non existant"

thats because psychiatric care takes professional time and money, and lots of it. law abiding citizens should be first in the queue in my opinion.