Can prison become a home from home?

[AB Asks]

A prisoner who escaped from his Bulgarian prison in 2005 has returned and asked to be locked back up. The man said, "I missed my pals here and I was miserable being a free man". He has been put back in to serve out the final two years of his 11 year sentence and possibly more for having escaped. Can prison have this effect on people if they are locked away in prison for long enough? Can it really become something prisoners rely on and miss when they're away from it?

[IggyB]

apparently so if your news story is accurate...

[jenstar]

Yes, people do become institutionalized all the time, it's hardly a new phenomenon.

[stokeace]

i was going to say that jenstar but i couldnt spell institutionalized lol

[fairkatrina]

Of course, anyone will get used to anything given enough time, and if you live somewhere for 5, 10, 20 years of your life and know everyone there and all your friends are there then to suddenly be told you can never go back there or see them again must be both distressing and terrifying. It is not uncommon for prisoners to reoffend simply to 'go home'.

[Scylax]

Institutionalisation is extremely common, esp.
in rigid, ordered societies, eg. the army, prisons,
convents/monasteries, psychiatric hospitals and the
police service.

It has been estimated that 7 months in a total
institution of these types will initiate this 'disorder'.
Eventually it becomes permanent. Any prison
officer will tell the tale,(truthfully) of the 'old lag'
who is released from gaol but is back the next day
saying that he cannot cope.

Housewives and mothers easily fall prey to this
disorder too, and become agoraphobic ; perhaps
the commonest form of phobia in the UK.

It could be said that everyone suffers from a type
of 'subclinical institutionalisation'. Look closely at
your neighbours, folks, then more closely at
yourselves. It's all around you.

[Sado]

I have to agree with Skylax. Having been a prison officer for many years I can recall many people who would get themselves locked up as they couldn't cope with outside life. This happened more at Christmas, as people living on the streets were guaranteed a dry bed and hot food for the festive period.
For some, not having to think about routines also brought them back. This was before the advent of 'care in the community' and a great number of them had mental health issues, and this was the only way they could cope.
It was a sad old world!