**1. Introduction**

Emotions have attracted a greater level of attention as a critical element of public health in the 21st century. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean and the wider world by extension, displaying emotions by males carries a stigma [1–3]. Emotions are also regarded as the cornerstones of our social worlds, which affect our interactions with others in varied ways [4]; and as such, this issue has prompted intellectual discussions surrounding the relation between emotions and the male population [5]; a focus that looms high, to the extent that it has become of national interest among health professionals and providers for the last ten years in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

In part, this hype can arguably be associated with the SVG Education Revolution of 2003, which – under the motto "no one left behind" – has opened countless opportunities for the general population to move on academically in every level of the educational system [6]. The influx of students to secondary schools on one hand, and the radical increase of the number of adults in quest of tertiary level studies on the other, unearthed troubling psychologically and emotionally generated behavioral problems to which both genders succumbed [7, 8]. It also surfaced the demand for counselors, career guidance officers, and psychologists, who were called to aid the breakdown of the gender barriers in the expression of feelings among the male population that existed in the Vincentian society for many years and put emotional issues on the front burner.

General social observation in SGV has shown that males who have come to grips with their emotions and are willing to live a life that projects a more liberal way of behaving tend to excel academically, while being less likely to become troublemakers and less prone to having criminal intent. Nowadays, numerous young males have been incarcerated, are abandoning school, have taken to the hills to farm illegal marijuana plants, are seeking comfort in alcoholic beverages, are becoming abusive to their female counterparts, or are admitted to the mental health hospital due to emotional and psychological pressures [9, 10]. This is an escalating occurrence among the male population, while their counterparts (females) are far more willing to show their emotions and are thus, less susceptible to those troubling devices [11–13]. This is particularly true among males incarcerated in SGV Her Majesty's Prison, who would immediately take on the look of a "seasoned" criminal exhibit little or no remorse in deep contrast to the general empathy.

This backdrop heightens the need for one's exploration of men's attitude towards their emotion. There has been a rationale for the choice of these incarcerated males, who "do" masculinity either as a survival technique and an adaptation to imprisonment [14–17] or as an emotional response to interpersonal rejection [18, 19]. As in other countries, already captured male populations are often regarded as one of the most vulnerable groups in the Vincentian population [20–22]. This research springs from the co-opt preamble and delves into the stereotypical and tabooed issue of males and their emotions in the Vincentian setting. The present research endeavors to offer an understanding of the general male ethos where their emotions are concerned. It examines the issue from the perspectives of males who are confined or incarcerated seeking seeks to explore aspects related to the general issue of masculinity and emotions, namely: (a) emotions and abuse, (b) crying in relation to emotions (c) family and friends in relation to emotions and (d) suicidal thoughts and emotions.The main objective of this study is to analyze various factors that are associated with emotional and psychological issues relating to males at the correctional institution in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. More specifically, it sought to analyze the emotions males are encountering and ascertain the factors that lead to the emotions that males struggle with. As a means to achieve this, we firstly aimed at identifying emotional issues inmates are uncomfortable to talk about, and finding out levels of family impact on males' lives in order to determine the coping strategies that have been used by inmates to deal with their emotional issues.

#### **2. Methodology**

This article intents to weave ideas in relation to the emotive reactions of incarcerated males at the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Correctional Institution. The methodological tools utilized for data collection in this mixed-method study were mainly quantitative (questionnaires) combined with field observations. The

*An Analysis of Emotional and Psychological Issues among Males at the Correctional Institution… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93526*

particular method was not chosen randomly. Quantitative methodologies allow researchers to evaluate within a more controlled context [23]. The questionnaire covered demographics such as age, type of crime, recidivism, and religion [perceived as an emotion regulator [24]], as well as elements and associated factors aligned with the stated hypotheses that highlight males' emotions and their behaviors. Finally, along with the collected quantitative data, observation was done based on a two-year pro bono service that the researcher carried out at the facilities and during the sample collection period, and anecdotes were noted.This research sought to generate measurable and testable data based on the aims and objectives, acting as a road map for the study, guiding the researcher to predetermined destinations, and thus gradually adding to the accumulation of human knowledge.

### **3. Research process flow chart**

#### **3.1 Hypotheses**

To create a finite structure in line with the aims of the present research mentioned earlier, 4 hypotheses were created and embedded in the questionnaire. The hypotheses were:


#### **3.2 The institution**

Her Majesty's Prisons (Kingstown and Belle Isle) is the lone correctional institution in St. Vincent and the Grenadines build in 1872. Colonial in nature, the main structure is situated in the heart of Kingstown, in close proximity to the back of the building that houses the House of Assembly and the High Court. In the same premises, there is a library/classroom and a Chapel that has been converted into living quarters. The total population of the Kingston prison facility in December 17, 2018 stood at 472, accommodating mainly those who are on remand and few already sentenced.

The Belle Isle Correctional Facility became operational in April 2012, when some 226 prisoners were transferred there from the Kingstown holding. This institution is built to house 288 inmates, but it is still under construction. It is home to less than 50% of the present total inmates and mainly houses those already been sentenced. It is a modern prison with a conference room, classrooms, and recreation room offering a variety of programmes which incorporate major activities such as art, anger restrain training, tailoring, culinary art, music, agriculture, and welding skills training. Most of these programmes are facilitated by community members, persons who are not particularly affiliated to the institution. The institution also boasts of a small soccer team which occasionally engages with community teams.

Inmates in both institutions are classified in three categories: Unit A Under 21 years, Unit B First Offenders and Unit C Repeat Offenders. There is a rigid

timetable and activities are tailored – breakfast is at 6:30 am; devotion at 8:15 am; lunch is at 11:30 am, recreational activities at 1:00 pm, and total lock down at 5:00 pm. As pertaining to the emotional aspects of inmates, they are served in a professional manner by a psychologist, a counselor, and a welfare officer. Accessible to the institution is also the Mental Health Hospital, which provides contracted consultants and a qualified counselor who visit the institutions once a week to meet with a pre-arranged clientele<sup>1</sup> .
