CORRECTIONSTODAYJanuary/February 2017

FEATURES

Vol. 79, No. 1

From orange to blue
How nature imagery affects inmates in the "Blue Room"

By Dr. NafiniM. NaJkarn4 Lance Schnocker, PatriciaHtuhach, Tierney Th)ldand Emily Gaii11!J Cmcketl

36

Brace for impact
The "Small Wonder" state makes a big difference

By Anima Lan_9jonl

Abandoning criminal choices
Kansas City's No Violence Alliance offers new chances to fight violence

By MereiJith Conklin

Road to redemption
Federal Bureau of Prisons imnates use COL program to drive their successBy .TuiJtih Simon Garrett

Art for a change
Innovative reentry program shows off practical implications

By HaJIJ HalfuniJ6aelc

42465256

Healthy teamwork
South Carolina uses new framework to improve inmate health care system

By BryaFZ StirlLizg aJIJ Chrutian Sow·a

62

From orange to blue
How nature imagery affects inmates in the "Blue Room"
By Dr. Nallnl M. Nadkaml, Lance Sclmaeker, Patricia Hasbacb, Tierney Thys and Emily GaiDes Ctockett

allace, an inmate at the Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Oregon, wasshackled at the wrists and held by two officers in the Intensive Management Unit(IMU) as he prepared for his hour of exercise. Thinking back to that morning, when hereceived an upsetting message from his father, he began feeling agitated and angry.
"I want to see the wilderness video, number 28," he said to the officer in the control room, as theblank white cinderblock walls of the cellblock surrounded him. He then proceeded to what is referred
to as the "Blue Room," the unit's exercise room, which had a projector mounted on its north wall. By
the time the officers removed his cuffs, the video he had requested was playing, projected across thesouth wall- painted a light blue - which served as a giant screen. Wallace, in the solitude of theroom, surveyed images of waterfalls and forests as he did his pull-ups. After exercising, he watched
the wilderness scenes, which brought back childhood memories of times when his father taught him
to camp and hunt in the mountains of Utah. Sounds of falling water cancelled out the noise of inmatesyelling across the hall. For that short time, the presence of nature scenes brought him calm, the kindthat nearly always accompanies people in the presence of nature. After his allotted time in the Blue
Room, that emotion remained inside of him, long alter he returned to his small cell.
Wallace's experience - watching nature videos in the exercise room of the restrictive housing
cellblocks- was part of a study done to explore how the sights and sounds of nature might reducestress, anxiety and violence that characterize the living environment of inmates and the working
environment of stall and officers in solitary restrictive housing cellblocks. The SRCI study has
resulted in multiple correctional centers adopting this unique visual initiative.
Placing inmates in restrictive housing or IMUs, isolated from human contact, is mainly usedeither as a form of punishment for violations of prison regulations or as protection for vulnerable
inmates . This has become one of the most contentious aspects in corrections, with scrutiny fromW

groups that range from the U.S. Supreme Court
and correctional administrators to social justiceorganizations all around. Some view the practice asa valid and necessary way to maintain discipline ina violent environment. Others see it a~ an incubatorfor madness that borders on torture, especially forjuvenile offenders. Multiple studies have suggested
that the practice causes or worsens an array ofmental disorders, including anxiety, anger, self-harm,
obsessive thoughts and psychoses.'
Restrictive housing cellblocks are consideredmore dangerous and stressful to staff than gene ral
prison conditions. These cellblocks are known toinduce anxiety and depression, which can resultin increased sick leave, more medical care andreduced work performance.zThese units cost moreto build and operate than general prison facilities.~
Although prison administrators have attempted toimprove conditions through systematic contingency
management, written behavior plans and removalof inmates with serious mental illness,• these
inmates continue to exhibit violence, depression
and antisocial behavior, and the stress levels among
inmates and officers still remain high.
Most studies on the negative aspects of restrictive
housing have focused on the effects of social
isolation- that is , the reduction or severing ofcontact with other humans. But another attributeof restrictive housing is the near total absence ofinmate access to nature, living things and the naturalenvironment, including plants, animals, wind, rain
and full sunlight. Though the denial of nature toinmates potentially serves as a deterrent to violating
prison rules, it may also result in negative behavioral
effects that could be avoided by providing access tonature or nature imagery.
This idea comes from another venue in which
nature is almost totally absent: the sterile roomsof hospitals. There, patients may spend days or
weeks in recovery, and due to fears of infectious
microorganisms, they even ban potted plants.
However, in 1984, psychologist Roger Ulrichcompared the health and emotional outcomes ofsurgery patients between two groups: one with aview of trees o utside their windows and the otherwith just a concrete wall. Those with the nature
view reported lower stress and anxiety and needed
significantly fewer days of hospital recovery thanthose with the wall view.• That study led to a bodyof research showing that access to nature imagery
can profoundly reduce stress, irritability, anxiety andaggression. This effect is especially strong in venues
where little ambient nature exists, such as nursing
homes, offices with windowless cubicles and military
barracks. 6 Although direct contact with nature is mosteffective, indirect nature exposure (e.g., a window,

book, sound recording or photograph) can provide
temporary relief from psychological stress in daily
life, producing a micro-restorative experience.r
In 2013, a research team, consisting of a scientist,a science educator, a psychologist, a science media
expert and a correctional statistician, initiatedthe Nature Imagery in Prisons Project (NIPP) toinvestigate whether exposure of inmates to nature
imagery might create a safer working environment
for officers and staff, and whether that would help
regulate and improve mood and behavior of inmatesin restrictive housing cellblocks. The team, basedat the University of Utah, collaborated with officers,
behavioral health staff and administrators at SRCI tocompare the mood and violent infractions of inmates
who viewed nature films with those who did not, as
well as officer and staff responses to this practice.

The study
SRCI houses more than 500 male inmates in
restrictive housing (IMU) in its multi-security level
cellblocks in Ontario, Oregon. The intervention wastested in one cellblock (IMU-E), which houses 48
inmates. This cellblock is split into two sides, E-A andE-B, with identical layout on each, as well as similar
age ranges and security risk of inmates, IMU stay
duration (over 60 percent are held there for sevenmonths to three years), exercise equipment, durationof exercise periods (45 minutes, four timesjweek),
officer and staff members, and security procedures.
SRCI began providing nature videos to inmates only in
the E-B indoor exercise room in Apri12013; however,inmates on side E-A did not view films. The cost of thevideo projector and installation (not including stafftime) was about $1,500.
During this study, inmates had a choice of 38
different nature videos, with content including imagesof diverse habitats (e.g., oceans, forests and rivers),
aquarium scenes, views of Earth from space andcloud fly-through shot~. After inmates selected which
video they wanted to watch, officers in the control
room started and stopped the videos so they could
verify it was running correctly on a separate monitor.
On occasion, officers could use their judgment toplace an E-B inmate they perceived as being agitatedor troubled in the exercise room with a nature video
outside of his scheduled exercise time, using this asa calming intervention. Once the study ended, theresearch team evaluated the results in a variety ofways, comparing behavior, mood and attitudes before
and after 12 months of viewing videos.
To examine the behavioral elfects of this content
viewing, inmate d isciplinary referrals (DRs) forviolent infractions of inmates on the cellblockI
Prison staff

The studies found that Inmates who viewed
nature videos committed fewer violent
Infractions than those who did not view the films.

side with videos versus the side without videos
were tallied from prison records and statisticallycompared using methods described in a researchbrief from the Oregon Youth Authority.• SRCI
investigated the effects on mood and attitude byassessing voluntary interviews and surveys of 27
randomly selected inmates, taken before and after
12 months of video exposure. SRCl also conductedindividual voluntary interviews and surveys of six
staff members who worked in IMU-E to determine
their perceptions of this intervention on inmates andon their own workload.

Although inmates in E-A did not view nature videos intheir exercise room, most were aware of the videos,
due to hearing about them from other inmates orstaff members; and when asked if they would like toview the nature videos in their own exercise room, 70
percent said yes.

Figure 1. Inmate responses to nature videos.
Fig. 11210

outcomes and results
Prison inmates
The studies found that inmates who viewed nature
videos committed fewer violent infractions thanthose who did not view the films. Statistical analysis
revealed that if both sides of the IMU were at full
capacity for the periods before and during the nature
video intervention, unitE-A (no videos) would have
had 45 DRs prior to the intervention and 52 DRs
during the activities (an increase of seven). However,the E-B (videos available) would have had 57 DRs
in the pre-period and 51 DRs in the post-period (adecrease of six). This is equivalent to a 26 percent
lower rate of violent infractions in the unit whereinmates watched nature videos during the year. This
reduction in violent interactions between inmates,
or inmates and staff, represents a substantial impact,
as DRs often result injuries requiring hospitalization,
reduced trust and extended time in the fl\lfU.
Surveys of the E-B unit revealed that inmates
perceived the nature videos as having an overall
positive effect. Most surveys reported that theinmates felt calmer and more sustained; when they
did get angry, they could remember their feelingof calm; and they had more positive relationships
with the prison staff (see Figure I). They also gavea high value to the intervention and its effects
on themselves, other inmates and their families.

Mor~calm

FeE'~ bE-tte~ ·When a ngry·

susl.'lined

tememb•Posi1i·.:e staitf~l<ttion

On the surveys, the inmates indicated a preference
for videos that featured a mix of nature places,
including beaches, mountains, oceans and forests.
They preferred water, rainforests, places one might gohiking, scenes of animals, places to daydream about
and "nothing in particular- something other thanfour walls." Analysis of video selections (199 viewings
over the year) showed that t he most frequently
viewed video featured a diversity of landscapesfrom different countries, cinematography, upliftingmusic, a mix of animal life, no human presence andscenes with blue skies, abundant light and wid~penscenery. The majority of individuals preferred naturesounds over music or silence.

The surveyed staff members all agreed that theinmates became cafmer, with a majority statingthat these effects lasted for hours after they saw
the videos. Many viewed their workload as easiercompared to before t he intervention; nearly 70
percent agreed that the intervention affected theirrelationships with inmates in a positive way; andthe majority described their workload as easier orthe same as before the intervention and reported
that it had a high-to-medium value for the officers,
behavioral health staff, upper-level administrationand the inmates.
In interviews with prison staff members, mostmentioned that they and their peers started out
skeptical about offering nature imagery to inmates.
However, after several months, they recognized
it as a potentially effective tool. By watching forprecursor behaviors such as pacing or rocking, staff
could offer an E-B inmate time in the nature imagery
room to de-escalate behavior and avoid possible
disciplinary action. One staff member stated, "The
response was amazing because sometimes all it
took was 15-20 minutes in the nature imagery area
to calm them down and get them back on task ... ."Staff members observed less violent behavior,
fewer incidents of forced extractions, fewer
angry outbursts by inmates and Jess self-inflictedinjury by inmates. Most comments from staff
interviews and surveys indicated pride in taking
part in something forward-thinking and potentiallyeffective (e.g., "It makes me proud to be recognized
for something positive.") But other comments
reflected skepticism, such as the suggestion thatthe intervention coddles the inmates (e.g., "mintson the pillows and tucking them in at night").
Thus, staff and inmates, on average, perceived
this intervention as successful at reducing negativeemotions, such as irritability and agitation, andproviding a calming effect that lasted beyond
the viewing period. Nature videos had a positive
impact on inmate relationships with staff andenhanced emotional self-regulation. Correctional
officers and professional staff associated with theIMU population viewed the intervention as a costeffective tool that could improve their own safety
and also improve inmate-staff communication, as
long as staff members are able to recognize theprecursors of violent behavior and prevent such
behavior by offering access to nature videos.
Furthermore, this intervention could become awidely accepted, useful tool in restrictive housing
exercise rooms and the general prison population.

In Interviews withprison staH members,
most mentioned thatthey and their peers
started out skeptical
about offering nature
Imagery to Inmates.
However, after
several months, theyrecognized It as apotentially effectivetool.
What this means
Finding a way to house people who haverepeatedly carried out violent crimes outside andwithin prison requires multiple approaches and has
no simple fix. The negative consequences of isolating
inmates from social interactions and nature are
increasingly apparent.• As suggested by this study,
providing short-term nature imagery exposure forviolent offenders who have been sequestered lor
weeks, months or years without access to nature
could be one practical and low-<:ost method of
reducing the stress and violence in that inmate
population.
However, this study is not without limitations.
First, because the inmates lacked any social
stimulation, the presence of outside researchers
could have influenced them to provide biased
information. Second, no information was researchedregarding whether viewing other films (i.e., nonnature films) has similar effects. Nevertheless, manystudies have shown that nature imagery is more
effective at reducing stress than urban imagery,daytime television or abstract art in a variety ofvenues."' Further research should test other types ofvisual imagery among prison populations as well as
identify which specific elements within the preferrednature videos are most responsible for the inmates'
behavioral changes. Other studies should identify
what "dosage" is best suited to improve behavior,
which inmates and security levels are most receptive
to such intervention, and how to achieve the best
measure outcomes.

Staff from state prisons in Nebraska, Washington,Wisconsin, Alaska, Oregon and Utah have instituted,
or made plans to implement, this intervention invarious security levels of their facilities. T hese
findings from a prison setting, along with studies on
the effects of nature on human well-being, suggestthat this approach could be applied in other venues
that have a deficit of nature - such as mental healthfacilities, assisted living centers, windowless offices
and military barracks - making this intervention in
one prison setting a useful tool for other prisons andinstitutions in society.

ENDNOTES' Haney, C. (200:!). Mental health ls.<ues In long-term solitary and"Supennax" confinement. Crime and Delinquency, 49{1), 124-156.
2 Finn, I'. (2000). Addlv!s.ting con'<!t!i6nlll 6ffi~~r .1~.1.1: PlY>!JI'tlll!S andstrategies. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Ju.<tlce, Nationalln.~tltute of Justice.

~Pizarro, J., & Stenfu.<, V. M. K. (2004). Supermax prisons: Thelrrt.~e. current practices, and effect on Inmate.~. The Prison .Joumal,

8 Sctmacker, L (2015). Nature imagery in pri.<on project a1 the Oregan
Departmenr of CArrections. Salem, OR: Oregon Youth Authority

Research and Evaluation Unit

• Metcalf. H., Resnick, .1., &Qyattlebaurn, M. (eds.). (2015)./solation
and reintegration: Puni.<>hment circa 2014. New Haven, CT: The
Seventeenth Annual Llman Colloquium, Yale Law SchooL'"Laumann, K., Garling, T., & Stonnark, K. (2003). Selectiveattention and heart rate responses to natural and urban
envtronments . ./ouma/ of EnvironmenJal Psychology, 23, 125-1:14.

Nalini Nadkami is a profe.~sor of biology
allhe University of Utah and directs tlle
INSPIRE Program.
Laitce Sclmacker is a seniorresearc/1 analyst and daJa

scienlisl in researc/1 andet:alualion irt tlte Dire<·for's Office at tile
Oregon Youlll Autl!orily.
Palricia Ha:~bacl! is anecopsyclwlogisl in E.'ugerw, Oregorl

84(2), 248-264.
' Webb, L. R. (2001) . Addressing severe behavior problems in a"super-max" prison setting. Social ~ychology, 54, 1063-1070.
s Ulrich, R. (1984). VIew through a window may influence recovery
Irom surgery. Science, 224, 420-422.

'tiemey 'tflys is a marine
biologist ar>d works inscience media and edllcaJion
willllfle California Academyof Science and llle National
Geographic Sociely.

• Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, .1. P., &Dally, G. C. (2012). The Impact.<of nature experience on human cognitive functJon and mental

health. Annal.< ofthe New Yom Academy of Sciences, 1249, 118-136.
7 Francis, M. &Hester, R. T. (1992).71te meaning ofgardens: Idea,place, and action. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Emily Gaines Crocketl is a science educator
at the University of Utall'.~ Center for Scienceand Malllematics Educalion.