Now considering the outcome, it's probable that our belief system needs adjustment. It is simple. The simple ABC method gives participants true steps to change. The ABC system is simple with effective possibilities. A stands for an activating event, something that has sufficient intensity to provoke an emotional or behavioral response.
Prison has more activating events than an hour has minutes.
The evaluations we come up with and the instructions we give ourselves strongly influence how we feel and what we do. Rational beliefs are critical in prison because being influenced by negativity is self-defeating, especially to one who is trying to change one's life. If one feels disrespected by another prisoner, has an urge to assault him and believes he must give in to that urge, then assaults him and goes to lock-up, he has behavioral consequences. When one thinks he can't stand anothers' view of not standing up to disrespect and honorable tension of walking away, and feels a sense of necessity to fight, he has an emotional consequence. But the prison environment is plagued with dysfunctional belief systems perpetuated by our talk-show culture and the negativity that surrounds prisoners, not to mention addictive compulsive personalities.