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FORGIVENESS THERAPY TO IMPROVE THE MEANINGFULNESS OF LIFE
INMATES IN PRISONS
Iyulen Pebry Zuanny
1
Subandi
2
1
Master student of Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
2
Lecturer of Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta iyulenpebryyahoo.com Iyulen Pebry Zuanny
Abstract
Inmates experiences various conditions and changes in facing their life. In addition to endure physical burden due to the obstacle in maitaning prior activities, many inmates have undergone psychological
burden. Feeling guilty, shameful, hostile, regretful, despair, and pessimistic, they have propensity for anxiety, depression, and even suicidal attempt as the consequence their despair on life. Forgiveness
therapy offers understanding and adaptive coping skill, thus, it is expected that inmates will be able to reconcile with themselves, other parties and stressful situation. It also reduces various negative
emotions in such a way to provide better view toward life. The study was quasi experiment research which involved one group with double pre-test and post-test consisting of 7 woman inmates who were
convicted from Law No. 372-375 of the Criminal Code related to embezzlement or Law 378 of the Criminal Code related to fraud, approximately 23-45 years old, minimum education level of junior
high school, and received a period of detention in prison for the first time. Data was analyzed using ANOVA Repeated measure. The result showed that forgiveness therapy was evidenced to be useful in
increasing the inmates’ positive view in perceiving meaning of life.
Keyword
: Forgiveness theraphy, meaningful of life, inmates.
Author’s Biography
Iyulen Pebry Zuanny was born in Takengon, Central Aceh on February 5, 1990. Iyulen graduated her bachelor degree from the Department of
Psychology, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh. She is currently doing her study in Master of Profession Psychology in Clinical
Division at the Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta.
1. Introduction
Penitentiary prison based on Law No. 12 of 1995 is a place to carry out training for correctional prisoners. Correctional prisoner CP is someone who is convicted and given a sentence by a court
decision to improve the lives of offenders and in retaliation for his actions Dwiatmodjo, 2013. Further developments based on Law No. 19 of 1995 stated that prisons were originally used as a place
to give punishment now also serves as a place to rehabilitate and give deterrent effect to CP Achmad,
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Soemadi Atmasasmita, 1979. However, in fact, the function of prisons is not working appropriately in terms of both facilities and mental health services. In addition, the number of criminal offenses in
Indonesia based on the report of Regional Police has increased every year Central Bureau of Statistics, 2014. The increasing criminal rate in Indonesia has affected the density of the prison.
Consequently, prisons function as a moral rehabilitation for prisoners CP is non-optimal. The number of CP in Indonesia has fluctuated over the last 10 years. Increased CP occurred in 2003, 2004,
2005 and 2006 which were 196.931, 220.886, 256.431 and 330.354 persons. In 2007, this data has decreased to 326.752 persons. In 2008, this data has increased back the 344.942 persons. Furthermore,
in 2012 and 2013 has declined again as many as 108.807 and 135.826 Central Bureau of Statistics, 2014.
Based on data from Correctional Database System CDS, in September 2014, the number of CP had increased back up to 171.638 persons, while capacity was only for 109.011 persons, so there was an
over capacity up to 157. Consequently, CP must live in jostle for limited residential space Database System Corrections, 2014. The number of CP throughout Indonesia based on the report of the
International Centre for Prison Studies in 2015 were 167.163 persons. Indonesia also ranks ninth in the world largest number of prisoners International Centre for Prison, 2015.
Yogyakarta is one area having capacity that exceeds the number of CP. Based on studies conducted by the Center for Public Mental Health CPMH at several prisons in Yogyakarta, reported a variety of
problems that arise in prisons started from problems health functions such as contracting the disease and function facilities were not optimal either because space of prisons were inadequate or poor
services. Prison X is one prison whose function of facilities and services is non-optimal due to its old building Dutch heritage building and has been damaged by the earthquake in 2006 Hadjam, 2014.
The number of occupants of the prison reported from prisons X until the middle of 2015 has reached 388 persons. A detailed description is presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Data of Prisoners in Prison X No.
Group Number
Male Female
1. Prisoners
17 33
2. Correctional Prisoners
CP 281
57 Total
298 90
Source: Prison X Yogyakarta, May 28, 2015
Adult CP in Yogyakarta has a condition that is quite alarming. Besides having problems in terms of residential facilities, the study conducted by Hadjam in 2014, found out four aspects of psychological
problems in prisons such as cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral and social aspects that affect their ability to live a life in prison. The results of exploratory studies have shown the numerous and
diverse problems endured by CP in prisons. Emotional problems such as feeling bored, uncomfortable, and stressful are common problems among the CP Hadjam, 2014.
Results of research conducted on the CP, showed a variety of psychological problems that commonly experienced by CP during in prisons such as anxiety, sadness, embarrassment, fear, regret, enthusiasm
for life decline and depression Cooke, Baldwin, Howison, 1990, suicidal attempt Torrey et al, 2014. Psychological problems that affect the individuals inability to cope with the punishment being
served McMurran Christopher, 2009 and caused CP feel the meaningless of life. The inability of humans to achieve meaning in life will lead to negative psychological impact. Among these impacts
are difficult to feel joy, empty, meaningless, depressed even suicide Johnson Zlotnick, 2008; Burns, 2010; Scott Codd, 2010; Rivlin, Hawton, Marzano, Fazel, 2010,
This study involved female CP as the participant as it was presumed that women have complicated problems. Data obtained from the Prison X in 2014 showed that there were 88 female prisoners
suffered deplorable conditions in addition to undergo various physical illnesses and emotional disturbances such as stress and depression SragenPos.com, 2014.
Researcher selected female CP entangled cases of fraud and embezzlement. It was based on the report of Prison X in 2015 which listed up to 80 of cases related to article 378 fraud and 372
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embezzlement. Of the 65 female prisoners in prisons, 58 are prisoners with cases of fraud and embezzlement. Prison X Yogyakarta, October 8, 2015.
Results showed that the female CP were likely to experience psychological problems bigger than males such as shame and guilt Stuewig, Mashek, Hastings, 2011, depression, psychosis, anxiety,
psychiatric disorders and drug abuse-related measures to commit suicide Christopher McMurran 2009; Rivlin, et al, 2010. Women have a higher risk than men in the clinical symptoms of mental
disorders such as suicide and hallucinations. The comparison to male prisoners state prison: 73 female and 55 male; local jails: 75 of women and 63 men The Offender Health Research
Network, 2010; James and Glaze, 2006.
According to Rivlin et al 2010 and Blackburn and Owens 2015, prisoners who are depressed may be caused by their incapability in seizing and enjoying life meaningless while in prison. In reaching
the understanding of life meaning, psychological understanding and understanding the meaning to grow from the difficult conditions and how these individuals rose from suffering pressing are needed
Bastaman, 2007; Csikszentmihalyi Seligman, the Magyar-Moe, 2011; Frankl, 1986; Garrett, 2003. Meaningfulness of life is a cognitive system which affects emotions and built by individuals to
achieve life satisfaction and obtain a meaningful life Boyraz Lightsey, 2011; Wong, 2011. The system consists of the meaning of life including affective, motivational, cognitive, and personal
relationships aspects that must be achieved to reach the meaningfulness of life Wong, 2011.
Sliva 2014 found that CP who are able to cope in the face of reality in prison with finding a way to train themselves to enjoy life in prison and a positive assessment can find the meaning of life based on
suffering life they faces. Positive religious coping is tool that can make CP reduce negative symptoms such as depression that causes CP experiencing meaningless feeling Blackburn Owens, 2015. To
increase the meaningfulness of life, many therapies that may have important roles such as logotherapy, thankfulness therapy, remembrance therapy, forgiveness therapy, cognitive therapy,
rational emotive therapy, psychodynamic therapy, drawing therapy, Gestalt therapy, mindfulness therapy, narrative and Behavior Activation therapy Adams, Kash, Kleiman Riskind, 2013; Chan,
2013; Corey, 2005; Dryden Still, 2003; Farghadani, Navabinejad Shafiabady, 2010; Morgan, Kroner and Mills 2006; Neimeyer, 2001; Richardson Morley, 2015; Wong, 2010 ,
Based on the variation of this type of therapy, the researcher chose forgiveness therapy based on consideration of the subject who is having problems, emotions, thoughts and negative behavior such as
guilt and anger both in yourself, other people and situations so as to forgive and ultimately able to find the meaning of life. Forgiveness can be a coping method that allows one to distract themselves from
unpleasant life experiences and bring someone to grow, thrive and live a meaningful and quality Enright, 2002; Thompson et al., 2005.
Based on the searching on study using therapeutic forgiveness, the results indicated that the therapeutic forgiveness had benefits in improving psychological health such as happiness, self-esteem,
the meaningfulness of life, self-acceptance, empathy and social skills Banmen, 2010; Lawler Pifen, 2006; McCullough, Rachel Worthington, 1997; Seligman, 2002, reduce anxiety, depression and
anger Bishop et al, 2014; Field, Hall Zander, 2013; Recine, 2014. According to Bishop, et al 2014, forgiveness therapy was an effective treatment option to improve mental health as a result of
the failure of life experienced by female prisoners to achieve the goal of their life.
Forgiveness has a positive relationship with the meaningfulness of life and psychological happiness Chan, 2013; Karremans et al, 2003. Meaningfulness of life and forgiveness have a relationship with
emotional, motivational, cognitive and relations Chan, 2013; Wong, 2011. To achieve meaningfulness of life and forgiveness, those aspects must be fulfilled Chan, 2013; Karremans et al.,
2003. When people are faced with a threatening situation, then there is the cognitive process that affects emotions and behavior. Neouroscience process explains that the hippocampus and amygdala
memory that stores that deliver emotion on memory interact to scan the information received by the senses. Perceived threatening stimuli will stimulate the amygdala activates the signal to the various
structures of the brain stem that control various emotional responses. The amygdala would give the same response to future situations that are considered similar threatening so the body responds avoid
problems Pinel, 2012. Someone who is not able to overcome a threat and was not able to realize the
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processes that occur in his life would have difficulty in sensing a change in his life Hayes, Strosahi, Wilson, 2003. This causes the individual to experience a decrease in the meaningfulness of life.
Forgiveness is able to reduce the thoughts, feelings, and negative behaviors in self by changing the angle of view of the individual to be positive in responding cognitive, emotional and behavior towards
their mistakes in the past and similar problems occurring in the future because it does not linger stuck on thoughts, feelings, and negative behavior Thompson et al., 2005. Forgiveness conducted may
have a healing effect by reviewing the experience that feels painful Menahem Love, 2013. Forgiveness can affect the endocrine system works increased hormone norephinephrine and serotonin
resulting in increased feelings of well, happier, and increased immune system Nevid, Rathus, Greene, 2005, and feels more meaningful to live Allen et al, 2013; Bishop et al, 2014; Chan, 2013.
In the context of prisons, research into therapies forgiveness has been widely performed and selected based on empirical evidence of the program of forgiveness that can improve mood and reduce feelings
of isolation and marginalized of God, family and the environment during serving time in prison, reducing the negative reaction CP, foster empathy and cooperation in others, reduce the likelihood of
recidivism and improve health status Day Gerace, 2010; Day, Gerace, Wilson, Howells in Bishop, Randall, and Merten, 2014; Gassin Enright, Hargrave, in Webb Brewer, 2015; Xu, Kou
and Zhong, 2012; Zagorsky, Reiter, Chatterjee, Nowak, 2013.
Based on the needs of female CP who have the low meaningfulness of life, such as experiencing feelings and negative thoughts related to conditions in prisons and have not been able to forgive the
object of forgiveness either in yourself, others and the situation so difficult is able to take the wisdom and the importance of the journey, thus the researcher designed forgiveness intervention therapy refers
to the concept of forgiveness according to Enright 2002 with cognitive approach intervention that incorporates the principles of the theory of information processing and learning.
Focus of cognitive approach intervention in this study was located in the excavation dysfunctional negative emotions and thoughts and the forgiveness process by doing cognitive restructuring so that
CP could provide value or meaning in life. Beck in Burns, 1998 stated that the cognitive approach intervention was effective for emotional distress and negative thought patterns. In addition, this
approach may help subjects find personal meaning in themselves Weishaar in Corey, 2005. A study by Seligman 2002, Lawler and Pifen 2006 and Banmen 2010 stated that the cognitive approach
intervention worked to increase life satisfaction, meaningfulness and life happiness.
Cooper and Gilbert in Enright, 2001 describes four important stages in the process of achieving forgiveness: 1 the stage of realization, the individual can explore all the emotions felt and the impact
of painful events, 2 the stage of good intentions to cultivate a sense of regret, namely the desire to improve what has happened and committed to forgiveness, 3 the stage of refinement which is the
stage when the individual sees another individual more deeply with empathy and accept the pain of what has happened, 4 stage of change, for example when individuals find meaning from experience is
happening and be able to judge it as a learning experience and wisdom. Through four stages of forgiveness, it is expected that the individual can make an impact on the discovery of forgiveness
meaning of life. Techniques and methods are used for achieving the process of forgiveness so as to improve the meaningfulness of life consists of sharing, assignment, training reframing, technical
imagery, relaxation, psycho-education, self-monitoring, review, feedback, lectures and reflection Curwen, Palmer, Ruddel, 2002; Enright, 2001; Froggatt, 2009; Wilding Milne, 2009.
Based on data and study results found in prisons and was also supported by the statement of the head of the prison and those working in prisons, researcher would design the forgiveness therapy to
improve the meaningfulness of life prisoners in Prisons X. This study aimed to see whether forgiveness therapy could improve the meaningfulness of life of adult female CP in prisons.
2. Methods
