Prison and the Underworld: The Daily Nekyia of the Prison Psychologist

Abstract

The underworld is traditionally the place where souls go upon death, but it can also be thought of as a kind of otherworld or altered reality. In this way, it can be compared to correctional institutions, which are also realities separate from that of most people. If prison is a type of underworld, then the people who work there, in this project, correctional psychologists, are making repeated trips to the underworld and back in the course of their workweeks. This project explores how some myths about people who make that nekyia (journey to the underworld and back) compares with the daily nekyia of the correctional psychologist. Some lessons can be taken from these nekyia myths that can make the work of a correctional psychologist less bureaucratic and more meaningful and rich.