Abstract
Occupational therapy was applied under adverse circumstances to a schizophrenic inmate suffering from hallucinations, delusions, and other symptoms of mental illness upon entering prison. Early stages of occupational therapy involved active listening to prison staff in order to build a relationship of trust, which resulted in opening a factory and developing a tailored OT regime involving both prison staff and prisoners. As the client's medical condition worsened, a mutual understanding between the prison staff and the OT was fostered on the importance drug treatment, and drug treatment could commence as a result. After that, the client was able to participate in the plant regularly with the OT intervention matched to his medical condition, and the client also received special improvement instructions. Furthermore, the client was able to continue to take medicine after being released from prison and visiting the hospital. This OT intervention focused on taking advantage of the special prison environment and collaborating with the prison staff, which previously had few opportunities to interact with occupational therapists.
