The culture of punishment and the physical design of prisons can have a negative impact on grief work (Harner et al., 2011; Lee, 2017).

Limited space, overcrowding, restrictive movement (Mollard & Hudson, 2016), and inmate fears of receiving disciplinary sanctions for outwardly displaying emotions can impede grief work (Harner et al., 2011).

Prison conditions are not always suited to developing rapport, providing and helping inmates process and navigate feelings, memories, and thoughts associated with loss (Anderson et al., 2015; Winokuer & Harris, 2015).

When faced with a loss, many inmates choose to numb their feelings and bury their emotions to avoid appearing weak (Ferszt, Hayes, DeFedle, & Horn, 2004; Haines et al., 2011).