The Prison Experience

Chapter 7

Prison Society

Norms and Values: Inmates have their own myths, slang, customs, rewards, and sanctions

The inmate code Don’t interfere with inmate interests

Don’t quarrel with fellow inmates

Maintain yourself

Don’t exploit inmates

Don’t trust the guards or the things they stand for

Prison Society

Norms and Values Fish-learning the ropes of prison Prisonization—degradation process Contemporary inmate society

Race Ethnicity Age

Prison Society

Prison Subculture: Deprivation or Importation? Pains of imprisonment

Deprivation of liberty, autonomy, security, goods and services, and heterosexual relationships

Three subcultures Convict, thief, “straight”

Discussion Question

Discuss with students the main tenets of the inmate code. Ask the students to pretend that they are new inmates off to prison for a 10 year sentence. Have them discuss what they believe would be the most difficult deprivations for a new inmate. How do they believe they would adapt to prison life?

Prison Society

Adaptation Adaptive Roles

Doing time-brief stay, break in criminal career Gleaning-take advantage of prison programs Jailing-cut off from outside and develop life within

the prison Disorganized criminal-cannot develop any of the

other three roles

Prison Society

The Prison Economy Commissary ▪ Toiletries ▪ Tobacco▪ Snacks

Underground economy ▪ Food▪ Homemade wine▪ Drugs ▪ Sex

Women in Prison

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Males versus Females

Offense: 36% violent offenses, 28.8% property offenses, 26.3% drug related, 8% public order crimes

Sentence: shorter than male sentences Drug use: drug use higher in females within a

month of criminal activity Correctional history: 65% had prior criminal

history

Women in Prison

The Subculture of Women’s Prisons Pseudofamilies

Homosexual roles

Less stable and less familial than in the past

Women in Prison

Male versus Female Subcultures Women less violent than men Women’s prisons less violent than men’s Women more responsive to prison programs than men Women’s security levels mixed, men’s not Women less likely to segregate by race than men Women form intimate relationships with staff

Issues in the Incarcerationof Women

Sexual misconduct by male correctional officers is an issue Any behavior that is sexual in nature directed toward

an inmate by an employee, official visitor, or agency representative

Includes Touching Threats Exposure

Issues in the Incarcerationof Women

Sexual Misconduct Jeopardizes facility security Creates stress and trauma for those involved Exposes agency and staff to potential lawsuits Creates a hostile work environment Victimizes the vulnerable

Discussion Question

Split the class in half. Students should debate the pros and cons of opposite gender supervision. More specifically, do the students believe that male officers should be allowed to supervise female inmates? Should female officers be allowed to supervise male inmates?

Issues in the Incarcerationof Women

Mothers and Their Children Over 60 percent of female inmates in state prisons are

mothers of minor children Estimated 131,000 minor children of incarcerated mothers

daily 61% Lived with children prior to incarceration Single parents Prison nursery programs Kids cared for by family, 10.9% by foster care programs

Prison Programs

Prison programs help inmates cope with prison life and provide opportunities to improve their lives

Classification of Prisoners-inmates needs Treatment based on assessment of needs Risk assessment Treatment assessment Predictive models Equity based models

Prison Programs

Educational and Vocational Programs Educational programs

Reading, English, math

GED

Practical problems Lack of basic skills

Attitudes not conducive to learning

Prison Programs

Educational and Vocational Programs Vocational programs

Job skills Problems

Less-desirable jobs Obsolete or outdated equipment Outdated skills Women’s programs “stereotypical” jobs Lack of attitudes and habits necessary to keep a job Barred by felony convictions

Prison Programs

Prison Industries Piece price system

Public account system

State-use system

Public works and ways system

Prison Programs

Rehabilitative Programs- reform offenders behavior Psychotherapy Psychotropic medications Reality therapy Confrontation therapy Transactional analysis Cognitive skill building

Prison Programs

Medical Services— Estelle v. Gamble Inmates have right to medical

treatment while incarcerated Hepatitis C HIV Poverty Aging

Prison Programs

Medical Services Women inmates

More serious medical problems Arthritis, asthma, cancer, heart problems, liver

problems, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted disease

Pregnancy High risk

Discussion Questions

Discuss with students the idea of medical treatment for prisoners. Should prisoners receive free medical treatment for diseases such as HIV and Aids while non-criminal citizens cannot afford the same drugs? What unforeseen circumstances could arise from such policies?