Transcript SJSUSoc158PrisonCommunityChapter04

Chapter 4
The Social World of the
Prisoner
Who Is In Prison?
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Overall Population
2 million in prisons and jails
 Rate of imprisonment may be slowing
down
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Race and Gender
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Go to
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(1 of 2)
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/gcorpop.htm
Rates for men
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Black men – 3,437/100,000
Hispanic men – 1,176/100,000
White men 450/100,000
Race and Gender
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Rates for women
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(2 of 2)
Black women – 191/100,000
Hispanic women – 80/100,000
White women 35/100,000
Rate of growth for women is higher but
still means smaller numbers
Persons in Prison by Type of
Crime
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49% are sentenced for violent crime
19% are sentenced for property crimes
20% are sentenced for drug crimes
Difference between statistic of total prison
population versus admitted population
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% of violent, property, and drug offenders
Decrease in % of total population of violent
offenders between 1985–1990
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Decrease in property offenders
Increase in drug offenders
Sentence Length and Time
Served
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Average sentence length decreased
Percentage of time served has
increased
Average prison sentence is 3 years
Age and Education
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Young and uneducated
41% have no high school diploma
The Prison as a Social Setting
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Total institution
Separate system v. congregate system
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Both created isolated world of prison
Isolated world creates unique prisoner subculture
Researching the Prisoner Subculture
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Participant observation (examples)
Survey
Other?
The Process of Imprisonment
(1 of 3)
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Degradation Ceremonies
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Stripping of outside identity
Everyone the same, no individuality
Getting “Cliqued On” and “Ho Checked”
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Tests by prisoners and guards
The Process of Imprisonment
(2 of 3)
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Inmate code
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Rules, language, roles, values
How does it develop?
Deprivations
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Liberty, goods and services, heterosexual
relationships, autonomy, security
The Process of Imprisonment
(3 of 3)
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Deprivation theory (Gresham Sykes)
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Importation theory (Irwin and Cressey)
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The subculture is created to meet the
prisoner’s needs
Roles, language, values imported from
street
Research supports both theories
Zimbardo experiment
Prisons From the 1940s to the
1960s (1 of 4)
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The Inmate Code
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Don’t rat, don’t interfere, etc.
Women’s code not same as men’s
Eroded since the 1940s
Prisoner Slang
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Argot: symbolic expression of solidarity
Snitch, fish, “dawg,” others?
Prisons From the 1940s to the
1960s (2 of 4)
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Prisoner Roles
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Argot roles: based on activities, values
Schrag: square john, con politician, right guy,
outlaw
Women’s roles? Giallombardo’s
Prisoner Values
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Group loyalty, violence, resistance, strength
Violence is a central theme
Snitches are another theme of prison life
Sanctions: different in men’s and women’s prisons
Prisons From the 1940s to the
1960s (3 of 4)
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Homosexuality and Rape
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Men’s prisons – wolves & punks
Women’s prisons – consensual (“butches”)
Pseudofamilies not found in men’s prisons
Measurement difficult to estimate true
extent of homosexuality
1–7% forced sex; 15–20% some form of
sexual victimization
Prison Rape Elimination Act 2003
Prisons From the 1940s to the
1960s (4 of 4)
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Adapting to Prison: Prisonization
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Goffman
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Situational withdrawal, intransigent line,
colonization, conversion
Pattern of prisonization
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Linear, U-shaped curve
Prisons From the 1960s to the
1980s
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Changing Free World
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Massive social change; recognition of “rights” of
Blacks, juveniles, women, etc.
Use of social activism to induce social change
Changing Prison World
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Civil rights extended to prison; Black activists were
incarcerated as were students
Use of group organized activity (including riots)
Use of litigation
Black awareness led to race-based gangs
Prisons From the 1980s to
Today (1 of 4)
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Major issue was prison population explosion
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Prisoner rights movement
Minorities came to represent majority
Changes to the Inmate Code and Subculture
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Greater emphasis of race
Greater need to isolate and stay out of yard
activity
Similar changes in women’s prison
Prisons From the 1980s to
Today (2 of 4)
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Prison Gangs
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Stems from ethnic identification of 1960s
Best known gangs in Illinois, California,
and Texas
Gangs – black market
Texas – came after dismantling of building
tenders in late 1980s
Women do not have obvious or prevalent
gang activity
Prisons From the 1980s to
Today (3 of 4)
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Racial Conflict in Prisons
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Perception is that racial violence is
pervasive
Trulson and Marquart found that racial
violence did not escalate with integration
Disproportionate violence perpetrated by
small number of inmates
Prisons From the 1980s to
Today (4 of 4)
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The Black Market in Prisons
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Contraband – anything against the rules
Anything is for sale including sex
Responses to the Violent Prison Today:
Containing Extraordinary Prisoners
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Super-max – marginally successful in
keeping gang communications to a
minimum
Change and Survival in the
Prisoner Subculture Today
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Avoiding “The Mix”: Niches and
Sanctuaries in the Prisoner
Subculture
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Niche – sanctuary, protected living
situation