AJ 50 – Introduction to
Administration of Justice
Chapter 12 Prison Life
Research on Prisons

Prisons have been the focus of sociological
research and media attention for decades

Total Institutions
–
–
–
Enclosed facilities
Physically & socially separated from society
Inhabitants share all aspects of daily lives
Prison Subculture

Values and patterns of behavior that
characterize prison inmates
–

Very consistent across the country
Prisonization
–
Process by which new inmates accept prison
lifestyle and criminal values
The Prison Code

Common rules identified by prison
researchers in 1960
–
–
–
–
–
Don’t interfere/never rat
Do your own time
Be right
Be a man/don’t whine
Don’t trust the guards/staff
Prison Lifestyle & Inmate Types

Violent
–


–


Jailhouse lawyer
Coping mechanism
Gangbanger
–

Comfort zone inside
Religious
–

“Political” prisoner
Colonizer
–
Psychological retreat
Legalist
–

Take full advantage
Retreatist
Radical
–
Living for the present
Opportunist
–

Survival of the toughest
Hedonist
–

Defense, protection
Realist
–
Doing their time
Sexual Victimization

Welcome committee for new arrivals
–

Fight, pay, or serve
General conclusions of research…
–
–
–
–
Most sexual aggressors do not consider themselves as
homosexuals
Sexual release is not primary motivation
Aggressors may continue to participate in gang rapes
to avoid victimization
Aggressors may have suffered damage to masculinity
in the past
Female Inmates


112,000 female prison inmates in 2007
Most are in for non-violent crimes
–

Many share a background of victimization
–

Drugs and property crimes most common
Physical, sexual abuse
80% have substance-abuse problems
Female-Inmate Considerations

US Prisons are traditionally male-dominated
–

Inmates, structure, staffing
Responding to gender needs…
–
–
–
–
Separate structure for female inmates
Target females’ pathways to criminality and
effective intervention programs
Recognize low-risk of typical female offender
Consider females’ role in family and community
during sentencing
Corrections Staff

Approximately 748,000 corrections
employees in US
–
–
–


62% state
33% local
5% federal
Socialization process similar to that for
inmates
Professionalism
–
–
Education & Training standards on the rise
Code of Ethics
Riots


Turbulent period during 1970’s
What Causes Riots?
–
–
–
–

Administration’s ignoring prisoner demands
Inmates’ violent nature
Poor living conditions inside prison
Power struggles between inmate groups
Security Threat Group = Group, gang, or
organization of inmates who
–
–
–
Pose a threat to staff safety
Prey on other inmates
Threaten orderly operation of facility
Riot Control


Most riots are spontaneous,
unplanned
Five typical phases
–
–
–
–
–
Explosion
Organization into inmate-led groups
Confrontation with authority
Termination through negotiation or
confrontation
Reaction, investigation, and explanation
Prisoners’ Rights

Hands-Off Doctrine
–

Pell v Procunier (1974)
–

Until the 1960’s, US courts tended to stay
uninvolved in prison management
Inmates retain 1st Amendment rights that are not
inconsistent with status as prisoner
Balancing Test
–
Weighs individual rights against restricting
authority
Prisoners’ Rights (continued)






Communications and Visitation
Religious Freedom
Access to Courts/Legal Assistance
Medical Care
Protection from Harm
Institutional Punishment & Discipline
Prisoners With Special Needs

AIDS
–

Geriatrics
–

76,500 state & federal inmates over age 55
Mental Illness
–

20,450 state & federal inmates infected
283,800 mentally-ill inmates in prisons and jails
Terrorism
–
Active recruiting among certain populations