THE PROBLEM OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND MARGINALISATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN POLAND
THE CASE OF REFORMATORIES’ EX INMATES.
Piotr Chomczynski, PhD
Department of Sociology of Organization and Management
Institute of Sociology
University of Lodz
Reformatory as a total institution
A total institution may be defined as a place of residence and work
where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the
wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an
enclosed, formally administrated round of life
(Goffman: 1961: 17).
Categories of reformatories in Poland
In Poland there are four types of reformatories:
•Open reformatories
•Half-open reformatories
•Closed reformatories
•Reformatories under increased supervision
Inmates
Both female and male reformatories are for juveniles:
• who committed some serious crime (robbery, theft, beating up,
murder)
• at the age of 13 – 21;
• whose sentences are legally valid;
The problem of social exclusion of the former
inmates
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Reproduction of poverty and social maladjustment in families
The problem of Identity of Polish Reformatories
Practices of autostigmatization
Social „labelization” (F. Tannenbaum and E. Lemert theory)
Lack of post reformatory care
Reproduction of poverty and social maladjustment
in families
In almost all cases the inmates’ families were disfunctional (alcohol,
memebers served time in prison, lack of mother or father, etc).
Reformatories’ identity
•The Polish reformatories are considered to be one of the best in
Europe (very well assessed by visitors from France, Germany, Spain
etc.)
•Polish reformatories are generally more focused on resocialization
than in isolation
•Polish reformatories experience huge problems with different
expectations: to punish and to educate what is impossible to do
If to isolate…
• There is no need for spending money on expensive courses and
other activities for inmates (now it is average monthly cost
between 13-17 thousands PLN per on inmate)
• There is a need for some investments in infrastructure (barbed
wire, separated cells)
• Necessity of changing the law and reformatories’ internal
regulations
If to educate…
• Huge investments on programs (for example the program “Becoming a dad”)
and courses (driving license, language certificates etc.) for inmates
• Necessity for hiring people of many specializations (teachers, profession
instructors, practicians)
• Necessity for investments on infrastructure (building workshops, materials)
that allows inmates’ gaining professional experience according to market
demand)
• There is a need to train the staff and update their knowledge used to educate
inmates
• There is the necessity to spend money on policy focuses on helping inmates’
when the will leave reformatories (help with looking for a job, apartment,
solve some problems with documents etc.)
What conditions affect reformatories’ identity?
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Public opinion expectations
Ruling party and opposition politics
Tendencies occurring in European Union policy
Results of control (Supreme Audit Office)
Human Rights Defender, Children Rights Defender
The practices of autostigmatization
The practices of autostigmatization
•Some inmates attract public attention by the ways how they:
•Talk
•Walk
•Gesticulate
•Look like
The theory of deviance and social dramatization of evil
Frank Tannenbaum introduced the concept of the "dramatization of
evil." Tannenbaum’s view was that an act defined as evil is actually
transformed into a definition of the actor as evil. He states that the
process can be divided into three stages:
1)
2)
3)
In the first stage, the individual engages in activities which were first created through
a maladjustment to society
It is in the second stage, however, that "there is a gradual shift from the definition of
the individual as evil, so that all his acts come to be looked upon with suspicion."
(Tannenbaum, 1938:17).
In the third stage of the process of the dramatization of evil, from the point of view of
the individual, a change in his self-concept has taken place. The one who is singled
out and labeled now recognizes that the definition of him as an individual is
different from the other children in his community. This plays a greater role in
making the criminal than perhaps any other experience.
Frank Tannenbaum
The individual lives in his own world and associates with those like
him due to these changes. Therefore, once labeling occurs, the
juvenile begins to engage in the same behavior which has been
complained of.
Edwin Lemert
In 1951 Edwin published Social Pathology, where he showed that
deviance was a product of the interaction between individuals and
the reactions of society to them. He preferred to think of his
perspective as that of societal reaction, not labeling. He made
distinction between primary and secondary deviance.
According to Lemert, primary deviance occurs when an actor
engages in norm-violating behavior without the individual viewing
himself or herself as engaging in a deviant role. The deviations
"...are rationalized or otherwise dealt with as functions of a socially
acceptable role." (1951:75)
Edwin Lemert
Secondary deviation, according to Lemert, occurs...
When a person begins to employ his deviant behavior or a role
based upon it as a means of defense, attack, or adjustment to the
overt and covert problems created by the consequent societal
reaction to him, his deviation is secondary. Objective evidences of
this change will be found in the symbolic appurtenances of the new
role, in clothes, speech, posture, and mannerisms, which in some
cases heighten social visibility, and which in some cases serve as
symbolic cues to professionalization.
(1951: 76)
Edwin Lemert
At this point, the self-concept of the individual changes so that the
self becomes consistent with the deviant role. The effect of this
change in self-concept is that the deviant self-conceptions are
reinforced by the negative labels, which, in turn, result from the
continued engagement in deviant behavior.
Edwin Lemert
The term societal reaction refers to the process by which societies
respond to deviant behavior either informally or formally through
official agents of social control (i.e. police, courts, corrections, etc.)
(Lemert, 1974) Societal reactions may not cause the primary
deviation, but once the deviant is so labeled, the very behavior
which is complained of is continued through a self-fulfilling
prophecy.
Edwin Lemert
Lemert argues that a single instance of deviance will more than
likely not bring about a severe enough societal reaction for
secondary deviation to occur. According to Lemert, there are eight
stages in the process leading to secondary deviation. They are as
follows:
(1) primary deviation;
(2) social penalties;
(3) further primary deviation;
4) stronger penalties and rejections;
(5) further deviation, perhaps with hostilities and resentment beginning to focus upon those
doing the penalizing;
(6) crisis reached in the tolerance quotient, expressed in formal action by the community
stigmatizing of the deviant;
Edwin Lemert
(7) strengthening of the deviant conduct as a reaction to the
stigmatizing and penalties; and
(8) ultimate acceptance of the deviant social status and efforts at
adjustment on the basis of the associated role. (1951:76)
According to Lemert, the presence of a corroboration of a deviant
self-conception and social reinforcement at every stage of the
process of becoming a secondary deviant is necessary.
Lack of post reformatory care
• In Poland there are no official institutions delivering help and
support to juvenile delinquents who are leaving reformatories.
• Juvenile delinquents in most cases come back to their former,
highly criminalized social environment
• In Germany there are specal places where ex inmates can work
and earn money for start
Post correctional institution in Germany