Chapter 13
Prison Life
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1
Total Institutions
Erving Goffman coined the term
(1961). The place where people work,
play, eat, sleep, and recreate
together on a daily basis.
Examples of total institutions:
• prisons
• concentration camps
• summer camps
• mental hospitals
• seminaries
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Prison Subcultures
Two social structures exist in prison:
formal/official - consists of rules
and procedures established by
the local, state, or federal
authorities
informal/unofficial - also called
prison subculture
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Prison Subcultures
Informal Structure
• values and behavioral patterns
specifically characteristic
of prison inmates
• develops independently of plans of prison
administrators
• often more powerful than formal/official
structure
• includes values, roles, and even a special
language
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Prison Subcultures
Sykes and Messinger:
“The Inmate Social System” (1960)
Five elements of the prison code:
• don’t interfere with interests of other inmates
– don’t rat on others
• play it cool and do your own time
• don’t whine – be a man
• don’t exploit inmates – don’t break your word
• don’t be a sucker – don’t trust guards or staff
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Prison Subcultures
Argot
ace duce - best friend
banger - a knife
billy - white man
boneyard - conjugal visit
chester - child molester
dog - homeboy or friend
ink - tattoos
man walking - signal guard coming
tree jumper - rapist
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Prison Subcultures
Women’s prison slang is often related to the
identities/behaviors of the women who form, and
participate in, “family” relationships while in
prison.
• cherry – A female inmate who has not been
initiated into lesbian activities.
• femme (or mommy) – A female inmate who plays
the female role during lesbian relationships.
• fay broad – The term describing a white female
inmate.
• stud broad (or daddy) – A female inmate who
assumes role of male during lesbian
relationships.
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Prison Subcultures
Two models of prison society:
• deprivation model – Prison
subculture is an adaptation to the
situation.
• importation model – An inmate
brings with him to prison specific
values, roles, and behaviors from
the outside world.
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Homosexuality in Prison
Sexual assaults in prison
are likely to leave
psychological scars long
after the physical
event is over.
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Homosexuality in Prison
• wolf - aggressive men who assume
the masculine role in homosexual
relations
• punks - forced into submitting to
the female role, often by wolves
• fags - natural proclivity toward
homosexual activity and
effeminate mannerism
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Prison Subcultures
• mean dude
• hedonist
• opportunist
• retreatist
• legalist
• radical
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• colonist
• religious
• realist
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Prison Subcultures
Mean Dude
• quick to fight
• leave these individuals alone
• receives frequent write-ups for violations
• spends much time in solitary confinement
Prison subculture supports role of mean dude
in two ways:
• by expecting prisoners to be tough
• by type of wisdom that says “only the strong
survive”
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Prison Subcultures
hedonist - builds life around
limited pleasures in prison
(smuggling, gambling, drug
running, homosexuality, etc.)
opportunist - takes advantage of
positive experiences prison has
to offer, such as schooling, trade
programs, counseling, etc.
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Prison Subcultures
retreatist - attempt some form of
psychological retreat from realities of
prison, often becoming heavily
involved in drug and alcohol use
leading to depression and mental
illness
legalist - a “jail house” lawyer – fights
confinement through the law
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Prison Subcultures
radical - individuals who view
themselves as political prisoners
society = the oppressor
realist - sees incarceration as
natural consequence of criminal
activity - just an unfortunate part
of “doing criminal business” follows inmate code and does not
get in trouble
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Prison Subcultures
colonist - views prison as their “home”
• have many friends inside
• often hold positions of power and/or
respect
• does not look forward to leaving
prison
• have been known to commit new
crimes so they return to prison
religious - have strong religious ties
and may be “born again”
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Prison Life
The Staff World
• Staff is mostly
concerned with
custody and control.
• Officers undergo
socialization process
that helps them
function by official
and unofficial rules of
prison.
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Prison Life
The Staff World
Types of correctional
officers:
• dictator
• friend
• merchant
• turnkey
• climber
• reformer
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Prison Staff
Dictator
• A dictator uses prison rules to enforce
their own brand of discipline.
• Some use false bravado to hide their
fear of prisoners.
• They may have sadistic personalities.
• This type of correctional officer is the
one most likely to be targeted for
vengeance.
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Prison Staff
Friend
• This type tries to
fraternize with the
prisoners by trying to
be “one of the guys.”
• Usually, these are the
young and
inexperienced officers.
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Prison Staff
Merchant
• participates in the prison
economy
• supplies drugs,
pornography, alcohol,
and sometimes even
weapons to prisoners
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Prison Staff
Turnkey
• cares little about what goes on in the
prison
• may be close to retirement or may have
become alienated from job
“turnkey” - comes from prison language Someone who is just there to open and
shut doors and cares nothing more than
just getting through the day.
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Prison Staff
Climber
• typically a young officer who is
interested in advancement
• more interested in their own
careers than the problems of
prisoners
• pursues additional schooling and
training programs
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Prison Staff
Reformer
• A reformer tends to lend a
sympathetic ear to the personal
needs of prisoners.
• They are motivated by personal
ideals.
• Some of these officers are very
religious.
• Prisoners perceive these officers
to be naïve, but harmless.
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Prison Riots
1971 - Attica Prison, NY
1987 - Atlanta Federal
Penitentiary, Atlanta, GA
1989 - State Correctional
Institution, Camp Hill, PA
1993 - Southern Correctional
Facility, Lucasville, OH
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Prison Riots
Causes
A.insensitive prison administration and
neglected inmate demands
B.carry-over of violent lifestyle of
prisoners
C.dehumanizing prison conditions
1.overcrowding
2.lack of individual expression
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Prison Riots
Causes
Power vacuums created:
1.changes in administration of
prison creates power vacuum
2.transfer of influential prisoners
to other prisons
3.court ordered injunctions that
change daily routine
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Stages of Prison Riots
Five Phases of a Prison Riot:
1) explosion (tends to involve binges
– alcohol and drugs) – buildings
burned, hostages taken, old
grudges settled
2) organization (into inmate led
groups)
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Stages of Prison Riots
3) confrontation (with authorities)
4) termination (through negotiation
or physical confrontation)
5) reaction and explanation (usually
by investigative commission)
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Prison Life
Women in Prison
• Increase in women in prison is
due primarily to drug offenses.
• Approximately 6.6% of all
prisoners nationwide are
women.
• California has the largest
number of women in
prison, exceeding the federal
government.
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Prison Inmates by Gender and Ethnicity
in State and Federal Prisons, 2000
Source: Allen J. Beck and Paige M. Harrison, Prisoners in 2000 (Washington, D.C.:
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001).
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Prison Life
Profile of Women’s Prisons: American
Correctional Association Report - 1990
• Most women’s prisons are located
in small towns of 25,000 or less.
• Most women’s prisons have few
major disturbances or escapes.
• The number of women being sent
to prison is on the increase.
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Prison Life
• Most women prisoners have less
than a high school education.
• Most of the women’s prisons do
not have programs specifically
designed for women.
• Substance use among women
inmates is very high.
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Prison Life
“National Survey of Programs for
Incarcerated Women”
Mary Clements (1991)
• Their average age is 29-30.
• 57 % are African American or Hispanic.
• Most come from single parent homes or
broken homes.
• 50% have other family members in prison.
• 50% are high school dropouts.
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Prison Life
• 34% left school because they were
pregnant.
• 55% have been arrested on the average
of 2-9 times.
• 65% have run away between 1-3 times.
• 39% report drug use makes them feel
better emotionally.
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Prison Life
• 28% have attempted suicide at least
once.
• 62% are single parents with 1-3
children.
• 25% have either recently given birth
or are pregnant.
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Prison Life
Making it in Prison, Esther Heffernan (1972)
Square
1.has few early experiences with criminal
life
2.tends to sympathize with values and
attitudes of conventional society
3.represents a small number of prisoners
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Prison Life
Women
Cool
1. more likely to be career offenders
2. tend to keep to themselves
3. generally supportive of prison values
Lifer
1.familiar with life of crime
2.have repeat arrests for prostitution, drug
use, and theft
3.full participants in economic, social, and
family arrangements of prison
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Prisoner Rights:
Legal Basis of Prisoners’ Rights
Pell v. Procunier (1974)
U.S. Supreme Court established
“balancing test”
balancing test - attempts to weigh
rights of individual against the authority
of the states to make laws or otherwise
restrict a person’s freedom in order to
protect its interests and its citizens
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Prisoner Rights
Religious Freedom
Cruz v. Beto (1972)
• This case established that prisoners must
be given a “reasonable opportunity” to
pursue their faith, even if it differs from
traditional forms of worship.
• Meeting facilities must be provided for
religious purposes when those same
facilities are made available to other
groups of prisoners for other purposes.
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Prisoner Rights
Smith v. Coughlin (1984)
Court held that prisoners in
segregation do not have to
be permitted the
opportunity to attend
religious services.
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Prisoner Rights
Dettmer v. Landon (1985)
Federal court held that a
prisoner who claimed to
practice witchcraft must
be provided with the
artifacts necessary
for his worship.
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Prisoner Rights
Hill v. Blackwell (1985)
Prison regulations prohibiting
the wearing of beards, even
those grown for
religious purposes,
were held acceptable
for security
considerations.
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Prisoner Rights
Prisoners also have the right to:
1.attend services of other religious
groups
2.receive visits from ministers
3.correspond with religious leaders
4.observe religious dietary laws
5.wear religious insignia
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Prisoner Rights
Freedom of Speech – contact with the media
Pell v. Procunier (1974)
Supreme Court held that media
interviews could be conducted
through regular visitation
arrangements or through
correspondence, but denied
prisoners opportunity to hold
special meetings with members
of the press.
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Prisoner Rights
Houchins v. KQED, Inc. (1978)
News personnel cannot be denied
correspondence with prisoners,
but they have no constitutional
right to interview prisoners or to
inspect correctional facilities
beyond the visitation
opportunities available to others.
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Prisoner Rights
Mallery v. Lewis (1983)
Magazines which depict
deviant sexual behavior can be
banned, however, prisons
cannot ban nude pictures of
inmates’ wives and girlfriends.
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Prisoner Rights
Freedom of Speech – right to
communicate with non-prisoners
Procunier v. Martinez (1974)
Prisoner’s mail may be
censored if it is necessary
to do so for security
purposes.
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Prisoner Rights
Freedom of Speech – right to
communicate with non-prisoners
McNamara v. Moody (1979)
Court upheld right of prisoner to
write vulgar letters to his
girlfriend, in which he made
disparaging remarks about prison
staff.
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Prisoner Rights
Legal Assistance
– right to access the courts
Bounds v. Smith (1977)
Right of prisoners to petition the
court was recognized. It is the duty of
the state to assist prisoners
in preparation and filing of
legal papers.
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Prisoner Rights
Legal Assistance
– right to access the courts
Lewis v. Casey (1996)
• Court overturned part of Bounds v. Smith
(1977).
• Prisoners are not guaranteed the
“wherewithal to file any and every type of
legal claim.”
• States are required to provide tools to
prisoners so they can attack their
sentences and conditions of confinement.
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Prisoner Rights
Legal Assistance
Prisoners also have the right to:
• visits from attorneys
• mail communications with attorneys
• communicate with legal
assistance organizations
• consult with “jail-house
lawyers”
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Prisoner Rights
Medical Treatment
– sanitary and healthy conditions
Ruiz v. Estelle (1982)
• Court found Dept. of Corrections
lacking in its medical
treatment programs.
• Court monitored Dept. of
Corrections while it improved:
a) record keeping
b) physical facilities
c) general medical care
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Prisoner Rights
Medical Treatment
– sanitary and healthy conditions
Newman v. Alabama (1972)
• prison medical services
inadequate
• not enough medical personnel
• poor physical facilities
• poor medical records
• lack of medical supplies
• medically untrained personnel
who determined need for
treatment
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Prisoner Rights
Medical Treatment – right to
medical attention for serious problems
Estelle v. Gamble (1976)
• Court concerned itself with “deliberate
indifference” on part of staff toward
prisoner’s need for serious medical
attention.
• Court specified prison officials’ duty to
provide for inmates’ medical care.
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Prisoner Rights
Right to Protection
Prisoners have the right to:
• food, water, and shelter
A.protection from foreseeable
attack
B.protection from predictable
sexual attack
C.protection against suicide
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Prisoner Rights
Right to Privacy
Most of the major Supreme Court cases have
held that prisoners cannot have a reasonable
expectation to privacy when incarcerated.
Examples:
•
•
•
•
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Katz v. U.S. (1967)
U.S. v. Ready (1978)
Hudson v. Palmer (1984)
Block v. Rutherford (1984)
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Prisoner Rights
Hudson v. Palmer (1984)
• Palmer was a prisoner, Hudson was a
correctional officer.
• Palmer claimed Hudson had destroyed some of
his property following a cell search.
• Palmer’s complaint centered on lack of due
process which accompanied the destruction.
• Court ruled that prison officials need to be able
to conduct thorough, unannounced searches,
and that these searches preclude prisoner
privacy in personal possessions.
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Prisoner Rights
• partial return to “hands off doctrine”
• established grievance procedure
• Prison Litigation Reform Act (1996)
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Prisons Today
Issues
• Aids
• geriatric offenders
• mentally ill inmates
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