Institutional aggression (in the context of prisons)

Dispositional Explanation – Importation Model: What does the Institutional aggression results from?

the characteristics of the prisoners themselves

Dispositional Explanation – Importation Model: Why are prisoners aggressive?

• Irwin & Cressey (1962) argued that prisoners import their own characteristics (dispositions) into the prisons (often the reason they are sentenced in the first place) and continue to behave in this way

• Prisoners import subcultures typical of criminality; including beliefs, norms, attitudes, learning experiences, and personal characteristics (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity)

Dispositional Explanation – Importation Model: Why does the outcome often include self harm, addiction and prisoner violence?

• These groups are likely to become ‘disenfranchised’ and separated from mainstream society's norms and values that promote pro-social methods of meeting basic needs and solving interpersonal conflict

• Many of these people will live in a subculture where aggression is valued, respected and reinforced

• Alcoholism/Addiction: Weeks(1998) found higher levels of ‘serious institutional misconduct’ amongst prisoners rated with severe levels of alcohol dependence

Dispositional Explanation – Importation Model: A03

• DeLisi et al (2011) studied juvenile delinquents in Californian prisons from many different negative backgrounds, including childhood trauma, anger, histories of substance abuse, and of violent behaviour

• The study compared this group of inmates with a control group (without any such characteristics)

• The negative background group were found to be more likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct, and acts of physical aggression whilst in prison than the control group

• It seems these behaviours were imported

Situational models: what does this model suggest?

This model recognises that the environment of the institution plays a part in the level of aggression exhibited by people/prisoners (physical, organisational and staff)

What do the deprivations include?

liberty, autonomy, goods and services, heterosexual relationships. security, overcrowding & inadequate living conditions.

Deprivations from these things lead to stress and frustration – leading to aggression

Situational models: AO3: Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment:

• Psychologically healthy males were chosen (psychometric testing of volunteers prior to the study), yet ALL participants displayed aggressive behaviour in the prison environment

• Aggression must have occurred because of the deprivations (and frustrations) of the prison environment itself rather than the personalities (dispositions) of the participants

• This study can be used to support the Situational explanation, but also to challenge the Dispositional explanation

Issue/Debate:

• These theories are hard determinist. They propose that ALL prisoners WILL display aggression in prison and so will be unable to change this behaviour

• However, we know that prisoners are released from prison and can achieve parole if they choose to change their behaviour/reform

• They must be using their freewill to behave differently in a prison environment

• The theories would benefit from an interaction between determinism and freewill, and would be a more valid explanation of institutional aggression

The Popcorn Model:

• Folger and Skarlicki (1995) suggest that the first individual to become aggressive is like the first piece of corn to pop when heated

• They believe that it is important to seek which factors provide the general ‘heat’ rather than seek which specific factors made the first corn pop

• i.e. sort out the prison environment itself, and reduce the amount of general aggression

The Management Model:

• Dilulio (1987) Suggests that aggression in prisons occurs as a result of failed management, high staff turnover and a lack of discipline amongst staff

• McCorkle et al (1995) studied a sample of 371 US state prisons – they found a strong correlation between poor administrative practices and levels of prison violence

• Also of white prison staff experiencing higher levels of assault (on both inmates and staff)

• Their data also showed the benefits of educative programmes in prisons (for prisoners and staff) to show the merits of prison treatment