CC CH 8

Introduction to Prisons and Corrections

  • State of Prisons
  • Prisons shaped by shortages: overcrowding and funding issues.
  • Impact of the drug war lasting over 40 years has increased incarceration rates.
  • Recent reconsideration in states like Colorado and Washington regarding drug policies (e.g., medical marijuana) and sentencing reforms (crack vs powder cocaine).
  • Shift away from retribution and deterrence as sole justifications for incarceration.
  • Rising costs of corrections after the 2007 recession; shifts in policy have reduced prison populations.
  • As of early 2017, the federal government may be moving in a different direction; the US still holds the highest incarceration rate in the Western world.

Prison Organizations: Classifications

  • Classification Process

  • Begins upon entry based on several factors:

    • Type of crime committed
    • Criminal history
    • Risk of escape
    • Behavioral issues
    • Health and programming needs.

  • Special Considerations:

  • Women and children are housed in separate facilities from males.

  • Inmates are assigned to facilities based on:

    • Supervision level required (security needs)
    • Availability of space
    • Individual inmate's needs

  • Inmates can request transfer to specific facilities over time.

Types of Prisons

  • Supermax Prisons

  • First widely recognized supermax was Alcatraz (1934-1963).

  • Current examples include federal facilities like Marion, IL, and Florence, CO.

  • Common characteristics include:

    • Inmates confined to windowless cells nearly 24 hours/day.
    • Limited programming available.
    • Physical contact is regulated and often prohibited.

  • Maximum Security Prisons

  • Designed for the most serious offenders, may house death row inmates.

  • Similar exterior security as supermax, but with more programming opportunities and less stringent restrictions on contact with the outside world.

  • Medium Security Prisons

  • More opportunities for inmates, greater diversity in housing and less restricted contact with the outside.

  • More college-like campus settings; engaged in work programs.

  • Minimum Security Prisons

  • Relaxed security measures, allowing more freedom of movement.

  • More liberal visiting policies and emphasis on work programs.

Cost and Value of Prisons

  • High Costs
  • U.S. government spends at least $20,000 per inmate annually; costs are often more than double for women and children.
  • Costs are not always factored into policy decisions; focus often remains on punishment goals.

Total Institutions and Inmate Adaptation

  • Erving Goffman's Concept (1961):

  • Prisons as total institutions where behavior is closely controlled through formal rules.

  • Inmate interactions primarily with staff occur only for business.

  • Mortification and Prisonization:

  • Mortification refers to the debilitating effect of entering a total institution.

  • Importation involves inmates bringing aspects of their culture into the prison.

  • Prisonization is the process of adopting the prison subculture.

Inmate Experience: Pains of Imprisonment

  • Gresham Sykes' Categories (1958):
  • Five deprivations suffered by inmates:
    • Liberty
    • Goods and services
    • Sexual relationships
    • Autonomy
    • Security
  • These deprivations can lead to the formation of pseudofamilies among inmates.

The Prison Subculture

  • Formation of Subcultures
  • Shared experiences of deprivation foster a strong inmate subculture.
  • Historical research, such as by Donald Clemmer (1940), focused on defining inmate roles and language.
  • Inmate roles developed by Sykes (1958) remain relevant today.

Gangs in Prisons

  • Prison Gangs
  • Defined by the Department of Justice as hierarchical with strict codes of conduct.
  • Gangs can reduce the pains of imprisonment by providing protection and access to illicit goods.
  • Involvement in gangs has historical precedent and continues to evolve.
  • Strategies by prison administration to control gangs include identifying members, separating them, and monitoring activities.

Violence in Prisons

  • Reasons for Violence
  • Violence is endemic and difficult to quantitatively assess due to underreporting.
  • Various forms of violence exist, including sexual assaults and rioting.
  • Rioting may be instrumental (goal-oriented) or expressive (emotional outburst).
  • Strategies to reduce violence include professional development, proper supervision, and formal grievance procedures.

Special Populations within Prisons

  • Elderly and Physically Ill Inmates

  • Significant increase in elderly inmate population due to longer sentences.

  • Illnesses such as arthritis and hypertension are prevalent among older inmates.

  • Mentally Ill Inmates

  • Rise in mentally ill inmates post-deinstitutionalization due to closure of hospitals.

  • Jails often lack the resources to effectively deal with this population.

  • LGBTQ+ Inmates

  • True population numbers of LGBTQ+ inmates are unclear, but there are significant challenges in protecting sexual orientation.

  • Women's prisons tend to be more accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals than men's prisons.