Angola Prison and Violence in Prisons Overview

Geography and Legacy:
- Angola is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, spanning approximately $18,000$ acres.
- It is famously known as "The Farm" because it sits on land that was formerly a conglomerate of slave plantations; the name "Angola" itself refers to the country of origin for many of the enslaved people who worked there.
- Agricultural Labor: Inmates are involved in large-scale agricultural production, harvesting crops like corn, cotton, and soybeans. This transition from historical plantation labor to modern penal labor is a significant point of sociological study.
- Natural Barriers: The facility is surrounded on three sides by the Mississippi River and on the fourth by the Tunica Hills and alligator-infested swamps, creating a natural perimeter that makes escape nearly impossible.

Geriatric Park Facility:
- Due to "tough on crime" sentencing and the elimination of parole for certain offenses, prisons are housing an aging population.
- Specialized units like "Geriatric Park" are necessary because standard cell blocks are not equipped for walkers, wheelchairs, or the medical needs of inmates aged $60$ to $80$ years.
- These units provide a different social atmosphere where rehabilitation and end-of-life care (hospice) are more prevalent than in younger, more volatile wings.

Restricted Access:
- General internet access is strictly prohibited to prevent inmates from coordinating criminal activity, harassing victims, or accessing social media.
- Educational Resources: Access is typically limited to closed-circuit educational systems or pre-screened databases for legal research (e.g., LexisNexis).
- Third-Party Vendors: Many prisons now use tablets provided by companies like JPay or GTL, which allow for "secure" messaging and media consumption, though these services are often expensive for inmates and their families.

Theories of Violence:
- Deprivation Model: Violence arises as a reaction to the "pains of imprisonment" (loss of liberty, goods, and autonomy).
- Importation Model: Inmates bring their outside values, gang affiliations, and violent subcultures into the prison environment.
Direct Causes:
- Overcrowding: High density leads to increased stress and competition for limited resources.
- Staffing Shortages: Lack of supervision allows internal power vacuums to be filled by gangs.
Categorization of Conflict:
1. Inmate-on-Inmate: Often driven by gang rivalries or perceived violations of the "Inmate Code."
2. Inmate-on-Officer: Typically occurs during rule enforcement or cell extractions.
3. Officer-on-Inmate: Sometimes involves excessive use of force or systemic abuse of power.

Influence and Hierarchy:
- Prison gangs (e.g., Aryan Brotherhood, Black Guerrilla Family, Mexican Mafia) often operate with military-like precision.
- The Inmate Code: An unwritten set of rules emphasizing "not snitching," maintaining toughness, and showing no cooperation with authorities. Violating this code is a primary driver of internal violence.
Administrative Responses:
- Monitoring of "kites" (clandestine written messages).
- Using Security Threat Group (STG) units to identify and segregate gang leaders.

Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003:
- A federal law mandating a "zero-tolerance" policy for sexual assault in prisons. It requires facilities to implement rigorous reporting, investigation, and victim support protocols.
Lawful Use of Force:
- Correctional Officers (COs) are legally permitted to use force only in specific scenarios:
1. Self-Defense: Protecting themselves or others from immediate harm.
2. Prevention of Escape: Securing the perimeter of the facility.
3. Enforcement of Rules: Compelling compliance with lawful orders to maintain institutional safety.

Women’s Prisons:
- Women make up a smaller but faster-growing percentage of the prison population compared to men.
- Subculture Differences: Research suggests that women's prisons often form "pseudo-families" (kinship networks) as a coping mechanism, prioritizing emotional support over the rigid power hierarchies seen in male facilities.
- Health and Parental Needs: Women face unique challenges regarding reproductive health, pregnancy, and maintaining contact with children, as women are often the primary caregivers before incarceration.
- Media Misrepresentation: Shows like Orange Is the New Black or older films often sensationalize prison life, failing to capture the mundane hardships and systemic neglect found in actual facilities.