Full Answer
How has prison culture changed?
How did gang culture evolve?
Why are humane reforms important?
How has prison culture changed?
From the 70’s to current day, there has been a lot of prison reforms, but nothing that has substantially changed the way prison culture operates and its norms. Humane reforms have been at the fore front of the biggest changes in prison and prison culture. Because of the past that that the prison system has been through and the corruption, there was mass concerns about how are prisoners were being treated once they were put into the system. This is a conflict of interest because one of the main points of deterrence is the fact that prison is not a “fun” or “safe” place to be. With reforms put into place in the early 80’s, everything changed, from the quality of food given to the amount of recess time they were allotted.
How did gang culture evolve?
Just as Prison Culture has evolved, Gang culture within the prisons has evolved. Starting from the early beginning of simple groups of likeminded or same race people, these groups became violent towards others. This violence became habitual and rivalries were eventually formed as seen today. What stemmed from groups of races turned into integrate networks of trade. Trade not only of supply, but of information and labor, the deadly kind, gangs became notorious for selling and purchasing their services of “hits” on other inmates within the prison and if the gang was powerful enough, hits on members of other prisons. I would not know if I would personally place blame on the prison staff and security, but it is astonishing that gang leaders can still run whole chapters while they under twenty four hour surveillance in a cement sale behind bars, but time and gang culture evolution has shown that there are no limits to what they can or will do.
Why are humane reforms important?
Humane reforms have been at the fore front of the biggest changes in prison and prison culture. Because of the past that that the prison system has been through and the corruption, there was mass concerns about how are prisoners were being treated once they were put into the system.
What is a prison subculture?
The prison subculture describes the customs, beliefs, attitudes, values and lifestyles of the prison inmates within a particular prison. Studies show that prison subcultures are remarkably consistent among U.S. prisons. It's important to note that prison staff members have their own subculture and socialization process.
How does the prison subculture develop?
Some popular studies show that prison subculture develops through the deprivation model. This model holds that prison subculture results from the pains of imprisonment. In other words, the new culture develops as a way to adapt to 'living without.'. Inmates face deprivation and lack of many things.
What is the importation model of subculture?
The importation model holds that prison subculture is brought into the prison from the outside world. In other words, the inmates bring certain beliefs, values, roles and behaviors with them when they enter prison.
How is the prisonization process influenced by the prison subculture?
The subculture is influenced by the formal organization used in prisons by the prison staff. It's also heavily influenced by the informal organization through which the inmates categorize themselves.
Why do people in prison have difficulty readjusting to life on the outside?
People who've served time in prison often have difficulty readjusting to life on the outside because of their experiences inside. Explore the reasons many parolees struggle by unpacking the different subcultures that exist inside prisons and understanding the effects of the deprivation model. Updated: 10/27/2021
What is the process of learning the prison subculture?
Prisonization. Because the prison subculture is unique to prisons, new inmates must adapt to a new way of life. This is known as prisonization . Prisonization is the process through which new inmates learn the prison subculture.
What is the prison code?
For new inmates, prisonization involves learning the prison code. The prison code is the set of norms, or the expected behavior, of the inmates. Think of it as an unofficial rulebook for inmates. The rules are similar throughout prisons in the U.S.
What is the culture of prisons?
The culture of prisons has been the subject of academic inquiry from a diverse range of methodological and theoretical perspectives. Unfortunately, a review of this large and interesting body of work is not possible here. However, it is important to at least note the perspective from which the current discussion emerges: we have taken the view that, at the broadest level, there exists a dynamic, yet recognisable set of shared understandings that underpin social relations in prisons. These are not identical from prison to prison nor within the one prison over time. However, we have identified what we believe to be some common themes across the institutions we visited, themes that appear relevant to an analysis of prisoners' access to justice.
What are the legal needs of prisoners?
From the interviews undertaken for this study, there appear to be a number of aspects of prison culture that are pertinent to a discussion of prisoners' legal needs: 1 inmates are defined and define themselves as being in opposition to correctional officers and/or even the justice system itself 2 violence committed against inmates is conceived as normal in the prison environment thereby affecting the way inmates respond to assault 3 common notions of what a 'criminal' is and related expectations about the treatment that may be expected by others who may provide assistance 4 the notion that being a compliant inmate discourages behaviours that may assist inmates to meet their legal needs.
Why do inmates not initiate legal processes?
Inmates may not initiate legal processes for a range of reasons, including those that have their origins in the prison culture.
Why do some inmates become institutionalized?
There was evidence among the interviews conducted for this study that some inmates may, because of the demands and deprivations of their incarceration, become institutionalised.
How did ethnicity affect access to justice?
However, ethnic backgrounds had a particular impact on access to justice as, for some groups of inmates, it appeared to influence where and how inmates sought assistance. For instance a welfare officer in one urban prison described the difficulties they had had trying to reach and support inmates from Asian backgrounds (such as Vietnamese and Cambodian):
How is the character of that social environment revealed?
The character of that social environment is revealed through the explanations interviewees give in describing their own and others' experience of events that have legal implications and/or how they went about seeking legal assistance. The 'truth' or otherwise of these explanations and beliefs is not the central issue.
Why can't you be seen favouring an inmate?
Sometimes … you've got to remember in the prison you can't be seen to favour an inmate or be with an inmate all the time because you make him a target.
What percentage of incarcerated people rejoin their communities?
Whatever our personal beliefs, the reality is that 95 percent of incarcerated people rejoin our communities at some point. Lee says, “One day they’re going to be my neighbor, your neighbor or someone’s neighbor. And we want to know that the person who’s going to be our neighbor is someone who did the right thing while they were in prison to improve their situation, their life and their way of thinking.”
How long was Lee in prison?
An Inside Look at Prison Life in America. Six years ago today, Lee became a free man after 13 years in a medium-security prison in Norfolk, MA, and the world was not the same as he’d left it. Phones had touch screens instead of buttons.
How much does recidivism go down?
But rates of recidivism go down by almost 50 percent when a prisoner has had access to college-level courses. And according to the Lumina Foundation, states save four to five dollars in incarceration costs for every dollar spent on prison education (excluding taxes, reductions in benefits use and civic contributions).
Where did Lee go after his sentencing?
At the processing center in Concord, shortly after his sentencing, Lee had to make a difficult choice. He could either go to Gardener, which was close to where his family lived, or he could go to Norfolk where he could get a college education. “I’ll never forget that,” says Daruenie. “Going to Norfolk meant he’d be farther away from us.”
Who was the woman who said "former prisoner"?
After all, Hillman was someone who understood that an incarcerated person was a first and foremost a person—not someone defined by their worst moments. She didn’t want people in her life to hear the term “former prisoner” and miss out on getting to know her dad.
What was Lee's daughter's name when he went to prison?
These ideas helped Lee build a bridge to the outside world and restore the relationship he had with his daughter, Daruenie, who was seven years old when he went to prison.
How has prison culture changed?
From the 70’s to current day, there has been a lot of prison reforms, but nothing that has substantially changed the way prison culture operates and its norms. Humane reforms have been at the fore front of the biggest changes in prison and prison culture. Because of the past that that the prison system has been through and the corruption, there was mass concerns about how are prisoners were being treated once they were put into the system. This is a conflict of interest because one of the main points of deterrence is the fact that prison is not a “fun” or “safe” place to be. With reforms put into place in the early 80’s, everything changed, from the quality of food given to the amount of recess time they were allotted.
How did gang culture evolve?
Just as Prison Culture has evolved, Gang culture within the prisons has evolved. Starting from the early beginning of simple groups of likeminded or same race people, these groups became violent towards others. This violence became habitual and rivalries were eventually formed as seen today. What stemmed from groups of races turned into integrate networks of trade. Trade not only of supply, but of information and labor, the deadly kind, gangs became notorious for selling and purchasing their services of “hits” on other inmates within the prison and if the gang was powerful enough, hits on members of other prisons. I would not know if I would personally place blame on the prison staff and security, but it is astonishing that gang leaders can still run whole chapters while they under twenty four hour surveillance in a cement sale behind bars, but time and gang culture evolution has shown that there are no limits to what they can or will do.
Why are humane reforms important?
Humane reforms have been at the fore front of the biggest changes in prison and prison culture. Because of the past that that the prison system has been through and the corruption, there was mass concerns about how are prisoners were being treated once they were put into the system.
