Institutional aggression

Question 1

What are the dispositional explanations for institutional aggression

Answer 1

Prisoner characteristics linked to outcomes study (DeLisi et al 2011)

Importation model (Cressey 1962)

Question 2

What does the importation model argue

Answer 2

Inmates import subculture typical of criminality
-Can be nature (e.g temperament)/nurture (e.g social environment)
-Using violence in prison reflects their lives before

So aggression from individual characteristics not prison environment

Question 3

How did Thomas/Mcmanimon (2005) explain the importation model

Answer 3

People who prey on others in the streets also prey on them in prison

Question 4

What is the convict subculture

Answer 4

Use of aggression to establish power/status/influence and access to resources

Question 5

Prisoner characteristics linked to outcomes study- DeLisi et al (2011)

Answer 5

Compared juvie inmates in California with negative backgrounds (e.g trauma) to control group
=Negative group more likely to be suicidal/physically and sexually aggressive

Question 6

Who came up with the deprivation model

Answer 6

Donald Clemmer (1958)

Question 7

Situational explanations of institutional aggression

Answer 7

Deprivation model (Donald Clemmer)
Study= Prison-level factors linked to outcomes (Steiner)

Question 8

What does the deprivation model argue

Answer 8

-Harsh prison conditions= stressful= aggression
-Bad/unpredictable prison regime (e.g frequent lockups)= frustration/- stimulation/- access to goods= aggression

So prison environment causes aggression

Question 9

Prison level factors linked to outcomes Benjamin Steiner study

Answer 9

512 US prisons= + violence when + women/overcrowding/inmates in protective custody
-So environmental factors predicted aggression in line with deprivation model

Question 10

Strength of dispositional explanation

Answer 10

Research support for IM
e.g Camp/Gaes split inmates with similar violent criminal history/characters into low/high security prisons
=No difference in aggressive incidents between prisons

=prison environment less important predictor of aggression/strong evidence as random allocation

Question 11

Weakness of dispositional explanation

Answer 11

Ignored key factors like how prison is run
-e.g Dilulio proposed Administrative control model

Question 12

Weakness of dispositional explanation

Answer 12

Ignored key factors like how prison is run
-e.g Dilulio proposed Administrative control model: poorly managed prisons (e.g distant staff/unofficial rules)= + violence

So importation model inadequate explanation as institutional factors probably more important

Question 13

Strength of deprivation model

Answer 13

Research support
-e.g Cunningham ananlysed Texan prison homicides, motivations= cell-sharing/drugs

Factors identified by deprivation model so supports model’s validity