institutional aggression Flashcards
What is the Importation Model of institutional aggression?
The Importation Model, developed by Irwin and Cressey (1962), suggests that prisoners bring their pre-existing social histories, traits, and subcultures into prison, which influences their aggression.
What does the Importation Model argue about the causes of aggression?
It argues that aggression is not caused by the prison environment but is imported by individuals who already have violent tendencies from their outside lives.
What personality traits are associated with the Importation Model?
Traits such as low self-control, antisocial behavior, and a history of violence make individuals more likely to engage in aggression within prison.
What evidence supports the Importation Model?
Mears et al. (2013) found that inmates exposed to a ‘street code’ culture before imprisonment were more likely to engage in violent behavior in prison.
What contradictory evidence challenges the Importation Model?
DeLisi et al. (2004) found no significant relationship between gang membership and levels of prison violence, suggesting that situational factors may play a greater role than pre-existing traits.
What is an alternative explanation to the Importation Model?
The Deprivation Model suggests that aggression is caused by situational factors like overcrowding, lack of autonomy, and poor conditions rather than pre-existing traits.
What real-world applications come from the Importation Model?
Screening processes can identify high-risk individuals upon entry into prison, allowing for targeted rehabilitation and segregation of particularly violent inmates.
What is the Deprivation Model of institutional aggression?
The Deprivation Model, developed by Clemmer (1958), argues that prison aggression arises from stressors within the environment, such as loss of freedom, overcrowding, and lack of meaningful activities.
What situational factors contribute to aggression in the Deprivation Model?
Overcrowding, strict prison regimes, lack of privacy, and limited access to goods and services contribute to frustration and aggression among inmates.
What research supports the Deprivation Model?
McCorkle et al. (1995) found that overcrowding, lack of privacy, and lack of meaningful activities were significantly correlated with violent incidents in US prisons.
What did Sykes (1958) identify as key deprivations that contribute to aggression?
Loss of liberty, loss of autonomy, loss of security, loss of goods and services, and loss of heterosexual relationships.
What contradictory evidence challenges the Deprivation Model?
Harer and Steffensmeier (1996) found that inmate characteristics, such as race, age, and pre-prison violent behavior, were better predictors of aggression than situational factors.
What is an alternative explanation to the Deprivation Model?
The Importation Model suggests that aggression is brought into prison by individuals rather than being purely a response to deprivation.
What real-world application supports the Deprivation Model?
HMP Woodhill prison successfully reduced violence by improving living conditions, reducing overcrowding, and introducing more recreational activities.
Why is the Deprivation Model not a complete explanation for aggression?
Not all prisoners become aggressive despite experiencing the same conditions, suggesting that individual differences and imported traits also play a role.
