Institutional Aggression

Question 1

Irwin and Cressey Importation Model AO1

Pre existing factors
Demographic variables
Gangs
Subcultures

Answer 1

Pre existing factors - alcohol addiction, severe previous criminal record, long periods of unemployment

Demographic - non white and young more likely to be violent, black enter from impoverished areas, younger = harder adjusting, more likely to confront, many come from subcultures where agg beh is rewarded

Gang - members offended at high levels and account from disproportionate levels of serious crime

Subcultures - conflict - raised in prison, influenced by deprivation prior to imprisonment - most likely to be violent
Conventional - one time offenders

Question 2

Irwin and Cressey Importation Model AO2

Harer & Steffenmeier
Huff
Jiang & Fischer Giorlando
De Lesi et al

Answer 2

H&S - 58 US prisons - black inmates offend sig higher

Huff - Gang members 10x more likely to commit murder, 3x more likely to assault

J & FG - imp explains violence against other inmates BUT deprivation explains better against staff REDUCTIONIST, incomplete

De Lesi - inmates with prior gang involvement no more likely to reoffend BUT may be due to segregation reducing capacity

Question 3

Deprivation model AO1

Situational factors
Pains of imprisonment - Steffenmeier
Deprivation caused by incarceration - Sykes
Colvin

Answer 3

Sit factors - organisational (leadership, management), physical (security, resources), staff (qualifications, gender)

Pains - loss of freedom, of hetero rel, isolation from free community, loneliness, boredom - prisoners feel these and act out

Dep caused by incarceration - dep of Liberty, autonomy, goods, hetero rel and security

Colvin - relative deprivation - diff between what they receive and what they expect

Question 4

Deprivation model AO2

McCorkle
Poole and Rigoli
RWA Wilson
Enviro reductionist 
Determinist

Answer 4

Mc - overcrowding, lack of privacy and meaningful activity all contributed BUT others have found space does not have an influence INCONCLUSIVE

P&R - pre prison violence best indicator regardless of situational factors

RWA Wilson - crowded overheated noisy env caused agg - music and air cond virtually eradicated violenceBUT due to political pressure changes are rarely implemented

Env reductionist - pre institutionalised violence and bio pre disposition all play roles

Determinist - no initiatives for prisoners to try, may even excuse reoffending