Institutional Aggression In Prisons Flashcards
Five deprivations noted by Sykes
Security: prisons aren’t safe - not from other prisoners or guards.
Liberty: give up freedom (eg freedom of movement).
Autonomy: no longer in control of day to day activities (eg eating).
Goods and services: lose out on basic goods and services (eg mobile phone use).
Heterosexual relationships: can’t carry out a relationship - challenges the inmates pride.
Cooke et al argued that violent prisoners are only violent in certain circumstances. What are these?
Overcrowding: Yuma (2010) - Japanese study which found that even with the control of other conditions, prison population density has a clear effect on prison violence and aggression.
Heat and noise: this exacerbates the effect of overcrowding and may predispose inmates to aggressive behaviour. Griffitt and Veitch (1971) found that noise and temperature has a negative effect on emotions.
Job burnout: staff have been psychologically overworked and stressed to the point that their care for people whom they work with is in decline. Maslach et al found job burnout is linked to the development of violence in prison settings because of a deterioration in relationships with inmates.
Factors involved in the importation model
- Gang membership: Drury and Delizi (2001) found inmates who were prior gang members were significantly more likely to murder, take hostages and commit assault with a deadly weapon.
- Anger, antisocial personality type and impulsivity: Wang and Diamond found this was a better prediction of violence than ethnicity and type of offence committed (anger was the best).
- Low self control: good indicator of prison violence because you are more likely to use temper quickly and become violent with little warning.
Research support for deprivation model.
McCorcle conducted a study of 371 prisons and found that the relationship between overcrowding, lack of privacy and lack of meaningful activity and the amount of assaults carried out between inmates and by inmates on staff.
Franklin et al also found a relationship between age of inmates and crowding. Their meta analysis found that crowded prison conditions increased aggressive behaviour in younger inmates more so than other age groups.
Support for the importation model.
Mears used a seven point self report scale to determine the extent inmates believed in the street code belief system. This involves the extent in which they believe in the importance of respect and others such as not being a snitch. Other variables were controlled such as family background, neighbourhood etc. It was found that belief in street code increased violence in prisons. This was emphasised in inmates who didn’t have good family links and were already members of gangs prior to going to prison.
What is institutional aggression according to the depravation model?
The product of stressful and oppressive conditions of the prison itself (Paterline and Peterson, 1999). In response to these oppressive conditions inmates may act more aggressively.
How did Sykes describe the consequence of deprivations?
Some may choose to withdraw through seclusion in their cell or living space, whereas others choose to rebel in the form of violence against other prisoners or staff.
Which study showed that institutional aggression is influenced solely by prison-specific variables?
Kimmet and Martin: studied over 200 inmates and discovered that violence in prison is frequently a way of surviving the risk of exploitation (i.e. Appearing weak), am ever present threat within prison culture. They found most violent situations were more to do with non-material interests like the need for respect and fairness or as a way of expressing loyalty and honour.
Who gave the main claim for the disposition explanation?
Irwin and Cressey claim that inmates bring with them to prisons their violent pasts and draw on their experiences in an environment where toughness and physical exploitation are important survival skills. Many normative systems developed on the outside world would be imported into the prison. Cultural beleif systems such as ‘the code of the street’ define how some individuals behave once they’re in prison, particularly when related to gang membership.
Within prison environments, what is constantly related to violence and other forms of anti social behaviour?
Gang membership. Pre-prison gang membership appears to be an important determinant of prison misconduct. Members of street gangs offend at higher levels while in prison than their non-gang counterparts and account for a disproportionate amount of serious and violent crime.
Which study found the influence of gang membership on prison violence?
Drury and DeLisi: found that individuals who had been members of gangs prior to imprisonment were significantly more likely to commit various types of misconduct in prison, including murder, hostage taking and assault with a deadly weapon.
What dispositional characteristics relate to aggressive behaviour in prison?
1) Anger, antisocial personality style and impulsivity: Wang and Diamond found these three characteristics were stronger predictors of institutional aggression than ethnicity and type of offence committed. Anger was the best predictor of violent behaviour.
2) Low self control: DeLisi et al found that this (the tendency to lose ones temper easily) was a significant predictor of aggressive behaviour both before and during incarceration.
Challenges to the deprivation model.
Harer and Steffensmeier collected data from more than 24,000 inmates from 58 prisons across the US. They included importation variables (e.g. Race and criminal history) and deprivation variables (e.g. Staff to prisoner ratio and security level) and tested which of these variables predicted the individual likelihood of aggressive behaviour while in prison. It was concluded that race, age and criminal history were the only significant predictors of prison violence, whereas none of the deprivation variables were significant.
Real world application: HMP Woodhill and the deprivation model
Wilson: Prison Governor David Wilson reasoned that if most violence occurs in environments that are hot, noisy and overcrowded, then this could be avoided by reducing these three factors. Wilson set up two units for violent prisoners that were less claustrophobic and prison like and gave a view to outside. The typical noise associated with prison life was reduced and masked by music from a local radio station. Temperature was lowered so it was no longer stiflingly hot. These changes eradicated assaults on prison staff and other inmates, providing powerful support got the claim that situational variables are the main cause of prison violence.
