Institutional Aggression In The Context Of Prisons

Question 1

What is the importation model? And who developed it? And what are the key aspects of it?

Answer 1

Irwin and Casey (1962)

• believes that aggression from the outside is imported into prisons.
• based on genetics, testosterone, serotonin and learned history.

Question 2

What are key factors to why someone is aggressive in prison l?

Answer 2

• dependency or addiction to drugs/alcohol.
• going to prison won’t help this

=aggressive

Question 3

What are the three sub filters developed by Irwin and Casey?

Answer 3

1. Criminal sub- culture
2. Convict sub culture
3. Conventional sub culture

Question 4

What is the criminal sub culture?

Answer 4

• inmates follow the ‘criminal code’
• ie doesn’t snitch on illegal behaviour in prison.
• normally hardened criminals who are in and out of prison.
• has aggression but not as much at Convict.

Question 5

What is convict sub culture?

Answer 5

• everyone is fighting for positions in hierarchy - based on power.
• aggression is used to move up the hierarchy
• people who have been deprived and experience gang culture often relate here.

Question 6

What is conventional sub culture?

Answer 6

• new to prison
• likely to a one time offender.
• tries to avoid other sub cultures
• not very aggressive

Question 7

What is the use of sub cultures?

Answer 7

• subcultures are used to help researchers explain aggression and to see what sub culture they fit into with their personality, characteristics and learned behaviour.

Question 8

Name 1 piece of research into institution aggression?

Answer 8

Kane +Janus

• found violence related to learned history
• ie lower education , more serious crime record, long term unemployment.
• more likely to
  Be aggressive - shouting aggression comes from learned behaviour l.

Question 9

Name two slices of evaluation.

Answer 9

✅ idiographic approach it considers inmates as individuals ana not as a group. Explains why some inmates are aggressive and one are not.

❌ influence of gangs is only a youth prison problem adult prisons don’t have pre institutional aggression so it can’t be generalised to adult prisons.

Question 10

What is the situational explanation?

Answer 10

• aggressive caused by the context of a prison.

- being in a prison not the prisoners characteristics

Question 11

What are the three factors involved in aggression in prisons?

Answer 11

1. organisational
2. Physical
3. Staff characteristics

Question 12

What is the organisational factor of aggression?

Answer 12

• influence of rules and regulations

- print aggression because everyone must obey the regulations

Question 13

What is the physical aspect of aggression in prisons?

Answer 13

• cramped conditions
• threatening environment
• lack of comfort can cause aggression

Question 14

What is the staff characteristics in aggression in prisons?

Answer 14

• the attitude and behaviour of staff will impact massively on the response from inmates.

Question 15

What is the deprivations model and who came up with it?

Answer 15

Sykes

• the loss of key needs leading to aggression in a prison environment.

Question 16

What are the 5 factors in the deprivations model? And give a brief explanation.

Answer 16

1. Deprivation of liberty - loss of liberties, can’t do what you want
2. Autonomy - no independence for prisoners, all have to conform, no control over day
3. goods and services - lack of technology like phones - withdrawal cause aggression
4. Heterosexual relationship - no companionship, comfort, sex
5. Security - do not feel safe.

Question 17

Name a piece of reserxh into the deprivation model.

Answer 17

Johnston

• overcrowding lead to aggression
• less food = more rivalry/aggression for resources
• gangs more likely to get food more
• wouldn’t happen if not in prison = ✅ situational

Question 18

Give 2 pieces of evaluation for deprivational model.

Answer 18

✅ Maslow heirarchy of needs supports situational affects. Can’t get basic needs such as food or safety.

❌ reduces prison riots to just situational, doesn’t consider in the moment aggression. Not all fights start because of the withdrawal of something.