Institutionalisation

Question 1

What is the name of the situational model of aggression in prison?

Answer 1

The Deprivation model.

Question 2

What is the name of the dispositional model of aggression in prison?

Answer 2

The Importation model.

Question 3

The deprivation model of aggression in prisons is what type of explanation?

Answer 3

An external explanation.

Question 4

The importation model of aggression in prisons is what type of explanation?

Answer 4

An internal explanation.

Question 5

What are situational models? Give an example.

Answer 5

Aggression caused as a result of environmental factors (the situation).

E.g. the context of a prison can be regarded as a potential source of aggression.

Question 6

What are the 3 factors that come from the environment within a prison, likely to promote aggression?

Answer 6

Organisational.

Physical.

Staff characteristics.

Question 7

Outline ‘organisational’ as a factor affecting aggression in prisons.

Answer 7

The influence of rules and regulations that prisoners must adhere to while serving their sentence.

Question 8

Outline ‘physical’ as a factor affecting aggression in prisons.

Answer 8

Cramped conditions.

Lack of comfort.

Question 9

Outline ‘staff characteristics’ as a factor affecting aggression in prisons.

Answer 9

Attitude and behaviour of staff.

Question 10

What is the Sykes Deprivation Model?

Answer 10

A situational model that relates to the organisational and physical factors.

Question 11

Who proposed the Deprivation model?

Answer 11

Sykes, 1958.

Question 12

What did Sykes 1958 research find for the Deprivation model.

Answer 12

Found 5 deprivations that arise from the indignities and degradations suffered by becoming an inmate.

Question 13

What were the 5 deprivations that Sykes found in 1958?

Answer 13

Deprivation of liberty.

Deprivation of autonomy.

Deprivation of goods and services.

Deprivation of heterosexual relationships.

Deprivation of security.

Question 14

Outline ‘deprivation of liberty’ as one of the 5 deprivations found by Sykes.

Answer 14

Prisoners are no longer allowed to go where they please, when they please.

Question 15

Outline ‘deprivation of autonomy’ as one of the 5 deprivations found by Sykes.

Answer 15

No independence e.g. choice of food, withdrawal of privileges.

Question 16

Outline ‘deprivation of goods and services’ as one of the 5 deprivations found by Sykes.

Answer 16

E.g. no mobile phones.

This may lead to aggressive (instrumental) behaviour.

This also links to the evolutionary explanation of aggression, as it is important to attain resources.

Question 17

Outline ‘deprivation of heterosexual relationships’ as one of the 5 deprivations found by Sykes.

Answer 17

No access to heterosexual companionship.

Question 18

Outline ‘deprivation of security’ as one of the 5 deprivations found by Sykes.

Answer 18

Not a safe environment for most prisoners.

Question 19

What can be concluded from Sykes research for the Deprivation model?

Answer 19

All the deprivations lead to increased stress for the prisoners.

As a consequence aggression may be a way to reduce stress and obtain desired resources.

Aggression in prisons is therefore seen as a way to gain control over the social order imposed on them.

Question 20

Outline Lahm’s research from 2008.

(Research to support Situational Models, (AO3))

Answer 20

Overcrowding played a part so some evidence to support situational factors (but not only factor).

This gives partial support for the explanation.

Question 21

Outline Cheeseman’s research from 2003.

(Research to support Situational Models, (AO3))

Answer 21

Lack of stimulation linked to aggression.

This includes aspects such as boredom.

Being able to provide opportunities may reduce aggression in prisons.

Question 22

Outline Johnston’s research from 1991.

(Research to support Situational Models, (AO3))

Answer 22

Overcrowding leads to aggression.

Smaller space, smaller territory - links to evolutionary explanation.

Greater competition for resources.

Violence an inevitable consequence of that aggression.

Question 23

Outline Hensley et al’s research from 2002.

(Research to challenge Situational Models, (AO3))

Answer 23

256 male and female inmates of two prisons in Texas that allow conjugal visits.

No link between involvement in these visits and reduced aggressive behaviour.

This therefore shows that situational factors and deprivation do not affect prison violence.

Question 24

What are the levels within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Answer 24

Physiological.

Safety.

Love/ belonging.

Esteem.

Self-actualisation.

Question 25

Which of Sykes Deprivation’s links to Maslow’s idea of ‘physiological’?

Answer 25

Deprivation of liberty.

Question 26

Which of Sykes Deprivation’s links to Maslow’s idea of ‘safety’?

Answer 26

Deprivation of security.

Deprivation of goods and services.

Question 27

Which of Sykes Deprivation’s links to Maslow’s idea of ‘love/ belonging’?

Answer 27

Deprivation of heterosexual relationships.

Question 28

Which of Sykes Deprivation’s links to Maslow’s idea of ‘esteem’?

Answer 28

Deprivation of goods and services.

Question 29

Which of Sykes Deprivation’s links to Maslow’s idea of ‘self-actualisation’?

Answer 29

Deprivation of autonomy.

Question 30

How can prison riots be used to support and challenge Sykes’ Deprivation model?

Answer 30

Prison riots can occur when there has been a withdrawal of privileges or a lack of explanation as to why the daily routine has changed, but they can also flare up with no apparent reason.

This means that the situational influence in violent behaviour cannot always be identified or may not exist.

Institutional aggression can be reduced by modifying situational variables and reducing deprivation.

However, some studies have shown this to not be the case.

E.g. conjugal visits.

Question 31

How could you reduce the deprivations experienced by inmates, and as a result, reduce aggression?

Answer 31

Matched cell mates. E.g. age.

Food options.

Choosing when to eat.

Sports courts and leisure access.

Opportunities to learn for use post-prison.

Training for guards.

Therapy/ rehabilitation.

Question 32

What did Irwin and Cressey state about the Importation model in 1962?

Answer 32

‘Prisoners bring their own social histories and traits with them to the prison environment and these influence their subsequent behaviour in prison’.

Question 33

What did Cheeseman state about the Importation model in 2003?

Answer 33

‘Such men, bring with them into prison a ready-made way of behaving, which they simply apply to their new institutional setting’.

Question 34

Irwin and Cressey stated that ‘prisoners bring their own social histories and traits with them to the prison environment’. Give examples of ‘social histories’?

Answer 34

IWM.

Schemas.

Past experiences.

Childhood.

Trauma.

Friends and family.

Substance abuse.

Employment.

Education.

Setting you were raised (e.g. urban).

Question 35

Irwin and Cressey stated that ‘prisoners bring their own social histories and traits with them to the prison environment’. What is meant by ‘traits’?

Answer 35

Aggressive.

Pre-determined.

More biological.

Fixed characteristics.

Personality.

Individual differences.

Question 36

Where do these aggressive characteristics come from?

Answer 36

Genetics, testosterone and serotonin levels and learned history.

Social psychological and biological origins.

Question 37

Do individual dispositional factors (aggression) change when someone enters prison?

Answer 37

Aggression that is evident in prison is no different to how the offenders act when they are not in the institution.

There are often factors that affect the offender both inside and outside the prison.

For example, alcohol or drug dependency.

Question 38

How can dispositional factors exacerbate aggressive behaviour? Give an example.

Answer 38

Strong addictions may result in aggression in order to require drugs.

Question 39

Are drug and addiction issues sorted by putting someone in prison? Why? Why not?

Answer 39

Dependent on the severity of someone’s addiction.

For someone with a mild addiction, an instant drug withdraw may be beneficial.

However, some with a strong addiction may become induced with e.g. psychosis, being negative.

Question 40

Outline Mills et al’s research from 2002.

(Evidence for pre-existing aggressive tendencies)

Answer 40

Found higher levels of serious institutional misconduct were associated with more severe levels of alcohol dependence.

Question 41

Outline Kane and Janus’ research from 1981.

(Evidence for pre-existing aggressive tendencies)

Answer 41

Found greater periods of unemployment, lower levels of education and a more serious criminal record were associated with a greater likelihood of aggression whilst in prison.

Question 42

Outline Harer and Steffensmeimer’s research from 2006.

(Evidence for pre-existing aggressive tendencies)

Answer 42

Collected data from 58 prisons.

Non-white inmates and younger inmates also far more likely to be aggressive whilst in prison.

This was also found by Kane and Janus (1981).

Question 43

Why may it be that younger inmates were more aggressive in prison?

(Harer and Steffensmeier, 2006)

Answer 43

More to prove.

More susceptible to fear.

Easier to coerce and manipulate.

Pre-frontal cortex not developed until over 25 years.

Question 44

Why may it be that non-white inmates were more aggressive in prison?

(Harer and Steffensmeier, 2006)

Answer 44

Racist guards.

Mistreat.

Marginalisation of ethnic groups.

Gang culture affiliation.

Question 45

What did Irwin and Cressey do in 1962?

Answer 45

Identified three categories of prison subculture that demonstrate different levels of aggression.

These subcultures show how, in addition to personality characteristics, the background and learned history of a prisoner can affect whether they are likely to be aggressive or violent when put in prison.

Question 46

What were the 3 sub-cultures found by Irwin and Cressey?

Answer 46

The criminal/ thief.

The convict.

The conventional/ straight.

Question 47

Outline ‘the criminal/thief’ sub-culture identified by Irwin and Cressey in 1962.

Answer 47

Advocates a criminal ‘code of honour’, such as not telling on fellow inmates.

Promotes honour, trust, and loyalty as its key values.

Members will be hardened criminals, repeat offenders who re-enter the prison knowing they will act this way.

There is aggression within this group but it is not as dominant as in the ‘convict sub-culture’.

Question 48

Outline ‘the convict’ sub-culture identified by Irwin and Cressey in 1962.

Answer 48

A strong power hierarchy.

Much of the behaviour within this sub-culture is about position within the hierarchy and power.

Most likely to become aggressive as this is deemed necessary to exercise power over other inmates.

Prisoners opting to join this sub-culture are often from deprived areas outside of prison and familiar with gang culture.

Question 49

Outline ‘the conventional/ straight’ sub-culture identified by Irwin and Cressey in 1962.

Answer 49

Members of this sub-culture will be new to prison and probably likely to be one time offenders.

They will try to keep clear of the other two sub-cultures and have more in common with the prison guards.

These prisoners are generally not aggressive.

Question 50

Outline Jiang and Fisher-Giorlando’s study from 2002.

(Evaluation of the Importation model)

Answer 50

Provide some support to the importation model.

They found it was effective at explaining violence against other inmates but that the deprivation model was more useful explaining violence against prison staff.

Therefore, limited support is provided for the importation (dispositional) model.

Question 51

Outline Kane and Janus’ research from 1981.

(Evaluation of the Importation model)

Answer 51

Supports the importation model.

This is because they found that the number of violent offences was related to the learned history of the offender.

If a prisoner had previously had a lower level of education, a more serious criminal record and more time unemployed in their life then they were more likely to be aggressive in prison.

This suggests that dispositional factors that affect a prisoner outside of prison, are carried into the new environment.

Question 52

Outline DeLisi et al’s research from 2004.

(Evaluation of the Importation model)

Answer 52

Studied prison records of 831 male inmates from prisons across USA.

They found a small but significant relationship between gang membership and prison aggression, suggesting that subcultural values had been imported into prisons by gang members.

Race was also important.

Further supported by Prisons Inspectorate report of the violence in Feltham young offenders institute.

They found gang graffiti throughout the inmates cells, suggesting very few inmates were not gang members.

Question 53

Outline Poole and Regoli’s study from 1983.

(Evaluation of the Importation model)

Answer 53

Studied juveniles in a correctional institute and found pre institutional violence the best predictor of prison aggression.

Question 54

Outline McCorkle et al from 2004.

(Evaluation of the Importation model)

Answer 54

Stated that the model fails to suggest how best to manage aggressive prisoners and offer advice for reducing prison violence in general.

Little practical use.

Question 55

The Importation model suggests that rehabilitation should consider the home environment and the individual.

What programmes could be offered to prisoners?

(Evaluation of the Importation model)

Answer 55

Employment rehab.

Cookery rehab.

Drug rehab.

Question 56

Outline Thomas and Peterson’s 1977 study.

Answer 56

The interaction between these two models; disposition (importation) and situational (deprivation) models have been widely accepted as providing a more convincing understanding of the impact of imprisonment on inmate violence than either model separately.

So putting them together to make one model seems the best way forward.

Question 57

Outline Jiang and Fisher-Giorlando’s research.

Answer 57

Picked up on the fact that it depends on who the aggression is directed towards that indicates which model might explain the act better.

For example, it is unclear why this is the case, but teasing apart the two possible sources of aggression is not easy.

Therefore, it seems that both contribute in differing amounts, depending on the individual act.

Question 58

Outline Gibbs’ study from 1981.

Answer 58

Violence is best viewed as the product of three interacting sets of variables:

1.The aggressor (personality, needs, concerns, perceptions).
2.The victim (personality etc.)
3.The situation (the human and physical environment in which the incident is taking place).