Lecture 7: Experiencing imprisonment (adaptation) Flashcards
What does the initial quote suggest about prison adaptation?
It requires mental toughness
What key facility do new prisoners go to first?
Reception
What does the term ‘pains of imprisonment’ refer to?
Deprivations faced
Which pain relates to lack of heterosexual contact?
Sexuality
What change does the quote from 1958 highlight regarding pains of imprisonment?
The switch from physical to psychological pains
What does the term ‘deep end custody’ refer to?
Oppressive maximum security conditions
How can staff exert control without physical punishment according to the quote?
Removal of privileges
What change has added ambiguity to staff-prisoner relationships?
Informal interactions
What issues arise from risk-based parole and progression decisions?
They worsen uncertainty
The ‘deprivation’ model sees prison culture responding to:
Inherent regime restrictions
What stance does the importation model take on prison culture?
It continues positive behaviors from outside
What role does the integration model see pre-prison behaviors playing?
Influencing adaptations
What shapes whether prisoners ‘swim with or against the tide’?
Relationships and incentives
Where does the inmate code concept originate?
Prisoner subculture
What issue limits universality of the inmate code?
Differing backgrounds
How does the IEP potentially undermine solidarity?
By dividing prisoners
What does IEP stand for?
Incentives and Earned Privileges
Where do sex offenders typically fall in prisoner hierarchies?
The bottom
What exception highlights interdependency with officers?
Joint safety needs
Why have drugs impacted prisoner solidarity?
They worsen violence
What issue arises from employing certain prisoners in food service roles?
Security risks
What does the inmate code say about ‘grassing’ others?
Exceptions can apply
What dilemma surrounds developing prison friendships?
Appearing weak or dependent
How are prison pains seen as having changed over time?
Less brutality but tighter control
The integration model sees prison culture arising through:
Interplay of restrictions and external influences
What shapes whether people ‘sink or swim’ in adapting to prison life?
Relationships formed and incentives
What issue limits universality of the inmate code?
Differing personal backgrounds
What change to staff-prisoner relationships adds ambiguity?
Informal interactions
What typical hierarchy exists between prisoners?
Seriousness of offence
What key tension exists in staff-prisoner relationships?
Communication risks distrust
The quote on drug impacts highlights what change?
Violence levels increased
What key dilemma affects developing prison friendships?
Appearing weak
What approach helps prisoners swim with the tide?
Conforming decisions
What issue exempts certain prisoners from hierarchies?
Protection needs
What change undermines universality of the inmate code?
Divisive incentive policies
Why can imprisonment without physical punishment still cause pain?
Psychological torment
The initial quote suggests prison adaptation is:
Crucial for survival
What key tension affects staff-prisoner relationships?
Communication risks distrust
According to the quote, drug impacts worsened:
Violence levels
What is the sociology of imprisonment?
Importance and difficulty of ethnographic and qualitative research with people living and working in prisons
What are we adapting to (sykes 1958 ; crewe 2011)?
- Traditional pains of imprisonment
- New burdens and frustrations for long term prisoners
What are Sykes 5 pains of imprisonment?
- Liberty
- Material goods and services
- Hetero-sexuality
- Autonomy
- Personal security
What is pains of imprisonment (liberty)?
Social isolation and rejection
What are pains of imprisonment (material goods, services)?
Lack of choice and access to preferred service providers
What are pains of imprisonment (heterosex)? - quote
‘Figuratively castrated by his involuntary celibacy’
What are pains of imprisonment (autonomy)? - quote
Reduced to the ‘weak, helpless, dependent status of childhood’
What are pains of imprisonment (personal security)?
- Enforced proximity with others
- Lack of privacy
What is deep end custody?
Oppressive PHYSICAL security
PSYCHOLOGICAL weight ‘bearing down’
Examples of deep end custody:
- Isolation from outside world
- Distance from release
- Subversive geraniums
- Unchecked staff power
Prison example of deep end custody:
HMP Whitemoor
3 new pains of imprisonment:
- Depth-weight
- Tightness
What are 3 attributes of new pains of imprisonment (tightness)?
- Uncertainty
- Indeterminacy
- Soft power
What does Cohen and Taylor say about time in prison?
Time as an open landscape rather than a set of pigeonholes
We moved from omnipresent observation to…
Self-governance
Examples of uncertainty, indeterminacy, soft power?
- Actuarial risk assessments
- Decisions at a distance: impersonal, inflexible
- Prison as hurdles, being set up to fail
- Greater ambiguity of friendly staff
4 models of adaptation:
- Indigenous
- Importation/sub-cultural
- Integration model
- U curve of adaptation
What is the indigenous (deprivation) model of adaptation?
- Culture determined by, and responds to, inherent pains and deprivations
- ‘Role-stripping’ and ‘civil death’
What is the importation (sub-cultural) models of adaptation?
- Culture maintains external behaviour and individual characteristics
- Multiple fluid sub-cultures
- Criminal (ethnic) gangs and ‘homecoming ceremonies’
3 multiple fluid subcultures
- Thief: professional, loyal
- Convict: individualistic
- Legitimate: conformist
What is the integration model of adaptation?
Culture reflects interdependent and interactive effects
Examples of integration model of adaptation:
- Distorted and adapted version of prison social life and outside culture
- Continuation of negative/positive pre-prison behaviours
What is the u-curve of adaptation? tide quote
From ‘kick off’ to ‘prisonisation’ to thoughts of release
- Swimming with rather against the tide
What is the inmate code?
The rules and values that have developed among prisoners inside prisons’ social systems
- No grassing
- No theft or exploitation from fellow ‘cons’
- Self-sufficiency - ‘be a man’, ‘do you own time’
Criticisms of inmate code:
- Governs social relations as ‘an ideal rather than a description’
- Hierarchy
Who is at the top of the prison hierarchy?
- Gangsters and ‘businessmen’
Who is in the middle of the prison hierarchy?
- Lads
- Foot soldiers
- Fragglers - people with mental health issues
Who is at the bottom of the prison hierarchy?
- Sex offender
- Transgender people
Criticisms of prison solidarity:
- Interdependency of staff and prisoners for safety
- Influence of cross-posting
- Distinctions between officers
Criticism of no theft from or exploitation of fellow cons
- Drugs and ‘double-bubble’
Hyper-masculinity is situated as:
‘Secondary proof of manhood’
