Inmate Subculture Essay

organization of prisons, an informal organization among inmates, known, as the inmate’s subculture is thriving and equally influential. The inmate subculture is comprised of informal norms, peculiar language, beliefs, attitudes, values, and statuses that give these prisoners a sense of belonging and having a role in this society, that is different from people on the outside, or as prisoners say, those of us in the free world (Inmate Subcultures, 2018). For this assignment, we will discuss the common aspects of the male and female prison subcultures. We will discuss as well, the differences and similarities. We will begin our discussion with the male inmate subculture.

Schmalleger (2018) writes the world we live in today, people live in groups and create their own cultures, but nothing comes close to the intensity of human interaction at the level found in prisons. Prison society is strict and often unforgiving. The reality of prison life,

As in the institution for men, the subculture of women’s prison is multidimensional. The three terms used by female prisoners to describe the lifestyle on the inside is you’re either a “square”, they tend to sympathize with conventional society due to a few early experiences with criminal lifestyles. You’re a “cool”, these prisoners are career offenders, and have a tendency to keep to themselves while supporting inmate values (Schmalleger, 2018).

Lastly, a “life “inmate is one that is a repeat offender. Many have been arrested for drugs, prostitution, theft, and the list goes on. The females that fall into this life category usually have committed, family relationships, and achieve high status in the pecking order, and find meaning in their prison lives. A lot of these “life” inmates become or are former “Guerrillas, violent female inmates who use violence to settle questions of dominance and force