To begin, the prison population is very unique which brings a difficult population of inmates. Prison staff members has in some situations no control over, and in other situations total control over an inmate behavior. Traditionally known, inmates tend to be very aggressive, willing to challenge correctional staff, and always willing to contend for any given thing. Resulting in correctional staff members having to put up with a lot of physically and verbally aggressive inmates than ever before.
Inmate subculture is basically a natural reaction or simply adapting. The definition of subculture is a cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture. Furthermore, subculture
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refers to group that shares common values, norms, beliefs and Prison subculture refers to inmate code.
The process of taking on norms and customs of prisons is called prisonization. Some of the features of prison subculture are things like not telling on your fellow prisoners, do not ever …show more content…
trust correctional staff, always look out for cellmates, always share anything that you have, and show your loyalty to the other inmates. For example, for someone who has killed a police officer is the reflection of a disgraceful individual. Usually or almost always this type of person is housed in some type of maximum security level institution and will be well respected by the other inmates as the cop killer or praised for being an outlaw which is ultimately the highest level of respect in prison. There are correctional officers at the local, state, and federal level.
The local level is considered the county jail which is usually ran by the sheriff’s office. The state level is the state correctional facility. The federal level of the federal correctional facility. Correctional officers in the county jail usually processes inmates in and out of the County Jail, while filing all paperwork necessary to the process. Confirms all court commitments, warrants to discharge and other orders of the court. Such as schedules all inmate transportation between the County Jail and other detention facilities, fingerprints inmates, photographs all incoming inmates, searches inmates according to established procedures segregating as necessary and assigning or admitting inmates to cell blocks. Watch over all inmates visually and or by surveillance cameras in all areas of the Jail for their overall well-being and the security of the facility. Also supervises trustees in their work assignments, hand out medication, distribute jail or bed clothing, hand out commissary items, and administers to all other needs of inmates as may be required. Directs inmate movement inside and or outside of Jail, arranges for medical or dental appointments, court appearances, professional evaluations and any other required transportation; schedules telephone calls and visitation hours for inmates. Communicates directly with officers of the court, parole officers, Clerk of Courts personnel, other law
enforcement agencies, and penal institutions concerning inmate-related matters. Correctional officer at the state correctional facilities of course supervise inmates in housing units and those segregated for administrative or punitive measures, direct inmates in housekeeping and sanitation, monitor the issuance of clothing and other personal effects to inmates. Make frequent patrols of quarters and work areas and initiate counts of inmates at regular and irregular intervals, while maintaining control and discipline including use of physical restraint and restraining devices, and prevent the introduction of contraband into the institution. Also, checks inmate mail for possible contraband, maintain a periodic patrol either inside or outside the institution to ensure the security and integrity of the institution. Monitor, supervise and screen inmate visitor traffic, monitor periguard system, and observe traffic in and around the compound. Federal correctional officers provide supervision and care to federal inmates. The care and supervision they provide must contribute to the health and welfare of the inmates and the promotion of good public relations. Basic duties involved in federal correctional officer jobs include enforcing the institution’s rules and regulations, including facility security and inmate conduct and accountability. Federal correctional officers must have a key set of Knowledge, Skills and Abilities known as the KSAs, which include the ability to supervise others, to communicate verbally, and to react in crisis situations. Correctional officers display unique personalities. There are officers who are fresh from the academy and just can't wait to show off his or her skills. A good officers will be willing to acquire new information that their co-workers and supervisors share with them and always ask questions to make sure they are always doing the right thing. A correctional officer who is considered a bad officer is this next personality type which is a know it all. The officer will try to display that they know every aspect of the job such as the departmental policy.
As a newly promoted Lieutenant in charge of jail operations in the Houston Police Department (HPD), there are several critical issues regarding the jail environment that require immediate attention such as, inadequate conditions of confinement, health care, security measures, and sexual misconduct between correctional officers and inmates. The aforementioned issues are a controversial topic all across the U.S. and it usually attracts media attention and creates negative publicity towards the Department of Corrections. A lieutenant of jail operations is responsible for his or he shift and oversees multiple areas of the jail facility. Responsibilities of a jail lieutenant includes but is not limited to the following: (1) coordinate shift activities;
Within the film, prison culture illustrates the subculture within Shawshank State Prison. Prison culture and the Inmate Code dictate the typical rules and values that have emerged in prisons (Clear, 2006). The aggression of both prison guards and inmates, as well as the punishments and sanctions imposed for deviant behavior highlight the prison subculture. Throughout the film, the inmates showcase certain distinctive markers of the subculture that set the group apart from the dominant culture because they use cigarettes as currency, engage in violence, establish specific roles and identity, and share similar goals and values, such as
Being a prisoner has more restrictions than one may believe. Prisoners are told when they should participate in daily activities and what they are allowed to say or do on a daily basis. This is not a life anyone is determined to experience during any period of time. However, all though for most prison life is just a depiction in a movie or on television, it is a reality for many. Their crimes and behaviors brought them into a world of being stripped of their freedom. Those who oversee the prisoners must control order within the brick walls. An article discussing the duties of a prison officer, defines it as one who “...has responsibility for the security, supervision, training and rehabilitation of people committed to prison by the courts”
Assaults on correctional officers in prison are not uncommon. Aggressive inmates need to be kept under control, which can sometimes cause fights between themselves and the officers. According to Stephen C. Light, a graduate from SUNY Plattsburgh “The sample consists of the 694 incidents of assaults by prisoners on offices that were reported to have occurred in 31 New York State prisons” (Light, 1991). The amount of assaults on officers demonstrates how violent inmates can get. Over 600 assaults in 31 different NY State prisons, displays one of the many hardships and challenges that come with being a corrections officer. Prison cells and housing areas are two places where prisoners spend most of their time. Those areas are the ones with the most frequent outbreak of assaults occur (Light, 1991). However, there is more to the assaults on officers than just how many there are and the location of where they
Gresham M. Sykes describes the society of captives from the inmates’ point of view. Sykes acknowledges the fact that his observations are generalizations but he feels that most inmates can agree on feelings of deprivation and frustration. As he sketches the development of physical punishment towards psychological punishment, Sykes follows that both have an enormous effect on the inmate and do not differ greatly in their cruelty.
Prisons exist in this country as a means to administer retributive justice for those that break the laws in our society or to state it simply prisons punish criminals that are to receive a sentence of incarceration for more than one year. There are two main sub-cultures within the walls of prison the sub-culture of the Department of Corrections (which consists of the corrections officer, administrators, and all of the staff that work at the prison and go home at the end of their day) and the actual prisoners themselves. As you can imagine these two sub-cultures are dualistic in nature and this makes for a very stressful environment for both sides of the fence. While in prison, the inmates experience the same conditions as described in the previous
In the 1970s, prison was a dangerous place. Prison violence and the high numbers of disruptive inmates have led prison authorities to seek new ways to control prisoners. At first, prison staff sought to minimize contact with prisoners by keeping them in their cells for a majority of the day. As time went on, the prison authorities began to brainstorm the idea of having entire prisons dedicated to using these kinds of procedures to control the most violent and disruptive inmates. By 1984, many states began construction on super-maximum prisons.
Prison gangs are originally formed by inmates as a way of protecting themselves from the other inmates. These gangs have turned out to be violent and thus posing a threat to security. This paper will have a look at the different gangs in prisons, their history, beliefs and missions, and the differences and similarities in these gangs.
There are two different kinds of influences on prison misconduct, there is the combined characteristics of the inmates themselves, and the combined characteristics of the staff in control of them (Camp, Gaes, Langan, Saylor (2003). Prison misconduct has been classified into significant fields related to drug use, violence, property offenses, prison accountability and escapes, security-related offenses, security offenses interfering with daily operations, along with a residual category (Camp, Gaes, Langan, Saylor (2003). Misconduct spoils the effective procedure of the correctional institution, detracting from its capability to present the intentional services to the superior society (Goetting & Howsen (1986).
There is roughly 2.4 million people locked up in the United states. This statistic surprises everyone and automatically makes them think about the conditions of the prisoners. Even though prisoners have to deal with harsh conditions, most people do not think about the effects of prisons on correctional officers. Even though some may argue that prison conditions are too harsh, correctional officers still have to endure the same conditions as prisoners even though they are not the ones that are locked up. Correctional officers have to endure violence from inmates, intense stress that can cause psychological problems, and stress on families.
“It’s really clear that the most effective way to turn a nonviolent person into a violent one is to send them to prison,” says Harvard University criminologist James Gilligan. The American prison system takes nonviolent offenders and makes them live side-by-side with hardened killers. The very nature of prison, no matter people view it, produces an environment that is inevitably harmful to its residents.
According to Caldwell, prison culture is a mix of habit systems, behavior patterns, prison customs & folkways, the prisoners' code and prisoner's attitudes and opinions toward the prison system, personnel and major social institutions in "free society" (655). Caldwell argues that prison culture includes the "prison folklore and mythology built around historic events such as outstanding prison riots, daring prison breaks, protracted sit-down strikes, dramatic deeds of perseverance, fortitude and valor by prison inmates and previous criminal exploits of the some of the nation's dangerous criminals" (655). In other words, a lot of prison culture revolves around the major events (i.e. riots, escapes and attempts) or personal actions (criminal exploits, notable deeds, etc.) that change everything and brings prison life to a standstill. Caldwell suggests that direct involvement in either of those two categories will undoubtedly impact one's standing within the community and how the rest of the prison population perceives them. Thus, Caldwell’s research supports my theory that inmates champion almost anybody who makes an open act of defiance against the system. It's another important aspect of the social structure in prison community since the culture in prisons and the type of behavior they
The norms of the prison are held up by sanctions, both by the prisoners and by the violence of the guards. Some examples of these sanctions are the degradation ceremonies established new inmates as inferior, violence by the guards enforcing their power over the prisoners, prisoners act in such a way that these techniques fail, and being sent to solitary confinement. All of these enforce their isolation and works to break them as a human being, reminding them their role as a prisoner and their lack of power. By doing this, one would want to abide by the rules to veer away from any severe
Firstly, in order to gain a better understanding of the problems that plague or correctional system we must fully understand the enormous overcrowding problem that exist in the majority of or state and federal prisons. Since 1980 the prison population has quadrupled and only the numb...
Prison was designed to house and isolate criminals away from the society in order for our society and the people within it to function without the fears of the outlaws. The purpose of prison is to deter and prevent people from committing a crime using the ideas of incarceration by taking away freedom and liberty from those individuals committed of crimes. Prisons in America are run either by the federal, states or even private contractors. There are many challenges and issues that our correctional system is facing today due to the nature of prisons being the place to house various types of criminals. In this paper, I will address and identify three major issues that I believe our correctional system is facing today using my own ideas along with the researches from three reputable outside academic sources.