Prison and all that goes with it….. Unit 4 Seminar CJ240 Prison and all that goes with it…..

Housekeeping….Welcome Baaaaack!! Midterm week next week No seminar!! Unit 5 project, no exam 2 issues Makes sure to do your research here Watch the writing! Citation and plagiarism Posting! Check your grades so far 3 week make up rule

Tonight… In the seminar for Unit 4, we will consider the problems related to overcrowding in prison and why they exist. We will also discuss the unique culture that is found in prison and how people adapt to it. We will look at issues and groups in prison, including females, homosexuals, gangs, and violence. You will see that the actions and relationships of inmates usually have a greater influence on the development of the prison culture than do the policies and procedures of staff.

Prisons What types of offenders are housed in prisons? What are the different philosophies for prison? Segregate the dangerous Rehabilitate those that we can Tough on crime

What is the point? Prison–institution designed to house convicted felons serving one year or more Public’s attitude toward crime has resulted in prisons becoming most popular correctional tool for punishment, deterrence, and incapacitation Prison construction boom! Where has that left us?

Some Problems With Prison Overcrowding - Rhodes v. Chapman 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overcrowded conditions resulting in two inmates housed in cells designed for one person was not a violation of the Eighth Amendment right of protection from cruel and unusual punishment Cruel and Unusual punishment How do we determine if it is cruel and unusual punishment Totality of the circumstances

Changes in Prisons Changes in philosophy/mission Cost of incarceration Supervision in the community also affected Shift from counseling to risk management and surveillance “New penology”–traditional objectives of rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism replaced by rational and efficient use of control strategies “War on drugs” Cost of incarceration Growth of prison populations

What happened? State penal codes usually include street crimes such as murder, robbery, burglary U.S. Congress has continually federalized crimes such as bank robbery, kidnapping, etc. As a result less of a distinction between types of inmates in state and federal prisons The Federal Prison System Three Penitentiary Act (1891) authorized construction of three federal prisons to house federal offenders Established the Federal Bureau of Prisons Congress passed an act to establish BOP in 1930

Sentencing has had an impact…. Growth of the Bureau of Prisons: Sentencing Reform Act (1984)- an act of Congress that abolished parole, established determinate sentencing, and reduced the amount of good time available to federal offenders

Security? Five security levels 1) Minimum (federal prison camps)–dormitory housing, low staff-to-inmate ratio, limited or no perimeter fencing 2) Low (federal correctional institutions)–double- fenced perimeters, mostly dormitory housing, strong work and program components, and a higher staff-to-inmate ratio 3) Medium (federal correctional institutions)– double fences with electronic detection systems, mostly cells for housing, higher staff- to-inmate ratio

Security, con’t Five security levels (continued) 5) Administrative–institutions with special missions: detention of pretrial offenders, treatment of inmates with serious or chronic medical problems, or containment of extremely dangerous, violent, or escape-prone inmates; also houses inmates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Marshals

Prison Life and Culture Somebody is always watching Interaction between staff and inmates Inmate Code Different types of inmates Squares Old Men Young punks Any others??

Culture? Prison culture: unique set of values, traditions, roles, expectations, language, and customs in a prison “Prisonization” - process of inmates taking on in greater or lesser degree the folkways, mores, and customs of general culture of prison leads to increased identification with prison culture, which makes it difficult to adapt to in the free world after release Inmate code: the expected rules and behaviors represented by the model prisoner, reflecting the values and norms of prison society

Who are these people? Convicts–long-term inmates Thieves–adopted a career of crime, and just doing time until they can get out and hit the “big score” Square johns–probably first-time offenders; have more of identification with “straight” society

Violence? Three categories of inmates who generally resort to violence: Anti-social offenders who use violence to get what they want Special-needs offenders with physical or mental problems Psychopathic offenders who are cold and predatory

Gangs in Prison Prison gangs–groups that form in prison and use the threat of violence to intimidate other inmates, control drug sales and prostitution, and gain power and influence First identified in California in the 1960s Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia, Black Guerilla Family, La Nuestra Familia, Mexikanemi, Texas Syndicate

Prison Gang Control Strategies Limiting inmate access to money Placing most violent members in special facilities Developing gang intelligence Recruiting informants Observing daily routines Debrief–to tell correctional officials everything a gang member knows about the gang operations and membership Once inmates debrief they become an enemy of the gang

Rape Prisons have problems of forced sex acts or rape Most common targets are small, young inmates Steps to reduce this behavior include early warnings, staff watch for signs of aggressive acts, and investigation of allegations In an attempt to reduce activity, some prisons allow conjugal visits

Women’s Prisons Difference between men and women prisons More family-centric Same problems and issues as male prisons Gender-related policies resulted in programming that reinforced gender stereotypes Are there as many issues Security issues

Woman’s Prisons Have similar inmate code, but not as important as in male facilities 65 percent of female inmates are mothers Formation of pseudofamilies Lesbian relationships are common: search for affection, emotional support, and sharing

Questions, comments, concerns?? Jhulvat@Kaplan.edu; 630-201-3307 Remember….no seminar next week