Dr. Terry M. Mors, Ed.D. © 2010

Mors Copyright 2010 Prisons  A prison is a state or federal confinement facility that has custodial authority over adults sentenced to confinement. Approximately  1,325 state prisons  84 federal prisons On January 1, 2006, state and federal prisons held 1,461,132 inmates. Almost 7% of those imprisoned were women.

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Sentences In state prisons:  52% are violent criminals  21% are property criminals  20% are drug law violators In federal prisons:  55% are drug law violators

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Population & Race  The rate of imprisonment for African- American males is seven times greater than that of white males.  Bureau of Justice Statistics states that a black male in America has a 32.3% lifetime chance of going to prison; white males have a 5.9% chance.

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Overcrowding  Prison capacity—the size of the correctional population an institution can effectively hold. There are three types of prison capacity:  Rated  Operational  Design  Rhodes v. Chapman (1981)— overcrowding is not by itself cruel and unusual punishment.

Mors Copyright 2010 Maximum Security Most maximum security institutions tend to be massive old buildings with a large inmate population, including all death row inmates. They provide a high level of security with:  High fences/walls of concrete  Several barriers between living area  Secure cells  Armed guards  Gun towers

Mors Copyright 2010 Medium Security Medium-security prisons are similar in design to maximum-security facilities; however, they:  Usually have more windows.  Tend to have barbed wire fences instead of large stone walls.  Sometimes use dormitory style housing.  Allow inmates more freedom to move about.  Rely on a “count” mechanism.

Mors Copyright 2010 Minimum Security In minimum security prisons:  Housing tends to be dormitory style.  Prisoners usually have freedom of movement within the facility.  Work is done under general supervision only.  Guards are unarmed, and gun towers do not exist.  Fences, if they exist, are low and sometimes unlocked.  “Counts” may not be taken.  Prisoners are sometimes allowed to wear their own clothes

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Classification System Classification systems determine which custody level to assign an inmate to. Assignments are based on:  Offense history  Assessed dangerousness  Perceived risk of escape  Other factors Inmates may move among the security levels depending on their behavior. Internal classification systems determine placement and program assignment within an institution.

Mors Copyright 2010 The Federal Prison System Today’s federal prison system consists of:  103 institutions  6 regional offices  The Central office (headquarters)  2 staff training centers  28 community corrections offices At the start of 2005, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employed 35,023 persons.

Mors Copyright 2010 The Federal Prison Classification Sysytem There are five security levels. 1.Administrative maximum (ADMAX) 2.High security (U.S. penitentiaries) 3.Medium security (federal correctional institutions) 4.Low security (federal correctional institutions) 5.Minimum security (federal prison camps) Additionally, there are administrative facilities,like metropolitan detention centers (MDCs…the “jails” of federal system) and medical centers for federal prisoners (MDFPs).

Mors Copyright 2010 Jails  Jails—locally operated, short-term confinement facilities.  Original purpose— confinement of suspects following arrest and awaiting trial.  Current use—confinement of those convicted of misdemeanors and some felonies, as well as holding suspects following arrest and awaiting trial.

Mors Copyright 2010 Jails Annually, 20 million people go to jail. A 2006 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the nation’s jails held 747,529 inmates.  13% women  6,757 juveniles  62% involved in the trial process Jail authorities supervised another 71,905 inmates under certain community-based programs.

Mors Copyright 2010 Jails There are 3,360 jails in the United States  Most jails are small, designed to hold 50 or fewer inmates.  Some jails are very big, like “mega- jails” in LA and NYC.  6% of all jails hold over 50% of all prisoners. There are 207,600 jail employees.  3 to 1 inmate to staff ratio The average cost to jail one inmate is more than $14,500.

Mors Copyright 2010 Jails Most people process through jails are members of minority groups:  61% minority  40.1% African American  18.5% Hispanic  36% Caucasian Typical charges:  12.1% drug trafficking  11.7% assault  10.8% drug possession  7% larceny

Mors Copyright 2010 Total Institutions Prisons are a type of total institution— enclosed places where people share all aspects of their daily lives. Residents of total institutions:  May be sent there forcibly  Are cut off from larger society  Operate like “small societies”  Form distinctive value systems and life styles

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Subculture New inmates undergo a process of prisonization, through which they learn convict values, attitudes, roles, and language (argot) that make up the prison subculture.

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Cubculture Five elements of the prison code:  Don’t interfere with interests of other inmates—don’t rat on others  Play it cool—do your own time  Don’t whine—be a man  Don’t exploit inmates—don’t break your word  Don’t be a sucker—don’t trust guards or staff Sykes and Messinger: The Inmate Social System (1960)

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Subculture Research on prison subcultures suggests that they:  Evolve to reflect the concerns and experiences of the wider culture  Develop independently of the plan of prison administrators  Are consistent among prisons across the United States

Mors Copyright 2010 The Function of Prison Subculture Two Explanations for Prison Society: Deprivation Model Prison subculture develops as a way to adapt to deprivations faced by inmates:  Liberty  Goods and services  Autonomy  Personal security  Heterosexual relationships Importation Model Inmates bring values, roles, and behaviors with them from the outside world when they enter prison.

Mors Copyright 2010 Advantages and Disadvantages of Probation and Parole Advantages  Low cost  Increased employment  Restitution  Community support  Reduced risk of criminal sanctions  Increased use of community services  Better rehabilitation opportunities

Mors Copyright 2010 Prison Lifestyles and Inmate Types Inmates express themselves through the choice of prison lifestyles. Some of the types of inmates that researchers have described are:  Mean dude  Hedonist  Opportunist  Retreatist  Legalist  Radical  Colonist  Religious  Realist

Mors Copyright 2010 Inmate Types Mean Dude: …is dangerous, quick to fight, and best left alone. He receives frequent write- ups for violations and spends a lot of time in solitary. Prison subculture supports role of mean dude by:  Expecting prisoners to be tough  Values that say “only the strong survive”

Mors Copyright 2010 Inmate Types Hedonist: … builds life around limited pleasures in prison (smuggling, gambling, drug running, homosexuality, etc.). Opportunist: … takes advantage of positive experiences prison has to offer, such as schooling, trade programs, counseling, etc.

Mors Copyright 2010 Inmate Types Retreatist: … attempts some form of psychological retreat from realities of prison, often becoming heavily involved in drug and alcohol use leading to depression and mental illness. Legalist: … the “jail house” lawyer—fights confinement through the law.

Mors Copyright 2010 Inmate Types Radical: … views himself as a political prisoner, society = the oppressor. Religious: … has strong religious ties and may be “born again.”

Mors Copyright 2010 Inmate Types Colonist: … views prison as “home.”  Has many friends inside  Often holds position of power and/or respect  Does not look forward to leaving prison  Has been known to commit new crimes to return to prison

Mors Copyright 2010 Inmate Types Realist: … sees incarceration as a natural consequence of criminal activity— just an unfortunate part of “doing criminal business”—follows inmate code and does not get in trouble.

Mors Copyright 2010 Homosexuality in Prison Prison subculture both constrains and promotes homosexuality.  Words within argot describe homosexuality  Newcomers frequently preyed upon  Sex used as a commodity  Prison rape does occur Sexual assaults in prison are likely to leave psychological scars long after the physical event is over.

Mors Copyright 2010 Female Inmates At the start of 2006, there were more than 98,000 women in state and federal facilities.  7% of the total prison population  Increasing at a faster rate than male inmates

Mors Copyright 2010 National Profile of Female Offenders According to the NIC, women offenders are:  Disproportionately women of color  In their early to mid-30s  Most likely to have been convicted of a drug-related offense  From fragmented families that include other family members who also have been involved with the criminal justice system

Mors Copyright 2010 Institutions for Women Most female inmates are housed in centralized state facilities. Institutions housing women:  Usually are located in towns with fewer than 25,000 inhabitants.  Typically not designed to house female inmates.  Some also house men.  Few have programs especially designed for female offenders.  Few major disturbances or escapes reported.  High rates of substance abuse.  Few work assignments.

Mors Copyright 2010 Social Structure in Women’s Prisons Some researchers have discovered a social structure in which women form relationships with each other that are similar to those experienced outside of prison life.  Courtship, marriage  Kinship systems Additionally, lesbianism and staff- inmate sexual misconduct exists.

Mors Copyright 2010 Types of Female Inmates Esther Hoffman (1972) found three styles of female adaptation to prison life: 1.The square 2.The cool 3.The life Recently, another type of inmate has emerged: “crack kids.”

Mors Copyright 2010 Adressing the Problems of Imprisoned Women The Task Force on the Female Offender recommends the following changes: 1.Make substance abuse programs available 2.Build greater literacy skills 3.House females in separate facilities 4.Develop programs allowing women to keep children in the facility 5.Ensure equal access to assistance with programming

Mors Copyright 2010 End