institutional aggression Flashcards
(17 cards)
institutional aggression
aggressive or violent behaviour that takes place within the social context of a prison
dispositional explanations
the importation model
the importation model
criminals bring in ‘subcultures’ typical of criminality from the outside world into prisons
- beliefs, values, norms, attitudes
- willingness of inmates to use agg to settle disputes reflects their lives before imprisonment
the convict subculture
existing inmates use agg to establish power, status, influence as a means of negotiating their way through the unfamiliar environment
research into the importation model
DeLisi et al
- studied 813 juvenile delinquents confined in institutions in california
- bought in negative dispositional features, childhood trauma, high levels of anger, history of substance abuse and violent behaviour
- these inmates were more likely to engage in suicidal activity and sexual misconduct and committed more acts of physical violence than control group (fewer neg dispositions)
situational explanations
the deprivation model
the deprivation model
Clemmer’s deprivation model
- says cause of institutional agg is the environment itself
- harsh prison conditions are stressful for inmates so they resort to agg and violence to cope
harsh conditions of the prison environment
deprivation of…
- freedom
- independence
- material goods and services
- safety
- heterosexual intimacy
deprivation of material goods
esp important bc encourages comp between inmates to acquire them
- use aggression to do so
frustration in the prison environment
agg is also influenced by the nature of the prison environment, unpredictable
- use ‘lock ups’ as a way to control behaviour which creates frustration
- reduces access to activities = further deprivation of goods
research into the deprivation
Steiner
Steiner prison study
predicted inmate agg in 512 US prisons
- found inmate-on-inmate agg was more common in prisons w
> more female staff
> overcrowding
> more inmates in protective services
- all prison level factors, independent of the individual characteristics of prisoners
research support for the importation model
Camp and Gaes
- 561 male inmates w similar criminal histories and predispositions to agg
- half placed in low-security prisons and other half in high category
- 33% of low security and 36% of high category were involved in agg misconduct within 2 years
- similar results so agg is due to existing subcultures not environment
alternative explanation for importation
some claim it is an inadequate explanation
- ignores the role of prison officials and factors relating to the running of prisons
- poorly managed prisons are more likely to experience the most serious forms of inmate violence
> homicides and rioting
- proposed an ACM which says these factors are more influential than inmate characteristics in determining agg
research support for the deprivation model
Cunningham et al
- analysed 25 inmate homicides in Texas prisons and found motivations for all behaviours were linked to some of the deprivations listed by Clemmer
> arguments over drugs and homo relations
- factors predicted by the model to increase agg, so valid
contradictory research for some deprivations
Hensley
studied 256 male and female inmates who were allowed conjugal visits (sex visits from partner)
- found no correlation between visits and reduced agg
interactionist model
both models have supporting and opposing research evidence
- suggested that IM is more valid to explain inmate-on-inmate agg and DM is more valid to explain agg toward staff
- deprivation does not necessarily lead to violence unless combined w individual, imported characteristics
