Situational explanation Flashcards
(6 cards)
Who talks about the deprivation model?
Clemmer
What is the deprivation model?
Causes of institutional aggression within the prison environment itself
Harsh prison conditions are stressful for inmates - cope by resorting to aggressive violent behaviour
Harsh conditions - psychological factors and physical factors
Deprivation of material goods is closely linked to aggression because it increases competition amongst inmates
How is aggression influenced by nature of the prison regime?
If it is unpredictable and regularly uses lock ups to control behaviour
Creates frustration - reduces stimulation by barring other more interesting activities and reduces even further access to goods
Recipe for violence - becomes adaptive solution to the problem of deprivation
What did Steiner study about prison-level factors linked to outcomes?
Investigated factors predicting aggression
512 US prisons
Inmate-on-inmate violence was more common in prisons where there was higher proportion of staff who were women, overcrowding and more inmates in protective custody
Prison level factors - they are independent of individual characteristics of prisoners
Reliably predicted aggressive behaviour in line with the deprivation model
What is a strength for the deprivation model?
Research support
Cunningham et al
Analysed 35 inmate homicides
Texas prisons
2000-2008
Found perpetrators motivations for their violent behaviours were linked to some of the deprivaters identified
Many homicides followed agreements between cell-sharing inmates - boundaries were judged to have been crossed
Particularly important were arguments over drugs, sexual activity and personal possessions
Factors identified by deprivation model, supporting models validity
What is a limitation of the deprivation model?
Contradictory research
Model predicts lack of heterosexual contact should lead to high levels of aggressive behaviour in prisons
Henseley et al
Studied 256 male and female inmates
Two prisons in Mississippi
States - conjugal visits (specifically to have sex)
No link between involvement in these visits and reduced aggressive behaviour
Suggesting situational factors do not substantially affect prison violence
