NCJ Number
72852
Date Published
1977
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Prison conditions affecting vulnerable, mentally ill, or violent inmates, other origins of inmate problem behavior, and ways of diminishing and managing such behavior are discussed in three addresses at a workshop.
Abstract
Prison conditions in themselves encourage irresponsible behavior by inmates as a way of adapting to the conditions imposed upon them. Problem behavior will not diminish unless conditions are created that encourage responsible autonomy and some insulation from the pressure to adapt to a deviant inmate subculture. Psychotic inmates who may become violent under extremely disoriented mental states can be controlled by medicine. Where medicine is not sufficient to diminish such behavior, segregation may be required. Other inmates, labeled sociopaths, often use any means to obtain what they want from other inmates and the prison system; medication does not change this basic personality and behavioral pattern. The general inmate population should be protected from such persons who comprise about 3 percent of the inmate population. Factors that can reduce the manifestation and effect of problem inmate behavior are single cells, smaller prison populations, the documentation of testing and psychological evaluations, the documentation of observations of inmates by staff at all levels, a commitment to protecting inmates from the small percentage of exploitive and dangerous inmates, and clear policies and reasonable decisionmaking regarding inmate behavior. Excerpts from the workshop discussion are provided.