NCJ Number
181579
Journal
Journal of Crime & Justice Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 91-124
Editor(s)
J. M. Miller
Date Published
1999
Length
34 pages
Annotation
The purpose of the present investigation was to generate new knowledge about daily life and the unique cultures that comprise the prison experience for young male inmates at a closed security facility in North Carolina.
Abstract
Research shows the inmate subculture helps inmates cope with the special circumstances of prison life by providing ways of thinking, feeling, and acting for all aspects of prison life. Moreover, much research and debate have centered on factors influencing the development of this subculture. Data were obtained from 217 inmates at a closed security facility in North Carolina. The first part of the questionnaire asked socio-demographic questions, the second part asked a variety of crime-related questions, and the third part focused on prison-specific issues and topics. Results supported the original contention that inmates experienced some form of prisonization as a function of their "doing time" experience while incarcerated. Implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions for future research on the social world of juvenile inmates are offered. Appendixes list juvenile inmate responses to questions about their typical day in prison and about how they cope with prison stresses. 27 references and 3 tables