NCJ Number
225351
Journal
International Criminal Justice Review Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2008 Pages: 435-454
Date Published
December 2008
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Based on the experiences of 30 inmates housed in 3 prisons in Jamaica, this exploratory study examined inmate responses, coping, and adaptive strategies in substandard and culturally distinctive prison environments.
Abstract
The findings show variations in inmate adaptations and responses to prison life in substandard environments that violated basic international rights for the care and treatment of inmates. It was evident that for a few respondents their preprison life circumstance influenced how they responded to the prison setting. Although prison life was generally stressful for the inmates, their responses and adaptations to incarceration were based on personal convictions and beliefs forged prior to their entering prison. Despite living in extremely poor and inhumane prison settings, inmates accustomed to experiencing and coping with adverse environments outside of prison that tested their emotional and physical survival skills were able to accept the realities of prison life and even draw some positive meaning from it. For some inmates, prison was even a refuge from personal hardships outside of prison. Institutional differences were apparent in inmate experiences and responses to prison life. The majority of respondents at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Center (TSACC), which was located on the outskirts of an impoverished community in Kingston, had a difficult time adjusting. The deprivations of prison life were more acutely felt by inmates who lived with the daily threat of violent victimization. Women who were citizens of other countries had a more difficult time adjusting to life in a Jamaican prison. Women inmates emphasized the importance of developing friendships in order to help them cope with prison life. Men, on the other hand, spoke of not trusting others and the difficulty of developing close friendships in prison. Causes and remedies for Jamaica’s inhumane prison environments are discussed. 2 tables and 58 references