NCJ Number
200322
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2003 Pages: 158-175
Editor(s)
Frances Crook
Date Published
May 2003
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article examines the phenomenology of prison time, focusing on the experiences of time among long-term male young offenders, their idea of time and the strategies they use to control prison time, specifically drug use.
Abstract
Time and imprisonment are integrally linked, as time is the basic structuring dimension of incarcerated life for both the inmates and the staff. Time is highly controlled in prison and routines are essential to maintaining control. So, inmates’ perspectives of time are influenced by the extent time is controlled in custody. This article explores perspectives of time among 30 long-term young male inmates in prison and serving sentences from 3-years to life, reflecting on their drug use as a strategy enabling them to manage their time. The article begins with a discussion of the theory of time and inmates’ conceptions of time in custody. Inmates potentially faced a similar challenge inside prison, as they did outside, passing an abundance of unstructured time. Inmates adopted a number of strategies to help them cope with time, one such strategy was the process of “time suspension.” A common way to suspend time is by sleeping. However, sleep can be difficult due to things, such as the noise in prison and the stress of imprisonment. So, the majority of inmates would use drugs to help them sleep and relax. Drugs offered an escape and the ability to slip away from reality. References