NCJ Number
53833
Date Published
1977
Length
231 pages
Annotation
THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE COED PRISON IS EXAMINED IN THIS PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA.
Abstract
A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH VIEWS HUMAN BEHAVIOR AS A PRODUCT OF HOW PEOPLE INTERPRET THEIR WORLD; THUS, THE INTEREST IS NOT IN OBJECTS, BUT IN THEIR MEANINGS. THE METHOD OF STUDY USED FOR THIS RESEARCH WAS PRIMARILY PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION. DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH INFORMAL INTERVIEWS, PERSONAL OBSERVATION OF MEETINGS, QUESTIONNAIRES, AND DAY-TO-DAY INTERACTIONS WITH INMATES AND STAFF, RESULTING IN THE FORMULATION OF DESCRIPTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS. ON THE PATTERNS OF SEXUAL ADAPTATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT, IN COMPARISON WITH SAME-SEX INSTITUTIONS, THE PREDATORY TYPE OF HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVITY WAS VIRTUALLY ABSENT AT PLEASANTON, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE INMATES WERE HETEROSEXUALLY ORIENTED. ON THE ROLE OF COCORRECTIONS IN REDUCING PRISON VIOLENCE, IT WAS FOUND THAT INMATE ADJUSTMENT TO PLEASANTON INVOLVED OPEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INMATES AND STAFF. PRISON VIOLENCE WAS MINIMAL. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INMATES AND STAFF WAS FOUND TO BE ORGANIZED IN THREE MAIN WAYS: (1) BY FORMAL ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN STAFF AND INMATES; (2) BY INMATE PRESSURE; AND (3) BY INFORMAL INMATE-STAFF CONTACTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT COED PRISONS ARE PREFERABLE TO SAME-SEX PRISONS BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A MORE NATURAL ATMOSPHERE FOR THE INMATES AND BECAUSE THE STAFF'S JOB OF CONTROL IS EASIER. TABULAR DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MLC)