NCJ Number
82804
Journal
Social Defence Volume: 16 Issue: 63 Dated: (January 1981) Pages: 47-53
Date Published
1981
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This Indian paper discusses the adjustment of inmates to the prison environment, the concept of prisonization, and special problems of women prisoners.
Abstract
Unlike that of the free community, the social system of the prison community is mainly concentrated in organizing a barrier against official authority, while maintaining inmate unity. The inmate culture helps individual prisoners tolerate the rigidity of the prison rule and compromise with present conditions. In an inmate society, solidarity is often found to be highly significant. In addition, the staff-inmate relationship greatly affects inmate behavior. When inmates first enter the prison they are considered to be outsiders by other inmates. Gradually, segregation from free society and deprivation of essential rights leads to a sense of change in the new inmates, as they are assimilated into the inmate culture. This process is termed prisonization. The effect of prisonization is dependent upon inmates' personalities and the extent and kind of relationships maintained with persons outside the prison. In the case of women offenders, imprisonment produces far more painful reactions. Along with social deprivation, women inmates also undergo many psychological deprivations. Attitudes toward co-inmates are characterized by doubt and suspicion. It is suggested that the pain of imprisonment could be mitigated by encouraging social interaction among the women inmates themselves. The paper provides eight references.