NCJ Number
50863
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1978) Pages: 40-45
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
INMATE POLITICAL CULTURE IS ANALYZED TO ILLUMINATE THE SOURCES AND EXTENT OF UNION SUPPORT AMONG INMATES, AND THE PROS AND CONS OF INMATE UNIONIZATION ARE CONSIDERED FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF CORRECTIONAL POLICYMAKING.
Abstract
IN ORDER TO ESTIMATE THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF INMATE SUPPORT FOR THE KIND OF POLITICS WHICH PRISONERS' UNIONS REFLECT, IT IS BELIEVED IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE INMATE ADAPTATIONS TO PRISON LIFE. THE TYPOLOGY OF INMATE ADAPTATION SELECTED AS A POINT OF REFERENCE IS THAT DEVELOPED BY CLARENCE SCHRAG IN HIS 1961 STUDY, WHERE INMATES WERE DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING CLASSIFICATIONS: (1) 'SQUARE JOHNS'--DEFINED AS THOSE WHO TENDED TO CONFORM TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF PRISON AUTHORITIES; (2) 'CON POLITICIANS'--IDENTIFIED AS INMATES WHO SOUGHT TO PLEASE BOTH FELLOW INMATES AND PRISON AUTHORITIES ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN SELF-INTEREST; (3) 'OUTLAWS'--DEFINED AS INMATES ALIENATED FROM BOTH THE INMATE CULTURE AND THE PRISON ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERISTICALLY VIOLENT; AND (4) 'RIGHT GUYS'--IDENTIFIED AS THOSE WITH AN APPARENTLY CONSISTENT CONCERN FOR FELLOW INMATES AND ANTAGONISM FOR PRISON AUTHORITIES. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE 'RIGHT GUYS' FORM THE LEADERSHIP CADRE PRESSING FOR INMATE UNIONIZATION. IT IS PREDICTED, HOWEVER, THAT WITH OFFICIAL APPROVAL BY PRISON AUTHORITIES THE 'SQUARE JOHNS' AND 'CON POLITICIANS' WOULD GIVE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT TO UNIONIZATION. THE POLICY IMPACT OF UNIONIZATION APPEARS MIXED. IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT THE RIGHT OF INMATES TO BARGAIN COLLECTIVELY, WHILE PREFERABLE TO VIOLENCE, COULD CONFLICT WITH THE STATE'S INTEREST IN MAINTAINING A SECURE, FRUGAL PENAL SYSTEM. IT IS ARGUED, HOWEVER, THAT THIS TENSION IS LARGELY A MANIFESTATION OF THE LONG-TERM CONFLICTS BETWEEN COMPETING POLICY GOALS OF INMATES AND PRISON AUTHORITIES, CONFLICTS WHICH WOULD PERSIST IN THE ABSENCE OF UNION ACTIVITIES. THE OPPORTUNITIES WHICH UNIONS OFFER FOR MORE BALANCED ADVOCACY CONCERNING PENAL PRACTICES, REDUCED RISK OF BLOODSHED, AND INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY ON THE PART OF INMATES, IS BELIEVED TO SUGGEST A RELATIVELY BENIGN PROGNOSIS OF UNIONIZATION'S IMPACT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. (RCB)