PRISONS IN SOCIETY, OR SOCIETY AS A PRISON - A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS (FROM PRISONS PAST AND FUTURE, 1978, BY JOHN C FREEMAN - SEE NCJ-58327)

• NCJ Number: 58335
• Author(s): N CHRISTIE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

TRENDS IN THE USE OF THE WORD 'PRISON', ELEMENTS IN THE DEFINITION OF A PRISON, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SCOPE OF PRISON REFORM ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THERE ARE TWO EASILY OBSERVABLE TRENDS IN THE USE OF THE WORD 'PRISON': (1) ALL-INCLUSIVE (REFERRING TO MANY INSTITUTIONS--SHIPS, MONASTERIES, HOSPITALS, THE FAMILY, THE FACTORY, THE SCHOOL, THE VILLAGE--AS PRISONS); AND (2) DENIAL OF EXISTENCE (REFERRING TO PRISONS AND PRISONERS AS ANYTHING BUT PRISONS AND PRISONERS--CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, TREATMENT UNITS, INMATES, CLIENTS, ETC.). THE ALL-INCLUSIVE STRATEGY GIVES STRENGTH TO MOVEMENTS FOR ABOLISHING UNDESIRABLE PHENOMENA BY ASSOCIATING THESE PHENOMENA WITH PRISONS. THE DENIAL-OF-EXISTENCE STRATEGY HELPS SOCIETY AND PRISON PERSONNEL IMPRISON WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE. NEITHER STRATEGY SPECIFIES ELEMENTS PECULIAR TO PRISONS. A PRISON IS (1) A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE, (2) CREATING HIGH INTERNAL VISIBILITY, (3) WITH POSSIBILITIES FOR ABSOLUTE RESTRICTIONS IN MOVEMENTS, (4) WHERE THE STAY IS DECIDED BY OTHER PERSONS, (5) INDEPENDENT OF THE WISHES OF THOSE STAYING THERE, (6) BECAUSE THOSE STAYING THERE ARE TO BLAME, (7) WITH THE PURPOSE OF CREATING PAIN. THE FIRST FIVE ELEMENTS ARE COMMON TO MANY SOCIAL SYSTEMS. PRISONS ARE PECULIAR INSTITUTIONS FOR THE DELIVERY OF BLAME AND PAIN, A POINT THAT SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED IN DEBATES ABOUT IMPRISONMENT. YET THE QUESTION OF HOW PAINFUL THE PAIN OF IMPRISONMENT SHOULD BE IS EVADED. TO FACE HONESTLY THE FACT THAT THE CENTRAL ELEMENT OF PRISON IS THE DISTRIBUTION OF BLAME AND PAIN MEANS THAT ALL ELEMENTS OF PRISONS EXCEPT THE ENCOUNTER THAT CONVEYS BLAME AND SHAME TO THE OFFENDER CAN BE ABOLISHED. THE NECESSARY NUMBER AND THE FORMAL STAGING OF SUCH ENCOUNTERS THUS BECOME THE NEXT TOPIC FOR INNOVATIVE DISCUSSION OF PRISON REFORM. IN CONSIDERING WHETHER SOCIETY WOULD ACCEPT SUCH A STEP, IT IS USEFUL TO THINK IN TERMS OF A PULL FROM THE PRISON SYSTEM, RATHER THAN A PUSH FROM SOCIETY, THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT PRISON BUILDINGS AND PERSONNEL WILL PROVE MORE RESISTANT TO CHANGE THAN WILL THE PUBLIC AND POLITICIANS. (LKM)