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Prisons in Turmoil John Irwin

The Big House. Physical DescriptionVery large, walled prisonStacked cell blocksIsolation of individuals and the institution itselfJackson Prison and Michigan ReformatorySocial OrganizationCharacterized by a very stratified social systemFormal routine monotonyConvict code very complex inm

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Prisons in Turmoil John Irwin

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    1. Prisons in Turmoil John Irwin June 4, 2001

    2. The Big House Physical Description Very large, walled prison Stacked cell blocks Isolation of individuals and the institution itself Jackson Prison and Michigan Reformatory Social Organization Characterized by a very stratified social system Formal routine – monotony Convict code – very complex inmate system based on prestige, power, and privilege “Right Guys”

    3. The Big House Irwin argues that this environment has a specific impact on the inmate’s psyche Stupefacation – insensibility of mind or feeling “going stir” Serving time in the big house lead most men to experience embitterment, stupefaction and/or ‘going stir’

    4. Correctional Institution History: The development of the correctional institution was driven largely by societal changes During this time there was a growing number of college educated prison administrators “correctionalists” Assumption: Behavior was caused by identifiable and changeable forces “Rehabilitative Ideal”

    5. Correctional Institution Indeterminate sentencing system: Release prisoners when they have been ‘fixed’ Parole boards played a large role in the imprisonment process Classification Elaborate, significant diagnostic process You need to identify the problem to provide a solution Do we know a ‘cure’ for criminality??

    6. Correctional Institution Treatment Therapeutic Group counseling – very popular Academic GED Basic Skills Vocational Job training

    7. Soledad (not the newscaster) Opened in 1952 in California – “training facility” The architecture of the prison was very different from the ‘big house’ The prison offered a wide range of vocational and training opportunities Informal life Members of different racial and ethnic groups formed into groups within the prison The prison population was becoming more diverse every day.

    8. Soledad Ambience: Relatively optimistic, tolerant, and agreeable mood. Social Organization Tips- networks of people known from the same cultural networks. Larger groupings Cliques- smaller groups that could cut across tips

    9. Soledad Rehabilitative Ideal Directly promoted social order Conformity to the prison routine was the principal indicator of rehabilitation If you mess up, you were not let out on parole Rehabilitative downfall The influence of the civil rights movement A lack of trust in the rehabilitative ideal

    10. The Contemporary Prison The contemporary prison is characterized by divisions Racial Divisions There is little interaction among races – people stick to groupings that were developed before prison Violence-oriented groups dominate many large prisons

    11. The New Convict Identity Toughness is the new hero in prison Stubbornly opposes the administration Takes advantage of the weak Extremely assertive of his masculinity Withdrawal Inmates are less involved in a social system as before.

    12. Concluding Remarks Sources of conflict in the contemporary prison are embedded in cultural and social orientations ‘Going stir’ from the institutional environment doesn’t happen much Conflict is filtered into the institution from the outside

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