BIG HOUSE - THE GREAT AMERICAN PRISON (FROM CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS - SOCIAL CONTROL AND CONFLICT, 1977 BY C RONALD HUFF - SEE NCJ-44951)

• NCJ Number: 44952
• Author(s): J IRWIN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 26 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE AUTHOR TAKES ISSUE WITH THE TRADITIONAL, FUNCTIONALIST MODEL OF MEN'S PRISONS IN THE UNITED STATES.

Abstract

THE ORIGIN OF MOST OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF IMPRISONMENT IS DISCUSSED. THE AUTHOR INDICATES THAT THOSE THEORIES DISTORT THE SOCIAL REALITY OF THE PRISONS ON WHICH THEY WERE BASED AND IDENTIFIES A NUMBER OF FACTORS WHICH HE CONTENDS HAVE DISTORTED REALITY AND/OR WEAKENED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TRADITIONAL THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES. THOSE FACTORS INCLUDE: HOLLYWOOD'S IMAGE OF THE 'BIG HOUSE'; PRISONS WHICH WERE EXCEPTIONS TO THE 'BIG HOUSE' TYPOLOGY; THE GROUNDING OF TRADITIONAL THEORIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF CORRUPT SOCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, WHEN SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WERE NOT THE MAIN FEATURE OR ADAPTATION OF PRISON LIFE; THE FUNCTIONALISTS' FAILURE TO CONSIDER PREPRISON EXPERIENCES AND OTHER ADAPTATION; AND THE NEW EAR OF 'CORRECTIONS' WHICH DEVELOPED AND FOR WHICH THE TRADITIONAL THEORY WAS ILL SUITED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).