NCJ Number
66919
Date Published
1980
Length
18 pages
Annotation
GUARDING STYLES, DIFFERING WITH INMATES WORKING IN THE FIELD OR FUNCTIONING IN THE PRISON BUILDING, ARE ANALYZED, BASED UPON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION IN A SOUTHERN PRISON.
Abstract
EACH OF THE TWO MAJOR SETTINGS AT THE PRISON--THE FIELD AND THE BUILDING--REFLECTS A DIFFERENT CONCEPTION OF SOCIAL ORDER. IN THE FIELD, HARD WORK BY INMATES, WITH MINIMUM NEGOTIATION OR CONFRONTATION BETWEEN INMATES AND OFFICERS, CONSTITUTES THE FUNDAMENTAL SOCIAL ORDER. IN THE BUILDING, ORDER ESSENTIALLY MEANS BUREAUCRATIC EFFICIENCY IN THE MOVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF INMATES. GUARDING STYLES TEND TO DIFFER TO FIT THESE DISTINCTIVE REQUIREMENTS. BUILDING CUSTODY RELIES UPON CONDITIONING INMATE BEHAVIOR THROUGH ROUTINES THAT REQUIRE A MINIMUM OF PERSONAL DOMINANCE BY GUARDS OVER INMATES. GUARD-INMATE INTERACTION ALSO TENDS TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE, AS GUARDS, WITH 1 FOR ABOUT EVERY 150 INMATES, MUST NEGOTIATE TRADE-OFFS WITH INMATES TO ENSURE ORDER AND SMOOTH FUNCTIONING. IN THE FIELD, ON THE OTHER HAND, WHERE THE GUARD RATIO IS ABOUT 1 TO 30, THE DOMINANCE OF THE GUARDS OVER INMATE BEHAVIOR IS MORE ABSOLUTE, ALBEIT, LESS FORMAL THAN IN THE BUILDING. NEW INMATES ARE ALWAYS ASSIGNED TO FIELD LABOR, WHERE THEY UNDERGO CONDITIONING TO DOMINATING AND INTIMIDATING GUARD STYLES WHICH DEMAND OBEDIENCE IN ALMOST EVERY MOVEMENT. THIS STIMULATES AN INTERNALIZED OBEDIENCE IN THE BUILDING EVEN THOUGH GUARD DOMINANCE IS LESSENED THERE. WHEN INMATES ARE REWARDED FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR BY TRANSFER TO WORK IN THE BUILDING, THEIR OBEDIENCE HAS USUALLY BEEN ESTABLISHED, SO THEY CAN FUNCTION PROPERLY WITHOUT GUARD INTIMIDATION, CONTRIBUTING TO GREATER INMATE FREEDOM AS WELL AS TO PRISON ORDER. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)