NCJ Number
190435
Date Published
2001
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper examines how the "default culture" of a jail or prison is negative and destructive to the rehabilitative goal for inmates and suggests how a positive institutional culture can be shaped.
Abstract
"Institutional culture" refers to the "product of the values, beliefs, and behaviors of the members of the jail or prison community as expressed in the ways in which they interact with each other." The "default culture" of an institution is the culture that "naturally" evolves and prevails if there are not substantial efforts to shape and mold a culture that embraces the growth values of trust, love, justice, freedom, and truth. Among the symptoms of the default culture are adversarial relationships; staff "in-fighting;" open conflict with labor organizations; racial and gender preference/strife; harassment; careless, cruel criminal conduct; abnormal levels of sick/stress leave; and high turnover and unapproved absence. Each of these symptoms derives from relationships that are dysfunctional, with the most significant characteristics being the inability of members of the community to identify with each other. Although a "positive institutional culture" might be defined in many ways, any definition should include the following elements: each member of the community has the opportunity to contribute to the betterment of the community; each member has the opportunity for growth and actualization, progressing toward individually determined positive goals; and staff and inmates at all levels identify with each other as members of the family of humans and deserving of unconditional, positive regard. A positive culture develops only as managers act to humanize the prison environment and promote mutual respect and constructive relationships among staff and inmates. Managers must first assess the culture of their institutions and then mount an effort to shape a positive institutional culture. Details on how this can be done is beyond the scope of this paper.