NCJ Number
37832
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (FALL 1976) Pages: 81-92
Date Published
1976
Length
12 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS OF INMATE GROUPS WITHIN THE MISSISSIPPI CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM WHICH STUDIED THE ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS OF INMATE TRUSTIES AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE TRUSTIES IDENTIFY WITH THE OFFICIAL SYSTEM.
Abstract
THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MISSISSIPPI PRISON, UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, PRESENTED A HIGHLY STRATIFIED VERSION OF INMATE SOCIETY. NOT ONLY WERE INMATES UTILIZED IN THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE PRISON, AS IS TRADITIONAL IN MOST PENAL INSTITUTIONS, BUT A HIGHLY SELECT GROUP OF INMATES, KNOWN AS TRUSTIES, WERE GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF SOCIAL CONTROL OVER FELLOW INMATES. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF THE TRUSTY POSITION ON THE ATTITUDES OF THOSE INMATES HOLDING THAT POSITION. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT INMATES WOULD MOVE TOWARD IDENTIFICATION WITH THE OFFICIAL SYSTEM AS THEY INCREASE THEIR POSITIONS IN THE FORMAL HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF THE INMATE SOCIAL SYSTEM. INMATES FROM THREE DISTINCT GROUPS WERE GIVEN QUESTIONNAIRES WHICH WERE SCALED TO REFLECT COMMITMENT TO THE INMATE CODE AND THE EXTENT OF INMATE SATISFICATION. THESE THREE GROUPS WERE: THE INMATE TRUSTIES; HALF-TRUSTIES, AND REGULAR INMATES. THE SURVEY RESULTS SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS, AND OFFERED INVALIDATING EVIDENCE TO THE 'COHESION' MODEL OF INMATE GROUPS AS ONES WHICH REMAIN FIRMLY UNITED AGAINST THE ENEMY OUT-GROUP, THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT WHILE OTHER PRISONS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY CONFLICT BETWEEN INMATES AND STAFF, THE TRUSTIES IN THE MISSISSIPPI PRISON SHOWED A REMARKABLE DEGREE OF IDENTIFICATION WITH THE STAFF. THE TRUSTY SYSTEM, DESPITE ITS PROCLIVITY FOR ABUSE, MAY BE SEEN AS A TREATMENT MODEL IN WHICH INMATES EXPERIENCE RELATIONAL PROBLEMS THAT THEY WOULD EXPECT REGARDNG LIFE AFTER RELEASE OR WHILE ON PAROLE. THUS, HE CONCLUDES THAT THE TRUSTY ROLE MAY BE QUITE FUNCTIONAL, NOT ONLY IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE CUSTODIAL OBJECTIVES OF THE PRISON BUT ALSO IN PREPARING THE INMATE FOR RELEASE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)