NCJ Number
92838
Date Published
1984
Length
589 pages
Annotation
This study of language reveals much of what prisoners think, feel, and value. The special language of prison subculture creates a strong group identity.
Abstract
This book attempts to bring together some elements of language and selected aspects of the social structure of a maximum-security prison. Methodology consisted of field work conducted at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla from June 1978 to December 1980. One of the researchers was an inmate and thus was able to interview prisoners freely. The hypothesis states that, as language shapes and is shaped by culture, prisoners reveal their world view through the language they use. The data present the stories of the prisoners, as free as possible from theoretical opinion. The perspective is deliberately partisan, uncovering a valid picture of prison life. Each man interviewed sought to tell people on the outside what prison life was like. Each chapter focuses on one particular part of the prison cultural scene the men believed important. The material nonetheless stresses the totality of the experience, covering George L. Trager's ten indices of culture. The narrative chosen represent the majority view of life in prison. Appendixes present a lengthy glossary of slang and argot terms and the autobiography of the inmate/research assistant. Chapter notes, over 200 references and an index accompany the text. (Author modified summary)