NCJ Number
46511
Date Published
1977
Length
19 pages
Annotation
THE SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPT OF THE STRUCTURED LIFE FOR INMATES BEING A REFLECTION OF THE STRUCTURE AND VALUES OF THE LARGER SOCIETY IN WHICH PRISONS EXIST IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
SIGNIFICANT STUDIES OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRISON CONDITIONS AND THE PREVAILING IDEOLOGIES OF THE LARGER SOCIETY ARE DISCUSSED, AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN GENERAL SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CHANGE AND PRISON REFORM IS PRESENTED. THE CONCEPT OF PUNISHMENT AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND THE PRISONER'S CIVIL, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP ARE DISCUSSED AS THEY RELATE TO THE ATTENTION PAID TO CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS IN THE GENERAL FABRIC OF A SOCITY. THE MORAL STATUS OF THE INMATE IN MASS SOCIETY AND THE COERCIVE SANCTIONS PERMITTED AGAINST PRISONERS ARE ALSO DISCUSSED AS SIGNIFICANT REFLECTIONS OF THE VALUES PREVALENT IN GENERAL SOCIETY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FOR FUTURE SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH BOTH LONGITUDINAL AND COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES MIGHT ILLUMINATE WHICH RENDS IN THE LARGER SOCITY ARE MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORGANIZATION THAT DEVELOPS BEHIND PRISON WALLS. IT IS ALSO BELIEVED THAT STUDIES OF HOW THE PRISON AND ITS SEGMENTS INTERACT WITH THE LARGER SOCIETY WILL INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIETY'S DISTRIBUTION OF POWER, STRATIFICATION, AND SYSTEM OF LEGAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)