NCJ Number
52397
Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1975) Pages: 71-78
Date Published
1975
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE LATENT CULTURAL IDENTITIES OF FEMALE INMATES MAY MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN THE FORM OF KINSHIP ROLES CREATING PSEUDOFAMILIES IN THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF PRISONS.
Abstract
DIVERSE RESEARCH DATA CONCERNING THE PSEUDOFAMILIES CREATED BY FEMALE INMATES ARE EVALUATED TO EXPLORE THE NATURE OF THESE PRISON GROUPS AND TO EXPLAIN THEIR EXISTENCE. SUCH EXPLANATION MAY BE USEFUL TO THE VARIOUS SOCIAL SCIENCES WHICH CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THE ACT OF 'FAMILYING' AND SHOULD PROVIDE A BASIS FOR PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS BY CORRECTIONS SPECIALISTS. THE CONSTRUCTION OF KINSHIP SOCIAL STRUCTURES BY FEMALE INMATES, AND NOT BY MEN, IS EXPLAINED AS A RESPONSE TO THE DEPRIVATIONS OF INCARCERATION AND AS A RESULT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL FORMS OF PREINSTITUTIONAL SOCIALIZATION WHICH THE SEXES EXPERIENCE. THE PREINSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY OR LATENT CULTURAL IDENTITY WHICH THE FEMALE OFFENDER BRINGS WITH HER INTO PRISON IS DEFINED BY THE TRADITIONAL ROLES OF 'MOTHER' OR 'COMPANION.' IN THE PRISON ENVIRONMENT THE PHENOMENON OF ROLE-PLAYING WITHIN A PSEUDOFAMILY IS A NONPATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN WHICH WOMEN FORM A RELATIONSHIP ON THE BASIS OF THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO EACH OTHER. BY SUBSTITUTING FOR THE WOMEN'S ACTUAL FAMILIES, THE PSEUDOFAMILIES SUPPLY A GRATIFICATION WHICH IS NOT PROVIDED BY THE ORGANIZATION OF THE INSTITUTION, PARTICULARLY SUPPLYING THE NEED-SATISFACTION OF PARTICIPATING IN ROLE SITUATIONS WHICH SUPPORT THE WOMEN'S SELF-CONCEPT. STUDIES OF MAKE-BELIEVE FAMILIES INDICATE THAT THE PARTICIPATION RATE OF FEMALE OFFENDERS IN SUCH FAMILIES MAY RANGE UP TO 71 PERCENT, WITH FACTORS SUCH AS STAFF-INMATE RELATIONSHIPS AND STAFF DISAPPROVAL AFFECTING BOTH THE EXISTENCE OF THE FAMILIES AND THEIR DETECTION BY RESEARCHERS. ALTHOUGH THE HOMOSEXUAL DYAD HAS BEEN CONSIDERED THE NUCLEUS OF SOME INMATE SOCIAL STRUCTURES, MOST ARTIFICIAL FAMILIES APPEAR TO BE MATRICENTRIC, BEING HEADED ONLY BY AN OLDER INMATE IN A MOTHER'S ROLE. INTERVIEWS WITH INMATES INDICATE THAT THE DESIRE FOR AFFECTION AND SECURITY MAY EXPLAIN WHY INMATES FORM FAMILIES, AND SUGGEST THAT RATHER THAN PREINSTITUTIONAL DEPRIVATION, PARTICIPANTS MAY HAVE HAD BETTER PREINSTITUTIONAL FAMILY EXPERIENCES THAN NONPARTICIPANTS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS RECOMMENDED, SO AS TO PROVIDE CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATORS WITH GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH INMATES' PSEUDO-FAMILIES. TABULAR DATA AND NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (TWK)