PRISON COMMUNITY REASSESSED (FROM PENOLOGY - THE EVOLUTION OF CORRECTIONS IN AMERICA, 2ND ED., 1978, BY GEORGE G KILLINGER ET AL - SEE NCJ-58769)

• NCJ Number: 58771
• Author(s): J CONRAD
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: West Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM FEDERAL PROBATION, MARCH 1978, 'NEWS OF THE FUTURE - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN CORRECTIONS' RETITLED FOR THIS PUBLICATION BY THE EDITORS

Annotation

IT IS OBVIOUS FROM RECENT INVESTIGATIONS THAT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE PRISON COMMUNITY NEEDS RESTUDYING IN ORDER TO LEAD TO SOME RESTORATION OF CONTROL IN THE SYSTEM.

Abstract

ACCORDING TO RESEARCHER LEO CARROLL, WHITE PRISONERS NO LONGER EXHIBIT THE SOLIDARITY PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE CHARACTERISTIC. LEADERSHIP IS EXERCISED MAINLY TO FURTHER THE SELF-INTEREST OF THE LEADERS. COOPERATION EXISTS ONLY WITHIN SMALL CLIQUES AND THE PREVAILING RELATIONS BETWEEN CLIQUES ARE COMPETITION AND CONFLICT. PROMINENT AMONG THE WHITE PRISONERS ARE YOUNG TOUGHS WHO EXPLOIT THE OTHER PRISONERS FOR THEIR OWN SATISFACTION. WHILE COHESION AMONG WHITES HAS DECLINED. THE BLACK INMATES HAVE DISCOVERED THE VALUES OF SOCIAL SOLIDARITY AND HAVE ACHIEVED A KIND OF BROTHERHOOD THAT PROVIDES THE VALUES OF POWER AND MUTUAL AID. THE GUARDS IN THIS COMMUNITY FIND THEMSELVES LOST; RESISTANCE TO ORDERS FROM RANKING CUSTODIAL OFFICERS IS COMMON, AND A CONFLICT MODEL IS SET UP IN WHICH OCCASIONAL VIOLENCE IS INEVITABLE. CARROLL CONCLUDES THAT THE TRADITIONAL CUSTODIAL PRISON IS NO LONGER OPERABLE. HE ADVOCATES INSTEAD THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM THE OLD REPRESSIVE SYSTEM TO A NEW THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY. A STUDY OF THE ILLINOIS PRISON SYSTEM BY JAMES JACOBS SHOWED THE DESCENT OF THE PENITENTIARY INTO DISORDERLY CONDITIONS. ADMINISTRATORS AND CORRECTIONAL PLANNERS WILL HAVE TO CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THE LONG-RANGE IMPLICATIONS OF THE TRENDS BROUGHT INTO FOCUS BY CARROLL AND JACOBS.