NCJ Number
61672
Journal
Quarterly Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Dated: (SUMMER 1979) Pages: 76-82
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
LITERATURE ON PRISON'S EFFECTS ON INMATES' SELF-ESTEEM, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THEORIES OF PRISONIZATION, IS REVIEWED.
Abstract
IN 1940 CLEMMER DEFINED PRISONIZATION AS THE ASSIMILATION OF DEVIANT NORMS, VALUES, AND MORE OF THE INMATE CULTURE INTO AN INMATE'S PERSONALITY. HE CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A NATURAL ADAPTATION BASED ON AN ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH AN IDENTITY WITHIN THE PRISON SOCIAL ORGANIZATION. PERSONALITY, PRISON CONDITIONS, AND LENGTH OF INCARCERATION ALL DETERMINED THE AMOUNT OF PRISONIZATION THAT WOULD OCCUR. IN 1958, SYKES NOTES THAT AN INMATE'S SELF-CONCEPT SUFFERS MAJOR DAMAGE DURING INCARCERATION AND THAT INMATES FORM A CULTURE TO STAND IN OPPOSITION TO THEIR OPPRESSORS. IN 1961, WHEELER FOUND THAT INMATES BECOME DEPRISONIZED AS THEY PREPARE TO LEAVE THE PRISON AND THAT INCARCERATION HELPS OFFENDERS ACCEPT SOCIETY'S CONCEPTION OF THEM AS CRIMINALS. GARABEDIAN FOUND THAT THE INDIVIDUAL'S ROLE WITHIN THE PRISON CULTURE AFFECTS THE PRISONIZATION PROCESS. SEVERAL INVESTIGATORS HAVE DEVELOPED A RELIABLE SCALE, THE SELF-ATTITUDE INVENTORY, FOR MEASURING SELF-ESTEEM IN A CORRECTIONAL SETTING. STUDIES ATTEMPTING TO RELATE SELF-ESTEEM WITH POST-INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT HAVE PRODUCED CONTRADICTORY RESULTS. SOME FINDINGS HAVE BEEN INCONSISTENT WITH THE CONCEPT OF PRISONIZATION. MUCH RECENT RESEARCH HAS EMPHASIZED THAT PRISONIZATION IS MORE COMPLEX THAN ORIGINALLY ASSUMED, AND THAT OTHER INFLUENCES, SUCH AS EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, CONTACTS WITH OUTSIDE PEOPLE DURING CONFINEMENT, AND THE INDIVIDUAL'S SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC ATTITUDES, MUST ALSO BE CONSIDERED. THE FREQUENT APPEALS IN THE LITERATURE FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ILLUSTRATE THE CURRENT VARIATIONS IN RESEARCH FINDINGS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED.