Incarceration. Cops, Courts and Corrections. prisoners U.S. prisons 20077

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1 Cops, Courts and Corrections Incarceration prisoners uthe number of inmates in state and federal prisons reached 1.6 million at yearend uu.s. prison incarceration rate = 506 per 100,000 U.S. residents, up from 411 in U.S. prisons u State prisoners = 85.5% u Federal prisoners = 14.5% u Female prisoners = 7.0% 1

2 incarceration rates ustates with highest incarceration rates: 1. Louisiana Mississippi Texas 669 ustates with lowest incarceration rates: 1. Maine Minnesota No. Dakota 221 classification u process by which prisoner is categorized regarding security & treatment needs & is assigned to custody level (ie, prison), supervision level (within prison), & treatment programs u Ideally, based on psychology, education, vocational, health, other needs u classification determines: uprison site uhousing assignment uwork assignment uavailability of treatment programs ugood time available (eg, Colorado) u today: classification = f (RISK)! 3 models of incarceration u custodial n emphasizes security, discipline, order n dominates maximum security prisons u rehabilitation n emphasizes provision of treatment programs designed to reform the offender n developed in 1950s; out of favor today u reintegration n emphasizes maintenance of the offender s ties to family & community as a method of reform, recognizing that the offender will be returning to community n linked to community corrections 2

3 prison security levels: a caveat u there are no national design or classification standards regarding different levels of security. n a maximum security prison in one state may appear much like a medium security prison in another. n prison crowding has further blurred the distinction between maximum & medium security prisons, even within a state. maximum security u prison designed, organized, & operated to minimize the possibility of escapes & violence; imposes strict limitations on the movement & freedom of inmates & visitors medium security u prison designed, organized, & operated to prevent escapes & violence, but in which restrictions on inmates & visitors are less rigid than in maximum security facilities 3

4 minimum security u prison designed, organized, & operated to permit inmates & visitors as much freedom as is consistent with the concept of incarceration the super-max u created to house incorrigible, violent, assaultive, disruptive inmates, & validated prison gang members -- who require close & constant supervision n house 100,000 men (8-10% of total in custody) n created by federal government; 38 states Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) Florence, Colorado Pelican Bay State Prison (SHU) Northern Correctional Institute -- Connecticut Pelican Bay State Prison Crescent City, Ca ( super-max ) Security Housing Unit level IV prison 4

5 where inmates are housed, by security level percent of all U.S. inmates 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 47% 35% 18% maximum security medium security minimum security where inmates are housed, by security level in state & federal prisons percent of all U.S. inmates 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 47% minimum medium maximum 35% 18% 73% 20% 7% 0% State Federal state prisoner profile gender % of adult inmates in state prisons 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% male 93% 7% female 5

6 prison populations with special problems or needs populations prisoners with TB, HIV/AIDS HEP B&C elderly & young prisoners prisoners with long terms mentally ill prisoners private prisons: prisons for profit? the key players Corrections Corporation of America 3/4 of the market Wackenhut Corrections Corporation the business of private prisons: $ launched in 1980s, spurred by massive state prison boom $ $1 billion yearly operation in U.S. $ 158 private prisons in U.S. $ 119,813 adults incarcerated in private prisons in U.S. models for public/private control of corrections ownership Public operating authority Private Public Conventional public facility (fully public) Contracted management & operations Private Lease or leasepurchase arrangements Fully private 6

7 issues for private corrections costs & profitability ethics & politics issues offender types liability & accountability level of services employment, training, & salaries compliance with state law Prisoner Subculture Research u Most research was focused on male prisoners and how they adapted to prison life. u Clemmer (1940) Inmate code and Prisonization u Sykes (1958) Deprivations of incarceration create prison subculture u Irwin & Cressey (1962) Prison subculture is imported from street culture prisonization (Donald Clemmer, 1940) u the process by which a new inmate absorbs the customs of prison society and learns to adapt to the prison environment 7

8 adjusting to prison society values roles inmate subculture customs language Inmate code u A set of rules of conduct that reflect the values and norms of the prison social system and help to define (for inmates) the image of the model prisoner Basic Rules: u Do your own time u Don t be a snitch Gresham Sykes inmate code don t interfere with inmate interests don t quarrel with inmates inmate code don t trust the guards don t weaken; be tough don t exploit inmates 8

9 Sykes Study of New Jersey State Maximum Security Prison: The Society of Captives Sykes argued that prisoners suffer from the pains of imprisonment including: u Rejection from society u Loss of material possessions u Denial of heterosexual relationships u Loss of personal autonomy u Lack of personal security Models of Inmate Society u Indigenous Model: Subculture develops within the prison in response to the pains of imprisonment (Sykes) u Importation Model: Values, norms, and roles that come from the broader community and are brought to the prison (Irwin and Cressey) how inmates adapt to prison doing time prison = brief interruption in criminal career; stay comfortable gleaning exploit prison programs & opportunities; try to succeed adaptive roles disorganized criminal can t develop any of the other three roles; often disabled; cannot adjust to prison life; develops emotional disorders jailing cut selves off from outside; develop a life, power, influence in prison; 9

10 The Underground Economy Prisoners have legitimate and illegitimate avenues to obtain needed goods and services. There is an underground or subrosa economy that exists within prisons that provides: u Food u Clothing u Alcohol and drugs u Protection u Weapons u Sex Cigarettes have been a common medium of exchange in the prison economy and are traded for other services. Prison Gangs Security Threat Groups u Gangs are organized primarily with the intention of controlling the prison s: Drugs Gambling Prostitution Extortion u Prison gangs were first identified in the state of Washington in u The first identified prison gang in California was the Mexican Mafia (Eme) in 1957 (Deuel Vocational Institution). major prison gangs Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) Aryan Brotherhoo d Mexican Mafia (EME) Texas Syndicat e La Nuestra Familia (NF) 10

11 Gang Formation in California Factors contributing to gang development: u Racial/ethnic division u Self-protection u Common cultural and homeboy backgrounds u Transfer of gang members from one institution to another Types of Prison Violence u Prisoner-Prisoner violence is most common (prison gangs) u Prisoner-Officer violence is situational and individual (less common) u Officer-Prisoner violence is the unauthorized violence against inmates to enforce rules and maintain order Prison Rape u A study found that 22% of male prisoners responded that they had been raped or forced into sex while incarcerated. u Human Rights Watch (2001) concluded that rape in prison occurs much more often than reported figures indicate. u The Prison Rape Elimination Act (2003) calls for the gathering of national statistics; the development of guidelines for states about how to address prisoner rape; the creation of a review panel to hold annual hearings; and the provision of grants to states to combat the problem. 11

12 causes of prison violence inadequate supervision by staff & inmate-staff relations architectural design, including size & condition main causes easy availability of deadly weapons high level of tension caused by close quarters housing dangerous & nondangerous inmates together strategies for reducing violence in prison u improve classification n separate violence-prone inmates from others u create opportunities for fearful inmates to seek staff assistance and enter protective custody u increase custody staff size, diversity, training u redesign facilities n improve surveillance; eliminate blind spots n use smaller institutions u install grievance mechanisms or ombudsman u augment rewards system to reduce pains of imprisonment u implement unit management The American Prison Today u AD Seg and its overuse u PREA u PLRA 12