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Prison O Glorious Prison
Journal of Criminal Justice 41 (2013) 414–415
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Criminal Justice
Editorial
Prison O Glorious Prison
Each year my undergraduates visit one or more prisons relating to their internship experience or as part of their student organization activity with the criminal justice club. The first impression that I most consistently hear centers on how much prison is structured like conventional society, and how many inmates seem to genuinely want to participate in these opportunities. Students are impressed with the work programs, educational programs, treatment options, counseling sessions, religious services, and amenities that prisons provide, and they are struck by the tacit and mostly peaceful coexistence between the keepers and the kept. Prisons have served as a popular research area at the Journal of Criminal Justice, including an outstanding special issue (Mears, 2012). Despite the almost universal negative connotation of imprisonment, many studies have shown prison to serve important functions relating to incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and reentry. Although academic criminology is overly keen on such language as the new penology, punitive turn, imprisonment binge, mass incarceration, and other specious descriptors, the practice of prison is often different. Several studies have shown that prison environments are more treatment-oriented, humane, and convalescent than is commonly believed (Dirkzwager & Kruttschnitt, 2012; Phelps, 2012). Indeed, a host of policies and regulations in prisons show promise toward reducing misconduct and facilitating the reentry process, including visitation (Cochran, 2012), family support (Foster, 2012; Visher & O'Connell, 2012), social support (Benson, Alarid, Burton, & Cullen, 2011; Pettus-Davis, Howard, Roberts-Lewis, & Scheyett, 2011), educational programs (Blomberg et al., 2011; Kim & Clark, 2013), and other structured activities (Wooldredge & Steiner, 2012). Lots of good things are going on, and have almost been going on, inside prisons. Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of inmates in the United States who have no interest in desisting from crime. Research has shown that more than 40% of adult inmates are chronic or habitual violators of prison rules and regulations (DeLisi, 2003), and nearly 50% of juvenile prisoners amass five or more serious violations during their confinement (Trulson, DeLisi, Caudill, Belshaw, & Marquart, 2010). Inmates with extensive criminal and prison history (Bales & Miller, 2012; Morris et al., 2012; Sorensen & Davis, 2011; Varano, Huebner, & Bynum, 2011) and those involved in street gangs and security threat groups (Sorensen et al., 2011; Worrall & Morris, 2012) are a particularly pernicious threat to institutional safety and order, and the most restrictive and punitive sanctions are appropriate and necessary to supervise the most recalcitrant inmates. This deserves repeating. There are hundreds of thousands of inmates who should never be released from prison. But most of them will be. Short of the death penalty, prison is the last straw for a correctional system that usually provides multiple community-based opportunities for criminal offenders to turn their life around. Many offenders 0047-2352/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2013.06.001
waste these opportunities (see, O'Connell et al., 2011; Sharp, Peck, & Hartsfield, 2012; Vaughn et al., 2012), and the scores of violations of bail bond conditions, violations of community corrections sentences, violations of probation and parole, revocations of probation and parole, and revocations of deferred judgments, prosecutions, and sentences are evidence. Inasmuch as prison denotes criminogenic effects (Mears, Cochran, & Bales, 2012; Wolff, Shi, & Schumann, 2012), it is important to understand that prison was utilized often as a last resort. The putative criminogenic effects of prison are importantly connected to the behavioral deficits of career offenders. For my students, another memorable feature of visiting a prison is to interact with the panel of inmates who take the time to talk about their lives in prison, their lives before prison, and for those who will be released (Iowa has true life imprisonment for Class A felony convictions), their lives after prison. For many, prison had life saving properties because it removed offenders from a drug lifestyle that was going to prove fatal. For some, prison offered a respite to family members and friends who were worn down by the recurrent legal problems and day-to-day burdens imposed by their son or daughter. For others, prison was the only policy that could guarantee that the offender would stop committing crime. In this way, prison provides some comfort to crime victims and other community members who are tired of crime.
References Bales, W. D., & Miller, C. H. (2012). The impact of determinate sentencing on prisoner misconduct. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 394–403. Benson, M. L., Alarid, L. F., Burton, V. S., & Cullen, F. T. (2011). Reintegration or stigmatization? Offenders’ expectations of community re-entry. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(5), 385–393. Blomberg, T. G., Bales, W. D., Mann, K., Piquero, A. R., & Berk, R. A. (2011). Incarceration, education and transition from delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(4), 355–365. Cochran, J. C. (2012). The ties that bind or the ties that break: Examining the relationship between visitation and prisoner misconduct. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 433–440. DeLisi, M. (2003). Criminal careers behind bars. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 21(5), 653–669. Dirkzwager, A. J., & Kruttschnitt, C. (2012). Prisoners’ perceptions of correctional officers’ behavior in English and Dutch prisons. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 404–412. Foster, H. (2012). The strains of maternal imprisonment: Importation and deprivation stressors for women and children. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 221–229. Kim, R. H., & Clark, D. (2013). The effect of prison-based college education programs on recidivism: Propensity score matching approach. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41(3), 196–204. Mears, D. P. (2012). The prison experience: Introduction to the special issue. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 345–347. Mears, D. P., Cochran, J. C., & Bales, W. D. (2012). Gender differences in the effects of prison on recidivism. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 370–378. Morris, R. G., Carriaga, M. L., Diamond, B., Piquero, N. L., & Piquero, A. R. (2012). Does prison strain lead to prison misbehavior? An application of general strain theory to inmate misconduct. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 194–201.
Editorial O'Connell, D., Visher, C. A., Martin, S., Parker, L., & Brent, J. (2011). Decide your time: Testing deterrence theory's certainty and celerity effects on substance-using probationers. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(3), 261–267. Pettus-Davis, C., Howard, M. O., Roberts-Lewis, A., & Scheyett, A. M. (2011). Naturally occurring social support in interventions for former prisoners with substance use disorders: Conceptual framework and program model. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(6), 479–488. Phelps, M. S. (2012). The place of punishment: Variation in the provision of inmate services staff across the punitive turn. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 348–357. Sharp, S. F., Peck, B. M., & Hartsfield, J. (2012). Childhood adversity and substance use of women prisoners: A general strain theory approach. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 202–211. Sorensen, J. R., Cunningham, M. D., Vigen, M. P., & Woods, S. O. (2011). Serious assaults on prison staff: A descriptive analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(2), 143–150. Sorensen, J., & Davis, J. (2011). Violent criminals locked up: Examining the effect of incarceration on behavioral continuity. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(2), 151–158. Trulson, C. R., DeLisi, M., Caudill, J. W., Belshaw, S., & Marquart, J. W. (2010). Delinquent careers behind bars. Criminal Justice Review, 35(2), 200–219.
415
Varano, S. P., Huebner, B. M., & Bynum, T. S. (2011). Correlates and consequences of pre- incarceration gang involvement among incarcerated youthful felons. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(1), 30–38. Vaughn, M. G., DeLisi, M., Beaver, K. M., Perron, B. E., & Abdon, A. (2012). Toward a criminal justice epidemiology: Behavioral and physical health of probationers and parolees in the United States. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 165–173. Visher, C. A., & O'Connell, D. J. (2012). Incarceration and inmates’ self perceptions about returning home. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 386–393. Wolff, N., Shi, J., & Schumann, B. E. (2012). Reentry preparedness among soon-tobe-released inmates and the role of time served. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 379–385. Wooldredge, J., & Steiner, B. (2012). Race group differences in prison victimization experiences. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 358–369. Worrall, J. L., & Morris, R. G. (2012). Prison gang integration and inmate violence. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 425–432.
Matt DeLisi Iowa State University, USA E-mail address: [email protected].
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Criminal Justice
Editorial
Prison O Glorious Prison
Each year my undergraduates visit one or more prisons relating to their internship experience or as part of their student organization activity with the criminal justice club. The first impression that I most consistently hear centers on how much prison is structured like conventional society, and how many inmates seem to genuinely want to participate in these opportunities. Students are impressed with the work programs, educational programs, treatment options, counseling sessions, religious services, and amenities that prisons provide, and they are struck by the tacit and mostly peaceful coexistence between the keepers and the kept. Prisons have served as a popular research area at the Journal of Criminal Justice, including an outstanding special issue (Mears, 2012). Despite the almost universal negative connotation of imprisonment, many studies have shown prison to serve important functions relating to incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and reentry. Although academic criminology is overly keen on such language as the new penology, punitive turn, imprisonment binge, mass incarceration, and other specious descriptors, the practice of prison is often different. Several studies have shown that prison environments are more treatment-oriented, humane, and convalescent than is commonly believed (Dirkzwager & Kruttschnitt, 2012; Phelps, 2012). Indeed, a host of policies and regulations in prisons show promise toward reducing misconduct and facilitating the reentry process, including visitation (Cochran, 2012), family support (Foster, 2012; Visher & O'Connell, 2012), social support (Benson, Alarid, Burton, & Cullen, 2011; Pettus-Davis, Howard, Roberts-Lewis, & Scheyett, 2011), educational programs (Blomberg et al., 2011; Kim & Clark, 2013), and other structured activities (Wooldredge & Steiner, 2012). Lots of good things are going on, and have almost been going on, inside prisons. Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of inmates in the United States who have no interest in desisting from crime. Research has shown that more than 40% of adult inmates are chronic or habitual violators of prison rules and regulations (DeLisi, 2003), and nearly 50% of juvenile prisoners amass five or more serious violations during their confinement (Trulson, DeLisi, Caudill, Belshaw, & Marquart, 2010). Inmates with extensive criminal and prison history (Bales & Miller, 2012; Morris et al., 2012; Sorensen & Davis, 2011; Varano, Huebner, & Bynum, 2011) and those involved in street gangs and security threat groups (Sorensen et al., 2011; Worrall & Morris, 2012) are a particularly pernicious threat to institutional safety and order, and the most restrictive and punitive sanctions are appropriate and necessary to supervise the most recalcitrant inmates. This deserves repeating. There are hundreds of thousands of inmates who should never be released from prison. But most of them will be. Short of the death penalty, prison is the last straw for a correctional system that usually provides multiple community-based opportunities for criminal offenders to turn their life around. Many offenders 0047-2352/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2013.06.001
waste these opportunities (see, O'Connell et al., 2011; Sharp, Peck, & Hartsfield, 2012; Vaughn et al., 2012), and the scores of violations of bail bond conditions, violations of community corrections sentences, violations of probation and parole, revocations of probation and parole, and revocations of deferred judgments, prosecutions, and sentences are evidence. Inasmuch as prison denotes criminogenic effects (Mears, Cochran, & Bales, 2012; Wolff, Shi, & Schumann, 2012), it is important to understand that prison was utilized often as a last resort. The putative criminogenic effects of prison are importantly connected to the behavioral deficits of career offenders. For my students, another memorable feature of visiting a prison is to interact with the panel of inmates who take the time to talk about their lives in prison, their lives before prison, and for those who will be released (Iowa has true life imprisonment for Class A felony convictions), their lives after prison. For many, prison had life saving properties because it removed offenders from a drug lifestyle that was going to prove fatal. For some, prison offered a respite to family members and friends who were worn down by the recurrent legal problems and day-to-day burdens imposed by their son or daughter. For others, prison was the only policy that could guarantee that the offender would stop committing crime. In this way, prison provides some comfort to crime victims and other community members who are tired of crime.
References Bales, W. D., & Miller, C. H. (2012). The impact of determinate sentencing on prisoner misconduct. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 394–403. Benson, M. L., Alarid, L. F., Burton, V. S., & Cullen, F. T. (2011). Reintegration or stigmatization? Offenders’ expectations of community re-entry. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(5), 385–393. Blomberg, T. G., Bales, W. D., Mann, K., Piquero, A. R., & Berk, R. A. (2011). Incarceration, education and transition from delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(4), 355–365. Cochran, J. C. (2012). The ties that bind or the ties that break: Examining the relationship between visitation and prisoner misconduct. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 433–440. DeLisi, M. (2003). Criminal careers behind bars. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 21(5), 653–669. Dirkzwager, A. J., & Kruttschnitt, C. (2012). Prisoners’ perceptions of correctional officers’ behavior in English and Dutch prisons. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 404–412. Foster, H. (2012). The strains of maternal imprisonment: Importation and deprivation stressors for women and children. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 221–229. Kim, R. H., & Clark, D. (2013). The effect of prison-based college education programs on recidivism: Propensity score matching approach. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41(3), 196–204. Mears, D. P. (2012). The prison experience: Introduction to the special issue. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 345–347. Mears, D. P., Cochran, J. C., & Bales, W. D. (2012). Gender differences in the effects of prison on recidivism. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 370–378. Morris, R. G., Carriaga, M. L., Diamond, B., Piquero, N. L., & Piquero, A. R. (2012). Does prison strain lead to prison misbehavior? An application of general strain theory to inmate misconduct. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 194–201.
Editorial O'Connell, D., Visher, C. A., Martin, S., Parker, L., & Brent, J. (2011). Decide your time: Testing deterrence theory's certainty and celerity effects on substance-using probationers. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(3), 261–267. Pettus-Davis, C., Howard, M. O., Roberts-Lewis, A., & Scheyett, A. M. (2011). Naturally occurring social support in interventions for former prisoners with substance use disorders: Conceptual framework and program model. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(6), 479–488. Phelps, M. S. (2012). The place of punishment: Variation in the provision of inmate services staff across the punitive turn. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 348–357. Sharp, S. F., Peck, B. M., & Hartsfield, J. (2012). Childhood adversity and substance use of women prisoners: A general strain theory approach. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 202–211. Sorensen, J. R., Cunningham, M. D., Vigen, M. P., & Woods, S. O. (2011). Serious assaults on prison staff: A descriptive analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(2), 143–150. Sorensen, J., & Davis, J. (2011). Violent criminals locked up: Examining the effect of incarceration on behavioral continuity. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(2), 151–158. Trulson, C. R., DeLisi, M., Caudill, J. W., Belshaw, S., & Marquart, J. W. (2010). Delinquent careers behind bars. Criminal Justice Review, 35(2), 200–219.
415
Varano, S. P., Huebner, B. M., & Bynum, T. S. (2011). Correlates and consequences of pre- incarceration gang involvement among incarcerated youthful felons. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(1), 30–38. Vaughn, M. G., DeLisi, M., Beaver, K. M., Perron, B. E., & Abdon, A. (2012). Toward a criminal justice epidemiology: Behavioral and physical health of probationers and parolees in the United States. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(3), 165–173. Visher, C. A., & O'Connell, D. J. (2012). Incarceration and inmates’ self perceptions about returning home. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 386–393. Wolff, N., Shi, J., & Schumann, B. E. (2012). Reentry preparedness among soon-tobe-released inmates and the role of time served. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 379–385. Wooldredge, J., & Steiner, B. (2012). Race group differences in prison victimization experiences. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 358–369. Worrall, J. L., & Morris, R. G. (2012). Prison gang integration and inmate violence. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 425–432.
Matt DeLisi Iowa State University, USA E-mail address: [email protected].