Deck 8: Prison Life

Question 1

An environment that is physically separate from the larger society and where every detail of a person's life is controlled (clothing, food, housing, daily routine) is referred to as

A) super-max syndrome.
B) deprivation hypothesis.
C) pains of imprisonment.
D) total institution.

Answer 1

total institution.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT considered one of Sykes's "pains of imprisonment"?

A) Deprivation of health care.
B) Deprivation of security.
C) Deprivation of heterosexual relationships.
D) Deprivation of autonomy.

Answer 2

Deprivation of health care.

Question 3

The ________ model assumes that prison life is an extension of street life of marginalized people from impoverished communities who end up dominating the prison.

A) prisonization
B) customization
C) deprivation
D) importation

Answer 3

importation

Question 4

________ refers to an informal, unwritten set of ideal norms that directs an inmate's behavior.

A) Inmate code
B) Prison argot
C) Prisonization
D) Deprivation

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a feature of the male inmate code?

A) Don't snitch.
B) Don't pretend to be somebody you're not.
C) Don't make friends with the prison staff.
D) Keep your dignity.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a feature of the female inmate code?

A) Don't be afraid to fight.
B) Follow institutional rules.
C) Keep busy in programs.
D) Don't trust anyone.

Question 7

Of the following, which ranks highest on the prisoner hierarchy?

A) Gang members.
B) Squares.
C) Punks.
D) Sex offenders.

Question 8

Of the following, which ranks lowest on the prisoner hierarchy?

A) Players.
B) Punks.
C) Snitches.
D) Gang members.

Question 9

Most inmates work about ________ in prison.

A) 2-3 hours per day
B) 5-6 hours per day
C) more than 8 hours per day
D) None of the above. Most prisoners do not work.

Question 10

In which work category are most prisoners employed?

A) Prison industries.
B) Agricultural work.
C) Institutional maintenance.
D) License plate factory.

Question 11

Inmates who earn the privilege of working specialty maintenance jobs that offer more freedom or movement throughout the prison are called

A) trusties.
B) players.
C) outcasts.
D) cleaners.

Question 12

The prison bartering system based on negotiation and exchange of goods and services between prisoners without the use of cash is called the

A) hidden marketplace.
B) under-the-table economy.
C) sub rosa economy.
D) secret market.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT considered a benefit of prison labor?

A) Day-to-day facility maintenance and operation is maintained.
B) Prisoners are typically not paid or receive such little pay for their labor that work becomes another aspect of their punishment.
C) Inmates learn employable skills.
D) Idleness during incarceration is reduced.

Question 14

Prison inmates who use their legal knowledge and skills to write writs and grievances to the court system for themselves and other inmates are called

A) jailhouse lawyers.
B) scholars.
C) writ writers.
D) advocates

Question 15

Research finds that inmate misconduct increases following transfer to a new unit regardless of whether it was a higher or lower custody level. Which of the following may be a reason?

A) All transfers require the inmate to be placed in isolation for 2 weeks prior to being placed in the general prison population and misconduct occurs after release from isolation.
B) Anytime a prisoner is transferred, he or she must start the classification process over and that is frustrating to many inmates.
C) The sub rosa economy requires newly arrived inmates, including transfers, to "buy" acceptance through stealing food items for more established inmates at the facility.
D) To avoid being bullied or harassed by the more established inmates at the new unit, the transferred inmate engages in misconduct to establish his reputation.

Question 16

Today, prison gangs are more typically called

A) Cell Clubs.
B) Security Threat Groups.
C) Protection Cliques.
D) Convict Crews.

Question 17

One of the most widely documented aspects of the social structure of women's prisons is a

A) gang environment with membership based on race or ethnicity.
B) clique environment with linkages based on hometown.
C) network of social relationships based on sexual attraction.
D) fabricated kinship network with an inmate taking the mother role at the center.

Question 18

Inmates who are targeted as victims of sexual assault in prison tend to

A) be from a middle-class background.
B) be persons who had spent time in juvenile facilities.
C) be gang affiliated.
D) have committed a violent crime as an adult.

Question 19

Most prison disturbances

A) occur in small areas where prisoners congregate.
B) usually end within minutes.
C) occur daily in maximum-security facilities.
D) result in prison control being held by inmates.

Question 20

Of the following, which is considered the most frequent cause of prison riots and disturbances?

A) Conflict among prisoners.
B) Food of poor quality or insufficient amount.
C) Staff members or officers confronting inmates.
D) Biased and unfair rules and regulations.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a method prisons can use to prevent riots?

A) Consistent and fair rule enforcement.
B) Quality food.
C) A policy of negotiating when hostages are taken.
D) Good classification system.

Question 22

Which type of security threat group has a constitution and requires membership for life?

A) Regional cell STGs.
B) Paramilitary STGs.
C) Tango Blast STG.
D) Situational STG.

Question 23

Women are disproportionately underrepresented in prison.

Question 24

Deviant socialization refers to the process by which prisoners learn the prison culture.

Question 25

Regardless of sentence length or prison type, all prisoners become part of the inmate subculture and adopt prison values as their own.

Question 26

The importation model explains the inmate subculture as being a response to various deprivations prisoners suffered as a result of their imprisonment.

Question 27

One aspect of the inmate code for men is to use religious influences for inner strength.

Question 28

Rather than being a standard language throughout all prisons, prison argot varies by region of the country and by the dominant race/ethnic group imprisoned.

Question 29

In prison argot, the vast majority of individual prisoners are identified as either players or squares.

Question 30

Although having prisoners work is considered desirable, the problem today is that there are more prisoners than work available to keep each prisoners occupied for eight hours each day.

Question 31

Most prisoners are assigned to menial jobs that help to operate and maintain the prison in such areas as food preparation or laundry.

Question 32

Institutional maintenance jobs are highly sought after by inmates because they provide the most realistic work environment and the best pay.

Question 33

According to a study by the Bureau of Prisons, working in the federal prison industries sector while in prison contributed to a lower recidivism and increased job-related success of male inmates upon their release.

Question 34

Although it does not exist in jails or minimum-security prisons, an illicit underground economy is found in every prison with medium or higher security.

Question 35

Inmates with mental illnesses are more likely to be assaulted AND to assault others.

Question 36

Most incidents of adult sexual abuse of inmates are committed by staff members rather than by other inmates.

Question 37

Inmate perpetrators of sexual assault are likely to be (or perceived by others to be) developmentally disabled or mentally ill.

Question 38

A predisposing factor is something that actually starts a riot, but may not be the cause of the riot.

Question 39

The number of ________ in prison is disproportionately less than the number of women in the general population.

Question 40

The term ________ describes the process by which prisoners are socialized into prison life or the inmate subculture.

Question 41

Prison society shares many aspects of the dominant culture, but the ________ subculture refers to those areas such as informal rules and special language where prison society differs.

Question 42

Prison ________, or prison proper, is the language, slang, and physical gestures used to communicate in prison.

Question 43

In prison argot, ________ control scarce resources by running prison stores out of their cells.

Question 44

The term ________ refers to forbidden items that compromise institutional safety and security.

Question 45

Prison ________ control a large amount of the most lucrative part a prison's illegal economy (e.g., drug transactions and gambling).

Question 46

Security ________ groups are predatory gangs that pose a danger to the security and safety of staff and inmates.

Question 47

Prison officials have a duty to keep prisoners safe from violence by other prisoners, and prison staff can be held liable for assaults against prisoners if the prisoner can prove the staff exhibited ________ indifference.

Question 48

A prison disturbance becomes a prison ________ once control of the prison changes hands from officers to prisoners.

Question 49

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Prisonization

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 50

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Inmate subculture

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 51

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Inmate code

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 52

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Prison argot

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 53

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Voluntary lockdown

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 54

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Disturbance

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 55

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Prison riot

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 56

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Predisposing factor

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 57

Match the following terms with their meanings.

-Triggering event

A) An altercation involving three or more inmates resulting in official action, but where staff control of the facility is maintained.
B) When prisoners refuse to leave their cells.
C) Underlying conditions that occur over an extended period of time and provide the foundation for a riot.
D) One or several specific events that spark a riot.
E) A situation involving a large number of inmates making a forcible attempt to take control of a sizable area of the prison for a substantial amount of time.

Question 58

Prison culture today is understood as being a mix of many things. With specific reference to the relevant concepts and conditions explain the ingredients that make up contemporary prison culture.

Question 59

What is meant by inmate code? Discuss the mainstream inmate code for men and women.

Question 60

Explain how collective behavior differs in men's and women's prisons.

Question 61

List at least five ways that prison officials reduce incidents of prison sexual assault and violence.

Question 62

The deprivation model suggests that the inmate subculture and its accompanying inmate code is the result of various deprivations that inmates suffer because of their imprisonment. What are some of those deprivations and is it possible to avoid some of them in order to provide a more normal environment? With a more normal environment, would some of the negative consequences of the inmate subculture be avoided?

Question 63

When reporting on play families, the chapter material notes that the relationships created in the play family probably do not represent the women's real-life experiences. Explain what this means and offer reasons for why it may be true.