Ben is an identity thief. His scam is fairly straightforward: he has a skimmer that he puts on the credit card reader at the gas station. When unsuspecting patrons pay for their gasoline, Ben gets a copy of their credit card information. Ben has just purchased a Mercedes Benz under one of his unsuspecting victim's names. When the car dealer does the credit check, they find that there is an alert for potential stolen identity. Ben is arrested, charged, convicted, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. As an identity thief who is good with numbers and money, Ben makes friends inside prison pretty quickly. He runs a betting ring that both correctional officers and inmates are part of and Ben gives pointers to some of the younger guys. Ben's situation is in direct opposition to which concept of prison?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ben's situation contradicts the concept of a "Total institution," where every aspect of an inmate's life is controlled and structured by the institution, leaving little room for personal agency or the establishment of complex social roles within the prison environment. Ben's ability to run a betting ring and influence others indicates he has a significant amount of personal agency and social influence, which is not typical in a total institution setting.

Ben Is an Identity Thief