Deck 28: Prisons

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the 'holiday camp' representation of prisons in media? media

A) A film portrays prison as an oppressive institution in which prisoners are subject to difficult manual labour and abuse
B) A TV show comedically portrays a new and naïve prisoner trying to join a violent prison gang for protection
C) A news outlet runs a story about how 'violent criminals' are being given Xboxes in prison
D) A documentary shows the most chaotic and disorderly moments captured in a high-security prison

Answer 1

C
This creates a 'constructed reality' of the prison in our minds (Surette 1997), which in turn informs our opinions and assumptions. Often there is a distinction between the myths/stereotypes evident in film/TV and those in news media. This creates two sets of ideas on prison life: on the one hand depictions of an overly brutal environment, on the other the portrayal of prison as a "holiday camp". The contrast between these constructed realities, and the opinions and assumptions upon which they are built, creates a conflict between what we want, need, and imagine the prison to be.

Question 2

What is a 'deprivation' model of imprisonment?

A) Experience and social organisation in prison is imposed by whoever the toughest prisoner is in any given prison
B) Experience and social organisation in prison is imposed by deprivations of particular wants/needs that are often available outside of prison
C) Experience and social organisation in prison is imported by those who are held in prisons
D) Experience and social organisation in prison is imported by those who run prisons

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What is an 'importation' model of imprisonment?

A) Experience and social organisation in prison is imposed by whoever the toughest prisoner is in any given prison
B) Experience and social organisation in prison is imposed by deprivations of particular wants/needs that are often available outside of prison
C) Experience and social organisation in prison is imported by those who are held in prisons
D) Experience and social organisation in prison is imported by those who run prisons

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Sykes (1959) identified 5 'pains of imprisonment' that shape prison experiences. These are the deprivations of liberty, autonomy, heterosexual/social relationships, security and:

A) Accurate media representation
B) When and what to eat
C) Spatial movement
D) Good and services

Question 5

Sykes (1959) identified 5 'pains of imprisonment' that shape prison experiences. Of these is the 'deprivation of autonomy'. What is meant by this?

A) Prisoners lose the power to make personal decisions
B) Prisoners are subject to intrusive threats to personal safety
C) Prisoners spend the majority of their time in an institutionally defined single-sex environment
D) Prisoners experience a loss of freedom

Question 6

Irwin and Cressey identified the 'inmate code', comprised of three distinct subcultures that shape social organisation and experience in prison; Thief Culture, Convict Culture and:

A) Those who are specially orientated towards extreme violence
B) Gang Culture
C) Those who otherwise largely adhere to law-abiding values in wider society
D) Youth Culture

Question 7

What is 'Prison Order'?

A) The extent to which Sykes' 'Pain of imprisonment' can be put in order of seriousness
B) The degree to which the prison environment is structured, stable, predictable and acceptable
C) The ability of prison officers to help prisoners access medical care
D) The extent to which there is a strictly enforced social hierarchy among prisoners

Question 8

What is the term used to describe institutions that are characterised by their occupants being cut off from the outside world for prolonged periods, and shared rituals and routines reinforced by the 'separateness' of the institution itself.

A) Organisational Institutions
B) Separate Institutions
C) Total Institutions
D) Ritual Institutions

Question 9

What is the term 'soft power' used to refer to in the context of imprisonment?

A) How access to medical care can be a significant issue in prisons
B) How authority is founded on the micro-interactions between staff and prisoners
C) How those in positions of power conceptualise authority
D) How prisons are architecturally structured

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT an example of how prisons reinforce or exacerbate existing structural inequality?

A) The social stigma attached to imprisonment can affect employment opportunities
B) Prison can exacerbate or trigger mental health problems
C) Those who already experience social deprivation are more likely to end up in prison than those who do not
D) Those in prison may form social relationships with others in prison