Cassiano and Bennet
What it takes to be a “good” correctional officer
- Socialization and occupational expectations of new correctional officer recruits in Canada
- accountability as the most valued trait (meaning also integrity and fairness in their duties)
- Reliability is considered equally important
- trust and having reliably colleagues especially in dangerous situations
- confidence was another central trait (linked to professionalism, mental toughness, and assertiveness)
Cassiano and Bennet - What it takes to be a good correctional officer - “subcultural dynamic)
- how new recruits are socialized
- informal norms within facilities impact behaviour, decision making, and overall functioning of the institution
- challenges the idea that correctional officers are purely authoritative
- peer relationships are HIGHLY important in shaping their role
Choi and Dulisse
“The importance of violent ‘codes’ of South Korean inmates”
- importation model of prison behaviour (idv carry their norms and values from outside into the prison)
- Authors focused on how violent “codes” (subcultural norms) from the streets get imported into South Korean prisons and shape inmate behaviour
“The importance of violent ‘codes’ of South Korean inmates” Choi and Dulisse: Important Concept
- the violent code is associated with values like honour, respect, and self-reliance, particularly among make inmate
- adherence to these codes means defending your honour basically
- inmates who have been socialized into this typically are more violent/agressive, more likely to be gang involved
- the article critiques the deprivation model, which suggests prison conditions alone are sufficient to explain violence
- argues that subculture norms are the cause,
The Deprivation model of prison behaviour
- Inmate conduct, including agression and rule breaking, stems from the “pains of imprisonment”
(Severe loss of liberty, autonomy, goods and services, intimacy, and security) - forces inmates to adapt by developing a harsh subculture to cope with
Bell et al. (2022)
Continuity of the code: a review of the subcultures and informal social norms in prisons, streets, and schools
- these “codes” are norms relating to respect, survival, and self-reliance
- there is continuity of these codes from one setting to another, ie: streets to prisons or kids from rough backgrounds adopting oppositional attitudes like those seen in prisons
- authors propose that a subculture of crime is is not isolated to the prison or the street, but is part of a broader cultural phenomenon
- socialization into these codes early on in life may predispose individuals to adopt certain criminal behaviours
Continuity of the code: a review of the subcultures and informal social norms in prisons, streets, and schools (Bell et al.) findings and conclusion
- there is sig. overlap between the informal norms in schools, streets, and prisons
- this suggests that these codes are part of a larger social framework that shapes individuals throughout their lives
- study emphasizes the role of environment and culture in shaping crim behaviour, proposing that the more entrenched these codes are in individuals lives the more likely they are to continue engaging in criminal or violent behaviour once they enter prison
What criminological perspective does Bell et al. Take in their article?
Life-course theory perspective
(Crim subcultures are embedded in larger societal concepts)
- cultural criminology
- subculture theory
Canton R & Padfield N
“Why punish?”
- philosophical underpinnings of punishment, asks why societies choose to punish offenders in the first place
- Retributive justice: punishment is deserved and proportionate to the crime (like Beccaria) this view focuses on justice as a moral response to wrongdoing
- Utilitarianism: (Bentham & Beccaria) punishment serves a greater societal good, detterance, rehabilitation, or incapacitation (authors question if this is really achieved, current systems fail to meet this criteria)
- Article discusses moral and ethical justifications for punishment, arguing that current systems often fail to meet these criteria
- Authors highlight the impact of punitive measures on marginalized groups, suggesting current model of punishment may be unjust or harmful
Canton article and relevance to crim theories
- debates with penology and crim theories
- offers criticisms of classical criminology ideas like retributive justice and utilitarianism
Colvin (2009)
“Convicting the innocent: A critique of theories of wrongful convictions”
- current explanations of wrongful convictions often overlook the systemic issues within the CRJS
- article critiques the idea that wrinogful convictions are merely the result of individual failures, rather it points to institutional biases
- systematic inequalities and the role of power
- theories focused on individual blame are insufficient because they ignore the broader structural factors, including racial disparities and class biases, which can influence who gets wrongfully convicted
- study highlights the need for a structural approach, considering the broader political, social, and institutional context
What crim perspective does the article “Convicting the innocent: A critique of theories of wrongful convictions” (Colvin) take?
Critical Criminology (Marx, Foucault, C. Wright Mills)
- emphasizes the role of power and inequality in shaping wrongful convictions
- calls for deeper analysis of the structural and systemic causes of miscarriages of justice
Peterson & Omori
“Is the process the only punishment? Racial-ethnic disparities in lower-level courts”
- focuses on legal adjudication in lower level courts, the effects of racial and ethnic disparities
- these spaces are typically associated with lower level crimes, but punishments can be significant
- the authors argue that in many cases the legal process itself becomes a form of punishment (even before the accused is tried they have stigma associated, esp if someone is a member of a marginalized group)
- social cost can be as damaging as any sentence
- covert forms of punishment
Omari’s “Is the process the only punishment? Racial-ethnic disparities in lower-level courts”, in relation to crim theories
- Critical race theory and institutional racism
- emphasizes how racial and ethnic disparities persist throughout the justice system, particularity in lower level courts
Myers (2017)
“Eroding the presumption of innocence, pre trial detention and conditional release on bail”
- presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of criminal law, however pre trial detention and conditions surrounding bail may undermine this fundamental principal
- increasing use of pre trial detention imposed due to perceived flight risk etc, ,any erode presumption of innocence cause incarceration before conviction obvi
- conditional release and bail as an alternative, but conditions may be hard to comply with, (financial bail, travel restrictions) argues that this disproportionally affects low income inv and racial minorities (INTERSECTIONALITY)
- erosion of civil liberties by circumventing the presumption of innocence, leading to “criminalization of poverty”
Myers - “Eroding the presumption of innocence, pre trial detention and conditional release on bail”
Findings?
- psychological and social effects
- suggests alternatives to detention
- accessible and equitable bail systems - to ensure presumption of innocence is protected
Myers (2017) related theories
- critical criminology
- rocedural justice theories
- intersection of legal processes, inequality and human rights
Rasmussen and Kim (2024)
“Abolition and the welfare state: implications for social welfare”
- relationship between the abolitionist movement in crim and its potential effects on the welfare state
- the abolitionist perspective advocates for the radical reform of punitive systems like prisons and the police
- how could this affect the social welfare policies aimed at addressing inequalities and supporting marginalized communities
- they are deeply connected, we could put more resources towards these social supports if we focus less on punitive measures
- social welfare can be reimagined as preventative instead of punitive
“Abolition and the welfare state: implications for social welfare” (Rasmussen and Kim 2024)
What crim theories are contained in this article?
- Critical criminology & radical criminology theories
- potential for transformative justice
- welfare criminology
