Institutional Agression

Question 1

What two main theories are there that explain why aggression occurs in prisons at a higher rate than outside of prison?
And what type of models are these two theories?

Answer 1

• Importation model
• deprivation model

Situational model: Aggression occurs as a result of factors within the prison setting and environment

Dispositional model: Aggression occurs due to individual characteristics that the prisoner brings into the prison

Question 2

Who developed the importation model?

Answer 2

Irwin and Cressey

Question 3

What does the importation model suggest about aggression?

Answer 3

• Prisoners are aggressive as they import their aggressive tendencies into the prison with them and this is why the rate of violence is high.
• The aggressive characteristics may come from sources such as genetics, testosterone, serotonin levels and the way their personality has been formed through childhood experiences.
• The aggression that prisoners produce is no different to how they would behave outside of prison

Question 4

What factors affect the offender according to the importation model inside and outside of prison?

Answer 4

• dependency and addiction to alcohol or drugs can exacerbate aggressive behaviour and are not sorted by putting someone in prison.
• Young offenders institutions are the most violent prisons in the UK.

Question 5

What three sub cultures identified by Irwin and Cressey influence inmates to be aggressive?

Answer 5

• Criminal/thief subculture
• Convict subculture
• Conventional sub culture

Question 6

Describe a criminal/thief subculture?

Answer 6

-These inmates follow the norms and values that exist within the criminal career. Values such as not betraying a fellow criminal, being trustworthy and being reliable among the criminal inmates, are adopted.

This subculture refers to fellow thieves/criminals as their primary group.

Question 7

Describe convict subculture

Answer 7

Convicts are inmates raised in the prison system, who seek positions of power and influence amongst other prisoners.

Their primary group is fellow convicts.

This is group is most likely to turn to forms of aggression, and are influenced by the environment prior to being incarcerated.

Question 8

Describe prisoners part of the conventional subculture

Answer 8

One time offenders who were not part of a criminal subculture before entering the prison.

These inmates are rejects of other subcultures, identifying more with prison staff.

Such prisoners are not very aggressive while in prison

Question 9

What does the situational explanation suggest about institutionalisation?

Answer 9

• It suggests that the prison environment is a source for aggression to occur and that there are three types of specific factors that come from the environment within a prison:
  1. Organisational: This is influence of rules and regulations that the prisoners have to adhere to while serving their sentence. These can prompt aggression because of the expectation that the prisoners should follow these rules set by leadership.
  2. Physical: The potentially cramped conditions, threatening environment and lack of comfort are argued to be factors in influencing aggressive behaviours
  3. Staff characteristics: The attitude and behaviour of staff can be influential in prompting aggression in inmates.

Question 10

What does the deprivation model suggest about institutional aggression?

Answer 10

• Aggression is caused primarily by the loss of key needs, such as frequent communication with loved ones outside of prison, as being the root to aggressive behaviour.
• Deprivation of prison life increases someone’s aggressive drive to the stress and frustration that comes with it.

Question 11

What are the five deprivation categories that caused aggression according to Sykes?

Answer 11

Deprivation of liberty 
Deprivation of autonomy 
Deprivation of good and services 
Deprivation of heterosexual relationships 
Deprivation of security

Question 12

What is deprivation of liberty ?

Answer 12

Prisons are aimed to impinge the freedom and liberty of inmates during their sentence, this reinforces the feeling of rejection from society so inmates are more likely to be antagonistic and aggressive.

Question 13

What is deprivation of autonomy?

Answer 13

There is no independence for prisoners. They are expected to conform and they have no control over their day to day living. Officers control the environment, leaving prisoners feeling helpless, with a lack of control.

Question 14

What is deprivation of goods and services?

Answer 14

Prisoners are deprived of goods and services available in the outside world. This can lead to an increase in frustration and stress which can cause aggression to occur.

Question 15

What is deprivation of heterosexual relationships?

Answer 15

heterosexual prisoners have no access to companionship in prison and this can lead to frustration and consequently aggression. The ability and need to form sexual relationships and experience emotional intimacy with a person of the opposite sex are important.

Question 16

What is deprivation of security?

Answer 16

The prison environment may be hostile and dangerous. This can increase awareness and defensiveness which can increase aggression due to over reactions of incidents.

Question 17

AO3 for importation model

Answer 17

• Desili: investigated juvenile delinquents, those who had a history of substance abuse and history of childhood trauma were more likely to be aggressive and be a part of physical misconduct
• Kane and Janus Found that the number of violent offences committed in a prison was strongly correlated with a prisoners level of education. If the lower the level of education a prisoner has received the more likely they would produce aggressive behaviour in prison.
• Gaes conducted research on 82000 inmates and found that Hispanics were the moist violent and Asian prisoners were the least aggressive. Their ethnicity was strongly correlated with aggressive behaviour from occurring. Therefore this supports the importation model as their ethnicity is something that they bring in with them to the prison

Question 18

AO3 for deprivation model

Answer 18

• Johnston: He found the more overcrowded a prison the more likely aggressive behaviour would be produced. The overcrowding leads to a competition for resources. This means basic needs are deprived from prisoners therefore this is support for the deprivation model as it shows when prisoners are deprived of basic needs they are more likely to act aggressively.
• Blomberg and Lucken: Found that lack of autonomy increased aggression. Prisoners often have to ask and obtain permission to shower, interact and sleep which are key civil liberties. This leads to frustration and aggression which supports the deprivation model.
• Reductionist: biological explanation