INSTITUTIONAL AGGRESSION - PRISONS

• what is the dispositional explanation?

  importation model - institutional aggression results from characteristics of the prisoners
• what did Irwin and Cressey argue about dispositional factors?

  inmates bring a subculture of criminality into prisons which includes their beliefs, norms, values, attitudes, characteristics etc. They import these to negotiate their way through an unfamiliar environment and use aggression to establish power, status and resources.
• How did DeLisi et al study dispositional factors?

  studied juvenile delinquents in California who imported several negative dispositional features, eg childhood trauma, anger, substance abuse and violent behaviour
• what were the results of DeLisi et als study?

  inmates were more likely to engage in suicidal activity and sexual misconduct, committed more acts of physical violence brought to attention of parole board, compared with control group with fewer negative dispositional features
• what is the situational explanation?

  the deprivation model, institutional aggression is due to stress created by the prison environment
• what did Clemmer argue about institutional aggression

  harsh prison conditions cause stress for inmates who cope by behaving aggressively, also influenced by another situational factor - unpredictable prison regime that uses lock ups to control behaviour, creates frustration and reduces access to goods even further, it is a recipe for aggression
• what do harsh conditions include?

  psychological factors and physical factors
• what are psychological factors?

  deprivation of freedom, independence and heterosexual intimacy
• what are physical factors?

  deprivation of material goods increases competition between inmates to acquire them
• how did Steiner investigate situational factors?

  investigated 512 US prisons to see the factors predicting inmate aggression. Inmate on Inmate violence was more common in prisons with more female staff, African-American inmates, Hispanic inmates and inmates in protective custody for their own safety. Supports deprivation model
• Strength of importation model

  research support - Camp and Gaes randomly allocated half male inmates in low security california prisons and the others in the second highest category. No significant difference in aggressive misconduct between the two groups, features of the environment are less important predictors of aggressive behaviour than the characteristics
• limitation of importation model

  Alternative may be better - Dilulio claims it is inadequate to explain institutional aggression as it ignores roles of prison officials and factors linked to running prisons, proposed the Administrative Control Model (ACM), states poorly managed prisons are more likely to experience more serious inmate violence. These are more influential in determining characteristics, casting doubt over validity of importation
• Strength of deprivation model

  Research support - Cunningham analysed inmate homicides in Texas and found motivations were inked to deprivations of the prison, particularly important were arguments over drugs, homosexual relationships and personal posessions
• limitation of deprivation model

  contradictory research - Hensley studied 256 inmates of Mississippi prisons allowing conjugal visits (to have sex) there was no link between these visits and reduced aggressive behaviour. Shows situational factors do not necessarily affect prison violence
• Limitation of both explanations

  Interactionist model is better - Dobbs and Waid argue deprivation does not lead to violence unless it combines with the individual characteristics imported into the prison by inmates
• What is Institutional Aggression?

  aggressive or violent behaviour that takes place within social context of a prison of other formal organised setting