institutional aggression

• Institutional aggression, according to deprivation model, is the product of stressful and oppressive conditions of the prison itself. So the inmates are displaying aggression do to these. Sykes described the specific deprivations that inmates experience within a prison which might be linked to an increase in violence. This includes loss of security. Some inmates may choose to rebel in the form of violence against other prisoners or staff. From this perspective, institutional aggression is influenced solely by prison-specific variables, rather than the inmate characteristics.
• . A study of over 200 prison inmates discovered that violence in prison is frequently a way of surviving the risk of appearing weak, which is an ever-present threat within prison culture. Cooke claimed that, in order to understand institutional aggression, we need to consider the situational context where violence takes place. They argue that the characteristics, in which violent behaviour is performed is overcrowding, found by a government report in 2014 found that the rates of murder and suicide increased in the overcrowded British prisons.
• . Heat and noise seem to be another factor, as prisons tend to be quite hot and noisy. In a study of students, a combination of high temperature and population density was found to create a higher level of negative emotions. The last factor is job burnout. This is in relation to the prison staff and a gradual loss of caring about people with who they work with. This creates a deterioration in relationships with inmates.
• The dispositional model is the idea that the inmates bring in with them, to the prison, their violent pasts and draws on their experiences where toughness is an important survival skill. Prisoners are not ‘blank slates’ when they enter. In many cities, street culture has evolved what may be called a ‘code of the streets’. Within prison environments, gang membership is consistently related to violence and other forms of antisocial behaviour. Several studies have found that gang members disproportionately engage in acts of prison violence.
• A study of over 1,000 inmates in prisons in the south-west of the US found individuals who had been members of a gang were significantly more likely to engage in misconduct in prison, including murder. Other dispositional characteristics found to relate are anger, anti-social personality style and impulsivity and low self control. Anger was found to be the best predictor of violent behaviour while in prison. It was also found that low self-control was also a significant predictor of aggressive behaviour.

   
• The standford prison experiment provides strong support for the deprivation model

  Zimbardo found that the conditions of the fake prison made the pt in the role of the guards act aggressively to the prisoners, which was unprompted and the prisoners had to be realised early due to the reactions to these aggressive acts from the guards.

  This shows that aggression can be enhanced due to conditions and context.
• The knowledge from gang membership can be susceptible to abuse.

  The conclusions found say that gang members in prison are significantly more likely to commit crimes including murder and assault than those who were not gang members. This could cause prejudice towards gang members that shouldn’t be generalised to them all. 

  This highlights a possible ethical issue with the data found. 
• There is research evidence to support the claim that peer violence is a response to the deprivation experienced in institutional cultures.

  In a major study of 371 US prisons, found situational factors (eg overcrowding) significantly influenced inmate and staff assaults. Prisons in which a major percentage of the prison population involved itself in educational or vocational programmes had a lower incidence of violence against staff and inmates.

  This suggests that depriving inmates of meaningful activity increases the likelihood of violent behaviour, as predicted by the deprivation model
• This model has received support, (deprivation model).

  Mears tested the view that inmate behaviour stems in part from the cultural belief systems that they import with them into prison.

  They measured the 'code of the street' belief system and the experiences of inmates. Their results supported that a 'code of the street' belief system affects inmate violence. Especially among those inmates who lack family support and are involved in gangs prior.

  Concluded that although the 'code of the street' doesn't directly cause violent behaviour, but calls for proactive responses to perceived insults.