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THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON PRISONIZATION - A COMPARISON OF THE IMPORTATION AND DEPRIVATION MODELS

NCJ Number
48542
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 68 Issue: 1 Dated: (1977) Pages: 135-145
Author(s)
C W THOMAS
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
TO EMPIRICALLY ANALYZE THE IMPORTATION AND DEPRIVATION MODELS OF INMATE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO 273 FELONS IN A CUSTODIALLY-ORIENTED CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
Abstract
THE DEPRIVATION MODEL FOCUSES ON PRISON-SPECIFIC VARIABLES AND POSITS THAT THE DEPERSONALIZING AND STIGMATIZING EFFECTS OF LEGAL PROCESSING AND PRISON INDUCTION COUPLED WITH THE ALIENATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COERCIVE POWERS OF PRISON AUTHORITIES IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL CONTROL MINIMIZE THE RELEVANCE OF OTHER VARIABLES. PROPONENTS OF THE IMPORTATION MODEL, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARGUE THAT PREPRISON SOCIALIZATION AND BACKGROUND EXPERIENCES ARE OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE IN DETERMINING THE TYPE OF NORMATIVE INMATE SYSTEM OR THE DEGREE OF ASSIMILATION INTO THAT SYSTEM. A THIRD MODEL WHICH INTEGRATES BOTH IMPORTATION AND DEPRIVATION VARIABLES WAS ALSO EXAMINED. THE IMPORTATION MODEL VARIABLES OF POSTPRISON EXPECTATIONS, EMPLOYMENT, MONTHLY INCOME, EDUCATION, AND ARREST HISTORY AND THE DEPRIVATION MODEL VARIABLES OF CONTEXTUAL POWERLESSNESS AND YEARS SERVED IN PRISON WERE ASSESSED AS THEY RELATE TO THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES OF PRISONIZATION (THE DEGREE OF RESPONSIVENESS OF THE INMATE TO THE NORMATIVE TENETS OF THE INMATE SUBCULTURE), OPPOSITION TO PRISON, AND CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION. MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS WAS EMPLOYED FOR THE IMPORTATION AND DEPRIVATION MODEL VARIABLES SEPARATELY AND JOINTLY. A FURTHER ANALYSIS COMPARING VARIABLES OF BOTH MODELS FOR INMATES WITH REPORTED DRUG USE OR NO REPORTED DRUG USE WAS ALSO DONE. ANALYSIS OF DATA REVEALS: (1) THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MULTIPLE CORRELATIONS OBTAINED ARE HIGHER WHEN THE VARIABLES OF BOTH MODELS ARE USED TOGETHER, SUGGESTING THAT A MODEL SYNTHESIZING THESE TWO PERSPECTIVES HAS GREATER EXPLANATORY POWER; (2) DEPRIVATION MODEL VARIABLES, PARTICULARLY POWERLESSNESS, APPEAR TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE IMPORTATION MODEL VARIABLES -- ALTHOUGH POSTPRISON EXPECTATIONS WERE MORE CLOSELY LINKED TO CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION THAN ANY OF THE DEPRIVATION VARIABLES; AND (3) PREPRISON INFLUENCES APPEAR TO BE LESS IMPORTANT UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF INSTITUTIONAL CONFINEMENT THAN EITHER PRISON-SPECIFIC OR EXTRAPRISON VARIABLES. A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF INMATES HAD USED DRUGS PRIOR TO IMPRISONMENT AND MANY CONTINUED TO DO SO DURING IMPRISONMENT. ONLY A VERY SMALL MINORITY OF PRISONERS REPORTED HAVING BEGUN DRUG USE ONLY AFTER INCARCERATION. THERE WAS A TENDENCY FOR DRUG-USING INMATES TO SHOW GREATER OPPOSITION TOWARD THE PRISON, AND FOR INMATES USING DRUGS IN PRISON TO SHOW HIGER CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION THAN NONDRUG-USING INMATES. (JAP)