The realities of prison life are not always what media portrays. The truth behind bars can be misleading when information from criminal dramas, television series, and sometimes even popular news stories portray the reality. Behind a Convicts Eyes by K.C. Carceral and Voices from the Field by Carl E. Pope, Rick Lovell, and Stephen G. Brandi bring the realities to light and effectively depict the challenges inmates face every day in their fight for survival. This paper will address adaptation strategies used by inmates to adjust to prison life, how correctional policies affect an inmate’s rights to confidentiality and respect, along with perspectives and suggestions for correctional policies and inmate’s toxic-shamed identity.
In the media, Sherriff Joe Arpio’s prisons in Maricopa County, Arizona often flaunt the pink prison uniforms, revitalized chain gangs, and no-nonsense operations. However, after reading Behind a Convicts eyes, many might agree that prisoners have more control over their existence than originally thought. Inmates tend to use the system to their advantage, finding loop holes, and ways to manipulate routine procedures.
Prisoners use coercion and manipulative tactics to their advantage when attempting to get what they want. On page 20, Behind a Convicts Eyes, the conversation between Marv and Dr. Hanz provides a convenient example of how inmates control psychological testing; using clinical physicians to acquire medication to either become “high” or barter for profit. Another way manipulation takes place among prisoner and correctional officers is by building rapports (Carceral, 2004, p. 20). This then leads to doing small favors for an individual, which makes their actions seem as if they are helping someone out, so in turn the individual that is coerced by manipulation, returns a small favor. However, once a prisoner has a caught an individual doing something he or she is not suppose to do, they can blackmail them for more criminal behaviors in the future.
When entering the prison system many offenders experience an initial shock by the new world they are entering into. Basic means for survival are dependent upon the individuals’ demographics and ability to adapt. Anonymous N. Inmate shares several adaptation strategies including understanding the new language, the persona one should carry, and how to stay out of trouble. Anonymous describes the language as “prison-proper” and if a prisoner does not understand the jargon they have the potential of miscommunication that could cause them harm. For example, on page 24, Behind a Convicts Eyes, shares Anonymous’ conversation with Skin about learning “prison-proper”; there is certain name calling allowed only within specific ethnic groups, fowl language is frequently used, and referring to someone as a ‘punk’ provokes altercations. The talk becomes more complex with the everyday activities in prison life, but if the inmate pays close attention, they will eventually catch on (Carceral, 2004, p. 24).
Another important prison adaptation strategy is to show no emotion because a sign of emotion translates to one’s weakness. Behind a Convicts eyes continuously reinforces the importance of reputation throughout the text. An inmate’s reputation is said to determine if prison life will “make or break you” with the worst reputation being a “snitch” (Carceral, 2004, chap. 4). Anonymous became conscious of the importance of upholding a reputation and never had to fear the title of a “snitch”.
A poor reputation can have devastating results for an inmate, causing others to turn against them, possibly including correctional officers as well. Sometimes reputations start in the court house, depending upon the crime the prisoner committed; otherwise, reputations had to be earned. As long as the inmate “plays it cool” and avoids snitching, regardless of the action of another prisoner, this can help the inmate steer clear of being verbally and physically assaulted.
Lastly, one of the most important prison adaptation strategies is a technique Anonymous explains that inmates must “mind [their] own business unless asked” (Carceral, 2004, p. 11). By simply attending to personal affairs instead of others is an easy way to avoid potential conflicts; whether discussions are taking place between inmates or correctional officers. The best way to survive the system is for the inmate to keep to themselves.
The book Voices from the Field, provides another perspective with some similarities and differences from Behind a Convicts Eyes; one author portrays the perspective of an evaluator and the other as an inmate. One focus which both authors covered was the racial separation. Black inmates primarily conversed with other black inmates and white inmates general conversed with white inmates. In Voices from the Field and Behind a Convicts Eyes, survival methods were similar. The focal point addresses how prisoners avoid conflict, but does whatever may be required to meet their needs. The façade of defensive measures and strength were adequately represented in both texts.
Issues addressing the economy were also prevalent in both texts, proving that inmate interactions could prove to be beneficial when acquiring needs inside and outside of prison walls. The text displayed an example of an approximate living expense of $130 per month. Therefore, bartering is a frequent bustle throughout the prison cells, exchanging items in the forms of products or service to obtain additional needed materials. Maintaining a decent reputation proved extremely important in both texts, in order for bartering to be successful. However, both texts shared examples of how reputations can cause confidentiality concern within the prisons.
Behind a Convicts eyes briefly describes the need for respect, hope and safety in the correctional policy addressing “society’s need for social order and the value of social justice” (Carceral, 2004, p. 183). The Correction Policy includes that staff must provide protection to each inmate and is responsible for confiscating all contraband from the inmate’s possession. However, these policies rarely take effect as they should. Inmates are more successful at manipulating and controlling the system because they are trying to survive in the system. For example, inmates will not report that another inmate is in possession of contraband because they do not want to ruin their reputation and contract the label as a “snitch”; especially after seeing others attacked by other inmates for the same behavior. Although, there are policies within the prison to report such crimes, there is little hope that inmates will adhere to these policies.
The inmates always seem to have a hidden agenda, regardless of how well correctional officers perform their job functions. The intent of the correctional policies is to provide rules and guidelines to protect the inmate’s privacy and self respect. However, inmates have the capability of searching for information about an individual, aside from what prison staff is attempting to keep confidential. As for the respect correctional officers have for inmates, some would say inmates are only receive a portion of what should be provided. Both texts testify to strip searches providing correctional officers with an intimidation tactic, with an attempt to prove a point with little or no means of respect.
When offering suggestions for implementing at the facility where Anonymous N. Inmate is housed, intimidation tactics and extreme measures of force should be abolished, unless deemed absolutely necessary. They system should work much like an elementary or junior high school system: starting with a verbal warning, then a write-up, ending with appropriate action for the misbehavior or crime committed. Solitary confinement should not be for someone who has not tucked his or her shirt in, unless the inmate has received several warnings for his or her misconduct. In the example of an un-tucked shirt, the inmate should receive a warning, then a write up, with concluding appropriate action being the loss of recreational time outside of their cell. If the same behavior continues, then solitary confinement should be considered.
Much like a four-year-old, by taking away their personal freedoms or ability to do something they want to do, they can determine the appropriate behavior to receive positive or negative consequences. Some would wonder why placing a four-year-old onto time-out for forgetting to clean up his toys as a punishment, when a simple reminder or warning would have been sufficient the first time. Same goes for inmates, why throw them into solitary confinement when a warning would have been just as effective.
Carceral believes that the “…root problem in people and how they become criminals is that they have toxic-shamed identity” (Carceral, 2004, p. 190). Going from freedom outside of prison, to abandonment from family and friends, loss of any reputable reputation, and simply humiliation for being incarcerated; inmates are already attempting to cope with many negative changes, enough to bring anyone’s morale down. Then what makes the situation worse, their identity is taken away. Their clothes, their shoes and even their names are taken away from them. They become a number in the system, or even more like a statistic.
The text illustrates toxic shame as a state of being rather than an emotion. Incarceration is a regrettable punishment as is toxic shame and can potentially damage the emotional wellbeing of inmates. Many people know, based upon common knowledge, that inmates are not sent to prison for good behavior. However, as they make their way through the process they begin to understand that their behavior was unacceptable to society and that they deserve what they get. The prison system tends to remove all independence from the lives of inmates, making them suffer through the sense worthless, as if they were barely even human. When entering into the prison system inmates are in an extremely vulnerable state to show emotions, which can be poor to their health when exposed to other prisoners. Toxic shame may not necessarily be avoidable because there are no transition periods to prep them for what they are about to experience upon immersion.
In conclusion, prison life may be hard to comprehend if an individual has never been there before. Prison life is an extremely traumatic experience, even for the tough guys. Learning a new language, building a new persona, and keeping out of anyone’s business but their own can prove to be detrimental strategies to their survival behind bars. Although, media portrays an unpleasant life, nothing compares to experiences inmates receive once in the slammer. Maybe the prison system should offer more resources to assist inmates in coping with toxic shame.
References
Carceral, K. C. (n.d.). Behind a convicts eyes: Doing time in a modern prison ( ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thomson Learning.
Pope, C. E., Lovell, R., & Brandl, S. G. (2001). Voices from the field: Readings in criminal justice research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thomson Learning.
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