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Haley Smith

Mr. Renckert

Intro to Criminal Justice

14 November 2018

Behind Bars: The Life Of An Inmate

There are many different opinions on how difficult prison can really be, however not a lot

of people actually know what happens behind bars. The definition of a Prison is a building in

which people are legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed or while awaiting

trial. Prisons were made to confine people that did/do not deserve to receive the rights of an

ordinary citizen, which is why prisons do not have the best conditions and/or environment. There

are a variety of factors that contribute to prison life. These factors may include adapting to prison

society, prison violence, discipline, the rights of an inmate, motherhood in prison, leaving prison,

and going back into normal society.

Adapting to prison society. Prison society will be different depending on what institution

you are placed at ( AKA high and low security). When inmates first arrive to the prison, it can be

a lot to handle at first. Many inmates attend a seminar to help them find out more information on

what prison life is like. During the seminar, inmates receive a booklet that shows them what their

schedule is going to look like from day to day with some rules and guidelines. The booklet helps

with many things, however the inmate needs to learn how to adapt to such a new environment.

Many criminologists have noticed a pattern between inmates, they either change their behavior to

adapt to prison or prison overtime changes the inmates behavior. Upon first arrival to the prison,
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many males tend to do something violent to show dominance and power. They tend to do this to

join a gang or some sort of group to gain safety.

Prison violence. There are many different types of violence in prison. Stated in the

Wikipedia page for Prison Violence, “Prison violence is a daily occurrence due to the diverse

inmates with varied criminal backgrounds that penitentiaries house. The three different types of

attacks are inmate on inmate, inmate on guard, and self-inflicted. These attacks can either be

impulsive and spontaneous or well-planned out and premeditated” (1). Prisons try to keep down

the violence rate by keeping high risk inmates in solitary confinement and by checking every

inmate to make sure they will keep peace where their cell is located. The three categories of

crime are Instrumental, expressive, and self harm. Instrumental harm is when the violence is

planned out, calculated, and then implemented. This type of violence is generally done to

demonstrate power and dominance, which is why men are more likely to use this tactic.

“Typically, surviving in prison involves establishing strength and power, which is why

instrumental violence is so commonly used” (Wikipedia, 1). Expressive violence on the other

hand, is more used by women. This violence is a spontaneous act of aggression. The emotions of

anger, danger, and fear build up to the point that it gets too intense and the inmates tend to lash

out. “It can be concluded that expressive violence is a more responsive attack that occurs when

the perpetrator feels provoked or threatened, whereas instrumental violence is carefully planned

out and driven by vengeance” (Wikipedia, 1). The third type is self harm, which is purely a

psychological act. “Many people that get sentenced to prison often suffer from or develop mental

disorders such as depression and anxiety, and need psychiatric attention. Due to influences such

as their surroundings, the harsh treatment they receive from officers and inmates, and their
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sentencing time, self-harm and suicide rates are believed to be higher in prison populations than

any non-incarcerated population” (Wikipedia, 1).

Discipline. When inmates behave badly, they get punishments. Stated in ACLA,

punishments include “physical punishment, punitive segregation, losing visitation privileges,

restricting visitation privileges, monetary restitution, water deprivation, reducing shower

privileges and extending sentences” (1). Prison guards are very strict with the inmates to make

sure they do not cause any harm to the other prisoners. As long as they prisoner is willing to

cooperate with the prison guard, then they do not seem to have many problems. If the inmate is

not willing to cooperate and becomes an extremely high risk, they may be moved into solitary

confinement. According to NCBI, “Living conditions in solitary confinement are physically

unhealthy, extremely stressful, and psychologically traumatizing. The typical cell is 60 to 80

square feet, with a cot, a toilet, a sink, a narrow slit for a window, and sometimes a small molded

desk bolted to the wall. In many facilities, cells have a steel door with a small slot for delivering

meals” (1). Inmates have very little exposure to sunlight, so they replace sunlight by adding big

bright fluorescent lights in every prisoner cell. The lights tend to stay on during the night, which

disrupts many inmates sleeping habits. “Some solitary confinement units are nearly silent except

for sudden outbursts; others subject prisoners to an incessant cacophony of clanking metal doors,

jingling keys, booted footsteps, and distressed voices reverberating off thick walls” (NCBI, 1).

Inmates are let out of their cell for five hours a week, either one hour every day or five hours on

one day, it depends on the institution.

The rights of an inmate. Inmates do not receive the same kind of rights as other

Americans. They do get some constitutional rights such as the eighth amendment, which states
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that they can not be an example of cruel or unusual punishment, however they do not receive all

the privileges while behind bars. Prisoners rights include to have humane facilities and

conditions, to be free from sexual crimes, to be free from racial segregation, to express

complaints, to assert their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, to medical care and

attention as needed, to appropriate mental health care, to a hearing if they are to be moved to a

mental health facility, etc. The more behaved the inmates are, the more privileges they receive

overtime, however if inmates are disobeying the rules, their privileges go away.

Motherhood in prison. About seven out of ten women in prison have a child that is still a

minor. Stated in the ​Children and Families of the Incarcerated fact sheet​written by Rutgers

University, “More than 2.7 million children in the U.S. have an incarcerated parent. That is one

in twenty eight Children. Approximately half of children with incarcerated parents are under ten

years old” (1). Due to the separation from their children that mothers have to experience, many

women turn to drug and alcohol use while being in prison. Depending on the situation, many

correctional officers will place the mother in a prison that is not near the child. When a mother is

sent to prison, the children are either given to other family members or in some cases, taken into

foster care. With parents in prison, children do not have the best role models to look up to, which

impacts the child throughout their entire lives. Stated in the article from Education Week, “the

damage it can cause to students' education, health, and social relationships puts them at higher

risk of one day going to prison themselves” (1). In certain circumstances, parents being placed in

prison can be a safer situation for the child. “ Parental incarceration can be safer for a child,

particularly when the parent was imprisoned for domestic violence or child abuse. Regardless of
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why a parent is behind bars, emerging research suggests it puts children at high and often

invisible risk, as well as aggravating existing racial and poverty gaps” (Education Week, 1).

Leaving prison. There are two ways to leave the prison institution, temporary and

permanent. Temporary release can vary from the time that is granted. Parole is not only the most

common release but is also an excellent example of a release that starts out as temporary and can

then turn into permanent. According to ​The Parole Process, ​“Parole is the early release from

prison, before the prisoner has served the entire sentence. Parolees remain under supervision for

the balance of their sentence, and typically must comply with a set of behaviors, called

“conditions of parole.” Prisoners are not entitled to parole; rather, parole boards consider a

number of factors when deciding whether to grant parole” (1). There is also a shorter release

period that are known as Furlough. Furlough is a temporary release from prison that is used for

educational, vacational, and or personal reasons. Furlough tends to last from a day to a week. A

good example of a permanent release is Expiration release. Expiration release is where the

inmate “maxes out” their prison sentence and is able to have no supervision once being released.

Going back into normal society. Before inmates are let out of prison, they go through

Prisoner reentry. Prisoner reentry is a strategy designed to prepare inmates for a successful return

to the community and to reduce future criminal activity. Prisoner reentry is a very effective

program that has helped many people return into society in a less stressful and safe way. If

Prisoner reentry is not completed in an effective way, there can be many problems. According to

National Institute of Justice​, “Returning to the community from jail or prison is a complex

transition for most offenders, as well as for their families and communities. Upon reentering

society, former offenders are likely to struggle with substance abuse, lack of adequate education
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and job skills, limited housing options, and mental health issues” (1). However, stated in ​The

American Prospect, ​“They’re people, and they deserve a second chance, says Brittany Peterson,

a specialist at the center, whose work involves preparing individuals for life on the outside” (1).

If the reentry process is finished completely and has worked, the former inmates can live the rest

of their lives in a safe and peaceful manner.

Work Cited

“Prison Violence.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Dec. 2018,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_violence

“In Prison - Disciplinary Sanctions and Punishment.” American Civil Liberties Union, Aclu,

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/prison-disciplinary-sanctions-and-punishment

“Public Health and Solitary Confinement in the United States.” NCBI.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4265928/

“CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF THE INCARCERATED FACT SHEET” , Rutgers.

https://nrccfi.camden.rutgers.edu/files/nrccfi-fact-sheet-2014.pdf

Sparks, Sarah D. “Parents' Incarceration Takes Toll on Children, Studies Say.” Education Week,

Editorial Project in Education, 20 June 2018,

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/02/25/parents-incarceration-takes-toll-on-child

ren-studies.html

“The Parole Process: An Early Release from Prison.” Lawyers.com,

https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/parole-probation/parole-an-early-release-fro

m-prison.html

“Offender Reentry.” National Institute of Justice,

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https://www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/reentry/Pages/welcome.aspx

“After Incarceration, What Next?” The American Prospect,

http://prospect.org/article/after-incarceration-what-next