ASPECTS OF PRISON LIFE 1

SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF PRISON LIFE

TANESHA BRENNO

3/5/11

LARRY DOYLE
ASPECTS OF PRISON LIFE 2

Prisons can be compared to a whole society in general, and I say this because inside and

out of these facilities, there seem to be a system of stratification and particular social control that

are implemented and applied in their everyday life. Social controls are methods and procedures

are put in place to regulate the actions and behaviors of groups and individuals to assure that

conformity is maintained within any society.

In prison, there are certain ways of talking, behaving, and interacting with the others.

These orders are to be followed in order for the inmates to fit into their “community”. While

formal social controls are enacted when an individual is arrested, tried and subsequently sent to

prison, these social controls are referred to as informal social controls and they mostly consist of

harassment, isolation, and derision from the general public. Inmates are expected to not only

abide by the controls set forth by their peers, but are expected to abide by the rules that are set

forth by the prison staff itself. The inmates who don’t follow the rules and regulations of the

prison, and do not behave appropriately, run the risk of being harmed or killed by their fellow

prisoners. I am sure with all the pressures of doing everything right and following all strict rules,

confirming all demands of their peers. This pressure that builds up can turn a loving, law abiding

individual into a hardened, cruel individual who will then turn to controlling others. While these

social controls have always been in place in the system, the severity and occurrence of heinous

crimes has increased more with places hovering over extremely dangerous individuals in

penitentiaries. These people have the authority and power to alter presently ascribed social

controls, completely changing the facility’s social structure.