Perspectives on Inmate Culture: A Study of Women in Prison

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Abstract
This study explores a range of issues bearing on prisonization research based on male populations but does so using cross-sectional questionnaire data gathered from 172 female felons and misdemeanants incarcerated in a prison for women in Raleigh, N. C. The analysis tackles three major issues: (1) the relation of traditional situational variables (career phase and group contact) to inmate perspectives, (2) the relative impact of situational and non-institutional characteristics on inmate perspectives, and (3) variation in traditional patterns among different categories of inmates. In general, we found that the patterns involving career phase and group contact were similar to those found in Wheeler' early research among males and similar to one recent analysis of females. Moreover, of all situational variables examined the traditional situational variables were the most strongly related to inmate perspectives. Several of the background variables examined were, however, more strongly related than the situational variables. On the other hand, the relationship between career phase and subscription to the inmate code was quite variable among different categories of inmates. The variation noted appears relevant for reconciling divergent findings in prisonization research among female inmates.

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