Prisonization (Essay Sample)

Prisonization Name Institution Affiliation Student Course Tutor Due Date Abstract Prisonization is perceived as the process by which the inmates accept the values and norms within the prisons. When the inmates are first taken to jail, they find a different environment guarded by rules and, most importantly, social dynamics. Thus, the inmates must develop adaptive mechanisms tailored towards the life and conditions behind bars in navigating the new environment. Research studies in recent decades have shown that some of the coping mechanisms developed by the inmates to cope with the harsh prison conditions are unacceptable in the outside world (Shlosberg & Mandery, 2020). For instance, some believe that developing a tough veer is the only way to protect them from the risks and threats associated with prisons. Agreeably, even though new inmates may find it challenging to align themselves with some coping habits and behaviors, they become normalized within a matter of time and depend on the contingencies they resisted initially. Thus, the research will examine the background and factors influencing prisonization. Introduction Prisonization is the process of transition for the offenders from a life of freedom to imprisonment. The process of prisonization is not easy for them since when they are first convicted, the other inmates perceive them as outsiders. There is a plethora of factors that influence prisonization. These factors range from the severity of a person's crime, the period an individual spends in prison, and, most importantly, the conditions under which the convict is housed. Also, the implications of prisonization are strongly dependent on the interactions the convict holds with their relatives or other people close to them outside the prison. Acknowledging that the repercussions and reactions of prisonization strongly differ between men and women is imperative. The implications are more adverse to the latter than the former. Some of the things that convicts have to endure in the process of prisonization are psychological and social deprivations. As such, the research's primary objective is to expound on the subject of prisonization as it applies to male and female convicts. Background Surviving the prison experience, the convicts are expected to counter pressures and contingencies to survive and, most importantly, adapt to the experiences they find in prison. For instance, extant literature has shown that at a time when the criminal justice system of the United States is undergoing an expansion, the convicts have to endure the challenge of overcrowding (Tabitha & Dave, 2022). This literature has further indicated that overcrowding has compromised the living conditions in prisons, such as the prisoners' safety has been jeopardized. Also, prison management has deteriorated, and worse, there are no meaningful programs in place for the inmates. An example is the indication that in the last thirty years, California's prison population has experienced immense growth. However, there have been no efforts to increase the funding for prisoner programming and services. The issue of overcrowding with no proper prisoner services and programming points toward the challenges that convicts have to endure in the process of prisonization (Tabitha & Dave, 2022). For instance, investigative research studies have shown that due to the prison system's inability to render good services and proper programming, inmates are pushed to develop psychological challenges as they strive to endure poor conditions such as overcrowding in their confinement. Factors Influencing Prisonization Prisonization is challenging for convicts, especially amid the abandonment of rehabilitation initiatives. This line of thinking is influenced by the determination that increased incarceration rates in the country have seen an abandonment of rehabilitation programs as a result of insufficient funding for the management of prisons (Tabitha & Dave, 2022). Shlosberg & Mandery (2020) indicate that abandoning rehabilitation initiatives impacts prisonization since the modestly protective norms that should be applied toward the prisoners are no longer observed. In these cases, the inmates have to endure cruelty. Shlosberg & Mandery (2020) further posit that once one is sentenced and imprisoned, they have to endure insecurity since most prison wardens do not demonstrate the inclination towards addressing the issues around tensions among the prisoners or the disturbances. Also, once imprisoned, one has to get accustomed to the punitive techniques the correctional officers apply, such as solitary confinement, which negatively affects the prisoner's well-being (Tabitha & Dave, 2022). Additionally, punitive techniques do not aid in the resolution of conflicts. Instead, they repress the rows, an aspect that places the life of a prisoner in more danger. Thus, prisonization is not easy as the inmates have to endure myriad challenges and are dependent on their period of stay in prison. The challenges experienced by convicts as they get accustomed to life in prison have further been worsened by the undermining of support services and programs which are pivotal in helping them transition from the free world to imprisonment. This idea aligns with the illustration that when the sentences are determined, and convicts are exposed to the reality of spending an extended period of their life in prison tampers with their psychological well-being. According to Tabitha & Dave (2022), adapting to life in prison is challenging, exposing the convicts to action and thinking habits, which to some extent may seem dysfunctional. Tabitha & Dave (2022) further postulates that even though the psychological impacts of incarceration vary from person to person, only a few of the inmates remained unchanged by them. Tabitha & Dave (2022) have based their argument on the determination that even though prison does not make people crazy, it exposes them to psychological harm, some of which bears long-lasting implications on their mental health as a result of the harsh conditions they have to endure for extended periods of time and to some the rest of their lives. It is worth noting that for the inmates to get through the process of prisonization effectively, they have to get accustomed to the norms and, most importantly, incorporate them into their way of thinking, acting, and feeling. Bonta & Gendreau (2019) postulate that to get through prisonization, inmates have to develop abnormal and unnatural adaptations that help them get through life in prison. Therefore, prisonization calls for the development of adaptation mechanisms by which prisoners can get through the various challenges they come across as they spend life in prison. Prisonization, like other processes, takes place gradually and with an engagement of steps. In this case, inmates incarcerated for extended periods will likely experience significant institutionalization rates. According to Tabitha & Dave (2022), when convicts get to prison, they find it challenging to get used to the harsh living conditions. Tabitha & Dave (2022) further point out that after getting to prison, they begin to experience some form of transformation as they learn the coping mechanisms for the harsh conditions. Tabitha & Dave (2022) have based the idea of how inmates begin to experience transformation once they are settled in prison by noting that the psychological mechanisms which must be applied for the people to adapt to a harsh environment take into play or rather become more natural among the inmates as they spend more time in prison. However, it is worth noting that discerning the process of prisonization is challenging. In this case, the inmates do not have a choice on whether they succumb to the transformation. Additionally, investigative research studies have shown that only a few inmates have been able to recognize that they had been institutionalized (Myers, 2021). These studies have also shown that only a small portion of the inmates consciously decide for themselves if they would allow themselves to experience the transformation in the bid to develop coping mechanisms against the harsh prison conditions. Prisonization is an inevitable process which takes place since as the inmates spend more time in prison, they begin adapting to the restricted life. However, it is imperative to acknowledge that prisonization is more intense in cases where people are imprisoned at young ages before they have formed expectations and developed the ability to control their life choices. This idea is influenced by the determination that minimal tension exists between the autonomy of an adult inmate and the requirements of the prisons (Tabitha & Dave, 2022). As such, it is likely to proceed faster among the younger inmates since it is less problematic as they have not fully developed control over their life ch...