Term Paper on "Inmate's Perspective"

Term Paper 4 pages (1280 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Inmate's Perspective

"We who live in prison, and in whose lives there is no event but sorrow, have to measure time by throbs of pain, and the record of bitter moments."

Oscar Wilde

Being locked up in prison affects the person in ways one can only try to envision. New "guidelines" or lessons have to be learned if you want to survive and these are usually learned the hard way. Robert Gil (2009) in the article, "Prison Life in American Institutions," states,

"Prison life is one that is mysterious in its own nature because everywhere an offender goes it is different but the same. There are rules and codes in which offenders follow that are not written or posted." Keeping things to your self are an essential part of prison life, but other hardships face the inmate as well. This paper tackles the following two questions about prison life from the perspective of the inmate:

What is the biggest challenge faced from being locked up?

What can be done to correct the challenge?

Literature

Hardships are an essential part of prison life and there are many challenges the inmate must learn to cope and overcome. Violence, rape, murder, isolation, and loss of identity are a few of the challenges to serving time in prison. Craig Haney, (2001) University of California, Santa Cruz, in the article, "The Psychological Impact of Incarceration: Implications for Post-Prison Adjustment," explains "At the very least, prison is painful, and incarcerated persons often suffer long-term consequences from having been subjected to pain, deprivation, and extremely atypical patterns and norms of living and interacting with others." Some inmates are forced into gangs or affiliations in order to survive. Feelings and emotions cannot be shown if an inmate wants to avoid being victimized or raped. Man and Cronan (2001) in the journal article, "Forecasting sexual abuse in prison: the prison subculture of masculinity as a backdrop for "deliberate indifference" report, "most sexual acts are the coerced products of dominance, intimidation, and terror. Although the precise extent of prisoner-prisoner rape and sexual assault remains unknown, it is hard to dispute that rape occurs at an alarming and unacceptable rate in prisons." Staying alert and watching everyone around you can be the key to maintain one's safety and help ensure the inmate will experience very little trouble during their incarceration.

What is the biggest challenge faced from being locked up?

Figuring out who can be trusted and what has to be done to maintain a quiet existence represent the greatest challenge. It is essential in being able to keep out of trouble and learning to overcome the physiological trauma that prison inflicts on an inmate. Unspoken rules and procedures must be learned quickly and adhered to if an inmate does not want to be a victim of violence. In prison, weakness or interfering in another inmates business will bring about trouble from fellow inmates.

The fear of the unknown would be a definite challenge for first time inmates. Prison has its own set of unwritten rules or guidelines about what an inmate can or cannot do or say in order to survive. Gil (2009) notes, new inmates should start out by keeping to themselves, keeping quiet and out of other inmates business; then nothing should happen to them. When trouble does eventually come, the inmate will have to be prepared to defend their self. In prison other inmates are constantly watching to see who does what and in prison it is about watching each other and rank.

While loss of freedom and time spent away from family can be difficult, prison life and how to survive are challenges that must be learned immediately. Prison can be more violent and ruthless than street life due to so many people being confined to such small areas and the constant contact and interaction between… READ MORE

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