Civil Death: Prison Subculture

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1. Civil Death – The term Civil Death, is defined by the Criminal Justice Today textbook as “the legal status of prisoners in some jurisdictions who are denied the opportunity to vote, hold public office, marry, or enter into contracts by virtue of their status as incarcerated felons. Although civil death is primarily of historical interest, some jurisdictions still limit the contractual opportunities available to inmates” (Schmalleger 475). Many states defined the concept of civil death through legislation that denied inmates the right to vote, to hold public office, and even to marry. Some states made incarceration for a felony a basis for uncontested divorce at the request of the noncriminal spouse. Aspects of the old notion of civil death …show more content…
Prison subculture – The textbook definition of the term prison subculture is “the values and behavioral patterns characteristic of prison inmates. Prison subculture has been found to be surprisingly consistent across the country” (Schmalleger 458). The inmate world, best described by how closely it touches the lives of inmates, is controlled by prison subculture. The realities of prison life, including a large and often densely packed inmate population must look to the prison environment for all its needs, which means that prison subculture develops independently of the plans of prison administrators and is not easily subjected to the control of prison authorities. Essentially, this term refers to the culture of prison society and thought by some to arise from the “pains of imprisonment,” while others believe it is imported to the prison. Prison subculture is also known as the “convict code,” and it refers to a group in the prison society which shares common values, norms, and believes. Furthermore, the day-to-day experiences of inmates are not only affected by the official, formal organization of prisons, but are also affected by an informal organization among inmates, known to criminologists as the prison subculture. This subculture is comprised of a peculiar language and a distinctive set of informal norms, attitudes, beliefs, values, statuses, and roles that give prisoners a different perspective from people on the outside. Oftentimes, this subculture of prisons will have an inverted status hierarchy that often honors behaviors and activities that are condemned by the law abiding. According to the Encyclopedia of Criminology and Justice website, prison subcultures are said to “feature their own unifying systems of values, codes of behavior, social hierarchies, family structures, political systems, means of enculturation through initiation rituals, unique languages and worldviews, and underground economies. The theoretical models of deprivation, importation,
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