University of British Columbia Press
Behind the Walls
Inmates and Correctional Officers on the State of Canadian Prisons
9780774833554
9780774833547
Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Behind the Walls
Inmates and Correctional Officers on the State of Canadian Prisons
Despite falling crime rates, more rights for inmates, and better training for correctional officers, Canada’s prisons are overflowing, and outbreaks of violence continue to grab headlines. Applying Goffman’s frame theory and drawing on interviews with inmates and correctional officers in provincial and federal prisons, Michael Weinrath offers an unprecedented look at how inmates and officers perceive themselves, their relationships with others, and new developments and ongoing issues in prisons, including boundary violations by officers and the rise of prison gangs. Although progress has been made, prisons continue to be plagued by problems that prevent inmates from forging positive relationships among themselves and with correctional officers.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 Canadian Prisons and Their Problems
2 The Prisons and the Interviews
3 How Inmates Understand Their Role
4 How Inmates Relate to Others
5 How Corrections Officers Understand Their Role
6 Relations between Inmates and Officers
7 The Effect of Policy, Architecture, and Technology
8 Boundary Violations by Correctional Officers
9 The Effect of Programs
10 The Rise of Prison Gangs
Conclusion
Appendix: Interview Guide
Notes
Glossary: Correctional Terms and Inmate Argot
References; Index