Surviving Incarceration: Inside Canadian Prisons

Contents

CONTENTS xi Acknowledgements INTRODUCTION 1 Narrative. Just a Kid: Forever Hurting 9 Introduction to Federal Corrections in Canada 11 The Focus: Setting the Stage 12 Changing Legislation in Corrections 15 What about Safety? CHAPTER ONE 21 Narrative. A Life Without Freedom: The Multi-Prison, MultiSentence Experience 26 Correctional Services of Canada 27 Provincial versus Federal Corrections 28 Methods: The Men 29 Understanding the Classification System: Prisoner Classification 31 Does Prisoner Classification Work? 33 Understanding the Classification System: Institutional Classification 35 How I Found the Guys 37 The Details CHAPTER TWO 39 Narrative. Addiction, Incest: Thirty-Two Years in Prison, ThirtySix Years of Addiction 44 Hierarchy: Crime, Sexuality, Masculinity, and Safety 45 Factor 1. Being Solid: Criminal Convictions V I I V I I I C O N T E N T S 47 Factor 2. Being Solid: Masculinities The Oppressor Presenting Tough Acting Aggressive Breadwinning 55 Factor 3. Being Solid: Prison Sex or Sexuality The Largely Homophobic Environment Consistently Subordinated Homosexuality? Being Solid: Heterosexuality 65 Why Does the Hierarchy Exist? CHAPTER THREE 71 Narrative: A Violent Place Where Everybody Has a Story 78 Violence and Theory: The Prison Atmosphere 80 Theoretical Understandings The Current Canadian Prison Experience: Understanding and Acknowledging the Violence 86 The Atmosphere Maximum-Security Prisons: Controls Within the Institution High-Medium-Security Prisons: Controls Within the Institution Low-Medium- and Minimum-Security Prisons: Controls Within the Institution 96 Coercive Controls: Impacting Penal Violence 100 Remunerative Controls: Impacting Penal Violence 104 The Need: Balance CHAPTER FOUR 107 Narrative. A Brother, a Son, a Lover, a Dad, a Man, a Prisoner with Heart Hard Memories Nowadays 115 The Inmate Code 116 The History of the Code 119 Why a Code? 120 What Is the Code? Never Rat on a Con and Don’t Get Friendly with the Staff Be Dependable (Not Loyal) Follow Daily Behaviour Rules or Else! I Won’t See You, Don’t See Me, and Shut Up Already Be Fearless or at Least Act Tough 134 In the End C O N T E N T S I X CHAPTER FIVE 137 Narrative. A Sex Offender’s Story 144 The Other Crimes 146 Public Perceptions 147 Stigma Theory and Framing 150 The Sex Offender Stigma 151 Stigma in Prison: Stigmatized by Other Prisoners 153 The Stigma of Protective Custody 154 Painful Consequences: Stigmatized by Other Prisoners 155 Revelations, Intolerance, and Passing: The Quest to Be Solid 157 Distancing Sex Offenders Prisoners Exposing Prisoners Professionals and Paraprofessionals in Corrections The Role of the Media 165 Resources: Lacking Supports 165 The Systemic Sex Offender Stigma 166 Final Thoughts CHAPTER SIX 169 Narrative. Change from Within (It Changed Me) 176 The Personal Side: Coping, Changing, for Better or Worse 177 Coping with Incarceration: Trust in Self 179 Coping with Incarceration: When More Is Needed 183 Change 185 Prison: Fostering Negativity 186 Change from Within and Holding onto Yourself 188 Resources and Programming CHAPTER SEVEN 193 Narrative. Gang Affiliation: Clearly, Not the Way of the Future 202 Final Words 203 What Can This Study Not Speak To? 204 What We Do Know 205 Safe Streets and Prisons: Corrections at Work 209 Industry Growth: For Better or Worse 213 Notes 217 References 237 Index This page intentionally left blank ...