The document discusses the culture of prisons in Michigan. It describes how each prison forms its own class system with unequal access to resources and power. Prison culture has its own language, customs, and taboos. Tattoos and hand signs are used to identify gang affiliations. The culture is learned and spread through the criminal subcultures that prisoners are a part of both inside and outside of prison. Acculturation without actual contact to the cultures being imitated leads to the formation of maladaptive customs. Understanding this criminal culture is key to rehabilitation and reducing recidivism.

1. The Culture of Prison
Ken McIntyre
Judson Thornton

2. THE CULTURE
DANIEL H. HEYNS
Director MDOC
Photos from left to right: Daniel Heyns, Director of the MDOC, Dr. Jack Kevorkian “Dr. Death”, Brick wall of the
Michigan Reformatory in Ionia, Michigan, Marquette Branch Prison, Marquette, Michigan.

3. > A Class Society
Each prison has it’s own class society consisting of several
different, usually maladaptive subcultures.
Prisoners have unequal access to economic resources
(money from family, friends, or a job at the prison), unequal
access to power (staff have power over prisoners, prisoners
wield power over other prisoners either by force, coercion or
affiliation), and unequal access to prestige (some prisoners
may be leaders in their gang, or valued by staff).
Each prison functions similar to a small city or town. There
are housing units where the prisoners sleep that are similar
to an apartment or college dorm, a dining hall that is similar
to a cafeteria, a school, clinic, library, gym, weight room, and
outdoor facilities such as a weight pit, volleyball, track and
softball diamond.
Photo from Google Maps©.
Aerial view of the Carson City Correctional Facility, Carson City, Michigan.

4. > An Anthropological Look
Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing
An investigative reporter takes an
“anthropological” look at prison culture –
from the inside.
When denied access to profile a correctional
officer recruit in New York, Ted Conover takes
a job with the New York Department of
Corrections as a corrections officer to get his
story.
After spending a little over a year working in
Sing Sing as a corrections officer using the
participate-observation method, Mr. Conover
writes the book: “Newjack: Guarding Sing
Sing”.
Photos: tedconover.com

5. “What officers understood about inmates varied
widely. The ghetto-reared officers from New
York City surely knew the most. The typical
north-country kid knew very little. With my
experiences, I was probably somewhere in
between, but I was also caught between two
warring impulses: the incuriosity that made the
job easier and an anthropologist or social
worker’s fascination with the twists of life that
created a criminal and lead him to such a place.”
(Conover)
The lack of understanding of a culture can lead
to many problems.
Understanding that most inmates behavior is
due to the criminal culture being ingrained in
them at an early age is the key to solving these
problems. A job or an education is not enough –
a change in culture is needed.
Of course, there are exceptions. These
exceptions are generally criminals who have
experience a spiritual epiphany or their crime
was a singular psychotic episode.
Photos: tedconover.com

6. > Race and Ethnicity
There are approximately 43,000 people incarcerated in Michigan prisons.
Whites make up 44% of the prisoner population. Blacks, Hispanics,
Asians, Native Americans, and Middle Eastern races make up the
remaining 56% of the prisoner population.
DIVERSITY
Photos: Michigan Department of Corrections Offender Tracking Information System

7. > Maladaptive Customs
Every person who persists in committing criminal acts
belongs to a maladaptive societal subculture. These
subcultures generally value only self, self indulgence,
and instant gratification above all else. There is little
or no concern for their lives or the lives of others.
Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jeffrey Dahmer,
Bonnie & Clyde, Jesse James, the list goes on and on
from the infamous to the unknown. Each group of
people who share customs (or practices) within a
society, such as harming other people or breaking
laws, can be considered a subculture. (Ember &
Ember)
Criminal behavior diminishes the chance for survival
and reproduction. Drug-related deaths now
outnumber traffic fatalities in the U.S., with the rise
driven by an increase in prescription narcotic
overdoses. (Associated Press)
According to Jo Ellyn Rackleff, a spokesperson for the
Florida Department of Corrections, “Offenders have a
shorter average life span because of their risky
lifestyle,” (Byrd)
Images: en.wikipedia.org, fineartamerica.com , socialpsychol.wordpress.com, www.openmuseum.org, others.co.il

8. These risky lifestyle factors include smoking, drug and
alcohol abuse, intravenous drug use, risky sexual
behavior and a disregard for healthcare, the Southern
Legislative Conference report said. (Byrd)
Many of the maladaptive customs learned at home or
while on the street are continued to some extent
during an individual’s incarceration. Some risky
behavior, such as unprotected homosexual sex is
opportunistic.
Tobacco and illegal drugs are smuggled into the
prison through the mail, by visitors, and sometimes
even staff. In some instances tobacco and drugs are
placed in a tennis ball or a similar object and thrown
over the fence where the prisoner can access them
while on the recreation yard.
Prison rape and risky, consensual homosexual sex
happens frequently and many diseases such as
hepatitis, HIV, AIDS, herpes, and syphilis are spread
in this manner.
Some prisoners will make what is termed “spud juice”,
a fermented liquid drink made by mixing fruit from
the chow hall with water and bread. The smell is
terrible, but has the same effect as beer or wine.
Image: Author

9. > Taboos
Remarkably, given all the socially deviant
behavior indicative of the average incarcerated
felon, there are some behaviors that are
considered taboo. These “forbidden behaviors”
extend to crimes that were committed causing
the individual’s incarceration.
Listed below are the most common taboos
associated with prison life:
 Open Homosexuality
 Child Molesters
 Telling on other Prisoners (Snitching)
 Associating with Corrections Officers
 Stealing from another Prisoner
 Leaving your gang
Photo: © National Geographic
There are even taboos for Officers:
 NEVER have a personal relationship with a Prisoner
 NEVER tell on a fellow Officer

10. Kathoey – Cross Dresser – Berdaches –Transgender
Can you guess who is male or female?
Prisons have males who use “make-up”
(Kool-Aid for lipstick and rouge) and act
feminine (exaggerated mannerisms,
plucking eyebrows, etc.)
Prisoners who act or dress feminine are
referred to by other prisoners (and
sometimes staff) as “sissies”.
Although publically looked down on by
staff and prisoners, these prisoners can
cause problems due to other prisoners
fighting over them. On rare occasions,
heterosexual prisoners will openly
associate with one of these homosexual
prisoners.
Photos: Michigan Department of Corrections Offender Tracking Information System

11. > Language
Dr. Bill Cosby is an outspoken critic of how
language effects the lives of young people,
especially blacks.
Dr. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.
Image: blog.summittridgecamapts.com

12. They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't
even talk the way these people talk: "Why you ain't, Where you is,
What he drive, Where he stay, Where he work, Who you be...". And I
blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the
father talk.
Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these
knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out
of your mouth. In fact you will never get any kind of job making a
decent living. People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to
get an Education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking
around.
The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal.
These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids.
$500 sneakers for what? And they won't spend $200 for "Hooked on
Phonics." I am talking about these people who cry when their son is
standing there in an orange suit.
Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12?
Where were you when he was 18, and how come you didn't know
that he had a pistol?
And where is the father? Or who is his father?
People putting their clothes on backward. Isn't that a sign of
something gone wrong? People with their hats on backward, pants
down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something? Isn't it a sign
of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of
needles (piercings) going through her body? What part of Africa did
this come from? We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans;
they don't know a thing about Africa.
Ethnogenesis creating a
maladaptive culture?
Ethnogenesis creating a pseudo
reproduction of a culture?

13. I say this all of the time — it would be like white people saying they are
European-American — that is totally stupid.
I was born here, and so were my parents and grand parents and, very
likely my great grandparents. I don't have any connection to Africa, no
more than white Americans have to Germany, Scotland, England,
Ireland, or the Netherlands. The same applies to 99 percent of all the
black Americans as regards to Africa — so stop, already!
With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that
crap...and all of them are in jail. Brown or black versus the Board of
Education is no longer the white person's problem. We have got to
take the neighborhood back.
People used to be ashamed.
Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' — or
men or whatever you call them now. We have millionaire football
players who cannot read. We have million-dollar basketball players
who can't write two paragraphs. We, as black folks, have to do a better
job. Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting
us.
We have to start holding each other to a higher standard....
We cannot blame the white people any longer.
Acculturation without actual contact
creates a misrepresentation of the
culture that is being imitated.
Changing the culture is the only
way to change the person.
Speech given on 17 May 2004, at an NAACP event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education by Dr. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.

14. The prison culture has it’s own
language; a language that
originates from both the street
and from inside the prisons.
Many prisoners, regardless of
their ethnic or racial background
adapt this terminology through
acculturation or diffusion.
Staff will use this terminology
also in order to communicate
more effectively with a prisoner,
and (regrettably) sometimes only
to fit into the culture.
 Do a “solid” – Do a favor
 “Crib” – Home
 My “House” – Prisoner’s Cell
 “Bitch” or “Ho” – girlfriend or female
 Car – Weighted envelope attached to a string used to “fish” items
from one cell to another
 Dog – Friend
 “My babies mama” – Mother of the prisoner’s child
 Hook down – Officer listening
 Dippin’ – Eavesdropping on a conversation
 Demonstrate – Orate, speak
 Ticket – Misconduct Report
 Tree-Jumper – Child Molester
 Old School – Prisoner who has been around a long time
 Trunk – Anal cavity when used to hide contraband
 Kiester – Putting an object in your anal cavity
 Spud Juice – “Homemade” fermented drink
 Sissy – Openly homosexual prisoner
Terminology

15. Tattoos for the prison population
are very seldom for beautification
or art. Tattoos are a means of
identification or affiliation with a
gang.
Tattoos can be elaborate and
obvious, or small and discreet.
Some gangs utilize sports teams
logos, especially in the prison
setting in order to “fly under the
radar” with custody staff.
The Detroit Tigers “D” usually
indicates the Gangster Disciples.
Tattoos
Photos: FBI Website

16. Hand signs are “flashed” or
“thrown” and usually are meant as
a way to intimidate or provoke
another individual.
Gang members are easily incited
by a rival gang’s sign. According to
ABC News, in January of 2013 a
deaf man in North Carolina,
communicating to a friend via sign
language, was stabbed multiple
times after he was mistaken for
flashing gang signs, police said.
(Goldman) And unfortunately,
gangs have even infiltrated our
military.
As you can see from the
photograph at the bottom, some
hand signs can be extremely
complicated and difficult to use.
Hand Signs
Photos: FBI Website, absolutely-unbelievable.com , Viacom

17. Our knowledge of Crime and the
Criminal Culture comes from many
sources – regrettably, most of this
information is biased.
Some of our sources include:

18. > Personal Experiences
Images: usnews.com, trendaler.com, en.rian.ru, blogs.voices.com

19. >News Media
Images Copyright ©: Fox News Network, CBS Interactive, ABC News, LSJ Gannett, Detroit News, Daily News Stafford Media Solutions, Grand Rapids Press

20. >Television Programing
Images: The Mark Gordon Company, Belisarius Productions, Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Mark VII Productions, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros.,

21. > Letters to the Editor
Images: ndla.no, doc.utwente.nl , www.docstoc.com

22. Dear Governor Snyder,
In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now
financially, but why aren’t we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to
“fix” what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that
society has created.
One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank
nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner
annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that
I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.
Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care.
Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A
roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.
This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere
between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per
student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my
students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school
district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight
room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have
constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!
Please provide for my students in my school district the same way we provide for a prisoner. It’s the
least we can do to prepare our students for the future...by giving our schools the resources necessary to
keep our students OUT of prison.
Respectfully submitted,
Nathan Bootz, Superintendent, Ithaca Public Schools
Photo: The Dailey Press
May 2011
[Inaccurate
Information
Emphasized]
Good Intentions – False and Misleading Information

23. The Facts
A few weeks ago Nathan Bootz, the superintendent of the Ithaca Public Schools wrote a letter
to the editor entitled, “Make my school a prison”. Mr. Bootz's letter was brought to my
attention by a colleague and caught my interest because I am and have been a Corrections
Officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections for nearly 23 years. Mr. Bootz's letter is
misleading, it is not factual, and has a simplistic view of a complex issue.
Mr Bootz states in his letter that “We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we
incarcerate”. I'm not sure what Mr. Bootz considers “at the top”, but Michigan is not even in
the top ten. Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas all have higher incarceration rates than Michigan.
Michigan incarcerates approximately 500 first time felons per year; Louisiana incarcerates
approximately 900 each year. The national average, including Federal Prisons, is around 506
individuals each year.
As far as Michigan spending “the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the
union” may be true if you do not count California which spends $47,000 per year, and New York
State that spends a whopping $56,000 per year. However last time I checked, California and
New York State were still part of the union and have never threatened seceding from the
United States.
In his article Mr. Bootz asks us to consider the life of a Michigan prisoner; they get three square
meals a day (True), access to free health care (Almost True – most prisoners are required to pay
a $5.00 co-pay, which doesn't seem like much until you take into account that the average
prisoner makes 75 cents per day at his job), Internet (Not True. No prisoner has access the
internet and most prisoners do not even have access to any computer), cable television, access
to a library, access to weight rooms (All True. However, the prisoners themselves pay for these
through the Inmate Benefit Fund), and access to computer labs. (Not True – there is limited
access to computers in some classrooms, but no “computer labs” in the prison school). Mr.
Bootz goes on to claim that while in prison they can earn a degree (with the insinuation that the
taxpayers pay for this). This is also Not True. Prisoners can only earn their G.E.D.
Michigan does not incarcerate
more people than any other state
Michigan does not spend more
than any other state
Several misleading statements
by Mr. Bootz addressed.

24. The Facts
Mr. Bootz complains that the State of Michigan spends annually “somewhere between $30,000
and $40,000 per prisoner”. It costs approximately $24,000 per year to house a Secure Level I
Prisoner and approximately $41,000 per year to house a Maximum Security Prisoner. The
average cost is a little more than $29,000 per year because a majority of prisoners are either
Level I or Level II. Mr. Bootz also bemoans the fact that schools only get $7,000 per student
each year.
I'd like to use some of Mr. Bootz's logic when comparing incarcerating a prisoner as opposed to
educating a child. The State of Michigan spends an average of $29,056 per year to house one
prisoner 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days each year. That amounts to $3.32 per hour for
not only staff and staff training, but 3 meals a day, health care, a bed, extra curricular activities,
clothing and employing or educating the prisoner. On the other hand, the school spends $7,000
per year to educate one child for 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, 8 months a year excluding
holidays, snow days and breaks. That amounts to $6.25 per hours and DOES NOT include
meals, health care, a bed, extra curricular activities, clothing or giving the child an allowance.
I should think that someone with Mr. Bootz's education and position would realize that
incarcerating a dangerous felon can not even be compared to educating a child. My views do
not necessarily reflect the views of the State of Michigan or the Department of Corrections, but
the facts speak for themselves and are easily found.
Ken McIntyre
Michigan does not spend more per
prisoner than any other state
Make my prison a school?
Although my response to Mr. Bootz was mailed to several newspapers, it was not
published thus giving the public a false perception.

25. CRIME & RECIDIVISM
– On the decrease?
Prison culture and facts are enigmatic to most people. Prison is
basically a closed culture that only gets media attention when
something unfavorable happens. In Michigan, less than .007% of the
population has direct contact (as staff or prisoner) with prison culture.
As in any anthropological study, interpreting information takes an
ethnographer, especially an ethnographer who uses objectivity, logic,
and good, solid detective work. It is important to look at all the facts
and ask yourself if there are any mitigating factors to consider.
“If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however
improbable, must be the truth.” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock
Holmes)
Painting: Salvador Dali's Infinite Enigma Photo: geeksofdoom.com

26. Crime on the decrease? Maybe.
MAYBE !?! A good cultural anthropologist will look at ALL FACTS in
his or her research – not just the information that verifies
preconceived ideas or hopeful thinking.
Always consider possible peripheral influences.
According to the Michigan State Police, Michigan’s crime rate has
dropped from 981,035 offenses in 2008 to 829,870 offenses in 2011.
(MSP Crime Statistics). That is a decrease of 8.46%. However, the
total population of Michigan has dropped from 9,938,444 in 2000 to
9,833,360 in 2010. (US Census) That is a decrease of 9.89%
Of the top 100 most dangerous cities in the U.S., Flint ranks #3,
Saginaw #5, Detroit #6, and Inkster #10. Lansing is #80, Pontiac is
#81, and Muskegon is at #99. (NeighborhoodScout) Like Michigan
as a whole, all these cities have experienced a remarkable decrease
in population as well. Flint’s population went from 124,943 in 2000
to 101,558 in 2011 – an 8.13% decrease. Saginaw’s population went
from 61,799 in 2000 to 51,230 in 2011 – an 8.29% decrease. And
Detroit’s population went from 951,270 in 2000, to 713,777 in 2011.
That’s a 7.5% decrease. (Population figures from US Census)
Did crime go down because there is less people? Or did crime go
down because criminals moved to other states? Or is it a
combination of factors? Only a thorough analysis of the facts can
give the correct answer.

27. What about recidivism? Are less people coming back to prison
because of re-entry programs or are we being more lenient with
violations of parole guidelines?
Has recidivism gone down? Maybe. It’s complicated.
Lets dissect the information from the Detroit Free Press (see
side graphics), information that was acquired from the Michigan
Department of Corrections.
Approximately 11,000 prisoners were paroled from prison in
2012. Parolees returned to prison for technical violations and
for committing new crimes while on parole are estimated at
3,928, or approximately 35.7% using an extrapolation from the
Detroit Free Press graphic. The MDOC estimates the number
will be only 31.5%. In 1998, that number was 45.7%.
So, has recidivism really gone down, or is the number skewed
because of mitigating circumstances. Or is it because the
population has decreased? Again, only a thorough analysis of
the facts can give the correct answer.

28. > Most take a Simplistic
look at a very Complex Problem
AT RISK without
change in culture.
Education alone will
NOT help.
• Lack of Education
• Lack of Initiative
• Cultural
AT RISK without
change in culture.
Employment alone will
NOT help.
• Lack of Employment
• Wage –Work Ethic
• Cultural
AT RISK without
change in culture.
• Instant Gratification
• Crime Pays
• Cultural
Change Culture
Educate
Employ
Begin Fulfilling
Maslow’s Hierarchy
of Needs
Success !
The Only
Way Out is to
FIRST change the
persons Culture

29. Unfortunately, correctional staff sometimes acquire some of the traits
and mannerisms of incarcerated felons due to the prolonged, near daily
contact between the two groups.
Even the process of borrowing cultural aspects between the two groups
occurs.

30. > Diffusion and Acculturation come
with a price, for both prisoner and staff
“…He told me that prison guards had
the highest rates of divorce, heart
disease, and drug and alcohol
addiction – and the shortest life spans
– of any state civil servants, due to the
stress in their lives.” (Conover, page
30)
A recent study of the consequences of
job stress in correctional officers
revealed that the life expectancy of a
correctional officer is 59 years,
compared to 75 years for the national
average. (NCRJS)

31. Ted Conover, the investigative reporter that
took a job as a corrections officer for slightly
over a year reports the following in his book:
“For all the time I spent in an officer’s uniform,
one poignant reality of the life had only begun
to sink in, and that was the depth of the stigma
they felt, the pain of society’s disregard.”
(Conover, 316)
“I had dreams about Sing Sing while I was there
and since, though oddly I never had nightmares
until the book was published and I was talking
about it every day. These really bad dreams
have usually involved scenarios in which I – and
sometimes my family - get attacked…”
“I happened to recount this to a group of
medical professionals at a convention of the
American Public Health Association, and a
psychiatrist suggested it was probably post-traumatic
stress disorder” (Conover, 318)
Imagine the corrections officer who spends, 5,
10, or 25 years in that environment.
Photos: tedconover.com NYDOC – State of New York ,MDOC – State of Michigan, Author

32. > Stigma
The stigma associated with being a corrections
officer or a prisoner is sometimes hard to
overcome.
Google “correctional officers headlines” or
something similar, the articles are almost
always negative, or at best neutral. Several
times each year correctional officers receive
departmental awards for saving a prisoner’s life,
or a citizen’s life while on the way to or from
work, but it is almost never reported.
When reentering society, ex-cons face an
almost insurmountable undertaking when
trying to find a job. Some unemployment
estimates for ex-cons are as high as 75% (AP)
The stigma of prison is hard to eliminate from
out culture.

33. Sources
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Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.
Byrd, Robbie. "Aging Inmates: Life Expectancy Shorter in Prison, Officials Say." WALA TV. Fox Ten TV, 14 Nov.
2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.
Cheek, F., and MDS Miller. "NCJRS Abstract - National Criminal Justice Reference Service." NCJRS Abstract -
National Criminal Justice Reference Service. U.S. Department of Justice | Office of Justice Programs, 1982. Web.
20 Apr. 2013.
Conover, Ted. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000. Print.
Corrections Today Volume:44 Issue:5 Dated:(October 1982) Pages:72-76, 78
https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=85591
Ember, C., and M. Ember. Human culture:highlights of cultural anthropoplogy. 2 . 2011. Print.
"Ex-cons Face Tough Path Back into Work Force." Msnbc.com. Associated Press, 30 July 209. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.
GOLDMAN, RUSSELL. "Deaf Man Stabbed After Sign Language Mistaken for Gang Signs." ABC News. ABC News
Network, 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
"MSP - Statistics." MSP - Statistics. Michigan State Police, n.d.Web. 13 Apr. 2013.

34. Sources
"NeighborhoodScout's®Top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S." Top 100 Most Dangerous Places to Live in the
USA. N.p., n.d.Web. 13 Apr. 2013.
Roth, Jeremy. "Podcast: Life Expectancy and Crime - News - Macalester College." Podcast: Life Expectancy and
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