This document discusses Erving Goffman's theory of total institutions and its application to prisons. It defines total institutions as places where people live together and all daily activities are organized by the institution toward its goals. Prisons, mental hospitals, and military camps are provided as examples of total institutions. The document then examines prison culture and hierarchy, the duties of prison staff, and prisoners' rights. It compares features of prison life to school, noting prisons isolate inmates from wider society and govern all daily activities, while schools are less restrictive total institutions.

1. Prison Life
Goffman’s theory of Total institution
Special reference in Kaluthara prison
N.R.opanayaka
Sabaragamuwa
university srilanak

2. Defining
The prison, that darkest region in the apparatus
of justice, is the place where the power to
punish, which no longer dares to manifest
itself openly, silently organizes a field . . . in
which punishment will be able to function
openly as treatment.
Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punishment

3. Total Institutions
 Erving Goffman coined the term (1961). The
place where people work, play, eat, sleep,
and recreate together on a daily basis.
Examples of total institutions:
• Prisons
• Concentration camps
• Summer camps
• Mental hospitals
• Seminaries

4. Characteristics of theory
 Life together for an extended proud of life
 Isolation of wider society
 Institution decided daily activities and it
tends to organizational goal.

12. Prison cultures
 formal/official - consists of rules and
procedures established by the local, state,
or authorities
 informal/unofficial - also called prison
subculture

13. Prison hierarchy
A
 Assistant Inspector General of Prisons
D
 Deputy Inspector General of Prisons
I
 Inspector General of Prisons
P
 Superintendent (jail)

14. Duty of prison staff
 Governing prisoners
 Do their duties

15. Prison subculture
• values and behavioral patterns
specifically characteristic
of prison inmates
• develops independently of plans of prison
administrators
• often more powerful than formal/official
structure
• includes values, roles, and even a special
language

16. Five elements of the prison code:
• don’t interfere with interests of other
inmates – don’t rat on others
• play it cool and do your own time
• don’t whine – be a man
• don’t exploit inmates – don’t break your
word
• don’t be a sucker – don’t trust guards or
staff

17. Two models of prison society:
• deprivation model – Prison
subculture is an adaptation to the
situation.
• importation model – An inmate
brings with him to prison specific
values, roles, and behaviors from
the outside world.

18. Prisoners have the right to:
• food, water, and shelter
A.protection from foreseeable
attack
B.protection from predictable
sexual attack
C.protection against suicide

19. Prisoners also have the right to:
 Attend services of other religious groups
 Receive visits from ministers
 Correspond with religious leaders
 Observe religious dietary laws
 Wear religious insignia

20. Comparing features
 Dress code
 Time table
 Food pattern
 Different culture
 Rules
 Different living areas
 Living under governing

21. Dress code

22. Time table

23. Food pattern

24. Different culture

25. Different living areas

26. Living under governing

27. Compare prison and school
 We went Kargasthalawa school and check
Goffman theory

28. Isolation Different living place
Uniform Governing staff

29. Personal growth……

30. Our perspective (conclusion)
 Prison is in made society
 School is not more made
 Prison live course to mental problems
 School life some what good than prison
 We think prison is not good method
 School is good method for children

31. Limitation
 Cant get deep details
 Very difficult to get permeation in to prison
 Time is limited

32. Reference
Foucault, M. “The birth of the Asylum”
pp.141-167 in Paul Rabinow The
Foucault Reader.Penguin Books, 1984.
Hacking, Ian 2004 “Between Michel
Foucault and Erving Goffman: between
discourse in the abstract and face-to-face
interaction” Economy and Society
33(3):277-302

33. Thank you
Presented by;
10/SL/181
10/SL/129