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.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
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
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