Response # 17

The NBC prison documentary was an eye opener for me. As a justice studies major, the focus is on the social behavior of the law and society. We looked at the youth and justice, domestic violence, law and social control, and many other social issues. The NBC documentary gave a real life version of what is really happening in present day life. As we study women in justice, it is apparent that it is completely different for women to be in a field than it is for men. In the documentary it takes you through a women prison facility to show the extent to which kinds of women are being sentenced to these facilities and the type of women and men who work in them. We also got to learn about the crimes that many of the women have committed. These crimes related to less offenses of violating parole or first-degree murder without parole. The women CO’s who worked within this facility faced many challenges every day. Women who were locked up often times had severe breakdowns. The CO’s had to then engage in restraining the women to make sure that there is no way for the inmate to harm themselves. The CO also had to make sure that they did not get emotional with any of the inmates because it could lead to unsafe activity. The director of the facility claimed there are very few times when a CO has become intimate with inmates and when this happen, an intense investigation is conducted. The officers try to keep a neutral view on the inmates themselves but, as one officer tells NBC, “some of the inmates are like celebrities” they have been in and out of the prison so often that they know everyone who works inside. This leads some of the officers to believe that many of the inmates will never be able to live a normal life. This can in a indirect way have a judgment placed on the inmates. However, many of the officers do enjoy watching the women being released from the facility. Also, many of the officers enjoy and are thankful to hear that someone has made it out and stayed out. Although this happens rarely, it shows signs for hope, not only for the inmates but also for the officers. The officers are re-enforced that by performing their job whether the inmate likes it or not, it is only to benefit everyone.
The forms of social control the facility used to discipline the inmates were effective. Many of the inmates within the facility had intimate relationships with other inmates. If an inmate was to cause a fight or express poor behavior, they were sentenced to a longer time and most often were contained to solid confinement. This meant the inmate was not allowed to interact with other inmates for a certain amount of time. The serious offenders also were allowed very little free time. And most of the free time was spent outside in what one inmate called “a dog cage.” She felt that she was treated to the same level as a dog. These were all forms of social control the officers were allowed to exploit onto the inmates.
Men who worked in the facilities of all women had even more obstacles than women. Ironically, men had to make sure that no such action could be taken for such of a sexual action. Some of the inmates tried their best to arouse male officers and use that against them or even black male them. When a male officer would walk through the hall way of the women prison, he had to shout before entering “male in the building,” so women were notified that a man was entering so no sexual action was assumed. This was the same for women who worked in male facilities. One women officer wore gloves over her hands when handled men from being transported from one cell to the next. When NBC questioned her on this, she stated that it was to stop any arousal that may occur due to the opposite sex touching the male inmate.
The NBC documentary was very informative with what happens within the prison facilities and how women who work in them are affected and deal with certain situations.