Donald Clemmer's Theory Of Prisonization Analysis

Prisonization is defined in the text as “The process whereby newly institutionalized offenders come to accept prison lifestyles and criminal values” (Schmalleger, 2015). This is the roles and characteristics that a prisoner will learn when they socialize with other inmates in the similar lifestyle. This is sometimes characterized as the changing from an inmate to a “con”. The text notes there are five main elements of this code. “1. Don’t interfere with interests of other inmates. Never rat on a con. 2. Don’t lose your head. Play it cool and do your own time. 3. Don’t exploit inmates. Don’t steal. Don’t break your word. Be right. 4. Don’t whine. Be a man. 5. Don’t be a sucker. Don’t trust the guards or staff.” (Schmalleger, 2015). Prisoners stick to customs of the culture of their prison.

He had beliefs that “most inmates did not join groups” (Santos, 2003). He proposed a thought that depending on a prisoner’s personality and how vulnerable one might be in prison, they would be more likely to conform to those around them. This would promote the theory of prisonization. In the 1960’s, sociologist Stanton Wheeler decided to develop and prove Clemmer’s thoughts a little further. “He found that as prisoners move through their term, their behavior follows the pattern of a U’s curvature. The values and culture of the outside community, friends and family influence and inmate’s positive adjustment early on, but as time passes, the prisoner sinks into a trough, adopting to negative values and subculture attitudes of those around him” (Santos, 2003). As time passes they remain in the bottom of the U shape until it gets close to their release date. “Within the half year prior to release, most inmates begin to demonstrate a renewed appreciation for conventional values” (Schmalleger, 2015). This is what swings the prisoner back up on the U theory that Wheeler