Inmate Identification in an Institutional Setting

Abstract

An organizational analysis of various inmate groups within the Mississippi State Penitentiary, locally known as Parchman, has called into question the "cohesion" model of inmate groups as ones which remain firmly united against the enemy out-group, the prison administration. The organizational structure of the Mississippi prison, until very recently, presented a highly stratified version of inmate society. Not only were inmates utilized in the management and operation of the prison, as is traditional in most penal institutions, but a highly select group of inmates, known as trusties, were given the responsibility for the maintenance of social control over fellow inmates. This group of inmates represented an elite corp which presented unique problems of adjustment, not only to fellow inmates but to the staff as well. This article takes a look at these problems of adjustment.