Prisons and the Problem of Order

Rethinking Prison Disciplinary Processes: A Potential Future for Restorative Justice

“…This compliance cannot be taken for granted given the deprivations and frustrations of prison life and the fact that prisoners are usually unwilling captives (see Crewe, 2009;Sparks et al, 1996;Sykes, 1958). Extant research suggests that one key to obtaining prisoners' compliance is the extent to which the prison service is viewed as 'legitimate' (Sparks & Bottoms, 1995;Sparks et al 1996). Legitimacy involves the perception that prison service authorities are "legally valid, that officials act fairly, and that they justify what they do to those affected by their decisions" (Liebling, 2004, p471).…”

“…In prison, the manner in which people are treated, and 'right' staff-prisoner relationships, are viewed as key to this process as these day-to-day experiences form the basis on which people judge the legitimacy of the prison (Liebling, Price & Shefer, 2011;Sparks et al, 1996). Liebling (2004) argues that 'right' staff-prisoner relationships are respectful, have clear boundaries, address conflict rather than avoid it, are consistent and provide justification for variations from the norm.…”

Covenants without the Sword? Comparing Prison Self-Governance Globally

“…12 On prisons in the United Kingdom, see Sparks et al 1996;Liebling 2004;Harvey 2007;Crewe 2009. Over the span of three years, Phillips found no evidence for anything like the gangs that operate in California. She explains, "there appears to be no recognizable equivalent of the organized US gang in either Rochester or Maidstone prisons.…”

The ‘dangerous other’ in maximum-security prisons

“…They were first established in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s had significant problems with maintaining order (King and Morgan 1980;Home Office 1984;Sparks et al, 1996;Liebling 2002;Drake 2006;. It is important to acknowledge that the operational arrangements of maximum-security prisons in England are somewhat unique in comparison to elsewhere.…”

“…It is beyond the scope of this article to delve further into the extent, details, and causes behind all of the operational difficulties of the early maximum-security prison system (but for an in-depth consideration of the problems of order in dispersals see King and Morgan 1980;Home Office 1984;Sparks, Bottoms and Hay 1996; for more detailed histories of the dispersal system, see : Liebling 2002;Drake 2006;and in preparation). It is important, however, to note that that the problems with order which troubled these prisons up until the mid-1990s have left an indelible mark on institutional and organisational memory.…”