AN EXAMINATION OF CONFLICTING IDEOLOGIES

THIS ARTICLE is concerned with a problem that is considetold I to be of crucial importance in its effect upon the prisoner both in his adjustment to prison life and his rehabilitation in preparation to f7tur¡1n ing him to society. It is a problem that is intimately connected with all aspects of prison social structure, and arises from the existence Of two Iconflicting ideologies in a penal institution. These ideologies are rcspe istively, a treatment ideology and a custody ideology. Each ideologY ~’ reflected in the paradoxical position of the American prison sy~teol’On the one hand, treatment leading to the eventual reformation of the c offender is a stated ideal. On the other hand, there exists an emphas~s,s on security and protection of the public, as well as a belicf in the Plo&dquo;tive purpose of a prison. Should the prisons punish or reform‘. problem is yet to be resolved. The problem is reflected in the basic social structure of the mstl t’tions themselves, since basic staff units in the institution arc the treat~ ment and custodial employees. These two units often work in OPPosite Idirections due to difl’erent aims and values. In the literature of SOciolog&dquo;&dquo; the conflict has been examined extensively in recent years. The first complete study of a prison community was reporte,,,,b hDonald Clemmer in 1939. His work did much to stimulate the g of sociological analyses of aspects of the institution. Much of this J¡terdYture documents and discusses the conflict existin between the cust~tlC and the treatmcnt personnel in an institution. I discusses the s tjbtlc Inegative attitudes of the custodial staff for the professional staff aod. OSconcomitant attitude held by the professional staff that the core function’ ’ i