Study Guide for the "New Mexico Prison Riot"

The following includes a very broad set of questions to help you understand your assigned reading. You are responsible for material in the article that these questions may not directly address. That is, to do well on the quiz you must read the entire article at least once if not more than once. On the day of the quiz, you will have a five question multiple choice quiz in class. Study hard and enjoy understanding why prison riots may take place!

What does Colvin mean when he states that prisons are composed of an official control structure and an inmate social structure?

Did the rapid turnover of administrators effect the official control structure?

People assume that prison riots take place because of security lapses, poor food and basic services, over-crowding, alleged conspiracies by middle level administrators, and the emergence of a "new breed" of violent and disruptive inmate. What role did these factors play in the New Mexico prison riot?

What are sources of power among prison inmates?

What effect did the removal of incentive controls have on the social organization among the prisoners?

What impact did the administration's switch from accommodation to coercive control of the inmates have on them?

Why did violence become a source of power among the inmates?

Why did the prison population and the prison administration become increasingly more fragmented?

How many prisoners died in the riot?

What are three characteristics that clearly distinguish the riot itself?

What does the following sentence mean? "Prison riots open to view the grim realities that underlie the U.S. penal system. Foucault (1977) argues that the "failure" of prisons is actually a "success" in terms of cementing class relations in U.S. society by fragmenting the underclass through mutual fear and victimization. What are some policies that could reduce the likelihood of future prison riots?